Prime: An American Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Stamford

I came here with my family of 6 as my brother just started college at UConn Stamford. He wanted to show us around his new neighborhood. I was so impressed with Prime. As someone who lived in NYC for almost 10 years, and have been a native New York Stater my whole life, I’ve have no shortage of access to excellent food. Prime made an impression. I love the on the water location (my family snagged an awesome corner booth table next to the window overlooking the harbor). I will say this is definitely a nicer family sort of joint; there were definitely younger kids in there on a Saturday night but it was not disruptive for us. The menu is refined and unique but offers comfort options, too. The service was excellent. Food was perfectly cooked and care was taken to be mindful of allergies. Food was timely and we were told all the food has to be ordered at once (apps and entrees at least) to keep the kitchen running smooth and to get everyone’s food out on time, and I would say it worked.

Our waitress, I believe her name was Julia, was attentive, kind, and knowledgable about the food. She advised us on types of alcohol to try as well as carefully considered my brother’s pistachio allergy, and was super well spoken. Everyone bringing the food and cleaning the tables was of the utmost quality as well; it felt like the staff truly worked as a team. They worked seamlessly and gave everyone the right dishes without asking, which I noticed.

Food wise, I loved the selections and would be curious to see any additions/seasonal changes to the menu next time I come back. Fall 2024 specials were largely duck and mushroom based which aren’t really my thing, but there is a full menu including incredible sushi and steaks.

I ordered the petite filet (10 oz) which was around $65. Very pricey but I will say it was perfectly cooked to my medium spec, had a savory, delicious seared crust, and came with some flaky salt on top. I opted for the $6 upcharge for bordelaise sauce; it was just okay and I would love to see some more sauce options on the menu, or special butters perhaps. Turns out Prime has their own House Steak Sauce which is so unique—I could swear I tasted the slight tang of pickle juice in there, which I loved! Sides wise, my table split the maple brussels, mashed potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, truffle fries and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese is the stand out side. It is not too salty, which is really special to me. It’s not overly packed with garlic either (and I love garlic, but sometimes it overpowers all the great cheese flavors in a Mac). It’s baked in a cast iron and has a crunchy crust from freshly grated cheese on top. No breadcrumbs on this one. I would 100% order the Mac again next time I come.

I will say—this place is not cheap! It is expensive, and feels expensive. Despite the price though, this place is crowded on a Saturday night for a reason! I would say if you’re looking for a quiet, calm steakhouse vibe on a weekend, this isn’t it. It’s very lively. The energy was great for my family but just be aware for your own planning. Maybe different on a weekday.

My family and I won’t forget this dinner and would love to plan a return reservation here for a special occasion. Thank you Prime for the lovely memory...

I made a reservation for two to celebrate a special someone's birthday. I made the reservation online through the Prime website; the process was seamless. I then called the restaurant afterward to confirm that my request to be seated at a table looking out to the water, was received. I believe I spoke to Katie, who was cordial, helpful and put me at ease regarding my request and she also confirmed for me that there was plenty of onsite parking, as I was concerned about parking in a parking garage and then walking to the restaurant at night.

I checked in upon arrival and was immediately brought to our table. The lighting was perfect, the view was amazing and the ambiance just set the tone for a great night. The restaurant was impeccable and the staff followed suit. We were greeted with 2 champagne flutes to start our celebration.

Our waiter Marcus, also gets 5 stars for his attentiveness and service. He made sure he dotted every "i" and crossed every "t" to make our first visit a memorable one. His knowledge of the menu, the specials and the drinks, made our selections easier. We ordered the Babylon Express cocktail (on their menu) and a Tito's vodka and chambord Martini with a sugar rim (my creation), and the drinks were both spot on. We ordered the bread basket (4 petite French rolls), and Shrimp & Lobster wontons, as our Primers (appetizers). Everything was fresh and delicious!

Our dinner consisted of a Petite Filet Mignon with a side of Brussel Sprouts, and a Veal Chop Parmesan with a side of whipped potatoes. When I say perfection and mouth watering, I do not lie! It is by no means an over exaggeration. The meats were tender and juicy, the whipped potatoes were as smooth as silk (no lumps), and the Brussel Sprouts had the perfect texture and were flavored divinely. Prime Stamford was definitely showing off!

The manager David, came by several times to check in with us, and to ensure that everything had met our expectations so far. We reassured him that our experience exceeded our expectations so far. We did not wait long at all for our meals, (or drinks). By the time we finished our appetizers, our meals were already on their way.

To end the birthday celebration we ordered dessert: a Cheesecake slice with the works (salted caramel, chocolate, etc.), and a dessert in a glass. I am not sure of the name, but it should be called DIVINE SIN!

We are definitely going back! It was worth the 1 hr 30 min drive! ALL of the staff worked together, they were all attentive, and even the manager David offered to take our drink order for a second round of drinks, BUT, Marcus was on top of it.

They are truly a group of Team Players and Professionals. Our hats off to the entire staff who interacted with us last night and made our first experience at Prime Stamford, OUT OF THIS WORLD! Thank you ALL for giving us a 5 star exquisite experience! 🌟⭐⭐🌟⭐

P.S. We truly enjoyed every second of our night out, that we did not take pics of what we ordered. That should...

In the span of about 4 years I've patronized this restaurant, brought/suggested friends from nyc to here, praised their consistently superb delmonico steak, and my friend whom I introduced this place to a few weeks ago, he and I went here 3x in this past month because of the delmonico steak. Overall I've probably been to this restaurant maybe 50x. Last night's dinner, my friend and I decided that we'll take a break from this restaurant because of the atrocious delmonico served to us last night. The steak, supposedly a ribeye, was a strip steak. My friend's and my cut are both ribeye, and these were definitely strip steak. The 2 steaks served to us were tough, no marbling at all, tough to cut. My friend and I both craved for their steak so we were vastly disappointed about the quality. Wanting to give them a chance I said to our server that this tasted like strip steak coz it was tough to cut and chew and no marbling. Server said he'd check with the chef. So he went away to check, I saw him speak to the old guy with balding white hair in a suit, whom I presumed to be the general manager. Server came back and said to me that chef told him it was a ribeye but delmonico is not really guaranteed to be a ribeye. I said, well ok delmonico could possibly be not a ribeye but by definition it should be marbley. This steak was unlike last week's incredibly tender and juicy steak, and many more before last night. Nevertheless he said nothing he could do.

Overall it was incredibly disappointing, especially because I've been to this restaurant so many times. I blame it all onto the general manager, the old man in the suit. I've seen him at the restaurant many times, I'm sure he's noticed me there before. Every time I went there and saw him, he gave no acknowledgement to me, no sign of recognition, no friendliness,just an air of surliness and coldness from him. Even before last night's experience I've always thought this manager was not fit for this fine restaurant. As a result my friend and I said to each other, we are taking a break from this restaurant. Before this we were avid fans. Now no longer,...