S&P Oyster Restaurant and Bar — Restaurant in Stonington

I am preceding this review with the fact that I only leave great reviews or horrible ones. This review isn't either one. There were some great things about S & P. Unfortunately, my experience of this beautiful restaurant didn't end well, which is the only reason I am leaving the review. I will comment on the good parts first in order of greatest to offensive.

*Dear RYAN (our waiter), pay attention. This review can help you learn to have an illustrious life in business, life, maybe even as a professional waiter.

Atmosphere. It's a beautiful restaurant, view of the drawbridge, gorgeous flowers, perfectly manicured grounds and house. Picturesque is an understatement. Excellent oysters even though they weren't from CT. Waiter said they were having "problems with them" so they came from Rhode Island. Excellent shrimp cocktail as well. Huge, tender and spot on. My parents and two sisters said their meals were good, nothing special... or I would fairly elaborate. That being said, my sister ate there a few weeks ago and raved about the dinners they had. My dad the clam chowder and said it was the best he ever had.

And that's kind of where it stops. Worst..in order of bad to worse. I ordered a 9 ounce pour of wine and got a 6 ounce. Fortunately was charged for only 6, so no big deal but it definitely tasted like the bottle was opened and wasn't fresh. I ordered a rocket salad with grilled salmon. What I got... a pile of arugula with 4 candied walnuts, 3 grape halves, four thin grates/shreds of jicama and the tail end piece of salmon that was 1/3 of an inch thick at best measuring 3 - 4 inches wide by 4-5 inches long. They claimed it is a "4 oz piece as stated on the menu". (Menu actually stated $14 to add a 5 oz piece). Side reference, My sister had seared tuna on a different salad and was almost twice the size of what I was served. (Menu stated 4 oz for adding tuna $16). She didn't order the rocket salad, but hers was also underwhelming with few toppings and a pile of arugula. Horribly disappointing, underwhelming and beyond overpriced. Restaurants of this caliber and price point in my experience don't put ounces on tuna and salmon but now I know why they did. It was a warning so that they can remind you that it was stated that way on the menu if you say it's disappointing. Ordered a second glass of wine when we got our food and I never got it so i just cancelled it. The attitude from the wait staff. My sister has celiac disease and needed a gluten free meal. That was no problem at all. However, Our waiter was way too comfortable and informal for the setting. He also joked, insinuating we were high maintenance and finally able to complete our ordering process saying "you did it"! They delivered our food when 3 out of 5 of us where up from the table waiting for the bathroom and they never came back to ask how the food was or if we needed anything. When I expressed some disappointment in the size of the salmon and lack of "stuff" on the salad (to a different waiter), they offered to bring me a menu to choose something else. I would've been happy with just another small piece of salmon for the salad. I declined and was happy with my 4 oysters. ALLLL of those things would never have precipitated a negative review from me. I understand there are issues at every restaurant and I just wouldn't have left one at all. However, our waiter then proceeded to roll his eyes from a distance when the waiter related to him that I didn't want any other food and clearly related the story to another waitress on her break, as he flirted with her instead of tending to his tables.

So, this review was left because I felt insulted by the prices, portions and wait staff. The rude wait staff is what pushed me over the edge. This restaurant is clearly getting by on atmosphere. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, and that's fine, but don't insult me. I'm there to spend money.

I would try it again, but stay away from all salads and the immature waiter. Oh, and I'll bring my food scale to...

Impeccable food and even better service! 100% out of 100%!

Long story short, we commented on their overcooked swordfish, which was one of our entrees. They handled our customer complaint with such care, sincerity, and respect. In the end, we got one of the juiciest fish we have ever tasted, with such a special texture—it's chewy yet so tender. I could chew and savor the freshness of the fish, but it finally melts in my mouth! I would definitely go back again!

Long story:

It was our first time coming to Mystic, CT, with my partner for a getaway day trip. We ordered mussels as the appetizer (a very good portion, perfectly balanced seasoning, not overly salty or overly winey). The bread was so good that I wanted to order more! (It's such good-quality bread, better than 95% of bakeries.) Then we got today's special, which was a swordfish risotto with mango and the homemade seafood squid ink linguine. When the swordfish risotto came up, I dug into it and was very disappointed because it was overcooked. I asked my partner to try it to confirm it wasn't just my high standards. We both agreed that it was not okay—it was very tough to chew on—so we decided to tell the waiter about our concern.

The waiter immediately said they would handle it with an attentive smile and sent our swordfish risotto back to the kitchen.

Then came our squid ink linguine. The shrimp and scallops were good. The squid was perfectly cooked (chewy yet with juice, tenderness, and freshness). The highlight was the linguine! I loved the texture of the pasta and how rich the sauce was but not over-seasoned. It really had a good balance :)

Then our swordfish risotto was back...we were shocked because the swordfish was undercooked this time...the fish had parts that were raw...we felt uncomfortable returning it to the kitchen for the second time but we really had to since it's inedible.

The manager came up to apologize for it and also told us the apologies from the chef and told us that they'd remove this cost from the bill.

At that point, we were having mixed feelings for the wonderful mussels and the squid ink linguine, but we really didn't expect much after sending the swordfish risotto back to the kitchen for the second time.

Finally, it came back, and the fish was incredible. It's chewy yet tender, unlike most fish I've tasted in the past. It melts in my mouth and is very fresh. There was very light seasoning, which I love, and it was the mangos that brought out the acidity and sweetness that draws the pureness and freshness of the fish. The risotto has such a sophisticated, dimensionalized, chewy texture, mixed with different grains, that's unique from the risotto I normally eat in an Italian restaurant. The sauce is creamy rich and balanced, not the kind that will leave a person feeling heavy after finishing the plate.

My mood went from low to high like a rollercoaster in today's experience. Normally we don't like sending food back to the kitchen—it's really not our culture to ask for a remake, and it seems very demanding. However, we didn't regret sending it back because the chef, the servers, and the manager really made so much effort that our dining experience is taken care of with professionalism and sincerity. And the final dish completely exceeded our expectations.

There are always mistakes in life and we really appreciate how well, kind the staff handles it, and we wish this business well! We...

I can’t say enough good things about our experience at S&P Oyster on New Year’s Day. We chose to celebrate our wedding with a big group of 16, and it turned out to be the perfect decision. From the moment we walked in, everything was top-notch even on a holiday

First off, our server, Kev, was amazing. I honestly don’t know how he kept his cool with so many requests flying at him all night, but he did it with a smile, a sense of humor, and a level of professionalism that made the whole evening feel effortless. We had people with dietary restrictions— like gluten and dairy allergies—and Kev made sure everything was taken care of without any fuss. The menu offered a whole host of both vegan and gluten free options and Kev worked directly with the kitchen to make sure every dish was tailored to accommodate those needs, and it really helped us relax and enjoy the meal without any stress.

The food was out of this world. Everything from the appetizers to the mains to the desserts was incredible. There was a great variety of options, which was such a relief, especially when you’re dealing with so many different preferences and dietary needs. Our group really was blown away by everything we ordered from the apps to dessert, the food here was really a hit!

The atmosphere was intimate and beautiful while remaining welcoming, which made it easy for everyone to enjoy themselves and feel comfortable. The staff didn’t rush us, which I really appreciated—our group can be a bit chatty, and we were there to linger, enjoy the food, and celebrate, so it was nice that they let us take our time.

Everything just clicked—great food, fantastic service, and an atmosphere that really let us savor the moment. It’s not easy pulling off a large group celebration with so many moving parts, but S&P Oyster, especially Kev, nailed it. I can’t recommend it enough, especially if you're looking for a place that goes above and beyond to make sure everyone feels taken care of.

Kev deserves a special shoutout for being an absolute pro and making sure our wedding celebration went off without a hitch. Thanks to this experience, we plan on...