If you’re on the hunt for a seafood restaurant the mixes an upscale dining experience with a touch of seaside ease, look no further than Old Greenwich’s Beach House Cafe.
The eatery is decorated with photos and paintings of seaside escapes, including portraits of ocean waves and clear skies that line the walls in both sections of the 60-seat main dining room. The restaurant is framed in classic white wainscoting, with ocean-inspired blue and green walls and ceiling. These offset the circular bar, which seats 16 and is flanked by plush bar stools.
The eatery was reopened in the fall of 2016 by restaurateur Kane Xu, who aimed to revamp the coastal-themed interior, while preserving the character of the neighborhood favorite.
The menu is a refresh, too, offering an upscale, Asian-inspired take on a number of your seafood favorites. An organic salmon summer roll includes cucumber, avocado, tobiko (flying fish roe) and spicy mayo wrapped in rice paper. Sashimi tuna is served atop a light, fluffy flatbread and drizzled with spicy mayo and minced avocado and tomato.
A spicy seafood soup is a total crowd-pleaser, with shrimp, mussels, calamari, tilapia, mushrooms, scallions and a spicy tomato broth that delivers a pleasant kick.
You won’t want to miss the grilled octopus either, which sits above a bed of Brussels sprouts, baby arugula, cherry tomatoes and a balsamic glaze.
The risotto is a true standout. The creamy, comforting vegetable creation is served with a medley of seafood, from lobster and shrimp to scallops, all amid a truffle Champagne butter.
Xu hopes to recreate the success of his Greenwich restaurant at another location. Last summer, he rebranded his South Norwalk comfort food eatery, Mama’s Boy, as a second outpost of Beach House Cafe.
“As bold as it may have seemed to some, for me, it made perfect sense to create a seafood restaurant located in a coastal community, just steps away from the Maritime Aquarium and the Seaport Dock,” Xu said. “And the seafood concept is really where we shine.”
For more, visit beachhousecafe.com.
-Aleesia Forni
