Chamard Bistro

The Gnocchi with butternut squash was incredible. Light as air and the serving size was perfect. Excellent service and inviting atmosphere. Went back two weeks later for an instant replay.

Your get MORE then what you pay for. One of the best grass feed burgers I’ve had, same goes for the aioli fries. View of the Vineyard is really nice. Highly recommended!

Pretty location all wines were not available for tasting. The menu is rich in choices but portions are small and the price point is high for what you get. In short a good way to enjoy a spot with friends.

Tucked away on a long driveway, down a winding backroad is the gem of Chambard Vineyards & Bistro. The bistro menu is… dare I say… simply complex. Where else could an adult eat a grilled cheese sandwich or mac & cheese paired with a glass of wine and still be sophisticated?
Reservations are recommended, it’s so good seats are coveted.

Old review:
My husband took me here for a birthday surprise. When I saw the lovely grounds, the gorgeous interior and furnishings and found out we’d be eating here, I began to salivate, it really is a gorgeous and special place.
I’m all about the food though and I really feel they missed the mark here. I really hope we caught a bad day, but I must be frank. At these prices they need to do better.,
We ordered strawberries and crème. To say they weren’t fresh was an understatement. They were about an hour shy of being tossed in the trash, Covered in little soft bad spots. The waiter should not have served these, the chef should not serve theses. Mac and cheese was tiny and uninspired. Soggy? Boring? White? Why yes. Seemed like everything was prepped the night before and then heated and served.
I didn’t have the heart to make a stink because husband was so proud that he’d found this little place as a birthday surprise. So I ate. :(
The wine was delish. Would def go back for that.

We went to Chamard’s for a late lunch on a sunny mild Saturday afternoon in October. The vines were being harvested that afternoon, so that was cool to see. The bistro was pretty crowded, and we had a reservation but we were late, so we waited anyway. Things quieted down and we sat at a nice natural wood table in the lounge with comfortable stools, rather than at the standard rectangle tables in close proximity to other people in the main dining room. Menu was the same, and we got to see what was going on in the open kitchen.
The food was pretty amazing and we were glad we went there!
The husband is French and won’t eat salad unless it’s bonafide «French» style, and he devoured the frisee salad (!) We ordered four entrees: the seared duck breast with roasted grapes, lentils and spinach (it was awesome), the steak frites (fire grilled ribeye with thinly sliced deep fried potatoes and herb butter) — the steak was the table’s favorite entrée item along with the duck. We also order the burger with side salad, it was okay, a very salty burger patty and overall dish, but we ate it. Then we had the pork chop entrée, it was tasty with the roasted veg and baby potatoes. Again the favorites were the duck and the steak.
The wines were good, a little dry for my taste, but the chardonnay seemed to be the best of the three we tried from the Charmad Estate (a rosee, a peachy-​white blend, and the chardonnay). We ordered the small 2-​oz pours of each, and it was the perfect amount.
Dessert was GREAT! we had the raspberry almond tart (that was a taste of heaven in a buttery bite), the chocolate ganache bomb (it was also a chocoholic paradise moment), and they have the best chocolate pudding («pot de crème») it was so rich and delightful. Each dessert has a dollup of freshly whipped cream on top, lightly sweetened, it was perfect. And they made a pot of french pressed coffee for the table, served with these crystallized sugar stirrers and fresh cream. Such a delight.
They never rushed us away, despite the fact that dinner service was beginning soon. We kept ordering stuff, and enjoying ourselves. The servers and chef staff were all nice and made us feel welcome and refilled the water pitchers (we like that we didn’t have to ask for water). The outside was lovely and lots of people were doing tastings outside, people seemed happy.
We’ll definitely be back!

My wife and I had planned on going to the vineyards at Chamard for a tasting before eating at the bistro. On the way up we decided to skip the tasting and just eat at the bistro.
The bistro is in a separate part of the building than the tasting room. The host was very friendly, and seated us immediately at a table with a set of windows facing the vineyards. The décor is classic rustic, with a touch of modern. The view was beautiful, but the warm weather brought a few flies buzzing around inside.
They were serving brunch and lunch menu items, as well as some specials. We shared a fantastic cheese plate with glasses of their Rose’ and Cab wines. My wife really like the Rose’ but it wasn’t available in bottles. My Cab was good, but not outstanding (nothing beats Cali). The cheeses were all from local area CT farms. I had the grass fed burger which was cooked perfectly. It was fantastic, and the greens it came with were good. My wife had the gnocchi which was really good. Everything was cooked perfectly, and tasted great. I was surprised at how good the food was.
I’d highly recommend eating here… drink some wine, eat some cheese, and have a great meal. Oh and the service was excellent!

We came on a Saturday afternoon for lunch and were were so impressed by the layout, décor and most importantly the food and wine.
The menu items all pair perfectly with their wines. Almost every dish had some type of unique cheese. I ordered the burger which came with a «cave aged cheddar» that had our whole table on our phones looking up what this was! The burger was cooked perfectly and was delicious. The side salad tastes like it had just been plucked from their garden!
The tables and wall hangings were all all made from wine barrels which was super neat.
The only odd thing was that they asked if we had a reservation, and when we said no they seemed kinda iffy about it and said they could fit us in. There were maybe 3 tables seated at that point and only a couple others that came while we were eating, so not sure what the no reservation issue had been.

When I had a «real» job, lunch out was enough of a breather to get back to serious toil in the afternoon. Nowadays, I spend more than enough time at home in front of my computer screen, so a midday break can be a mini vacation. And even more so, when one finds oneself at the new Chamard Bistro, gazing out at the neat rows of grapevines and making believe it’s Napa Valley, not Clinton, CT.
Next time you’re scouring the outlets, stop at Chamard. The menu is classic bistro: gooey french onion soup, a tangy Cato Corner seven cheese macaroni, burgers and steak frites from Four Mile River Farm, a fresh and colorful bibb salad with baby beets. All quite yummy and best enjoyed with a glass of Stone Cold White (just $ 15 per bottle and take the rest home). Dinner in the airy room is quite nice, too, but you’ll have to wait for daylight savings to appreciate the view.

The Chamard Bistro is a restaurant next to the tasting room of the Chamard Vineyard in Clinton. They serve light fare like sandwiches and Pommes Frites along with their house wines, along with a few larger dishes like pork chops and steaks.
They also have some lovely meat and cheese platters and fresh baked baguettes to go along with their wine pairings as well.
The scenery out the windows is quite nice, and the place itself has a more upscale feel than most restaurants in the area. It’s definitely a great place to go for date night.

My sister brought me here for lunch today, celebrating our seeing one another for the first time in a year, so she wanted it to be something special. I was not sure what to expect from a Connecticut winery’s restaurant, but I was game to give it a go. I should learn to be less of a snob, since the meal we had was superlative.
To start we each had a glass of their wine, with her taking a white, and me taking a rosé. While I did prefer the white, the rosé was not bad, and quite dry. For our meals we decided to go halvesies on a burger and the croque Madame. The burger was easily one of the best I can remember halving, with a very tasty patty, well seasoned and with great texture, along with caramelised onions and a great brioche bun. The croque Madame was even better, with a light bechamel and beautiful melted cheese over the slices of ham between the slices of toast. Pricing was reasonable, service was friendly, efficient and professional. What more do you want?

Well, tonight was a special event. A beer and food pairing with Hooker brewery. Two stars is a gift. To begin with, we were given ¼ full stemless wine glasses of the blonde ale, followed by the watermelon seasonal. To me this seemed a bit on the light side. We were then asked by the, I can only assume manager of the event, if we had toured the wine cellar. She said go ahead and look around, dinner will be served at 5. We had about 20 mins to kill so we took our time looking at the casks, artwork
on walls and were just having a good time. That was, until a woman came into the cellar and spoke to us in a tone reminiscent of middle school days when you’re out in the hall without a pass, and told us that we weren’t allowed in there. It wasn’t until we said that Alexis, said for us to take look, that she backed off. Alexis being the one who was apparently in charge.
So here is the food review— long story short, we were served 5 courses along with minuscule beer pairings. In fact, we drank the majority of the beers before the food even got to our table. It was a disappointment. The soup was the first course– gazpacho. Was tasty but a bit too much dill and certainly nothing to write home about. Second course was salad that was difficult to eat with grace due to the lengthy stalks. Third course was one, yes one sea scallop cut in half and placed on a pesto covered slice of crusty bread. A burned piece of bread with pesto, and it was almost laughable– really one scallop? The next course (notice I’ve stopped discussing the beer pairings, which is what we went there for? The representatives from Hooker could not get the patrons to stop talking, they just talked over everyone, so I really have no idea how each beer paired with each minuscule meal).
Anyways the next course was a pork tenderloin, but when the tickets of 75 $ per person were purchased, the fact I was vegetarian was made clear and they said they would have another option. The other option was tofu or chicken. Ok chicken??? So I said ok to tofu. Not realizing there was a hidden third choice that only after the other vegetarians at my table were served did I become aware of. But I was too late. It would take the kitchen 20 minutes to get a plate of yummy looking gnocchi my way, so tofu it was. Seriously? This on my plate was the reason I and most people do not eat tofu. It was cold, flavorless and inedible. Plain tofu rubbed with some spices and slapped on a grill for 30 seconds. Wow. Anyways the the last course, NY style cheesecake. Expecting that a slice of thick heavenly cheesecake was heading our way at this point was a joke. We got what we expected, a small round and what looked like store bought basic cheesecake was next and last.
We left promptly and did not stay for a glass of wine, did not stay to enjoy the surroundings, we just wanted to leave. I spoke with the woman in charge about my concerns and how this did not even come close to meeting my expectations. I have done several food and beer and wine pairings and this was by far the worst. Worst food quality and quantity, worst customer service and what we came for– to learn about the beer and the food, well that was a wash. The chef didn’t even come out to discuss his food preparations. They said he was too shy. Well, he should be shy after that mess of a performance. The management has to get their act together if they want people to return. 35 $ maybe is what I would have paid for this, but still would have left disappointed. The woman did give me a $ 25 gift card to come back and get gnocchi off the main menu. This is where he second star comes in. Seriously Chamard, this was pitiful and if I were you, I would be embarrassed. This could have been an amazing evening of delicious food and educational beer pairings. Instead it was a comparison of why someone got 1 ½ scallops when we only got 1 and why someone got wine when we were offered none. At least make the beer pourings even for goodness sake. I won’t be back probably ever. Hopefully, if they do this again, they will read my review and take to heart how they made a customer feel. Not very good and it could have been a lovely night. It was all done wrong. Good luck Chamard. Hopefully their regular dining experience is better. We went to get a pizza afterwards because we were still hungry. Over 200 $ for three people. I’m beyond disgusted. Really, this is an embarrassment.

This place just rocks! Not just is the food superb, the staff (Morgan, Carianne, Cooper) are fantastic. Special requests are easily accommodated. The menu is seasonal farm to table. Continental with French, Swiss influence plus some American favorites. I have not had anything here that I thought was bad. This is just an update to my prior review to say that this place has stayed consistent. I highly recommend it!

Definite hidden treasure
Great place for lunch
Good choice for first date with that special someone especially if u enjoy wine

Very good charcuterie! We had to ask where they buy the zingy dijon mustard and they shared it with us!
I had the gnocchi with mushroom, truffle butter, and asparagus. Nice and light, very good dish. Dishes are a bit pricey.
Waiter was very helpful!

Considering the location in the middle of nowhere Connecticut, I was pleasantly surprised to find a vineyard and a highly rated restaurant attached to it. Location-​wise, it is a little hard to find since it is off of a residential road but just look for vineyards viewable from the road and a small gate leading up the restaurant. Very close to the Clinton Crossing outlets (less than a 5 minute drive).
I tried the burger and croque madame and the pommes frites sides. The burger and pommes frites were amazing, must order in my opinion. The croque madame was good but a little too heavy and rich. Definitely want to come back to try dinner («main acts» on their menu).
Restaurant is cozy and has a lovely view of the vineyard. Would come back in the summer months to enjoy the view more.

Chamard’s wine is pretty good (I especially like their Stone Cold Red) but I was especially impressed by the new-​ish bistro this time around. I’ve been to the winery for tastings a few years ago, but hadn’t been in yet for lunch.
We started with one of the greatest guilty pleasures of all, Camembert en croute — oozy, gooey cheese with salted caramel sauce, apples and pears, and moved on to the Four Mile River Farm burger with aged gruyère, bacon marmalade (sigh), garlic aioli and arugula on brioche. Grass fed beef makes all the difference, friends.
I also tried the amazing salad Lyonnaise with frisee, smoked bacon, poached egg, brioche croutons and dijon cider vinaigrette. Our server was lovely and understood that we were in a rush (spa appointments, can’t be tardy!) so he was as swift as he could be though the wine tasting and lunch.
The bistro is definitely not an afterthought at Chamard — now, for me, it’s the main attraction!

Stopped in here for lunch the other day and was blown away. It was a cold, dreary day, but with fireside seating, the bistro was a warm and cozy refuge.
The onion soup au gratin is classy comfort food. The soup itself is loaded with onions and the broth is rich and smooth. The melted cheese on top spills over the sides of the crock and gets perfectly crispy.
The croque madam is to die for. Amazing combination of flavors with the Black Forest ham and Swiss cheese. And I found myself using the sandwich to soak up every last bit of the Mornay sauce and egg yolk.
Top it all off with a glass of dry Riesling, and I can’t think of a better place to spend a winter day!

I loved this place! My sister and I were doing some outlet shopping down the street and Unilocal came to the rescue to find a highly reviewed restuarant in the area. I had been to the vineyard before but had no idea they had a bistro inside. It’s a little hidden to the right when you walk in but the décor inside is exactly what you would expect from a winery; tons of wine barrels all around used as tables and the décor. I ordered a glass of their Stone Cold White which is almost juice-​like so it’s super easy to suck them down often and quickly! :-) We were craving the cheese plate though it was a little pricey for what you get (our neighbor table had it) so we opted for the flatbread and gnocchi. Both were equally fresh and delicious. For dessert we split the apple gallette which was AMAZING. Definitely check this place out if you’re in the area or spending a day at the vineyard.

I really like the ambiance, the staff, and the Connecticut (kind of) wines. I really wanted to like all of the food, the smoked salmon appetizer plate was very good but the entrees were not so great. I had the duck, and it was not outstanding, my wife had the rib-​eye and it was really fatty.
I will go back, but I might stick with the appetizers next time…