The Bee and Thistle Inn and Spa

Truly one of the greatest places we’ve ever been to. The food was amazing and so was our evening. The atmosphere at the Inn is perfect and would highly recommend the Bee and Thistle to everyone!

We have been here about 5 times for dinner and the service, food and atmosphere is consistently top notch! Tosh, the manager is amazing. Very fun cocktails. Every person working there is so nice and accommodating. You must try the deviled egg appetizer and the beef short ribs — delicious! Can’t wait to go back.

Went to a small wedding several weeks ago and this place was amazing.
The atmosphere the food and the service were top notch. My wife and I are planning to go back for another dinner.

I have never had a bad meal here. The ingredients are fresh, often locally sourced, and prepared by an expert chef.
The cocktails are handcrafted and made with care and the bartenders are young, fun, and passionate about their craft.
The bread is fresh and warm and the butter is mixed with herbs. It’s so delicious i have to remember to leave room for dinner!
The scallops and salmon are always cooked to perfection. The chef takes great pride in his work and it shows.
Dessert is always great, too. They’re made in the restaurant, as the chefs specialty is dessert. The chocolate tart is my favorite, but every dessert I’ve tried has been good.
The restaurant was once old-​fashioned and stuffy, but not has a more casual lounge area full of unique contemporary art made by local artists.
The staff is always friendly and attentive. You get the impeccable service of a fancy restaurant without the fuss or pretentiousness.

Voici un endroit que je pourrais qualifier d’unique car rares sont les lieux un peu intemporels ou ceux qui nous font replonger presque dans le passé, voir nous transporter dans un moment irréel proche d’un film. Old Lyme est un petit village du Connecticut avec plein de charme qui fut à une époque un lieu de rencontre pour les artistes. Non loin de la rivière Connecticut et bâtie avec un certain nombre de maisons de type colonial ou de ce que l’on appelle ici, architecture fédérale, un style entre les années 1730 et 1830.
C’est ici que se trouve une auberge et restaurant réputés pour la région, le «Bee & Thistle Inn and Spa «. Un «inn «correspondant probablement à ce que l’on appelle chez-​nous en Europe une auberge. C’est donc un peu en retrait d’une route peu passante que vous découvrirez celui-​ci entre les arbres. Une belle bâtisse avec une entrée avec de pseudos colonnades grecques puisque nous sommes entre style Greek Revival et Géorgien ou même Fédéral.
Et une fois la porte passée vous serez sans aucun doute émerveillé par l’intérieur surtout en cette période de Noël. Quelque chose que l’on pourrait qualifier de «maison de poupée «, avec ce côté de la décoration poussé à l’extrême mais tout en conservant un très bel esprit de Noël comme cela devient de plus en plus rarement le cas.
L’accueil est délicieux, souriant et immédiatement vous serez sous le charme de cette ambiance plutôt inhabituelle. A la réception plutôt non conventionnelle car vous êtes plutôt reçu comme un ami et non un simple client, on se chargera de vos bagages si vous séjournez sur place.
Un hall d’entrée décoré de magnifiques maisons en sucre et confiseries qui quelque part nous rappellera «Hansel et Gretel».
Les chambres sont magnifiques, décorées dans un style Nouvelle Angleterre de l’époque avec lit à baldaquin, meubles Empire et autres décorations qui nous rappelleraient un peu l’ambiance de «Downton Abbey «.
Un fois installés, c’est dans le bas de cette maison un peu magique que vous devrez vous rendre. Un confortable salon avec sa cheminée, ses sofas envieux cuir, le sapin tout illuminé et les bottes du père Noël pendues. Des éclairages doux, des guirlandes de sapin un peu partout.
L’ambiance est feutrée et presque solennelle avec ces personnes venues simplement pour le thé et quelques pâtisseries.
Dans une autre partie de cette maison, le bar avec un autre coin de cheminée qui lui aussi est d’une très grande convivialité.
Comme cette maison est grande et ancienne, la structure n’a pas été transformée, ce qui signifie qu’il n’y a pas une salle unique de restaurant comme dans la majorité des endroits mais plusieurs salles avec chacune leur style. Une première plutôt très intime avec une table parfaitement dressée, chaises et banquette.
Une seconde plus en longueur avec la possibilité d’avoir un plus grand nombre de convives.
Cette auberge propose une table avec un nom différent mais nous sommes bien toujours dans le «Bee & Thistle Inn and Spa». Appelée «The Chestnut Grille & Lounge «, il s’agit donc des salles décrites précédemment. Avant de passer à table, passer un moment dans l’un des salons avec un cocktail restera un souvenir mémorable. D’ailleurs le menu des cocktails est plutôt bien taillé avec ses classiques mais aussi quelques créations.
Avec comme exemple l’excellent «The Beast «, whisky Rye, sirop de Falernum qui est un subtil mélange d’épices, de citron vert et d’amande, citron vert frais servi dans un verre entouré de cannelle et de piment chipotle et un soupçon de cabernet pour terminer.
Ou encore le «Bee’s Sting «, citron vert, piment jalapeño, miel, tequila «repasado», liqueur de cactus et miel.
Des dosages précis et un parfait équilibre en fruit, alcool, sucre et épices.
Notre repas se passa dans le salon principal avec des tons tirant un peu sur le vieux rouge, de belles tables bien dressées de nappes blanches et toujours cette ambiance élégante d’une autre époque.
La cuisine proposée ici serait classifiable dans un style classique américain avec des influences françaises.
En entrée nous commencerons avec des «Œufs verts et jambon «, herbes du jardin, piment jalapeño, jambon espagnol. Assez proche de ce que l’on appelle les œufs mimosa, ici des œufs dont le jaune a été mélangé avec de la mayonnaise, de la moutarde de Dijon, du vinaigre de Xeres, un mélange d’herbes fraiches type persil, ciboulette, estragon, aneth, cerfeuil, et du sel et poivre. Œufs ici complétés avec du jambon et fines lamelles ainsi qu’une crème de ce fameux piment vert mexicain. Une entrée conventionnelle mais réussie.
Pour moi, un Gravlax mariné de la maison, crème fraiche à l’aneth, betteraves rôties et sauce à la coriandre fraiche. Un plat d’origine scandinave et tout aussi classique avec un dressage un peu américanisé…mais les saveurs sont là, le produit a bien été travaillé.
En plat principal un excellent Rack d’agneau, feuilles de blettes sautées, purée de pomme de terre fouettée parfumée à la tr

Lovely, classy AND classic; the gold standard in Old Lyme. Jack is an exceptional bartender, and kept his cool through the steady stream of Christmas celebrations. Only wish the Bee and This. was my neighborhood place to tuck in.

Perfection. The staff here know how to provide classic service without even a hint of condescension. That in a nutshell describes the whole experience.
The moment we entered the door to gracious hellos, smiles and introductions, taking our wet coats in a most warm perfect way.
Looking around the cozy classic New England architecture is updated with fresh colors and local artists paintings in classic frames mixed in with antiques is a perfect melding of old and new.
Christmas decorations were so beautifully done in classic white and gold.
We had drinks at the bar, my Pino Noir was delightful fruity and lovely. Not cheap but worth it for the quality and setting.
Wednesday singer songwriter series!

Excellent dining experience. Had dinner in the lounge, by the fire, on a Sunday night. Sunday nights feature local artists & the acoustic guitar player/​singer was incredible. Husband got the short ribs & I, the scallops. transcending. Oh, and the potato soup… I cant even think of an adjective.
We enjoy all kinds of food. Bar food, home cooked meals at diners, fancy food… This would be considered fancy food, in our minds, and it was worth every penny. We got to meet the chef too! He was very gracious.
Also, the cocktails were out of this world! Overall, very wonderful experience! Highly recommended.

We absolutely loved this inn — the staff was incredibly welcoming and warm, the room comfortable and cozy, and the inn houses an outstanding restaurant. Thank you to David, Jenna, Christina and the whole Bee family for making our first visit to CT so tranquil. We look forward to our next visit.

Came here for on our anniversary in a recommendation from a friend. I had no idea this was a Resturant, always thought it was just a B and B. But to our surprise it is an amazing bar and Resturant as well. And a beautiful friendly atmosphere. The grounds are spectacular. We arrived early and enjoyed the grounds while having a cocktails. Appetizers, dinner and desert were perfect. The place is so nice and the food is amazing. I really recommend giving this place a try for happy hour, dinner or both.

My husband and I celebrate everything. It’s a wonderful way for us to really seize the day and count our blessings. When it came up that our 6 month wedding anniversary was approaching, my husband made a surprise dinner reservation for us to celebrate here at their Chestnut Grille.
Our reservation was at 6:30 on a Friday, and the sun was filtering through the trees along the site absolutely magically. The facility is gorgeous, with pristine gardens, and immaculate wraparound breezeways. Once inside, we were greeted heartily by the staff who knew us by name (even though we had never been there before), and were seated immediately even though we were early.
The hostess was enthusiastic about our dressy attire, and mentioned multiple times about how attractive we were, and that she thought I was a movie star. Her words were so eager, it seemed more than a compliment than perhaps a questing inquiry, but slightly overzealous. We were then informed that it was happy hour, and were given menus.
We started with a Sazorac, $ 6 on the hh menu, and a local lemon balm cocktail that was zesty and fresh $ 10. Our waitress seemed to be drinking the same koolaid the hostess was, and was all but quaking with excitement to be at our table. Her enthusiasm was not shared to other tables, and left us feeling oddly on a pedestal. We ordered starters of the Local Greens Salad with Pistachios ($ 9), which was sadly just ok, and the Green Eggs and Ham ($ 13?), a jalapeño and pork belly deviled egg dish that was absolutely amazing.
For our entrees, we opted for the Peach Roasted Pork Tenderloin ($ 32), which was perfectly caramelized, and well seasoned over black eyed peas, sauteed greens and corn. My main was the All Natural Chicken ($ 25) over honeyed greens and some starchy paste like beans or potatoes, which was strangely lumpy.
My husband ordered a glass of red that he disliked and was able to exchange for something more his speed. The waitress was so intrigued with our input, that she seemed to be memorizing our every word and told us that she would repeat that to her future customers. Hm… For dessert, we had the Cinnamon Crème Brulee ($ 10), a savory-​sweet custard with perfectly crisp topping, a big hit.
Food overall was fair but not noteworthy, and the service was fast but peculiar. As great as it is to have personalized service, service that is strictly personal can be off-​putting. This place is gorgeous though, and would be an amazing place for a family reunion, wedding, or large party. The inn only has 10 rooms, so if you’re thinking about staying, be prepared to reserve early.

I go here all the time, they just got a new chef and he’s doin’ good things. The service has always been 5 stars; sometimes I sit in the bar if its just a friend with me, otherwise I pick one of the rooms out of the way (sofas in every room is a nice touch).
I’ve gone up and down the menu & it changes pretty frequently, but it always has that plating and attention to detail that I look for when dining & the prices aren’t high for the quality at all.
The staff doesn’t change much, so its especially nice to visit the bartender Jack, have drink, say hi to folks that you see each time

Went in on a Sunday for dinner… Really great band playing and atmosphere was eclectic but beautiful. Excellent service and food was solid. Menu fairly limited but quality was good.

My wife and I have been dining at The Bee & Thistle Inn for many years and under two different owners. We had dinner with friends there last night and must say it’s never been better. The current owners, David and Linea, have put their hearts and souls into the Inn and it shows. The experience is such that you feel like you’ve been transported to a wonderful Inn somewhere in Europe. There is an eclectic and elegant flavor to the sitting rooms and bar that is unlike most restaurants in New England. The service is friendly and attentive without being overbearing. The cocktail list is inviting and creative. The menu is not extensive, but with enough choices to accommodate a variety of tastes. We had four different dishes and all were fabulous. I highly recommend a visit!

This is the PERFECT place to have an intimate wedding or rehearsal dinner. The place is filled with old New England charm and warmth!
My mother-​in-​law was nice and very generous to select this distinguished restaurant for my rehearsal dinner. From start to finish, the staff was very gracious and welcoming! Though my parents and a family member came to dinner before the 6:30 seating, the Inn still welcomed them with some wine and some appetizers
The family style dinner, which was orchestrated by my mother in-​law and the staff, was perfect! My favorite items were the grilled swordfish and veggie kabobs and the apple pie! I was so grateful to be there while celebrating my wedding weekend!
For my next big celebratory moment, I want to go there!

Came for a wedding, stayed for… the wedding. Completely entranced by the room.
The B-​Thistle is a bit of an eclectic display of plantation sentiment ensconced in modernist playfulness. Which doesn’t make sense for the tech-​devoid rooms (no TVs, radios, or other modern playthings), but may set off some alarms when you discover, says, the mussel shell sculptures clamming up the property’s tree population.
Or the painting of the housemarm which used to display a carried fetus, since being painted over with a more apropos lug-​along.
The rooms whisper rustic charm, and are pitch perfect for a romantic getaway. Also, the menu was prepared I house and I’d suggest their restaurant to guests and passers-​by alike. The grounds are meticulously kept, and the staff are a bushel of peaches.
It’s the Inn’s aesthetic that may be hit or miss for most folks, given the blending of pastoral beauty and 7^th Guest peculiarity. All in all, a most pleasant stay at $ 200/​night (block rate).

Exquisite. Sublime. Superlative. I may need to go buy a thesaurus to find other fitting adjectives for our meal here, but for now those will do. This place is an amazing little slice of old-​style New England charm and grace, and truly deserving of the many accolades it receives from Connecticut Magazine and others.
From the minute we walked in the front door of the colonial-​style house we were greeted with warmth and treated like honored guests. The first phase of the meal involved ordering a cocktail at the bar and walking down the back lawn to some adirondack chairs by the bank of the Lieutenant River, where we watched an osprey circle its nest and a swan glide up the river as the sun set. That alone would have been worth the trip.
Dinner itself was splendid in every respect. We had a table for eight in a front alcove of the house, which made it feel like we had our own private room. The staff were polite and patient and made excellent recommendations. The menu had no bad choices, and sharing bites of everyone else’s appetizers and entrees confirmed that every single dish was perfectly light, delicious, and flavorful. The particular standouts were the deviled eggs with cilantro and jalapeño and the burrata for appetizers, and the truffle mashed potatoes that came with my steak and the tender inside/​crunchy outside ahi tuna, which I could have eaten several pounds of instead of just stealing bites off other people’s plates.
Every once in a while you have a meal that surpasses all expectations of dining out, a meal that leaves a lasting impression long after you leave full and happy. This was one of those meals, a standout experience in every respect and one that I’ll remember for a long time.

This place is wonderful! The food is amazing, the ambiance is warm and inviting, and the service is impeccable. Thursday nights is date nights. $ 75 per couple for a three course meal and a bottle of wine. Happy hour is from 4 – 6 with $ 5 drinks. We will make this place one of our go to places at least once a month. So good.

My girlfriend and I had high expectations for our experience at the Bee and Thistle, but left feeling absolutely hosed and robbed of a nice Valentine’s Day dinner.
Our evening quickly went south thanks to our unpleasant waitress. She was rude, unhelpful and generally frantic throughout the night. With no introduction or small talk she came over to us and demanded, «Have you decided which menu you’re getting yet?» Then she took away the menus without another word and didn’t come back until ten minutes later to take our order. When asked which of the two entrée choices on the Prix Fixe menu was most recommended, the lobster ravioli or the beef, she said, «I don’t eat lobster, so beef.» We then asked what the guests seemed to prefer, and she responded that it was split 50/​50, and offered no further guidance. Later, she tried to take our dishes away during the middle of the soup course, and when she realized we were still finishing it, she said, «Oh, are you still working? It just seems like nothing is moving as fast as I want it to.» As in, we were not eating quickly enough for you??? She plopped each plate down in front of us very unceremoniously, and was generally brisk and offered no pleasantries the entire night.
We had also watched her act extremely rudely towards an older couple seated near us. When they asked for her to bring something extra over to the table for them, they apparently spent one too many seconds articulating their request and she told them, «I just need to know whether or not I need to get it for you,» over her shoulder, as she was already turning to walk away from them. This kind of service might be acceptable at a diner or a Denny’s. At a quaint and intimate restaurant like the Bee and Thistle, where guests are paying good money to enjoy a nice meal, this is absolutely unacceptable. The hostess did do a nice job of coming around to each table and wishing us well, but at that point our perception of the place was way beyond repair.
To top it all off, apparently 20% fixed gratuity was included, which she only informed us of when she handed over the bill. This was not indicated anywhere on the website or the menu as far as we could tell, although we could have guessed this was the case by the way the waitress was acting.
After receiving absolutely appalling service from our waitress, and experiencing a pretty mediocre five course meal, we give Bee and Thistle one star — for the beef tenderloin, which was actually pretty delicious, and ended up being the only redeeming aspect of our experience.

Reserved a table for Valentines Day. We drove down icy roads and pulled up to the picturesque colonial inn wreathed in falling snow.
Staff was polite, however they did not engage the clientele with food descriptions on a rather long fixed price menu. The décor was a mix of colonial and glittery art.
The cocktail was average, in all practicalities a mimosa. The amuse was a singular potato with crème fraîche aka sour cream and a dollop of caviar; very bland.
The appetizer was a pork belly and scallop pairing, a nice play on the common bacon wrapped scallop, however the pork belly was overwhelmingly fat. The entrees included a very delicious beef tenderloin with cherry sauce and white truffle oil based risotto. The other entrée was house made lobster ravioli. Oddly as of Italian custom (even though having visited Italy restaurants they don’t do this anymore) a raspberry vinaigrette salad was presented that was entirely bland.
The meal concluded with a chocolate pavlova that was sadly entirely crunchy throughout, with «dark chocolate shavings» that was just cocoa powder, and a «strawberry compote» that was simply whipped cream with some strawberries on top.
In an area rife with colonial inn b&b’s I would not return to The Bee and Thistle, as there are many other better options from a culinary standpoint that don’t attempt to pull a fast one over on guests to markup the meal.

Let me start with a very positive statement: Never has a restaurant worked so hard to please my family in my entire lifetime. I mean that without exaggeration.
In conjunction with my mother (who is one tough cookie I might add), the chefs at Bee and Thistle crafted a truly exclusive hand-​picked menu for our rehearsal dinner. Wishing not to interfere with the dishes to be served at our wedding, dear sweet Mom was intent on serving a «light and unique Mediterranean-​inspired meal.»
And they really hit the nail on the head from an inspiration standpoint. Swordfish kebabs over Mediterranean salad, a white bean ragu, a wild rice dish, and baked chicken were the heart of the main course.
My –1 star, as disheartening as it is to report, is for the execution of said inspirations. The chicken was pretty much completely unseasoned, and I couldn’t help but notice that some of the pieces were legitimately undercooked inside (and I’m not the kind of person who likes his chicken burned to death).The rice and the ragu, while not bad by any means, similarly struck me as not particularly flavorful.
I guess that since my family was so instrumental in developing the menu, perhaps we’re partially to blame for the results…
But I really don’t want to harp on the negatives, because overall we had a very positive experience. For instance — every single one of the hors d’ oeuvres were simply amazing, including the fried shrimp, fried eggplant, and red pepper hummus. All super delicious. Dessert was equally amazing, a homemade apple pie/​cobbler a la mode, with lots of fresh nutmeg… I could definitely tell.
The staff was enormously friendly from start to finish. The dining room was beautifully presented and exquisite. The manager was nice enough to send us home with a ton of leftovers. Most importantly, all 28 invitees had a great time.
So yeah, despite the noticeable flubs during the main course, I’d still recommend The Bee and Thistle, wholeheartedly. Clearly they are capable of making amazing food here, and I will certainly come back with my wife to have dinner very soon.