I've been to both the Italian and French sections of Cavey's. Hello deliciousness---my palette is unsure how to deal with such decadence! Â
I'm no food critic, my palette is by no means sophisticated. All too often my reviews on amazingly delicious food are heavily influenced by the discounted mini mountain like portions I receive. Prices not to be considered, Cavey's is just great, simply great.
The French section was by far my favorite. The prices alone tell the consumer about the quality of the products they use---but what pushes this from just Fancy to Fantastic is the preparation of the food. Hats off to Chef de Cuisine Jordan Patrick, who even came out to speak with our table, for his prefect preparation of pork belly, ahi appetizer, and duck confit. My mouth melts reliving the cuisine carousel that went round and round. Amazing.
The Italian section feels a little less upscale than the French section, but the food is also quite great. So thankful I am for prix fixe menus. I was able to try the mussels as an appetizer, and as is the standard in the fancy food industry, portions are minimal---but not with these mussels! I was given over 20 in shell mussels sitting in a tasty sauce, and even required two separate dishes to discard my shells!
A truly great dining experience all around. Put on your fancy pants and prepare for a lesson in gastronomy.
I think the Italian meal I had here was superb. Wanted a nice dinner with the lady friend a while back~ happened to find this place on yelp. What a good pick.
We were seated near a window, not too loud. Soup was great and the food was very well done. Nothing modern about this place, coming from Cali, this sort of wholesome classic Italian is hard to come by.
5 stars for me. Not the best I've ever had, but a wonderful hidden gem for sure.
LOML and I spent our honeymoon dinner here on New Years Eve. Meets or exceeds expectations is a great way to describe this Manchester institution. Duck is difficult to do properly but of course these guys do everything perfectly and the duck is no exception. LOML ordered braised rib and we both enjoyed the New Years Eve prix fie (probably misspelled) menu in general. The wine list is second to none and the somalier (also misspelled) suggested a fantastic French red to go with our apps, dinner, and dessert. The portions are perfect and although it was a five course offering it played out perfectly, including our exceptional waitress. Tres  magnifique  ( proper spelling) Cavey's. Should LOML manage our marriage as we managed this dinner we are going to live happily ever after.
Review Source:Italian menu
had an early Thanksgiving Dinner at Cavey's.
Fresh oyster with mignonette
Nantucket Bay Scallops, salsify, Meyer lemon jam
Beet carpaccio, endive, apple, cashew - Glass Pinot Nero
Fresh pasta with butter, parmesan and fresh shaved white truffles
Sword fish, oven roasted grape,nicoise oive, roast fennel, citrus zest
hanger steak, canellini beans, roast tomato, wood ear mushroom
Chocolate cake, ganache, chantilly, pistachio biscotti - double espresso
bonus- quince puree, panna cotta, gingerbread cinnamon cookies - more coffee
Over all very good. Â The scallops were divine,and the white truffle a little disappointing. Â The beef course had fabulous meat but the tomatoes tasted canned and the beans were not cooked all the way.
B+ on the Whole for the evening
All i can tell you is that i can't believe i hadn't been here in so long. i will definitely be coming more often. Cavey's is often not on my radar and I am so glad friends of ours thought for us to go here. We live in West Hartford and eat in NYC a lot and consider ourselves foodies, this is better than any meal we have had in a very long time and we eat out a lot!! The service was perfection, the recently renovated dining room (French side) is beautiful, and the food was absolutely delicious, and all 4 of us felt this way. This is a 5 star experience. My husband and i shared the foie gras, which we paired with a sweet wine, and the butter leaf salad. Both absolutely stunningly delicious, ate every bite. Then my husband ordered the Atlantic Cod dish except they substituted Bass which was again delicious. I had the Berber spiced Rack of Lamb! We shared the two dishes and all i can tell you is we loved them both. Both are plates were completely void of food when we were done. Do yourself a favor and don't wait any longer!!
Review Source:I had a chance to try Cavey's for the first time a few weeks ago, wow was I impressed or what? I have a growing obsession for all things French so naturally when a friend invited me for dinner at Cavey's, I was beyond thrilled. Â The exterior is misleading. I'm not from the Manchester area so I would never have known about the restaurant if it weren't for Yelp. Â Since I love duck we dined downstairs in the French part of the restaurant. Steps are a little tricky but I survived. Â I came to eat and was sad the wait was a tad longer than anticipated. Â The place was so romantic I wish I were there celebrating a special occasion but sadly I wasn't. I Â guess I could have said I went to celebrate my unhappy birthday?
The wait was sorta long but it was expected, great things happen and come to those who wait patiently. Â Minus the wait everything about the experience here was amazing. Â I enjoyed everything that touched my lips that evening. Even the French bread was amazing, the texture and the flavor was something I haven't had in a while. I'm a huge fan of French bread but usually the stuff I get turns harder than a brick within a few days. Â We started off with the country pate which consisted of an assortment of interesting pates. Â I have a confession to make, I'm a sucker for cute adorable things so when I saw cute baby sour gherkins on the plate I almost let out a squeal. Â Luckily I didn't and was able to contain my excitement. Every part of my body wanted to grab for my phone to snap pictures but sadly it wasn't appropriate. Â Those little gherkins were simply amazing, the perfect balance of savory and crunchy. Â The country pate was definitely filling, infact I thought I got too much food. It was heavy but I don't think I would ever do without.
I tried rabbit for the first time and totally embarrassed myself. As I looked at the white breast meat, tears started rolling down my face because all I could think about was white fluffy bunnies. Â The whiteness of the rabbit meat was simply too much for me. Â Once I dried up my tears I was able to enjoy the meal. Everything about the dish was beyond mind-blowing. Â The flavors, the presentation and the textures were stimulating. Â The duck was on the smaller side compared to other venues in the same price range but flavor wise Cavey's has the competition beat. Â If asked to quack for Cavey's duck I would surely do it. Â I haven't had duck this good in years. The right balance of flavors and ingredients made the dish delightful in every way. I've been cutting down on the sweets but I was pressured into having a clafoutis and I'm proud to report back it was well worth the guilt and extra lbs gained. Not too sweet not too creamy, I'm inspired enough to look for recipes.
I can't wait to return to Cavey's. I will add this to my list of restaurants reserved for special occasions. I love that the menu is small yet everything I had that evening was fantastic. I look forward to attending one of their prix fixe menus starting from $35 per person to $111. Â Considering the quality and uniqueness of the food that price tag isn't too bad.
Restaurants you want to come back any time.  Becausethe food every good. my friend Owns the restaurant. Yes. food. Good....good. we Decide to go Lunch. have Appetizers Spinach dip. And get Chicken wrap. And my family get steak with Vegetables, Mashed potatos. Was good lunch. The Parsons Small. Good with did get Appetizers. After the we full. Think the Price Expensive. Waitress guys work Hard to Heap as happy. Don't get me Wrong. He is good Waitres. Insight like every Classy, Organized,Very clean. The place look so good. I would like to good back with my man. I am Positive he going to like place :). People work  friendly,nice and Professional.
Review Source:This place just rocks! Â I always walk out feeling full, satiated, and excited about the experience I just had. Â I would highly recommend the tasting menu. Â Trust me, you won't regret it. Â A chef loves when you give them the opportunity to shine, to put their their creative instinct to use. Â Chef Powers is amazing - and the magic he performs is second to none. Â That said, the traditional Italian style menu offers many delectable options that won't fail you either. Â One of my favorite options is the mushroom ravioli - their 80 or so year ravioli recipe that brings tears to my eyes as I think about it! Â A must try for sure.
The ambiance at Cavey's, while slightly out-dated is still very welcoming. Â The waitstaff is absolutely wonderful. Â It is very clear that their primary goal is to provide 100% customer satisfaction. Â During our last visit, the delightful waitress brought out a snifter for my husband's whiskey. Â It had a small, barely noticeable spot on the glass. Â She refused to give it to him, as she wanted to ensure it was perfect. Â That example is echoed in everything that they do. Â If you are lucky, when you order a tasting menu, you might even receive the honor of having Chef Powers serve you one the of fabulous courses. Â This is truly an expression of the passion this business has for providing a stable establishment where you can expect nothing but the best from.
Their wine selection is overwhelming at best with bottles ranging in cost from $30 - lot's more! Â They have two very large wine cellars to properly store their wine. Â I have yet to be failed. Â I would recommend making a reservation, and if you are looking forward to a tasting, be sure to tell them when making the reservation so they can tell Chef Powers in advance.
While they only serve a few wines by the glass, don't fear, that wine will be awesome! Â The reason they don't offer as many selections by the glass, is because they strive to offer topnotch quality bottles of wine that deserve to sold as a bottle. Â I just recently learned that they even offer wine tasting with small portion tasting menus for $25 for a series of weeks in the summer. Â I believe we may have missed the last week, but I tell you, I more than look forward to this for next year. Â
Cavey's is by far, one of my favorite restaurants, and I encourage you to give it a chance  as it won't - it can't possibly - fail you!  Well done, Cavey's, well done.
I went to Cavey's this on 8/28/12 for their Wine Tasting event. I've been dying to try it all summer, and I have to say I was a bit dissapointed with the experience. The hostess that greated us was extremely rude; she was very unpleasant when she greeted my party, and was even worse when a couple that came in behind us requested a table that did not have reservations. She helped out serving the wine during the evening's events and I swear I did not see her smile once the entire time.
The event consisted of a sampling of five different wines with five small plates of food. The wine selection and amount that they served were excellent. The plates; however, were indeed VERY small. So small that my friends and I went to another establishment afterwards because we were starving.
When we received our bills they already added on the tip, which I thought was unusual. They literally wrote it in the tip line, it wasn't added to the actual bill. We only had a party of 3, so I thought it was inappropriate for them to do that.
I've been to Cavey's before and I've had a better experience, so I think this was just an off-night for them. I will come back again, just not for this event.
I've gone for happy hour twice since I originally went for dinner and both trips were fab. Â The prices are great, especially for the really well-made drinks. Â On Friday the $5 martinis were at least $12 quality and the bartender is really nice. Â We had really delicious sliders that I've been thinking about since!
Planning to head back this weekend - hope the sliders are the happy hour special again.
Who knew Cavey's would not only be delicious but also have great deals?
It's been a while since I dined at Cavey's so I'm writing a short review from memory, and hope to have the opportunity to visit again and update it in the near future!
I've only been to the French restaurant downstairs at Cavey's, and have to say that it was an amazing treat. This is white glove, classic French service that somehow made its home in Manchester, CT. The service was excellent, the wine options were without compare in central CT, and the ambience was perfect for a special occasion - OK, just dining at Cavey's was the special occasion!
Most memorable to me was my appetizer: it was a combination of two Foie Gras prepartions, one hot and one cold. Both were delicious, but the complexity of the warm Foie Gras, which I had never tried before, was something to write home about. It was like a velvety, organ-y french toast if you can imagine that.
Less memorable to me, maybe because we were several bottles of wine in, were the entrees. But since we stayed for dessert, and pretty much rolled ourselves out of there, I know they must have been excellent.
The Thursday before my birthday, we decided to go with my French roots and take advantage of the "Dinner in Provence" prix fixe menu.
I cannot emphasize enough how wonderful this place is. Sure, there were tiny, little things that could be nitpicked, but there was so much attention paid to detail that very little fell short of perfection.
The ambience was gorgeous. The lighting was perfect. The large mirrors were nice. The fabric on the wall, authentic. Even the bathroom had Provincial design. :)
The food was fantastic. After we ordered, our server brought us an amuse bouche. It was an asparagus puree that was divine. We started with the foie gras appetizer. For the price, we expected it to be tiny, and it was, but it was super yummy.
For dinner, I had fish, and my husband had chicken. Both were cooked, sauced, and presented perfectly. Hubs tried a couple of wines, and then after dessert, he sampled some stinky cheeses that he was pretty excited about.
The wine list? Far over my head, but Hubs loved it. He was disappointed with the glass selection, and since I don't drink the stuff, he couldn't merit purchasing an entire bottle for himself. But the bottle selection was pretty amazing, I guess.
The one thing I will warn you about, and the man seating you will too, is the second step going down into the restaurant is nearly invisible. They need to put a stripe or something on it to make it stand out more.
This wasn't the end all beat all French restaurant I've ever been to, but it's the best one I've been to in the area, and it was nice to enjoy being spoiled for the evening. (White table cloths, chair pulled out for you, napkin folded for you while you are in the restroom, etc.) I miss being able to eat like this more often.
We will be back as soon as we can afford to. :)
The Italians were, arguably, the first in Europe to figure out how to eat well. Their cuisine traditionally relies on quality ingredients which is why you'll hear almost anyone who's lived in Italy say that Italian dishes here in the states do not compare.The French, standing on the shoulders of the Italians, took food one step further and while they do appreciate a fine ingredient, they made their style more contingent on technique. A classically trained french chef would shudder at the thought of cold fermenting a bread, mostly because they already have what they consider to be the ultimate, time-tested technique and they do not stray from it under any circumstance. All folly and generalizations aside, Cavey's has it all. Ingredients AND technique without the short comings of fool hardy national pride each of those styles are ripe with. It is a secret quietly kept by the faithful old timers who have been coming here for the last 80 years. I wish for Cavey's a new, younger set of patrons who can appreciate this type of art. They truly deserve it.
The only negative thing I could think of to say about this place is that it suffers from a severe case of under exposure. They don't actively promote things they should, like their vinegar which they make in-house using left overs from their ridiculously well-selected wine cellar, their mozz stretched fresh to order, or their salumi (also house cured) bits of divinely aged duck prosciutto, hot & sweet sopressata, or sausage. You may not even realize the masterpiece you are indulging in, what went into it, where it came from or what makes it so special, but you'll know one thing for sure... that it's all delicious. No old school Italian would dare bad mouth their citrus tapenade stuffed peppers or their almost-century-old, family ravioli recipe. Bucatini? Come, the f***, on! Delicious. Sous vide egg? Pork belly? Herb oil, made using the fresh stuff they grow in front of their restaurant? Peanut brittle and salted caramel ice cream for dessert? A two part wine cellar that must have been selected by a mad genius who escaped from sommelier school after stealing all their secrets? Sheer, unadulterated awesomeness. All of it. I can't write a review awesome enough to do them justice. I just can't.
Dining out is a sensory experience, and while many can follow the procedures necessary to craft a delicious dish, not as many know to cater to the sixth sense... ego. The staff at Cavey's are on top of that, too. I love eating at places where the waitstaff doesn't have to run to the kitchen with every question you ask. The servers here are more than competent and will happily explain the difference between a panna cotta and a pane cotto, right down to what each means in Italian. They know how to serve like true professionals. My wife mentioned that she wanted some pork belly but wanted to order another entrée instead, so without even having to ask, the server suggested that she could ask the chef to do a pork belly app instead of an entrée, to which he happily obliged.  Kudos Cavey's. This is, hands down, the best restaurant Manchester will ever know.
They do two different kinds of tastings, as well. Both are amazing. The price is unbelievable for the quality. I thought they made a mistake at first. It's a great way to spend an anniversary or birthday. Their traditional tasting is a mix of their Italian menu, which changes whenever the chef gets bored. Their seasonal tasting is an off-the-cuff smorgasbord of whatever is fresh and in season. As I touched on before, they're all about using amazing ingredients here. Tasting of veal with marrow croquette and sweetbreads, breaded soft-shelled crabs over a carrot purée, oyster with apple prosecco granita and grains of paradise... this is the stuff dreams are made of, and if you really want to know what Cavey's is all about, you can't go wrong with either tasting.
The bar has my favorite rye whisky in stock; Whistlepig!!! (Just thought I'd throw that in there) The bar's piano player, when he's around, can be heard playing all the way in the Italian side's dining room, lending some pretty heady ambiance. Very cool. They have a guitarist and a small folk ensemble, too, that play the lounge from time to time. If you're looking for something more casual it may not be a bad idea to bring your date to the lounge to eat while you watch the show.
My job brought me to Manchester and my need for fine dining led me to Cavey's. Â My wife was coming out to visit for the weekend so I decided to go and do a little recon before she arrived. Â I guess I was expecting it to a bit stuffy from looking at the website but it is anything but.
I always sit at the bar prior to having dinner with my wife on these occasions and I'm so glad that I did. Â I met Jess, the bartender and she was wonderful in explaining the menu and making me feel welcome. Â I made reservations for the French restaurant for when my wife arrived but when we both arrived that Saturday night we decided to remain at the bar and do the 7 course tasting menu.
UNBELIEVABLE!!
We had a few cocktails and then let Jess know we were ready to begin. Â We were pleasantly surprised with wave after wave of delicious dishes from seared scallops, beef tenderloin, fluke and a wonderful desert cake/brownie and house made ice cream.
Jesse the chef came out and chatted us up at the end of our meal and was super excited that we enjoyed the meal.
The piano player was a really cool guy who indulged our requests and asked if there was anything we wanted him to learn for our next trip in.
I have since been back twice and always enjoy the fire and ice foie gras and grandmothers ravioli as well as the characters that I meet at the bar along with the fantastic service!
GREAT, GREAT place!
So I totally understand that I've given 4 stars to a couple places that, by the normal consumers' standards of a place like Cavey's, some would think my 4 stars for those places is far too high.
But let me preface by saying, my rating system is completely based on what my expectations are and what I'm looking to get out of each establishment. Â If I'm looking for a great burger, peanut shells on the floor and a great micro-brew beer selection...and that's exactly what I get, 4 stars! ... Â just wanted to get that out of the way.
Onto Cavey's....
My expectations were extremely high, not only from the multiple 4/5 stars on Yelp! but recommendations by a couple close friends with high expectations when it comes to fine dining. Â So I figured, no way I could go wrong here......orrrr maybe there was a way.
Cavey's (the Italian side) was my Valentine's Day destination.... Â We are always looking for places we hadn't been and wanted a nice romantic evening (but more importantly great food!). Â But if you read her this review, emphasis the 'romantic' part for me, ok? Â Thanks.
From the get-go, there was some forecasting that this night may be a little strange. Â I was told that it was jacket-only, dress attire but that didn't seem to be the case. Â We were looking forward to dressing up and many of the customers were, however there was one couple that was very casually dressed and another older, female customer directly in my eyeline who decided to wear a crop-top sweater (VERY interesting choice) Â Regardless, we were dressed up, the candles were lit and Valentine's Day dinner was ready to be underway.
Our waitress came over, somewhat distressed, to inform us that all of the computers had just gone down and that they weren't going to be working for another hour. Â She seemed much more concerned then we were and really wasn't an issue at all to us. Â After the third reminder and apology about the computer (again, a non-issue to us), it was getting a little old and just wanted to make sure the computer didn't affect ordering wine. Â It.....did not. Â
We had the flatbread and carpaccio with truffle oil as our two apps. Â The flatbread (and kinda expected) wasn't the greatest but the carpaccio with truffle oil was fantastic! Â I thought to myself, based on the carpaccio alone, I'd come back and we hadn't even had our main meal. Â
As we were eating our apps, we were interrupted again by the hostess going around to every table to see if anyone drove a "Le Sabre" to which my girlfriend confusingly asked, "What's a Le Sabre?" Â That amused me but the interruption added to the strangeness of the night. Â Another glass of wine? Â Yes please.
For dinner, my girlfriend ordered Grandma's Ravioli's and as I went back and forth with what I was planning on ordering, I finally decided with angus steak. Â I get it. Â I'm not at a steakhouse, I'm at an Italian restraurant but steak was calling my name so I went with it. Â Â
The Grandma's Ravioli was OUTSTANDING.  Extremely fresh-tasting with a brown butter sauce light enough that  we actually contemplated getting a second dish of it just to have a couple more and then bring the rest home (Don't you judge us for our glutony.  It was Valentine's Day darnit all.  Ok, that really has nothing to do with it.  Point being...Ravioli was FANTASTIC).
Onto my steak.... It looked perfectly cooked. Â The knife slid through it like butter. Â I truly couldn't wait. Â I took my first bite, waiting for the explosion of taste.....then I chewed a little (still waiting)....then I swallowed thinking maybe its in the after-taste. Â Â Nothing. Â My immediate gut reaction was, "I just paid $38 for the blandest steak I've ever eaten". Â I gave it a second chance, a third chance, a fourth. Â Confused, bewildered and borderline upset, I asked my girlfriend to try, hoping that somehow, my tastebuds had all fallen off because that was the only explanation...... Â But she confirmed it. Â Â
The steak had absolutely no taste what-so-ever. Â I was truly in shock. Â How could this be? Â All the ratings, the high expecatations. Â I actually blamed it on myself for ordering it, figuring I must have ordered the one thing no one orders.
We even tried tasting it with the leftover brown butter sauce from the ravioli to give it anything at all but that mixture was just awkward and unwelcoming. Â Â
Ok, maybe a little dramatic but still....I'm never afraid to pay for a good steak. Â And although $38 isn't nearly the most I've paid, I did expect to get a little more than a large portion of bland.
With ALL of that being said, it was our first time there and because everyone's experience prior had been so good, and half of our meals were delicious, I would actually go back. Â I wouldn't order a steak but it certainly deserves another shot. Â Just no time soon....the scars are still fresh and they need time to heal.
Oh....and the computers worked so half a star for that!
French side: Food was fantastic. Service was superb. Wine was priced accordingly to the type of restaurant. Food portion wasn't as big as I expected but the food was delicious. Definitely recommend people to come try the restaurant during the $35 fixed menu to get a good feel of the restaurant. Dress your best. I wore a pressed black button down and jeans. I felt very under dressed. My girlfriend and I, both late twenties, were the youngest couple in the room on a Friday night.
Review Source:My guy brought me here as a surprise for my 29th birthday dinner.  It was truly one of the best meals I have had in a long time from beginning to end.  We ate upstairs in the Italian section of the restaurant and had oysters, a beautiful salad that included greens, roasted pear, pomegranate seeds, provolone cheese, and toasted hazelnuts,  we both also had the Grandma's ravioli, he got the quail dish and I got the veal dish for our mains, and we shared a delightful chocolate and caramel "tart" that resembled a lava cake paired with caramel gelato.  Everything was absolutely incredible; oysters were extremely fresh and delicious, salad was an excellent pairing of flavors and textures tossed in the perfect amount of light dressing, the ravioli was literally one of the best I have ever had with a delicious mushroom filling and sauce and a really fantastic texture that made it light despite it's richness, the veal was very good but not the highlight of the meal, but the accompanying potatoes were excellent as were the haricot vert (green beans).  We both also loved the dessert.  It was the perfect birthday cake, dream-worthy  paired with the caramel gelato :) Â
Bread and olive oil for dipping was great. Â Cappuccinos we had at dessert tasted different than what I expected and am used to. Â The espresso flavor did not really come through, and while it was good, it tasted almost like hot chocolate. Â Service was great. Â Hostess was respectful and brought us to our table right when we arrived and our server was attentive and warm. Â Loved the decor. Â Rustic elegance, just the way I like it. Â Romantic with candlelight, a little whimsical with the stars on the brick wall, thoughtful details, nice string of lights hung over the beautiful french doors connecting one room to the next, and yet still casual enough to provide a comfortable dining experience in such a lovely environment.
I hope to return soon for another special occasion. Well done, Boyfriend.
What can I say? Â You get what you pay for and Cavey's is evidence of that. Â I've been here twice now and both times left with a happily filled stomach and a not-so-happily emptied wallet.
I haven't tried downstairs yet, their French restaurant, but I've yet to have anything (and, yes I order all 5 courses) from their Italian menu that wasn't simply perfect.
Oh, and the wine? Â You won't find a more extensive wine list anywhere in the area. Â No matter what the occasion or budget, you can find a wine to fit (I think I saw bottles as low as $30 on the list and I doubt anything like Fetzer or Woodbridge makes the cut).
The only complaint I've had is with the noise level, but it's really out of their control. Â It's a relatively small dining room that they pack full of watering (and chattering) mouths for the few hours a day they're open.
In closing, if you've got $200 burning a hole in your pocket and want to spend it right, Cavey's can help.
DE-LICIOUS. Â I had never been to Cavey's before and recently had a celebratory dinner at the Italian side. Â The wine list is extensive, the service is fantastic and the food...oh, the food... The oysters were tender and flavorful. Â The pasta just melted in your mouth. Â My short rib was so soft and tender that it tore apart with just my fork. Â My boyfriend was orgasmic over his meal of skirt steak, duck, and lamb sausage. Â We finished off with the chocolate purse with cognac sauce for dessert....SO RICH it's definitely one to share (my boyfriend would disagree - he wanted his own!). Â It's a small room and did get loud at times once all the tables were full. Â I would definitely recommend Cavey's for an amazing (but pricey, of course) 5 star meal.
Review Source:I came here for a fixed-menu special event, so I'm not sure how much of what we ate is part of the restaurant's usual offerings or how much our experience was typical. Â
That said, the service was excellent: attentive without prissyness.  The selections were  a mix of both "sides" of the restaurant, French and Italian.
First caveat: I usually don't eat Italian out in CT (if you have to ask why, you'd probably disagree with me so if you do, let's just skip this point and move on...) Â But Cavey's does it right. Â The highlight of the meal was a handmade long pasta with truffle sauce, and it was wonderful: Â beautiful texture to the pasta and a light hand with the sauce; it was absolutely comparable to similarly majestic plates I've had in central Italy. Â There was also a prosciutto risotto; it had nice flavor, but the consistency was good, not great (realistically, an almost impossible feat for a large group). Â The cabbage-wrapped squab was so moist and flavorful that it made me wonder for the umpteenth time why it's not as popular here in the U.S. Â
The fact that the one disappointment was a fish dish that seemed French-inspired with an Asian (tamarind) twist made me think that Cavey's is at their best with the classics (when they're not twisting?)
Having gotten a beautiful sample of both, I would absolutely come back to try out either menu. Â It's nice to hear of a place that has been around for ages and can cares enough to be this impressive.
"5 Wines and 5 Small Plates" Tuesday nights at Cavey's
A recent visit to a Cavey's Tuesday night sampler of five wines and
five plates of food was extremely disappointing.
It was a night of storms and our ride to Manchester, which should
have taken 15 minutes, took 45. We got there, soaked and harassed and
said something to our hostess, who didn't even show one iota of
sympathy. "Yeah, everyone is having a problem," she said. "Which seat
do you want?"
Our waitress was not especially interested in serving anyone, and she
took a drink order from us without telling us they were going to
start serving the first glass of wine and dish right away. Our drinks
came right AFTER the first glass of wine.
Then came the insult of having to pay $3 for a basket of bread.
Huh? There are 70 people, there, and you can't serve them some free
bread? Â
The wines were good, the food was so-so but VERY small. I mean, one
bite per dish.
The hubby and I won't go back for this weekly event, ever. No one
should get nickel and dimed at a supposedly classy place like
Cavey's. But I never saw Steve C., the owner, and maybe if he had
been there, we wouldn't have been so gipped. Â
It makes us wonder if we should even bother with the restaurant. I
love this place but I have a real bad taste in my mouth and it's not
only from the sadly cooked tuna they served us. Blech.
We came to enjoy the piano bar and a lite dinner, but since it was violin and singing bluegrass we opted for a table in the Italian section.
Our food:
Shrimp cocktail bad, lack cocktail sauce
Scallops red lentil pancetta spinach and cauliflower no pancetta way too much seasoning on the scallops
Seared carbochio beef with arugula lemon leeks and truffle oil parm excellent loved the combination only issue was fresh pepper grind was too big
Had special pork stuffed with raisins pine nuts beef and pork. Â Came with broccoli rabe potato things. Â Fantastic all around. Â Excellent. Â Why is it a special
Waiting horrible. Â Lack of experience and focus.
Tea disaster.
One star for the food and experience, and originally I had given it two, but that seem to over value the space/setting of the restaurant. Â But based on the price, one really should get a decent experience. Â Plus, they manage to mess up several basic techniques. Â Clearly the owners are riding on the name.
I have tried both the italian and the french sides of the restaurant and while both are good, the french is just a notch better. I had some of the best fish with a lobster cream sauce that was to die for. The wine selection was also fantastic and extensive. The decor is absolutely beautiful and VERY romantic. I will def be back for every special occasion I can possibly think of!
Review Source:I ate in the Italian part of the restaurant. Â The food was really good. Â The bread is made fresh there every day as well as the pasta. Â The raviolis were fabulous. Â You may want to try and make your reservations early; a few of their most delicious sounding items were already gone (not that our second choices were any less delicious sounding). Â The ambiance was great. Â The place was candlelit and someone was playing the piano all night long. Â It really is a hidden gem in Manchester. Â I cannot wait to go again and try the French part.
Review Source:Yay!
Came here for a birthday dinner date (not my birthday). We went downstairs, which was the French section. The ambiance was nice, romantic, and fancy.
The menu changes with the seasons and whatnot, but I might as well say what we ordered. For our amuse bouche, we were given a lobster cappuccino with truffle foam (fancy!). For my entrée, I got the seared snapper with lobster poached in butter over a potato pea purée. It was really good, portion size was nice because it left me full, but I had enough room for dessert. My companion ordered the seared duck with fingerling potatoes and pearl onions. It was v. delicious. Then for dessert, we shared creme brûlée (v. creamy and rich) with madelines (light and airy and perfectly sweet) and a lime sorbet (tart and yummy) with polenta shortbread (crisp and not too heavy).
The sommelier chose wines to go with our meals and it was perfect. He was this cute little old man who was helpful and not at all snobby.
All in all, a fantastic dinner. Be prepared to break the bank though, because it's a relatively pricey place (on the range of $100 or more per person).
I would eventually like to try the Italian side and review that as well!
If you want to impress, this is the place to go. ( French. ) there was 4 of us and we all agree. Total bill was almost $500. Dinner, bottle of wine, after dinner drinks. Everything is spectacular. Â You must enjoy something like this at least once in your lifetime. Â I plan on going more than once.
Review Source:Imagine my surprise when I found a James Beard Award nominee here in Manchester, CT. I went to the Italian portion of the restaurant upstairs.
I find it odd when "high class" restaurants believe that they should treat their customers as if they are servents. It is off putting and uncomfortable. Perhaps it makes other people good about themselves, but the in your face service is annoying and odd.
The clams off the appetizers list was very good. However, the main entres osso bucco and short ribs were both overcooked and dry. They tasted as if they had been cooked in the morning and cooked all day. The sauce was buttery without any flavor.
In my opinion, this is no James Beard restaurant. Maybe the french half is better.
I've only eaten upstairs (Italian), it's expensive but worth it. Â Everything I've had there has been absolutely delicious, some of the best food I've ever tasted actually. Â I'd go more often if I could afford it! Â The Tuesday night wine tastings are awesome - $25 for 5 wine tastings and 5 small plates.
Review Source:Cavey's upstairs last night. Â Everything was very good and well presented. Â Wine suggested by the waiter was excellent. Â We had mussels and clams app, very nice and top notch shellfish. Crab-filled ravioli, again very nice, with an intensity of flavor that isn't easy to come by. Â Followed by scallops for her and chicken for me. Mine was a partially deboned portion of chicken grilled and served with a portion of house-made sausage. Â It was faaaantastic. Â The scallops were grilled nicely and served wih corn plus arugula in vinagrette. A bit unexpected but really quite nice. Â
I was surprised that on a Friday evening the restaurant was not very busy at all, and hope that this isn't a sign of tough times for them. Â It certainly hasn't affected their food!
I have only been to Cavey's once and it was the upstairs (Italian) side. Â Downstairs is the French restaurant that is rated 5 stars.
I was there as part of a fund raiser for Little Theatre of Manchester. Â The food was $19.53 for a 3 course meal. Â I had never actually heard of the place surprisingly before this event.
I fell in love with it after this night though. Â The food was incredibly good, I could not believe the quality for the price I paid. Â I know its not normally so cheap, but for the quality of the food, it is worth it. Â Some day I hope to find a special occasion to go to the downstairs 5 star restaurant.
Last night we dined upstairs in the Italian room. I had been anticipating eating here again and was absolutely thrilled.
Our server was fabulous and excellent at selling the wine. I loved the seasonal menu and ordered the pasta fresca with pumpkin, then as my entree the Mediterranean Salad. The chicken was seasoned and roasted to perfection. It was just a bone in chicken breast, but I would go so far as to say the best chicken I have ever eaten.
My fiance ordered the warm autumn salad then the sea bass. For dessert we ordered the apple spice cake with vanilla gelato. So good!
Our entrees took some time to come out but it was so worth the wait.
Cavey's is this great restaurant hidden away in Manchester, CT that I wish I had discovered far sooner. My father recently decided to take on an apprenticeship of sorts there and took me to dinner. When I arrived, I was astonished to find that all around the parking lot and in the garden in front of the building, there were massive amounts of overgrown herbs! I refrained from stealing any and walked in the front door, greeting in the foyer by the delicious scent of apples, which were in crates on the left side. I also refrained from stealing them and began to feel like a kleptomaniac. I was greeted in the next door by the host, who directed me towards the piano bar where I had a delicious pomegranate martini and some great conversation and bread until my father arrived.
We were actually there for a wine dinner, which they have quite often on Monday and Tuesday evenings. The meal and wines were paired perfectly, but I won't go into mouthwatering detail, as the items were specifically designed for that particular event and aren't likely to appear on the nightly menu. What I will say is that it was delicious.
Afterwords, my father gave me a tour of the kitchens and ordered me a grand marnier souffle which the chef made before my eyes (I'm confident I can replicate it now! Who's coming over for souffle?!) and it was delivered to me as soon as we sat back at the bar, and Good Lord, I was in heaven!
Cavey's downstairs (the French restaurant) is a true destination - for that really special night out! Â The service is impeccable. Â The sommelier is marvelous. Â The menu is impeccable, just enough variety, but not overwhelming. Â Food is presented beautifully and is absolutely delicious. Be prepared to spend a lot! Â
Cavey's upstairs (the Italian restaurant) is a nice evening out. Â The atmosphere is comfortable. Â The food is great and the service is good. Â A very respectable choice for dinner out.... The bill will be substantially less than "downstairs".
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