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Interior - Elm City Social, New Haven, CT

Elm City Social

4.3 (345)
$30 and under
American
266 College St, New Haven, CT 06510

Make a booking

A photo of Elm City Social restaurant

Elm City Social

4.3
$30 and under
American
New Haven

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today

About this restaurant

  • Lively
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for groups
New American bites & artisanal cocktails served in a vibrant gastropub with a rooftop patio.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30–23:00 Fri 11:30–00:00 Sat 11:00–00:00 Sun 11:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    (475) 441-7436
  • Website
    https://www.elmcitysocial.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    John Brennan
  • Catering
    Please visit our website or email our General Manager, Ryan and ask about our catering offerings! Perfect for any get-together or business meeting whether formal or informal! ryan@elmcitysocial.com
  • Private party facilities
    Whether celebrating a special occasion with family and friends or hosting a corporate event, “Elm City Social” can accommodate all your special event needs.
  • Location
    266 College St, New Haven, CT 06510
  • Area
    New Haven
  • Cross Street
    Chapel St
  • Parking Details
    We provide free parking passes for those guests that park in the Crown Street Parking Garage! Please note that the Crown Street Garage will only validate parking passes if you park after 4pm.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Menu

This menu from Elm City Social.

View menu on restaurant's website

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Elm City Social.

4.3

4.3
(345)
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Elm City Social in New Haven offers a "cool vibe" with its charming old building. Guests rave about the "amazing" service and "excellent" short rib tacos. It's a great pre-show spot near the Shubert, featuring creative drinks and friendly staff. Note: noise levels can be high.
345 Reviews

  1. Jay

    New York City6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Elm City Social has become a regular place to dine whenever we come to New Haven. The variety of food and the pleasant service is always high level and welcome.

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  2. Jeffery

    Phoenix / Arizona5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 7 October 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great place. Good food. Visiting New Haven with our granddaughters.

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  3. Stefanie Gold

    New York City27 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 27 September 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    We were originally seated in the dining room but we our server had a very large party that she was more attentive to so we went to the bar. The bartender was great! We had the burrata special and it was disappointing. First they served it with white toast that felt like it was left over from Brunch. The garlic chili crisp topping was very spicy and completely took over the dish and muted that maple. The butternut squash, however, was very good. Short rib tacos are always excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Crystal

    New York City2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 26 September 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Cool vibe, old building with a lot of character. Waitress Lexi was great and personable. The level of noise was definetly high but it was a Saturday night with a bar crowd. Great place to eat before a show at the Shubert. They even validate parking if your heading to one!!
    Elm City SocialResponded on 1 October 2026
    Thank you for your feedback! We're glad you enjoyed the atmosphere and had a great experience with Lexi. We appreciate your understanding of the Saturday night noise, and we're pleased to hear you found us convenient for your evening plans. Hope to see you again soon!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Lori Gold

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 20 September 2026

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing goth. The best service and food. Would definitely go back.
    Elm City SocialResponded on 1 October 2026
    Thank you for your kind words! We’re glad you enjoyed the service and food. Looking forward to your next visit.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Kelly

    New York City7 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 22 August 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    All was fantastic, except the noise level in the dining room. The acoustics arw not meant for conversation. The loud table on the other side didnt help
    Elm City SocialResponded on 24 August 2026
    Thank you for your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed your experience overall. We appreciate your comments about the noise level and will consider ways to improve the acoustics for a better dining atmosphere.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Rosanna

    New York City6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 15 August 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Beautiful downtown spot. Service was good, friendly servers and very attentive. Mimosa was delicious but I was not impressed with the food. I got the beef rib tacos with the breaded zucchini. Tacos could have had seasoning and the zucchini were over saturated and cakey .
    Elm City SocialResponded on 24 August 2026
    Thank you for your feedback. It's great to hear you enjoyed the atmosphere and service, but we apologize that the food did not meet your expectations. We value your input and will review it with our kitchen team to improve the dishes. We hope you consider visiting us again.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Dennis Gold

    Chicago / Illinois19 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 18 July 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Despite having a reservation, we were put upstairs on mezzanine, next to a group of 20+ adults and tweenagers, at a long table, perhaps attending a sports camp? Service was excellent, but the space was dark and the TV wasn’t working, despite the World Cup semifinal. Chicken and waffle bites were excellent, my son had.a burger and I had the sliders. Both were cooked exactly as we ordered. Overall worth a stop if you want good pub fare.
    Elm City SocialResponded on 20 July 2026
    Thank you for your feedback. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the food and service. We apologize for the seating arrangement and the issues with the TV. Your comments will help us improve the experience for our guests in the future. We hope to see you again soon.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Maria

    Connecticut22 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 26 June 2026

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was good We sat on the rooftop but I wasn't a fan of not having a server We had to order at the bar for food and drinks and I'm also not a fan of drinking out of plastic cups. However the food was good and the staff was very friendly. Great place to go before a show at the Shubert
    Elm City SocialResponded on 30 June 2026
    Thank you for your feedback. We're glad you enjoyed the food and found our staff friendly. We appreciate your insights about the service and drinkware, as guest comfort is important to us. Your comments will be taken into consideration as we strive to enhance the experience. We hope to see you again before your next show!

    Is this helpful?

  10. David

    New York City6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 25 June 2026

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Went at lunch time to meet a colleague. The dining room was very, very cold. There were very few people there but they happened to be really loud and the structure of the room tended to magnify that. The food was very good but the menu was very limited. The waitress seemed to not have enough to do, as she kept coming back and coming back to see if we needed anything, which we did not. It seemed like she wanted us to get out, but for a couple of hours we were the only ones there, so it didn't really make sense. In the end it served its purpose. Oh, and the bathroom arrangement is a weird sort of 'unsex' thing that was kind of confusing.

    Is this helpful?

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30–23:00 Fri 11:30–00:00 Sat 11:00–00:00 Sun 11:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    (475) 441-7436
  • Website
    https://www.elmcitysocial.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress Code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    John Brennan
  • Catering
    Please visit our website or email our General Manager, Ryan and ask about our catering offerings! Perfect for any get-together or business meeting whether formal or informal! ryan@elmcitysocial.com
  • Private party facilities
    Whether celebrating a special occasion with family and friends or hosting a corporate event, “Elm City Social” can accommodate all your special event needs.
  • Location
    266 College St, New Haven, CT 06510
  • Area
    New Haven
  • Cross Street
    Chapel St
  • Parking Details
    We provide free parking passes for those guests that park in the Crown Street Parking Garage! Please note that the Crown Street Garage will only validate parking passes if you park after 4pm.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining

FAQs

Yes, Elm City Social offers outdoor seating, including a rooftop patio and sidewalk seating guests have enjoyed on multiple visits.

Elm City Social feels like a vibrant gastropub, energetic around the bar and rooftop with playful décor, while the back dining room provides a quieter, more relaxed option.

Casual dress is the guide, relaxed, comfortable clothing is perfectly appropriate for Elm City Social’s gastropub setting.

Yes, families dine here: guests report a kids’ menu and positive family visits (one review notes a 10‑year‑old enjoying the kids’ salmon), and staff have accommodated children on several occasions.

Some of Elm City Social’s appetizers and shareable plates arrive generously portioned, guests mention the Korean fried cauliflower was so large they couldn’t finish it, and other reviewers say appetizer plates provided enough for three to share.

How FAQ content is generated

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Connecticut
  4. New Haven
  5. New Haven

Make a booking

A photo of Elm City Social restaurant

Elm City Social

4.3
$30 and under
American
New Haven

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today
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