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Pond House Cafe, West Hartford, CT

Pond House Cafe

4.6
4.6
2686 Reviews
$30 and under
Fusion / Eclectic

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
  • Great for brunch
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Great for scenic views
Nestled on the pond in historic Elizabeth Park the Pond House is surrounded by gardens & offers four seasons of charm with a menu to match. Changed seasonally we offer eclectic comfort food that reflects the down to earth but playful spirit of our staff. Announce Spring's arrival with a walk through the park followed by brunch on the patio. Stop and smell the world famous roses then linger over dinner as sun slowly sets over the trees. Lunch, Dinner, Brunch & Take out. The Pond House Cafe- stylish, fun & playful.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Fusion / Eclectic, Comfort Food, Café
  • Hours of Operation
    Fri, Sat 11:30 am–3:30 pm Sun 9:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (860) 231-8823
  • Payment Options
    Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Josh Fiorillo
  • Catering
    Pond House is able to cater to any out of house location including other local venues and your very own kitchen! We will provide everything from staff to clean up! Please inquiry today to have the Pond House to your house!
  • Private party facilities
    Both private parties and semi-private accommodations available, contact restaurant for more information
  • Area
    Hartford
  • Cross Street
    Prospect
  • Parking details
    We are located in Historic Elizabeth Park, with public parking lots and street parking within the park.
  • Public transit
    on Asylum Ave.
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

What 2,686 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Connecticut

    Great for brunch

  • Hartford

    Best Value

  • Hartford

    Great for brunch

  • Hartford

    Healthy

  • Hartford

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Pond House Cafe is nestled in scenic Elizabeth Park, offering "wonderful food and excellent staff" with a unique menu that delights. Guests rave about the "amazing food and scenery," while the outdoor dining experience is described as "absolutely lovely." Though occasionally busy, service remains "exceptionally good."

2,686 Reviews
  1. Rebecca

    Greater Boston

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food, nice ambiance.. verrry busy place so service was a bit slow, but overall a good experience.

    1 person found this helpful

  2. Michael

    Greater Boston

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    We try to dine here often, especially during good weather because we love the grounds and the rose garden. Today, we had Sunday brunch. It was a bit frantic for parking and getting into the dining room because there appeared to be a wedding reception going on in the function room. The dining room was busy for brunch and we sat at a table near the back of the room. Loud but tolerable. We were seated but had to wait quite while to be asked whether we wanted a drink. OK, brunch on a Sunday will be busy, no problem. After the drink order came, it was quite a while before one of the wait staff re-appeared. Slow service, overall. My wife ordered an Old Fashioned which was far too sweet so we asked for it to be redone and it came back quickly and had the correct level of sweetness. Our only appetizer was cod cakes. Three pretty large fritters but they were oily. Also, the inside dough of each was cold. Apparently fried ahead of time and then reheated in the oil that clearly was not hot enough thereby making each fritter far too oily. The fritters had reasonable flavor but were not fried correctly. My wife ordered a crab cake which she loved. I had a turkey and bacon sandwich which was very good. Desserts were apple crisp and creme brûlée. Both had good flavor but the apple crisp had undercooked apples and was served in a dish that was too small making it difficult to eat the crisp and ice cream, together. We enjoyed our brunch but felt the slow service and undercooked dessert were needless detractions to an otherwise enjoyable dining experience.

    1 person found this helpful

  3. Ron

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 8 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The Pond House is an excellent choice for lunch, wine pairings, and pop-up dinners. The menus are creative, and the food and service are excellent. If I have any complaint, it is the noise level. It may not be a problem for the younger folks, but for us old folks, it can make conversation with those at your table a bit challenging. Bring an appetite; the portions provide excellent value for your dollar.

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Crystal

    Connecticut

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    I decided to book a reservation for my family and I to have lunch here in the afternoon. We had made the two hour drive all the way from Providence, Rhode Island. My daughter was ecstatic about eating here and seeing the rose garden after. The food was delicious which is why it is disappointing that the service was lacking. I had only asked for water as a beverage and as I looked at the ice floating in my cup, I noticed a small black winged creature floating in my cup of water. It was a bug. When I made mention of this to the waitress and asked for a new cup of water, I did not receive any sort of sincere regret. I was quite upset that the server seemed to lack any remorse for the bug in the water I was served. I will not be dining here again but the rose garden in the Elizabeth Park was absolutely lovely and my daughter loved it!

    1 person found this helpful

  5. Deidre

    Maine

    21 reviews

    3.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    the coffee was weak. the food was adequate. ambiance is lovely & the servers were great!

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  6. Nancy

    New York City

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 1 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were able to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful pond, plants, and flowers. I always enjoy the salads and the sandwiches are outstanding. The Pond House Cafe is always a wonderful casual dining experience.

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  7. Pamela

    Connecticut

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 27 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Our Sunday brunch meal was outstanding in presentation and flavor. Service could not have been any better. Our server was experienced in her position and she shined thru the whole time. The atmoshere is a bit crowded but yet still able to converse comfortably. Great Brunch. Would not think twice about going back.

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  8. Alexandra

    New York City

    1 review

    vip
    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 26 October 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Disappointed on the food. I hadn’t been since I moved out of CT. My crab cake was so dry and my friend’s steak was very overcooked. Not what it used to be.

    1 person found this helpful

  9. Camila

    New York City

    1 review

    vip
    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 20 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Beautiful garden outside for a nice stroll after brunch! The food was delicious, the bloody mary outstanding, and the service was great.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Julie

    Greater Boston

    6 reviews

    4.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 20 October 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    It was a great brunch - delicious food and a wonderful location. Great service. Parking was easy on Sunday morning and enables us to have a nice post-brunch stroll around the park.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Pond House Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (860) 231-8823.

Pond House Cafe is rated 4.6 stars by 2686 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Pond House Cafe

1555 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06117

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Prospect
  • Area
    Hartford
  • Hours of Operation
    Fri, Sat 11:30 am–3:30 pm Sun 9:30 am–2:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Fusion / Eclectic, Comfort Food, Café
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    We are located in Historic Elizabeth Park, with public parking lots and street parking within the park.
  • Public transit
    on Asylum Ave.
  • Payment Options
    Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Josh Fiorillo
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Phone number
    (860) 231-8823
  • Catering
    Pond House is able to cater to any out of house location including other local venues and your very own kitchen! We will provide everything from staff to clean up! Please inquiry today to have the Pond House to your house!
  • Private party facilities
    Both private parties and semi-private accommodations available, contact restaurant for more information
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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