Hen of the Wood - Waterbury

This is fine dining at its finest, but not fanciest (in a good way). We snagged a reservation for a Saturday night in November, with the kitchen view -- the resy was a necessity as we heard a hostess tell someone over the phone that the restaurant was completely booked for the evening, with just a wait list for bar seating available. The star of our meal: the ribeye for 2 with fried fingerling potatoes. The steak was trimmed up with just a little fat cap on the end, the rest being perfectly marble, tender ribeye that ate like butter at a beautiful medium rare. It was marinated, seasoned, and served over a red wine jus, although all the flavors on the outside were complimentary to the steak and allowed the beef itself to shine. The potatoes were fried nicely, bringing a satisfying, tasty

My boyfriend brought me here for my birthday dinner and it was the perfect meal and experience! Everything was amazing but especially the grilled rabbit leg. They gave me a bday card and a candle with desert, which was a nice surprise. I also forgot my leftovers, turned around for them (yes, the food is that good), and our waiter held onto them just in case we came back. They thought of everything! 10/10 food and service.

Probably our best meal spot on our Vermont trip. This place has an incredibly good hanger steak, perfect seasoning crust and cook temp. The mushroom toast appetizer is like an eggs Benedict breakfast with super fresh mushrooms, was very good. The tomato, peach, and mozzarella salad they have sounds strange, but was shocking how good the combination was. It actually changed my perspective of tomato’s which I’m normally not crazy for. The cocktails were made to perfection. You can tell the bar tender knows how to make a good sophisticated drink. Their wine list and service is also very nice. For dessert, do yourself a favor and get their honey crème fraiche ice cream. It was so good, it ruined regular ice cream for me forever Fantastic date spot and a true highlight of our trip

Excellent birthday dinner! First time at Hen and it didn’t disappoint!! Friendly, upbeat service, with great recommendations. A couple of great cocktails and small plates to share. Main courses were the duck and hanger steak - both perfectly cooked and delicious! Lastly, who could resist pumpkin tart. From beginning to end everything was very enjoyable!

We’ve been wanting to try Hen of the Wood for years and finally got the chance. We made a reservation at the chef’s counter and weren’t disappointed.The mushroom toast and rabbit liver pate were amazing. We also split the large strip steak with broccolini and potatoes in wine reduction which was equally good. The service was generally good and dishes came out promptly but we did have to flag down the waitress a couple times for drink refills. The menu seemed unexpectedly a little limited. For example, there were options for beef, different types of rabbit, halibut and vegetarian dishes but no poultry (especially given the name of the restaurant). However, everything we ordered was outstanding. Can’t wait to go back the next time we are in the area!