The Benjamin - Ridgefield

"The Benjamin is a superb renovation of the old Bernard’s. The stylish interior manages to maintain the integrity of old colonial Ridgefield with a modern twist. All of the staff that attended us were wonderfully hospitable. We were a party of four and all ordered different things. Each and every dish was perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. We ate in the lower dining room which was conducive to conversation with our friends yet would be perfect for a special occasion. For those who want a more casual vibe the bar area is the place to be whilst remaining classy. After inquiring about the upstairs, Scott, the manager, invited us to take a look. What a great space with its own bar, fire place, and wine collection in show. Perfect for private events, birthday parties, baby showers etc. I highly recommend and will definitely be back."

"We celebrated my wife's and mother in law's birthday at The Benjamin last night. The space itself is beautiful, warm and inviting. As with all my restaurant reviews, after the quality of the food, what is most important to me is the service. The food at any place can be top notch but without great service, I will only give it 3 stars. We all not only thoroughly enjoyed our meals last night, but we had incredible service from Mary, the manager, and Shane, our server. One of my daughters has severe food allergies so it can be trying and difficult to accommodate her meals. Mary and Shane made sure of this last night in every way. Mary further accommodated me by having one of my wines decanted an hour before dinner since it was a newer Chateauneuf du Pape. I was quite impressed with the decanter and pourer that was used; which shows the attention to small but crucial details. At the end of the night, both Mary and Shane surprised us with Birthday sparklers and dessert for my wife and mother in law. We all thought it was so sweet and thoughtful. As to the food, we had the cheese and charcuterie board, foie gras, and the salads. The foie gras was incredibly delicious. It was seared perfectly and well complemented and dressed. The cheese and charcuterie board contained a great selection and well complemented with a drizzle of honey. My lamb shank was delicious. My wife's halibut was poached perfectly; as was my children's filet mignon perfectly cooked. The Benjamin is now one of my favorite restaurant in Fairfield. Lastly, I especially hope that Mary and Shane will be there the next time I come. Bravo!!"

"The duck breast was cooked to my preference, was tasty, and the accompanying fava bean, almond, quinoa, grapefruit gastrique side dish was nicely flavored and balanced. However, I only got two slices of the duck breast which probably accounted for 1/3 of the whole duck breast. This felt stingy for a $39 entree. Hence my taking a star away from the overall review. (In the photo, I did that horizontal cut to share with my wife before remembering to take a picture. But that is all the duck that came.) The lobster risotto was quite good, esp. the lobster risotto with saffron, asparagus, parmesan cheese - I especially appreciated the addition of the tiny corn kernels. While expensive at $58, it felt worth it for the whole "lazy man's" lobster, completely taken out of the shell. Wines by the glass and bottle - good selection, pretty fair prices. We really liked the updated look of the restaurant from its previous incarnation as Bernard's. If felt airy and modern."

"Absolutely delicious food. Excellent value. I didn't take photos because a friend took us out to dinner, but the watercress salad was absolutely delicious, the fresh pea soup was delicious, the scallop dinner we're absolutely incredible. My husband said that the chicken dinner was delicious. Creme brulee desert was delicious. Service was spectacular, Thank you Miles! Ambience was gorgeous."

"Amazing food! The appetizers and main dishes were delicious, but the deserts were outstanding! Everything we tried was so delicious, I didn’t get a chance to take a picture because it was devoured to quickly. Must fo back for seconds now :) The service was excellent. I went in without reservation and was seated at a great table with a few of the garden. The decor is beautiful and the atmosphere is very cozy and relaxing."