La Zingara

Went here for late night drinks — love the roof top! Bar was packed, but still able to get a seat. The flight was pretty tasty and fairly priced. Service was quick and friendly — can’t wait to go back and try the FOOD!

I eat at La Zingera and Ecco every time I am in town. The service is wonderful and the owner, Lisa, is amazing. The stuffed soft shell crabs are absolutely magical! I highly recommend dining at both restaurants.

The Godfather is not on drugs but I think the people that give this place glowing reviews are! To start off our appetizer took 37 min to reach our table. It was a tasteless filo with farmers cheese and roasted butternut squash or s*$t on a shingle. Next our entrees arrived 40 min later. The Lamb was dry and NOT cooked to order. My wife’s pasta was oily and not very good at all. We ordered a glass of wine after to wash it down hoping that the staff would buy a glass considering our wait, nope nothing. I’ve been here many times before with good results but this time it’s going to take a while to get the bad taste out of my mouth. Olive Garden has nothing to worry about.

Great staff, excellent menu, super cocktails and tap beers. Can’t wait to return.

Went on Saturday April 30 with 4 people. it was excellent in every way. will be back for sure!

Easily the best Italian restaurant in Connecticut, possibly New England.
All dishes are handmade and housemade, the staff has been working together for a decade, they love the food and the customers. Augusto is the head waiter and is THE consummate gentleman. Roberto is the manager and will move heaven and earth to get you seated.
The food? Awesome, amazing, heavenly, there are specials every week and they are posted on the facebook site in advance of the weekend, They stagger the imagination… I’m in CONNECTICUT??? OMG!
Its a VERY popular restaurant, plan far ahead, but if you are out for a drive, there’s always a chance you can snag a two, because its first come, first serve, since reservations are for parties of 6 and larger only…

We had dinner here on Saturday night. The greeter could be a bit friendlier and appreciative of customers. The focaccia bread and the Italian bread (black crust) are phenomenal as is the olive oil served with it for dipping. I had the grilled octopus caponata appetizer — on the tough side. I ordered a ½ portion of pasta — cavatelli with smoked Brussels sprouts and pork belly — to die for. My hubby had a regular size pasta and I didn’t see much difference in portion size. The half portion was plenty. My hubby had the stuffed artichoke appetizer — very bready, a bit soggy and heavy on the wine. I prefer a firmer stuffing. The menu is extensive with a lot of choices in every category — apps, salads, pasta, meat, vegetarian, etc. They are also a bit trendy with an appetizer and an entrée based on Arethusa Farm robbiola cheese. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. I thought it was a bit pricey but I would return because there are so many items to try.

Wow! Went here from Brunch the other day and fell in love! It was delicious. From the mimosas and the Nutella filled French toast! The bartender and I spoke some Italiano and we had a grand time.
The only down fall to this place is that it is so unnecessarily expensive!
Cmon owners drop down those prices!

Tasty and authentic food but portions are a little on the small side. Varied menu with lots of choices. Service was excellent. Drinks were good. Would go back to try the rooftop restaurant.

Dined upstairs at ECCO for the 3^rd time now. each time is better than the last. The service is great. The kitchen is accommodating. The food is amazing. Most recently we had a custom risotto that was to die for along with their seasonal hummus and pesto pizza. All perfect and made to order. Can’t wait to come back in the spring.

I agree with the previous posts say it’s a «real treat». My wife and I have eaten here several times for special occasions and have yet to be disappointed.

Always delicious for brunch. The unlimited Bellinis are my favorite but I do always enjoy the salmon dish on the menu. We always have fun when we go here. The upstairs is great for lite pub fairs as well!

We just had our company Christmas party here today and I have eaten dinner here before. What a fantastic restaurant! Everything from the food to the décor to the service is top notch! Here is a restaurant that has taken authentic Italian dishes and brought them to the next level. Love their innovative dishes and the Farm to Table concept. Located in the heart of the Village of Bethel you can sidewalk shop and burn off all those calories after your meal.

We’ve been dining at La Zingara since it opened and have never been disappointed. A true little gem in every aspect. The food, atmosphere and service are impeccable! If you are in the area I would highly recommend this restaurant!

We were staying in Danbury and looking for a cozy Italian dinner spot — and bingo!
It was Halloween night, and we arrived for an early dinner. Our waitress was expecting it to be quiet and we took a table in the corner of the comfortably decorated dining room.
There is a second, upstairs dining are that offers a slightly different and lower price point menu, as well as an outdoor seating area.
We took our time, and worked through appetizer, seconds and mains — all delivered at a leisurely pace. Throughout the meal, our service was spot on and friendly. We had a great evening and heartily recommend the restaurant.
To start, we shared the mussels and a half-​portion of pasta:
Zuppetta Di Cozze $ 11.00 — prince edward island mussels steamed in a broth of virgin olive oil, garlic, sherry and fresh tomato
Bucatini Ai Porcini $ 18.00 — hearty hollowed spaghetti tossed in a tomato and fresh basil sauce with oven roasted tomatoes and topped with a dollop of porcini ricotta
These were both wonderful — the mussels small and fresh and the sauce, perfect for dunking ion fresh baked bread. The pasta was perfectly al dente and hearty. This paired well with a glass of white for the mussels and then a bottle of a fruity Sicilian red for the pasta (2010 Cerasuolo Di Vittoria Planeta)
Much to our surprise, the place became packed, but service did not suffer. They even brought in an extra server on short notice.
Us, after a short digestive rest, we moved on to the main fare:
Rigatoni Alla Buttera $ 18.00 — rigatoni tossed with hot and sweet crumbled sausage and sweet green peas in a tomato sauce, finished with a touch of cream and parmigiano
Petto Danatra Allo Zenzero $ 26.00 — pan seared breast of duck finished with a ginger duck glacé, served with a grilled peach and an apple and napa slaw
These dishes killed with a terrific 2008 Pertimali Brunello.
We were stuffed and happy, and will certainly be back!

Now this is a real treat!!! Ceppi pasta (an artisanal hearty tube of pasta) tossed in a garlic, e.v.o.o. Cherry grove farm tomatoes, gaeta olives, crispy prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, topped with shaved parmigiano and organic basil, can’t go wrong, I’ll have this for my appetizer, entrée and dessert!!!
The above description is from their Facebook page. It did not disappoint. A perfect dish! Always a great meal served by amazing people. Highly recommend coming here!

Went there last night for dinner with a friend. The food was excellent. However, I paid with a credit card and this morning I checked my account and they had charged me 3 TIMES!!! THE SAME EXACT AMOUNT, 3 TIMES!!! I went back in and spoke to the owner and he treated me like a piece of shit and did not right the wrong. He told me to screw off and work it out with the bank and that this sort of thing happens all the time.
What kind of person, especially local business owner, treats a patron like this.
I feel people should know about this scummy place and make sure to check their bank accounts after eating here. I know I won’t after the way I was treated today.
What a joke!!!

Wait. So you’re telling me there’s a rooftop bar in the Danbury area that I didn’t know about? Alright, well maybe I’m stretching it a bit since I was expecting some bar atop a skyscraper in Bethel that I SURELY would’ve known about (let alone be able to see it), but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
La Zingara is a pretty classy place with their upscale restaurant downstairs and the modern yet rustic take on the rooftop bar above named Ecco. I came here late Sunday morning for a friend’s birthday brunch and was told it was unlimited drinks as long as you sit in for the three course meal, so that already perked my ears up. The rooftop bar was pretty nice, aside from the fact that it was brutally hot/​humid outside, but that’s not really Ecco’s fault. I sat down with my friends and began with a Bloody Mary since my previous night was also full of drinking. It was just alright, nothing over the top or super flavorful, but it did the job. I also had a mimosa and a bellini later into the meal just to sample all three, which were definitely better than the Bloody Mary I started with.
I’ve been told that the menu changes every weekend, so essentially everything I saw would probably not be there the next time I visited. For my appetizer I got the bruschetta, the first course ended up being a smoked salmon flat bread pizza dish, and my dessert were the cannolis. I’m used to the bread for bruschetta being a bit tougher, maybe toasted a bit, and I thought this was a little too soft. There were a plethora of tomatoes piled on that tasted super fresh, I just wish there was that crunch that I’m used to, especially being half Italian. Next up was my main course, the smoked salmon. I wasn’t totally expecting it to be presented in a flat bread pizza sort of manner, but boy was it delicious. The crust seemed wood fired which is always a plus with me, and topped with heaping amounts of smoked salmon and ricotta cheese and probably a dash of olive oil. Very delicious and much needed to soak up all of the drinks I had within the past 12 hours. The cannolis at the end were what you’d expect, but there were only two bite sized ones that I finished in no time. For $ 29 you’d expect to have at least a normal sized dessert, just saying.
La Zingara’s rooftop bar was a pretty great place to come for brunch, however I wish it didn’t cost as much as it did. I understand that the drinking aspect for a $ 29 three-​coursed meal honestly isn’t bad whatsoever, but I felt like they put the emphasis more on the drinks than the food. Also, I wish they had some kind of eggs benedict on the brunch menu as well, I felt like a place like this would be able to make a mean smoked salmon benedict.

I love this place! There’s a downstairs restaurant (and bar area) that’s a little fancy feeling if you’re up for that, and an upstairs rooftop room with another bar and a couple dozen of tables that’s more fun and relaxed. Good for couples, families, or even just to hang by yourself too.
I’ve eaten on both floors several times and had «10» experiences each time — loving the delicious quality of food, the beautiful décor, and the smiling, friendly, personable waitstaff. Downstairs we had a communion party for 25 that was just so lovely. We’ve had intimate dinners here too. But my favorite is the rooftop restaurant (called Ecco Lounge).
Both floors serve almost the same menu (which is AMAZING) which changes by season. Last night we ate in the rooftop area and if you’re into high quality organic burgers, check out their Kobe burger! It’s new on the spring menu, and you’d not even know it was organic because they don’t advertise or brag about it … but our waiter Brenden said «lots» of their food is organic and-​or homemade. Seriously, this burger absolutely MELTS in your mouth. I got mine medium done. My guy had a fried egg put on top of his. We took our first bite at the same time and our eyes got wideeee with YUM!
Speaking of Brenden, DEFINITELY sit in his area. He’s the best! Super friendly and FUN. He explains everything and you get the feeling he’s really generally excited about the food and loves working there. That’s so refreshing to see! Matt is the bartender up there and he’s real swell too. He’s got a crazy cool swirly mustache, and laughing, he let me take a photo of him to send to my son who digs crazy cool swirly mustaches!
It’s a bit pricey but you definitely get tasty, high quality food that fills up your belly just right. And the ambiance and waitstaff team makes it a perfect 10! :)

Quintessential Fairfield County — an upscale hipster place where the rich serve the richer. I guess I can’t fault them too much for that… I knew what I was getting into when we walked in the door.
We sat upstairs at the «Ecco» bar, named after Ecco the Dolphin of Sega Genesis fame I can only assume. We had a very good [even if grotesquely overpriced] wood-​fired pizza, an incredibly nice and informative bartender, and some really good drinks. One cocktail even came with a sprig of fennel fronds. Crazy stuff!
There’s about ten tables, a ten-​seat bar, and the new sensation, an «open kitchen» that allows you to peer in and watch the pizza makers sweat over your food. I dunno… sometimes ignorance is bliss, and there’s a little magic to watching your food miraculously appear from behind the scenes.
The menu is small, which is actually appreciated by restaurant goers such as myself. A few pizzas, a few sandwiches, a few appetizers, a few main dishes. That’s about all you need.
I predict Ecco will have some staying power in downtown Bethel. It was still hoppin’ at 10PM on a Saturday night… looks like they’ve got a solid customer base already.