• This small seaport town, tucked along the Connecticut River in southern Connecticut, has Colonial architecture, water views, leafy parks, and a number of historic homes and sites. Popular attractions include the Essex Railroad Steam Train, The Goodspeed Opera House and Ivoryton Playhouse. The Connecticut River Museum has three floors of exhibits showcasing the area's maritime past. The historic downtown area has a variety of shops and top-notch restaurants.
  
  

Black Seal

• This longstanding restaurant and pub is located on Main Street in downtown Essex. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, the casual eatery has an extensive menu of American cuisine. The lunch menu features a variety of soups and appetizers, like clam chowder, buffalo wings, nachos and potato skins. Fried fish platters, burgers, pizza and sandwiches round out the casual fare. For dinner, guests will find the same appetizers, sandwiches and fried fish platters, along with popular entrees, like the grilled trout, New York strip steak and sea scallop casserole.
  
  Black Seal
  15 Main Street
  Essex, CT 06426
  (860) 767-0233
  theblackseal.com
  
  

Oliver's Restaurant & Taverne

• Busloads of tourists and locals pour into this popular restaurant in the center of historic Essex. The downstairs dining room has a casual atmosphere with warm woods, antiques and memorabilia. The menu has a wide range of offerings, including a large list of appetizers, like quesadillas, chicken wings, nachos, crab cakes and fried calamari. There is a variety of specialty burgers, salads and sandwiches, as well as popular entrees like baked stuffed shrimp, fish and chips, meatloaf, BBQ ribs and prime rib. The upstairs sports bar with an antique mahogany bar top, pool tables and dance floor, is popular with locals, and offers a similar menu of appetizers, burgers and sandwiches.
  
  Oliver's Restaurant & Taverne
  124 Westbrook Road
  Essex, CT 06426
  (860) 767-2633
  oliverstavern.com
  
  

The Griswold Inn

• The elegant dining rooms at this historic 1776 inn in downtown Essex has pumpkin pine wood paneling, log-burning fireplaces, period antiques and one of the top marine art collections in the country. The menu changes frequently based on seasonal ingredients but may include starters like the heirloom tomato and arugula salad, baked stuffed clams and a chef's cheese course. Signature dishes include the lobster pot pie, proscuitto-wrapped cod and a porterhouse steak for two served tableside. The restaurant also has a number of grilled specialties, like the grilled salmon with cilantro oil and the top sirloin bistro steak.
  
  The Griswold Inn
  30 Maine Street
  Essex, CT 06426
  (860) 767-1776
  griswoldinn.com