Hours

sunday, tuesday, wednesday, thursday

4pm - 1am

kitchen open until midnight

friday & saturday

4pm - 2am

kitchen open unitl 1am

closed monday

Nestled in the elegance of New Haven’s Ninth Square Historic District is an exciting new arrival: a cocktail, wine, and small plates lounge by the name of 116 Crown. Truly innovative in all regards, 116 Crown offers a refreshing array of dishes with ingredients from local and boutique suppliers and a cocktail list unrivalled in New Haven. For décor, it boasts a virtually kaleidoscopic variety of settings: sit at the spectacularly luminescent green onyx bar; relax on the luxurious banquette at a table on the mezzanine; or recline in the comfort of the Tea Room, where an iPod dock lets you be your own DJ. For the rest of the lounge, a live DJ spins records six days a week.

The philosophy at 116 Crown is governed by a few basic ideas: that first-class food should be accompanied by first-class beverages; that guests should be able to order at their leisure; and that experimentation is vital to even the most seasoned gastronome’s enjoyment. Thus it imparts the spark of indulgence but not the smart of pretension; at 116, you can have an assortment of artisanal cheeses alongside a dozen of the world’s finest oysters and a serving of Russian caviar, but you can also have French fries, or a green salad, or, for dessert, a plate of homemade cookies. The dishes are all small plates, and are designed to be shared; as the kitchen is open till midnight on weekdays and one o’clock on Fridays and Saturdays, we invite you to order freely throughout the evening.

Critical to the cuisine at 116 Crown is the desire to blend contemporary style and presentation with traditional methods of cooking. This spirit is also manifest in the cocktail list, which offers a generous selection of classic cocktails—the Old Fashioned, the Original Champagne Cocktail, the Negroni, the Thom Collins—in addition to an ambitious set of cutting-edge cocktails, in which classic ingredients find themselves in combinations that challenge the palate’s expectations. For example: the Rosemary Tangerine Cooler, which mixes bisongrass vodka with fresh-squeezed tangerine juice and fresh rosemary; the NLT, a blend of Absente (a legalized form of absinthe), elderflower cordial, and Hitachino ginger nest beer; and the Grand Prix: Hendrick’s gin, pink grapefruit juice, and black pepper.

Beer drinkers need not worry, as the element of surprise and commitment to quality are alive and well in our selection of brews. But it must be said that we at 116 pride ourselves particularly on our wine list. Our list transcends a current trend in wine selection, which favors “new world” wines—wines made outside of Europe, in the Americas, South Africa, and New Zealand—and places emphasis instead on “old world” wines and new world wines made in an old world style. The list is concise for a reason, in that each wine has been specifically selected for its uniqueness, its enduring quality, and its compatibility with our food. Organized into descriptive categories, the list is accessible to both amateur and expert: under “European Style with Minerality & Finesse,” you will find the Inama Soave Classico, which sports a sweet field bouquet and a hint of chamomile; under “European with Earth & Spice” is the Château Pontac Monplaisir, a wine that—like our oysters—carries the flavor of its rich terroir. And featured wines on our couvinet system, which change regularly, allow guests to sample wines by the glass that are exceptional and are ordinarily available only by the bottle.

116 Crown is fresh, sophisticated, and bursting with energy. Come and enjoy it—we look forward to sharing our passion with you.