Thank you! Hopefully one of these work out. Id prefer somewhere cheaper but these seem like our best bets for what we want.

What does he like to eat?

If you dont mind me asking, do you rent from an apartment complex? I was looking into Hamden but didnt see any drastically cheaper apartment complexes. Ive been told Town Walk and Aspen Glen are nice but they arnt much cheaper than some complexes i found in downtown.

Elm City Social, especially for their cocktails

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Tavern on State is a great choice. I also loved Hachi Roku for Japanese (you can get some of their sushi but it’s more like cooked Japanese tapas) if you want something outside the norm. Sherakaan is great too.

Tavern on State or Zinc, period. Shell and Bones is so stinkin’ loud.

Consider Derby/Ansonia also

L'Orcio

yeah tell us where You end up. good luck clueless.

uh New Haven proper has always had yalies- but its pricey lately lately because our town is in demand and the biotech thing

If you're looking for cheap and close by, look at apartments in East Haven or Hamden, New Haven is a small city so even renting in a neighbouring town will allow you to get to work in around 15 minutes. I make the same amount as you and I spend around 1100$ a month to rent in Hamden. Apartments in New Haven proper can be pretty pricy because of the Yalies.

Olea: owned by Juan Carlos and Maria who work in the front as well as Manuel the chef. Inspired creative food and drinks. Pristine service.

seconded, there is no better answer

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Again they’re talking about a place for a DATE night. Some people like to have sex after a date, not fart into a plastic covered couch watching Connie Francis specials.

116 Crownnis pretty good, especially if you're a cocktail fan

Second this! Wonderful meal and nice staff!

Yes, they are running with permits all week (pretty much same hosts/vendors). Friday's (5-9pm) are fun, every week is different theme. So far it was Alice in Wonderland, last week was Great Gatsby and this week is Willy Wonka. Sunday is my favorite day to go (1-5pm), more chill vibe, lots of people go.

LOL, well, I agree that the place is a bit too East Haven Italian for my taste. My god, they have a signed picture of Jon Voight on the wall! I had to put a dog down early in the pandemic, when all the dining restrictions were still in place. I was pretty distraught and just wanted a bunch of comfort food, so I put in a big takeout order at Adriana's. I stopped in to pick it up and not only was no one wearing masks, but a bunch of old Italian dudes were sitting around dining in. So yes, if politics matter when it comes to your dining choices (which I totally get!), don't go there. But, I stand by Adriana's as a vintage red sauce place with solid food, even if I don't care for their politics.

Respectfully, This question is I asked every week and gets a ton of responses. Try searching those.

East Rock and Westville are both nice and relatively affordable compared to downtown.

Consiglios is the best Italian food in New Haven! Very cozy, delicious, and can be as upscale or affordable as you’d like due to their reasonable prices.

I’d also recommend Oak Haven - just tried them for the first time for my husbands birthday, the drinks were fun and food was seriously delicious. South Bay is good and fun as well. I have heard great things about Olea and Tavern on State but haven’t tried them yet.

Anchor Spa is a local black owned and run restaurant and bar downtown which is very small, intimate, and welcoming. The drinks are delicious and unique. I haven’t tried the food yet though but their menu looked great!

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Shell and Bones. Zinc. Don't fall for the decor of Florian's. Garbage. For great affordable Egyptian style food Aladdin's. Though their pizza and American fare is just meh. For fried seafood, try Amatos on whalley ave. Get it to go. For authentic Puerto Rican foods try Buen Gusto or El Coqui on Grand Ave. Make sure to request mojito sauce.