Liv's Oyster Bar & Restaurant in Old Saybrook Center - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Great food ,and great service!!

This place has some amazing seafood. Everything we ordered was excellent.And what made it more amazing was our waiter Cesar. He was very courteous, prompt and resourceful. He took time out of his busy schedule to tell us of local attractions since we aren't from the area. Cesar is a great asset to this business. He's a great example of how service should be done.

Vacationing in Old Saybrook for the week and picked Liv’s for dinner. WOW so glad we did! The seafood was sooo fresh and perfectly prepared and our server was super attentive and helpful with our questions. Would highly recommend Liv’s!!

We love Livs. They have the best happy hour and entrees.

They were very busy on a Saturday night. But the waiter was great about keeping us updated on the bar and kitchen. Things were back-up a little, so it was nice to know the waiter was aware. Had a great meal and the vibe is always fun. Will be back.

Great food and drinks. Weekday early bird buck a shuck oysters were excellent. Had a local beer. Burger etc was good. Highly recommend

Cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, and the service were impeccable as usual.

One of our favorite restaurants! Excellent food and service.

I had the scallops and my wife had the cod. We had fried oysters for an appetizer. Everything was great! We each had a cocktail prior to eating which were also excellent.

Food not as good as I remember in past visits. Kitchen trying too hard. Past menus much better selection and better preparation. 3 visit with same impression. We miss the great food

Lovely experience. Jake was great and recommended some great options.

Was visiting family and had reservations for 5 of us. Started with 1/2 priced oysters and was so fresh we kept ordering more Host was pleasant and waiter was very helpful with suggestions for dinner Every dish was absolutely delicious and would love to come back again

Except for room noise, excellent experience all around.

The food was excellent! Our waitress, Vaida, was wonderful! Very knowledgeable and made sure we were happy with everything!

We eat at Liv’s once every summer when we are in town visiting family. It never disappoints. Had a great server this time around who gave us perfect wine suggestions. We loved our cocktails, wine and all of the food!

Perfect place to have a lovely date night dinner. Food is really delish.

Liv's has always been one of our "go-to" restaurants for a nice meal. Liv's has never disappointed...till now. The service was ok, no issues. The restaurant is not noisy, which makes it a nice place to socialize. The food was both good, and really bad! My wife's dish was excellent, and my oysters and clams appetizer were fresh, opened to order. Great as always. I ordered a rib-eye steak. Rare. That was a mistake! It came medium to well-done, sliced. Tasteless. It was so thin, no wonder it wasn't cooked to order. 45 bucks! Despite this issue, I still recommend Liv's and will be back. Just won't order a steak any more.

Dinner was very good! Desserts are delicious! We always enjoy our meals there !

Oysters were a little small maybe because it was happy hour, Clams were large and very good.

The food and the service were outstanding. I definitely will return.

Great restaurant - interesting menu and excellent food in a casually upscale atmosphere. A memorable meal.

Always an excellent choice. Service is professional but friendly. Seafood is fresh and never overcooked. We always look forward to going back.

This is one of our favorite area restaurants. The food and service is always stellar. Two of us had the blackened swordfish and one of us had the steak. All perfect!

Apps, dinner and dessert were absolutely superb! Service was superb! Noise was a bit loud. We will definitely be back!

Another great meal at Livs! Food was perfectly prepared and delicious. Our server, Alex, was excellent.

Excellent food and drinks. Love their fish meals. Always an excellent evening

We have dined here often. And it’s. consistently fabulous. Superb service. Reminds me of the kind of warm professional service you expect at a top restaurant in Europe. And the food is prepared inventively and presented beautifully. One of my all time favorite places

Our experience at Liv's will last a lifetime. Thank you to Chef Mike and his team. The food and service was outstanding. If you are in the area put Liv's on your list.

Absolutely delicious and wonderful service as always. You can’t go wrong at Liv’s!

Yelp & Google gave a different time when it was to open, so went for lunch and it was closed. So calling ahead might be a good idea.

Food is always amazing! Service is great, friendly and knowledgeable waitstaff. Our favorite restaurant in the area. You cant beat the happy hour specials!

Scallops and chicken dish were exceptional . Wines by the glass were interesting selections.

The food was outstsnding, fresh plump oysters, eggplant caprese salad was a delightful twist on an old favorite and the swordfish dish and seafood rice dish were done to perfection. The dining room can be a little noisy but wasn’t too bothersome. Our table was ready on time and service was very attentive. We will definitely be back any and every time we are in the area.

The ambience, the service ,as well as , the presentation of the food was wonderful. We had the Liv martini and a perfect Manhattan both were perfection . We had the swordfish and the cod special both were superb !

In a town that has so many options, we always return to Liv’s for amazing food, drink, exceptional oysters and friendship. #ilovewherewelive

Exceptional service and excellent food! The waitstaff is phenomenal. They bend over backwards to make your meal great! The chef is imaginative and creative! Excellent date night! Fantastic value! We will see you again soon !!!

The food and drinks here are always excellent. Friendly but professional service, well-paced. In all, a very enjoyable experience, especially for dining with friends.

The food was superb and the service outstanding! We really enjoyed the night out celebrating our anniversary!! Highly recommend!

Busy night pre show at The Kate. Loud, food ok and overpriced. Server and host was excellent. Close walk to the Kate.

Liv’s is always a treat; food and drinks are always delicious.

There is a new menu! Excellent additions and we sampled several, to our delight. As always, this wonderful local treasure provided superior service, superior food and great value for money.

Livs is one of my favorite places and I continue to dine there every few months. I bring friends with me often and then they too recommend it to others. Never disappoints

Another great experience at Liv’s! The staff is welcoming and the food is consistently delicious!

Always a great meal at Livs. Drive down from Wallingford just to enjoy a nice meal on a Friday night. Our favorite ct restaurant imho.

Had a great meal outside. Service and food were excellent.

Everything was excellent. A perfect place for our special occasion.

Perfect as always. We never worry about what kind of experience we’ll have at Liv’s because it’s just so good every single visit.

The service is always exceptional! Best food in the area without a doubt! The team in the kitchen works their butts off!

We have been here for happy hour and dinner a few times. Usually we sit outside. The wait staff are always pleasant and attentive and usually don't miss a beat. Best place in town for oysters. The mussels on the current menu are the best I have ever had.

We had a spectacular meal tonight! It was our 42nd. Anniversary! We hadn’t told anyone and were very surprised when our delicious desserts were on the house! It was a special !

I had the mussels always awesome. The chicken was so spicy and delicious! . Most of my party had the salmon it was fabulous!!

Great dinner with friends, although very noisy and hard to hear.

What a wonderful experience.. Great food and the happy hour menu and prices are just hard to beat.

Liv's Oyster Bar was very good. My companion and I both had the seared scallops. Delicious. Also impressed that they had Bunnahabhain scotch. Very few venues have ever heard of it. Our server was also great. I believe his name was Mike.

My wife and I had dinner at Liv's before a show at The Kate. She had salmon and I had shrimp tacos. Both were outstanding. Our server Mike provided outstanding service, always with a smile. Next time we will ask for a table at the front of the restaurant as the noise level in the back was too high for us (although the couple next to us had a conversation we found fascinating!)

Food and service were really superb. Only downside is that it was fairly noisy, but it was Saturday evening at 7:30 in a popular place. Oysters were awesome, and the scallops were fantastic…a very creative and innovative dish. Wine paint was perfect too

Jake was an excellent waiter, food and drinks were fantastic. We had all types of oysters, tuna tartare, fish cakes, kids had the bacon cheeseburger, wife had the scallops and I had the Ribeye. Wine pairing with oysters was on point, craft cocktails were so delicious. Everything was excellent. Will definitely be coming back!

Good food and very good service in a restaurant that caters to locals but reaches out to all

Fantastic restaurant! High quality, creative cuisine and attentive service. I hadn’t been to Liv’s in a while, but I will be back soon. Definitely a restaurant for fresh seafood, especially the raw bar. Pricing is in the high side, but it was worth the freshness and high quality. A bit noisy, but not so overwhelming that you can’t hear your table’s conversation. Be sure not to miss this shoreline gem when you are in Old Saybrook.

We had a great dining experience with friends! Our waiter Alex was both friendly and attentive, just great service! (2 of the 4 of us have worked in restaurants so we tend to be a little critical) Oysters, Fritto Misto, and Monkfish were outstanding as were the rest of our dinners, drinks and desserts — we’ll definitely be back!!

Best meal we’ve had in a long time!! The raw oysters were delicious and the clam chowder was incredible

This place always a pleasure to dine at. The food , the service is always A-1. The chefs come up with a flavor combination that is always a top notch. Fresh ingredients at its best. Highly recommend..

Excellent food. Fresh oysters. Awesome wait staff

It was a beautiful warm evening and we were able to sit outside. The cocktails are interesting and delicious. The meals were beautiful and delicious also. The waiter was friendly and efficient. It was a satisfying experience

Had a great meal as always at Liv’s! We love the food and service. When we arrived it was a little chilly, we notified our server we were cold and it seemed others were too and he requested the manager increase the temperature a little. After that, everything was perfect! One little nitpick is the tables are very sticky. We noticed it last time too. Not sure whether the coating failed or what. They were not ‘dirty’ just sticky. Other than that, the food was amazing. My wife and daughter both had a Halibut special. My daughter had the cauliflower soup which I tried and it was spectacular! I had the tuna tartare and a ribeye and they did not disappoint! Certainly am amazing meal and great service. Thanks Liv’s!

Really great food and plating. We went for the scallops and the cod. It was the best fish we had in a long time.

We enjoyed our dinner at Liv's! We were warmly welcomed when we arrived and our table was ready! Dinner was delicious and the service excellent.

Had a birthday girls' night out and the wait staff was as terrific as always. We love the ambiance there and everyone's meal was fantastic. Liv's is one of our two favorite dinner spots.

Delicious and innovative seafood both in preparation and visual.

This was our 1st time at the restaurant and it was great! All staff was very nice and the food was delicious

Always a great experience at Liv’s. Food is always fresh and cooked to perfection. Service is always top notch and the atmosphere is always lively.

Service, food and a nice crowd. We will be back again and again.

Always love it here. Food is great! Service is consistent! One of my fave spots on the shoreline!

Service was great, oyster selection very interesting and varied, tuna tartare appetizer was delicious, and the halibut special cooked perfectly. Will come back soon!

This was my second visit to this restaurant and it will not be the last. The shellfish sampler was outstanding as was both of our meals. The fish was fresh and cooked perfectly. Service was friendly and timely . . . not waiting and not rushed. Even if this is out of your normal area it is worth the drive.

Went before a show at the Kate. Good food and service

Fabulous as always. Our server Jake was outstanding. The food was delicious and everything is so well balanced. There is so much depth in the flavors. Liv’s never disappoints

Livs never disappoints. We have eaten various items from their menu and they always hit it out of the park. This is one of our very favorite restaurants in Connecticut. Their cocktails are great and the wine list is nice, and reasonably priced. Deserts are worth ordering, too. Top things to order…mussels, clam chowder, any of their cod dishes….pistachio gelato…and livs martini.

We are sitting at this restaurant appalled by the continual fleecing of its customers: low pours on wine, soup that runs just a few centimeters from the base. It's just about how much they can get from their customers and at how low the cost. The taste is not the issue. Food tastes fine but is heavily supplemented by butter and cream. I was terribly disappointed. I was expecting so much more given the price and location.

Just splendid. These folks know what they're doing. Food, service, timing were all spot on.

Somehow, Liv's maintains its standards and continues to please. Great oysters, a really well thought out special octopus appetizer (crisped octopus pieces on a skewer over a white bean/chorizo puree that was rich enough and spiced enough to highlight the octopus by contrasting with it) and a truly fresh piece of cod cooked perfectly. Nice wine list with something I wish other restaurants would do: a list of odds and ends that are discounted. The only knock on Liv's is the price, which is often closer to NYC than Old Saybrook, but as someone who emphasizes value rather than price, I'm happy.

Excellent food in exceedingly small portions. Cold bartender. Ungenerous pours. Locals like but its the only game in town.

Terrific evening, but VERY noisy--hard to hear and enjoy conversation.

Excellent service and great food!! We will be back!!

Great food and service, attentive staff and great atmosphere

Had a wonderful early dinner at Liv's yesterday. We started with Happy Hour apps (the fish cake sliders are AMAZING!), and drinks, and then moved on to enjoy two of the dinner specials. The Halibut with basil butter over risotto and the Seafood Fritto Misto were both DELICIOUS! The only thing better than the food was the super attentive service. Everyone was on point, from the moment we were greeted at the door to the last visit from the very present server delivering our check. We will DEFINITELY be back!

We’re regulars and always have a good time. Happy hour oysters are the best!

Love getting yummy oysters here as often as we can. So lucky to live nearby.

Always enjoy our visits to Liv's; great atmosphere and always excellent food and attentive service. Very well-run restaurant. Nice wine list, good bread (always a plus), we shared the empanadas for an app, and both had the pork chop schnitzel, which was enormous and very tasty. The chocolate bomb cake was, well, the bomb!

As always Livs is on point. We’ve yet to have a bad experience ad the restaurant with food, drinks, or staffing.

The fodd (superb) was even better than we remembered, both flavorful and creative. We had the warm mushroom salad, fried oyster tacos, and pasta with clams and sausage. We can highly recommend the hazelnut torte (with chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache, and hazelnut crust with a topping of salted hazelnuts).

One of my favorite places! Oysters from PEI to CT were fantastic. Meals were all delicious and our service was perfect. Thank you Liv’s.

This local gem never disappoints! Superior food, exceptional service and outstanding value for money!!

Very good as always though I didn’t really enjoy Liv’s pasta. Not the same as it used to be.

Great table, excellent staff, awesome apps, dinner and a fantastic wine (very reasonably priced). We will be back soon!!!!

We’re house hunting in the area and came to Liv’s from the Open Table reviews. Great, great, great. Our clams were super fresh, not unreasonably priced, our server (I wish I could recall his name) was the type of employee I wish I could find for my law firm - professional, engaging, patient with my indecision over my drink and entree selection…. If the house I buy is 20 miles away, I’ll still be a regular at this place. 🥰

We had an excellent experience. everyone was welcoming. Great choices on the menu, the food was brought promptly, well prepared, wait staff was attentive. Had the Mystic oysters for appetizer, they were amazing. We will be back again !

The food and service is always amazing at Livs. I’m never disappointed when I dine at this restaurant.

Always an excellent experience. Great food, great service ,great atmosphere. Try the mushroom bisque, to die for!

The burger and truffle fries were delicious. We split the crab cake appetizer which was also very good. Server was very attentive.