Pip’s At the Copper Beech Inn

mEh ~ is my final take
Some people enjoy the traditional town of Essex, and the idea of going someplace really «fancy,» more than the actual food in mouth. If that’s your jam, you may have a stellar experience here.
+ Lovely Décor: not my thing but I know a lot of people really enjoy going to a beautiful place, that can be part of a special night out, and so I am giving a star simply for the care and attention to appearance. The grounds are lovely and well tended. Lots of charming paths and holiday lights. Inside traditional New England décor, impressionist paintings of ships and gardens, and, my favorite was darling bird wallpaper in the restrooms.
+ great prices on happy hour wine and with no straight Pinot Noir available I tried a South American Pinot blend recommended by the waiter and it was very tasty smooth and rich. Generally friendly crowd at the bar, even though people looked kind of square it was a friendly upbeat atmosphere.
— food was bland and uninspired. As in previous reviews of establishments in this area I blame the local WASP factor… Generally the WASP factor means the food will be small, because calories are saved for booze, the food will be bland, because spice is gauche, the food will be safe because creativity is tacky, and prices will be high because what fun is eating if it’s not done as a show of wealth and power? WASP factor was in full effect here. Lobster bisque was thin and bland. Chocolate mousse cake scratched the chocolate itch for sure, but was a very tiny piece quite pricey for the quality: Not too fresh and really uninspired. You know the type of mousse that’s stiff from refrigeration, put on a plate and made to appear «fresh» with a squirt of whipped cream, a berry, and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. Maybe I’m being too harsh, but, Restaurant L&E does an incredible fresh basic Mousse for a similar price point, and makes Copper Beech’s Mouse Cake seem lazy.
–service was snooty and erased most of the good parts of my experience up to that point in my visit. After the initial good recommendation on wine it was downhill. Slightly condescending, ignoring our repeated signals just long enough to make a point but not soooo long as to make us complain to anyone. Every slight of his subtle enough to never provide actual evidence of rudeness, but conveying disdain and irritation all the same. Sorry, I’m not a sub who enjoys paying to be treated badly, nor am I one of those suckers whom studies have shown spend more money in fancy establishments, the more rudely they are treated. Of course we tipped and now I regret it, and feel like a fool for rewarding this type of subtle social snobbery.
Went to Bee and Thistle a few evenings after this and the contrast was astounding! Fine service with no snobbery, creative enthusiastic food, and lovely classic décor and grounds.

My husband and I stayed at the Inn for a weekend while in town to see our son perform at the Ivoryton Playhouse. We had two dinners and two breakfasts and every meal was fantastic! We sat inside for dinner where a jazz trio played in the bar adding a wonderful ambiance, besides the beautiful décor! The menu was full of wonderful choices and everything we ordered was delicious. Prices were correct for all the reasons I’ve mentioned. Our server/​Innkeeper Peter Pajor was lovely and very friendly. He was back in the morning to serve breakfast, and never missed a beat! I highly recommend this restaraunt and Inn and cannot wait to go back!

Sometimes — rarely — a dinner is not just an eating occasion but a transcendent experience. This was the case last night — a Sunday evening of warm sweet summer air, when my sister, niece and I wished to dine al fresco in a place of serenity. We were ushered onto the outdoor deck of Pip’s at Copper Beech Inn, where we had a lovely view of dancing water in a little pool that was framed by hydrangeas. As the sun set, the large white blossoms reflected the gentle beams of light from the porch. We drank in the loveliness of Copper Beech’s «back yard» of woodland perfection. That was just the setting!
The service, mostly by attentive, cheerful, intelligent Stephanie (but also by other wonderful staff) was way beyond competent — it was in fact spectacular. Sometimes it’s the small things: I did not have to repeat my request for «wedges, NOT slices» of lemon, and after my sparkling water had been poured, the bottle rested not on our beautifully appointed table but in a nearby bucket of ice, so that when my glass was replenished (always promptly!), the liquid was always icy cold on this hot summer night. My sister enjoyed her cabernet sauvignon and my niece her cranberry juice on ice. (Her flatware was promptly replaced, even after she idly played with it!) Our hostess waited until I had finished the story I was relating to my sister, before greeting us with «Welcome! I hope you enjoy your dinner with us.» And even though we presented that common challenge to waitstaff, where the patrons endeavor to create a meal out of appetizers, the order and timing of the delivery of these items to our table was perfect. The sensitivity and knowledge of the wait staff were outstanding — an important but oft-​overlooked element that affects the overall impression one has of any restaurant.
The food offerings likewise delighted and did not disappoint, from the amazing appetizers — grilled watermelon and sautéed squash blossoms and an heirloom tomato plate and crab cakes and the lox — ALL exquisite in presentation and taste — to the goat-​cheese/​beet ravioli and all the way through the sticky toffee pudding (which achieved a sublime balance, satisfying the cravings of an inveterate dessert maven — moi — while NOT committing the sin of too much heaviness). The sauces were truly sublime, which for us resulted in a) gratitude that our bread — not at all starchy, but with a nice crisp crust — was replenished whenever we asked. We needed that bread to sop up every last drop of the delectable sauces! and b) a wager between us as to whether the chef was American or French. We were interested to learn he is from Mexico.
I have recently experienced other fine dining in this area of New England: Café Routier, Bee & Thistle, Rustica, River Tavern, Liv’s, Fresh Salt and others. They are all good, in fact quite excellent. I have no hidden agenda, and no one is offering a favor for me to say this: At present, Pip’s at Copper Beech excels beyond ALL these other establishments. Elsewhere, I’ve had minor complaints: way-​too-​slow service, «deafness» of waiter when I’ve asked for wedges, NOT slices of lemon, or NOISY ambience, or atmosphere that’s too «busy» and distracting, or menu offerings that are too exotic or limited. I usually give a place a starting score of «10» and subtract fractions of points as the evening proceeds. Pip’s started with a «10» and still was a «10» as we made our exit. I now ask myself why I would go anywhere else, especially when I’m trying to impress my guests that I know «what’s what» when it comes to dining establishments in southeastern Connecticut.
I write this hoping to share JOY with any other prospective diners at Copper Beech. You are guaranteed a glorious dining experience you’ll not soon forget.

Rumors swirled around the Shoreline when we heard Chef Tyler Anderson was leaving Pip’s to open his own place in Simsbury. Was the dining room done for? Who could possibly replace Tyler? Devotees of this Ivoryton bistro will be thrilled to learn that they’ve retained Noël Jones (ex from On 20 in Hartford) and launched a new menu to a roomful of happy diners.
I’ll have to head to Simsbury for Tyler’s famous «fried» chicken, but drooled over Noël’s pan-​seared Alaskan salmon on a bed of black forbidden rice, strewn with bright Brussels sprouts leaves and parsnip purée. The menu is fish-​centric and thoughtful and not so much of a departure to confuse Pip’s regulars.

we flew across the country to attend a family wedding in Connecticut. We hard no idea O’Daffer what to expect. As we walked thru the front door we were greeted with a warm smile and pleasant comfortable surroundings. The wedding was held in early February; so the country side was covered in snow. The first dinner was in the bar which had a comforting fireplace and interesting art. I ordered blackened cod, my wife ordered calamari. The cod was fresh from the ocean and was remarkable in taste. Jan’s calamari was fantastic.
The Copper Beech was a perfect setting for the wedding. relaxing, comfortable and tasteful. This is an exceptional place.
Cheerfully, John

One of the best meals I’ve ever had! Exceptional service, personalized tasting menu and great drinks!

Had a lovely romantic dinner here the Saturday evening of Memorial Day weekend 2014. The food was surprisingly good for a country inn. Usually country inns I find have overly complicated food that underwhelms the palette.
I had a salad with duck and nuts to start and beef short ribs as a second course, both of which were delicious. The short rib dish was large enough that I saved much of it for lunch the next day. The sauce was very tasty. My girlfriend enjoyed her fish meal too and was able to save much of if for lunch as well. The desserts we devoured them that night.
The service was very gracious and the ambiance warm and inviting. We sat at a nice table for four and sat on the same side so we could be next to each other. It was an overall experience that exceeded our expectations.
Brunch the next morning on the porch was also very nice. We had the same waiter incidentally for both meals. We both look forward to returning the next time we stay in the Essex area.

Our evening at the Copper Inn was outstanding! My wife and I were staying at the inn and were given an incentive to also eat there. I read some of the reviews and was apprehensive. The drinks were by no means cheap but were at least generous. The appetizer, squash blossoms, was crispy and savory! I had the wedge salad which was refreshing and light yet satisfying with tasty bacon lardons. I chose what I thought would be a safe entre, steak frites, and was rewarded with a not overly large NY strip but one of the tastiest steaks I’ve had in over a year. The overwhelming table favorite was the fries that came with it! My wife had a fish entre which I judged to be superb. My sister in law had the schnitzel. This was absolutely fabulous… How it could be so creamy and crunchy was spectacular… I will surely order that the next time!
And the deserts… we shared two amongst our table of four. Do not shout them down… you will be amazed!
Sorry I couldn’t be more critical… 5 stars is my assessment.

The food was great with good service. The two rating was because the music played was a techno beat in a genteel colonial inn. We asked if it
could be more muted and it was changed to a quiet jazz. As we were near the end of dinner the bartender said (in our hearing) «they will be leaving soon and returned to the techno. Then she promptly started to jump with the beat. We were there for at least 20 – 25 minutes more. When one spends over $ 160 for dinner it would seem the customers preference would supersede the staff.
They also need to update the website as the menu was not even close to the actual menu.

After reading great reviews of the restaurant at The Copper Beach Inn, and listed in Connecticut Magazine as a Most Romantic Restaurant 2013, I was expecting great things for me and my wife’s Valentines Day dinner 2014.
Alas, that was not the case. We were seated at the bar even though i had made a reservation. The service was terribly slow, it took over 45 minutes for the entrée to arrive. The food was lackluster, I love goat cheese and filet mignon, their special menu featured this. What I received was a non seasoned clearly just frozen filet injected with a small portion of uninspiring goat cheese.
After post mortem review it seems the original chef has moved on to start a new restaurant in Simsbury, with an inspiring looking menu. Losing this chef has clearly hurt this establishment.
The restaurant at Copper Beach Inn is a beautiful setting marred by very bland overpriced cooking and slow service. It definitely has the foundations of a great eatery but I would never recommend this place to anyone.

Absolutely lovely from beginning to end. We sat at the bar recently and enjoyed a delicious meal from the pub menu. Great atmosphere — an actual adult, sophisticated, elegant bar in our area! Yay! Service was very good and I enjoyed a perfectly cooked steak with addictive (and salted just right) French fries (steak frites).
We will be back to try the dinner menu for sure.

If I could slap someone to show how good this place is, I’d get arrested every day. I took my friend here for his birthday because I saw it was rated well, and it lived up to the reputation.
French décor all around and classy but comfortable feel. Waiting staff was attentive and easy to deal with, the noise level was perfect and the ambiance was top notch. Now, for the food.
My friend and I are foodies. Big foodies. So I’ll go in order of what we ate:
1. Appetizer of duck fat frites. Incredible. Not too salty, but the flavor was soooo good.
2. Appetizer of burgundy snails, sans shells. That made it that much better! Came in a green garlic butter and hen of the woods mushrooms sauce which was out of this world. The snails were delicious and cooked perfectly. Not soft, but not hard. Think of al dente pasta and that was the consistency.
3. Appetizer of pappardelle. Braised duck with fava beans, black olives, rosemary and pecorino. This was the highlight of the appetizers. It was so fatty and delicious and melted in your mouth. Flavor — wonderful.
We then asked them to cut the cheeseburger into ¼’s and serve it as an appetizer, which they happily obliged!
Cheeseburger — By far, the BEST burger I have EVER had. EVER! And I’ve had them all! This was cooked just… perfectly. The flavor blew my mind across the room. Whatever the special sauce was went perfectly and my god. This cook knows what he’s doing! I was blown away at how someone could perfect a burger and make it seem like it was the best meal you could have — but this guy did it!
For Dinner:
I had the Salmon, and my friend had the duo of beef.
Salmon was melt in your mouth delicious and went perfectly with the asparagus and veal blanquette. Delicious meal, healthy (large) portion, and I couldn’t have been more pleased with it!
Duo of Beef — NY Strip and Shortrib — My friend loved it and they were both so savory! It came with tempura shallot rings, scallions, pickled plums and little circlets of spinach. Everything blended together fabulously.
All in all, the meal was absolutely one of, if not the, best meal I’ve ever had and my friend said it was the best birthday dinner he’s ever had in his life!
The chef is opening a restaurant called Millwright down the street from my where I work in Simsbury on July 25, and I will be there opening night to taste whatever incredible selections he has then!

eh.

I’ve stayed at The Copper Beech Inn and eaten at Brasserie Pip a number of times now and I keep coming back. The food is simply outstanding and I would go so far as to say some of the best I’ve ever eaten which is a surprise for a small country inn tucked away in Connecticut. The portions are small (quality over quantity) but immensely satisfying. If you are a food connoisseur or foodie, you’ll definitely want to check it out. I’m usually a steak frites guy and their NY strip with duck fat frites is delicious, but each time I’ve gone back I’ve tried something new only to be wowed with the amazing combinations of flavors. The oyster and lobster chowder, butter poached lobster and roast chicken come to mind. Actually, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten a roast chicken that taste so good before.
The bottom line is if you are looking for an amazing meal, go to Pip’s.

There was palpable regret when we learned this past spring that Tyler Anderson was leaving to start a new place up in Simsbury. Pip has been among our favorites in the area for a long time and I feared the the turnover would result in a decline.
I was heartened to learn that after the transition, they had the good sense to make Noël Jones from Hartford’s On20 (a place I had longed to try but could never quite make it to) a partner.
Sensitive to the existing personality of the restaurant, Chef Jones’ approach seems to center on subtle change rather than reinvention while meeting — if not exceeding — the level of excellence established by his predecessor. Pip’s French staples remain on the menu with a few new additions and seasonal adjustments. Service remains excellent.