Phase Two: The Haven Opens Rooftop Restaurant + Bar in Norwalk

In February, we brought you a piece highlighting The Haven and all its different components; the event space, the speakeasy, and two others that were on the way in a wellness forward cafe and the rooftop.

Well, folks, the latter is here, and if you missed the rooftop that was formerly part of Evarito’s, it’s back, and it’s totally reimagined.

Getting the roof renovated and to the vision they had took a while.

“We’ve had some long weeks,” Burns says. “The speakeasy hit hard when we opened, so the rooftop opening felt like it came up fast. We’re fortunate that we have a damn good staff. We have good people downstairs and now some of them are up here. The rooftop cranked after day one.”

Vibes + views. You can see South Norwalk from all sides with Veterans Park and Long Island Sound in the distance.

Urban oasis as far as the eyes can see.

Co-owner Christian Burns, who, as you know was behind Evarito’s and The Pompano in the same space as The Haven, and his partners, Joe and Aldo Criscuolo, saw a new vision for the roof that got launched just in time the summer season and beyond.

“The whole idea was to create a new experience up here so it wouldn’t be the same as before,” Burns says. “Joe, Aldo, and myself designed it, each making contributions to both this and to the speakeasy. We all brought something to the table as to what we could do to soften things up with different furniture, cushions, pillows, and adding some color. It’s more modern, mainstream. Bringing in the TVs around the bar.”

You’re not having flashbacks! Some drinks are callbacks to Burns’ previous concept, also with a rooftop, Evarito’s. In view is the Evarito’s Margarita w/El Jimador Blanco, Combier, fresh lime juice, and agave. Get it salted, unsalted, or with Tajin.

Also familiar is Evarito’s guac.

Grapefruit Spritz

Another former Evarito’s fan fave—Summer Breeze

Those who had been up there years ago will notice all of that, but…

There’s now a “roof over the roof” with skylights as part of the renovations that affords The Haven the opportunity to have guests up there when the weather chooses gloom and doom.

“We even have screens (that aren’t up yet) around the bar area in case it’s windy, and heaters and two or three fire pits so we can extend it as long as we possibly can,” Burns says.

It’s a rooftop. It’s New England. Anticipate a bunch of seafood, like Rhode Island fried calamari, marinated in buttermilk, dredged and fried.

Firecracker rock shrimp w/sriracha maggi mayo

They also went a little bigger with the menu, taking what they learned from the limitations they had in the past with Evarito’s, and added more kitchen space and equipment so they’d have the ability to serve small plates, salads, and now entrées.

In the kitchen, oops, kitchens, as in every kitchen in every aspect of The Haven, is Jacob Raitt, formerly of Music & Industry, Black Rock Social House, The Chelsea, and The Cask Republic. His menu on the roof is equal parts fresh with four salads and a watermelon-tomatillo gazpacho and part New England seafood shack, but you’ll encounter a handful of the fare from the speakeasy like steak frites, a double wagyu burger, salmon tartare atop crispy rice, and arancini.

Fried chicken thighs with crème fraiche and umibudo. What’s umibudo? It looks like caviar, but it’s actually edible green seaweed that provides a burst of brininess.

Duck fat confit chicken wings are juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside. Garlic-parm or buffalo? Take your pick.

But there are some callbacks to the past, too. A butter drenched lobster roll, chocked full of tender knuckle, claw, and tail meat is a clear ode to The Pompano, as are a few of many seafood dishes, and the vibrant, chunky guac is the same as it was back in the day at Evarito’s.

At the rooftop’s bar, one should expect to knock back cocktails that are light or as Burns says of both the drinks and the food, “we tried to bring in things that are summery and rooftop-esque.”

“Three of the cocktails are batched—there’s lots of consistency in batching—and everything else is made to order,” he says. “So far people are drinking lots of espresso martinis on the roof, like they’re flying out, and we can’t make them fast enough. And every bar should be able to make a great margarita.”

And that margarita, like the guac, is the one (or several) that you had at Evarito’s.

A lobster roll that might instantly make your own personal “BEST OF.” Butter braised lobster packed into a butter toasted brioche bun.

Available in the speakeasy, too, is the burger—double American wagyu patties, New School American Cheese, caramelized onions, applewood smoked bacon, house sauce.

Tempura battered cod, fries, sundried tomato remoulade

A few others on their drink list are a grapefruit spritz (Ketel One Botanical Grapefruit & Rose, violet liqueur, thyme syrup, lime), another Evarito’s favorite in the Summer Breeze (Blue Chair Bay Banana Rum, passion fruit, pineapple, lemon, club soda), and the dangerously smooth Pink Panther Sangria, a blend of rosé, Riesling, coconut rum, orange vodka, Campari, lemon juice, fresh kiwi, strawberry, and cantaloupe.

Because The Haven is being unveiled in stages and with a lot of thought, more is on the way.

On the roof they’ve already hosted the NBA Finals and the World Cup, evening DJs, and soon, look out for wellness events like Pilates and yoga.

There are house made desserts on the roof like this basque cheesecake. Desserts, according to Burns, will evolve and interchange frequently.

Tres leches

“We’re rolling out a kid’s menu soon,” Burns says. “It’s not a place where we want families to ever feel excluded because it’s a rooftop. If you see a DJ event on social media, yeah, but that’s at 10 o’clock at night. It’s super family friendly. Brunch is coming at some point and we’re thinking of doing an earlier brunch that couples with our cafe concept.”

But if the speakeasy and rooftop are open now, and a cafe should soon follow, there can’t be anything else coming, right?

It’s super under wraps, but Burns let it slip that he has a plan to do something “fun” and “three days per week on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday” in the downstairs dining room event space.

Hmm…

14 N Main Street, Norwalk
203.286.7684, thehavensono.com
Instagram @thehavenct