Nestled along the scenic Pootatuck River in Sandy Hook Center is a hidden gem — a refined dining experience awaiting you. Located at 6 Washington Avenue and just south of the intersection of Church Hill Road, Glen Road, and Riverside Road, Nouveau Monde has transformed itself over its five-year existence into a destination for new American cuisine in a cozy, stylish, and relaxed atmosphere.

Known widely in town as “The Wine Bar,” Nouveau Monde is a full-service restaurant that has evolved with seasonally inspired dishes incorporating flavors of global influences, and focusing on local ingredients, including farm fresh produce from Daffodil Hill Growers and Gilberties.

“During our mandatory closure last March due to the pandemic, we took the time to reimagine and rebuild our menu,” said Bill Towne, executive chef/owner. “We also brought in Adam Roytman, formerly of Bar Sugo in Norwalk, as executive sous chef to strengthen our kitchen team.”

The refreshed menu incorporates a sophisticated array of starters, sharables, and entrées, as well as a four-course prix fixe option — a great dinner value. The restaurant also serves an outstanding classic Sunday brunch, with freshly squeezed juices and New Orleans style beignets.

Nouveau Monde has one of the most extensive wine lists in Connecticut. With nearly 700 different selections, the wine list has been recognized by Wine Spectator magazine as Best of Award of Excellence. There are fewer than 1,400 restaurants in the world sharing this outstanding honor. Nouveau Monde has also been awarded Experts’ Pick for Best Wine Selection by Connecticut magazine. In addition to suggested wine pairing flights, Nouveau Monde also has a rotating selection of reserve wines, either mature or limited production, hard-to-find wines, that are served via the Coravin wine preservation system. This broadens guests’ options to try wines unavailable by the glass anywhere else locally. Select craft beers and a robust cocktail list rounds out Nouveau Monde’s beverage program, including the Negroni, the Aviation, maple Michter’s Old Fashioned, and the signature Dangerous Liaison.

Nouveau Monde features a variety of indoor and outdoor seating options (weather permitting). Also awarded Connecticut magazine’s Expert’s Pick for Best Outdoor Dining, Nouveau Monde has a covered porch at the main restaurant and patio seating overlooking the Pootatuck River in front of Antoinette’s, the standalone, early 20th Century-style barn. Antoinette’s has the feel of a speakeasy — secret saloons operated during the Prohibition era. True to the spirit of a speakeasy, Antoinette’s will be open on select Friday and Saturday evenings, with opening days announced on Nouveau Monde’s social media channels, serving wine, craft beer on tap, an extensive list of classic cocktails, and ultra-premium spirits.

Nouveau Monde is an elegant venue for special events. Whether hosting a shower, celebrating a rehearsal dinner or wedding reception, or hosting a business dinner, Nouveau Monde has event menus to fit your needs and budget. There are three separate event spaces that can be tailored to guests needs, including the main floor bar and dining area, upstairs private dining room with closed doors, and Antoinette’s. For larger groups, the main restaurant, or a whole venue buyout, as well as outdoor dining spaces, are available.

Keeping guests and employees safe is Nouveau Monde’s top priority. In addition to meeting all cleaning and safety procedures required by the state, the restaurant has installed HEPA circulating air filters in all indoor dining spaces. These specialized air filters are similar to those utilized in hospitals, filtering the air to trap particles as small as 0.3 microns and utilizing built-in UV-C lamps to sanitize the air.

A Sample of the Menu

For The Table: Nouveau Monde offers selections to start your meal, including house-made rosemary focaccia, selections of cheeses from Murray’s of New York, and specialty meats from purveyors such as Olympia Provisions in Portland, Oregon.

Small Plates: The seasonal menu features several hot and cold starters. The pear and pecan salad is a refreshing salad for cold weather, and the spiced lamb meatballs are a delicious gluten-free option, with tomato curry, Greek yogurt, sweet onion, and cilantro. The house-made New England clam chowder is a guest favorite. The lobster ravioli, made from scratch, is full of delicate lobster meat to delight the patrons.

Entrées: Similar to Small Plates, the menu changes seasonally based on availability of fresh local ingredients. For the winter season, a veal tomahawk chop is on the menu, a la parmigiana with house-made cacio e pepe. The winter squash ravioli adds depth with classic Italian prosciutto, topped with brown butter, sage, and toasted pine nuts. The prime filet au poivre arrives with green peppercorn cognac cream, truffle-parmesan smashed-fried potatoes, and baked sweet onions. Many dishes are gluten free or can be made gluten free.

Dessert: A variety of desserts includes the restaurant’s version of banoffee pie, which combines banana, amaretto whipped cream, and dulce de leche in an Oreo crust. Seasonal cheesecakes allow the pastry chef to experiment with different flavors, including tart lemon, maple pecan, and eggnog for the holidays. Add an after dinner drink, Sauternes, port, scotch, or whiskey to complete the meal.

Brunch: On Sundays until 2 pm, guests can enjoy a specialty menu of brunch options, including crab Benedict with lump crab cake, hollandaise, and home fries; the immensely popular corned beef hash; or the decadent chicken and waffles. Salads and other savory dishes are available as well. Nouveau Monde sources coffee from Shearwater Organic Coffee Roasters in Trumbull. The beans are roasted locally, and a custom blend is made specifically for the restaurant.

Full Bar: Nouveau Monde has a full bar of top-shelf spirits, including Michter’s, Whistle Pig, Kavalan Whiskey, and Jefferson’s Ocean. Liqueurs, digestifs, sherry, port, and Sauternes are a great way to round out the dining experience.

Nouveau Monde, 6 Washington Avenue in Sandy Hook Center, is open five days a week, closed on Monday and Tuesday. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 9 pm; Friday and Saturday, 4 to 10 pm; and Sunday, 11 am to 2 pm and 4 pm to 9 pm. Reservations can be made on the restaurant’s website or by calling 203-491-2723. For more information, visit nouveaumondesandyhook.com or search “NouveauMondeCT” on Facebook and Instagram.