Kingston 1686 House, Kingston

The staff was very accomadating for our son and daughter-in-law's surprise anniversary dinner. Our grandaughter brought gifts and floral arrangements early to decorate the room and with the help of the hostesses their private dining room was ready for their 7:30pm arrival. My son and daughter-in-law said the food was delicious and their waitress was very attentive to their needs. They also said the harp music was absolutely beautiful. Definitely look forward to many more visits to the Kingston House. Thank you, Marlene, Marie and Michelle!!!! Without you the night would not have been a surprise!!!!!!!!!

I love this place.First off,the house is a really old colonial. Its haunted,so I went hoping to see a ghost. i didnt but its cool anyway.They have a huge wine cellar which you can purchase wines by the bottle. The service is excellent,and as long as they have the music playing,the ambiance is nice.(Last time I went, there was no music,and the people seated near us in this small room could hear our conversation,and vice versa,which makes me a little uneasy). Its pricey, but its an upscale place.The food is great,and I love the ginger martini!

Unfortunately, this restaurant changed ownership and the new owners, although they are striving, are not up to par with the original quality the former owners worked hard to achieve. We met some folks there tonight and they had plaistic buckets all over the place to catch all of hte leaking water. The interior needs a very thorough cleaning as there is dust clinging to all of the debris they have just layig around(old christmas decorations, knick knacks, etc.). The food is ok, but it in no way compares to the quality of the original 1686 house. Also, because there have been additions, you are no longer actually eating in the original old house with all of that character, but instead, are eating in a room built on a slab that is musty and is in great need an update. It is so sad that a place that at one time had earned a five star rating for the excellence in food and service, is down to like a two star. The wait staff used to wear little old colonial dresses and serve you from baskets. Now the hostesses are greeting you in average daywear, which speaks volumes about what you can expect elsewhere in the place. Kingston House, you can do better, and you ought to try to. You have a good starting place.

This is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere and I travel the world eating out 150nights a year. I first came to the Kingston 1686 house in 1993. It has been a find ever since. First my wife and I and now with our 2 kids. We live in CT and drive up for dinner 3-4 times a year usually for 2 straight nights. We stay in a local hotel as I like to enjoy the wine list as its a big book. Their food is wonderful and I have trouble choosing my entree because I love the same 4-5 things, so I always go back to them. In my 100+ visits the food has always been excellent. I want to try their pub menu but I cant get away from my great 4-5 entrees. Its a must try. I have also introduced many friends from all over the country to the 1686 house. See you July 14&15 and looking forward to the rack of lamb that I can never finish but tastes great when I get home.

My Date and I went to 1686 House for my Birthday. I moved back to the Area after being away for 28 yrs, My Date and I were very pleased with the Meals ,Baked Stuffed Hadock was Excellant and My Date had the VeinerSnitchzel which he said was Great! The Server was a seemd a bit Inexperienced but had a smile and checked on us too many times considering we had a Private Table. LOL All in All I am looking forward to going back .I did Enjoy it very much.

So overpriced - so not good! Plates ranged from $19-$34. I just ate there a couple of nights ago to celebrate someones wedding anniversary. There was about 27 of us. The staff was nice, but seemed frazzled and disorganized. There were only 2 waitstaff to our 27 people. To start I was asked if I wanted a drink and had my ID checked. The waitress then left the room without taking my order. A 1/2 hour passed before I was finally asked what I wanted. The apps were alright. Nothing fantastic tasting by any means. A couple of people at my table got the chowder and couldn't eat it because it was very bland and tasted like flour. We passed the bowl around so everyone could taste how yucky it was. I ordered the salmon and then was later told it was sold out, so I went with the Aoili chicken. It was so gross! It was obviously the same flattened chicken breast they use for the chicken parm. Some other people in our group got the chicken parm and thought that was gross too. My chicken came out on a plate by itself, and looked more like a frisbee than it did chicken. It was very greasy and oily. I couldn't get myself to eat much of it. Really - $19 for a 1/2 chicken breast, a baked potatoe and a dinky, tiny little salad - please. My stomach has been a mess for the 2 days since i've eaten there. Now while I am no Gordon Ramsey(Kitchen Nightmares), I can tell you this place needs a major food overhaul. If they are going to charge that much for it, it should come out looking and tasting fabulous and fresh. I was so dissapointed. It is a charming building, but the food falls flat.