• Located in Fairfield County, Bethel, Connecticut, is about 3 miles southeast of Danbury, Connecticut, and 44 miles northeast of the Bronx, New York. For tourists, the Bethel area is home to numerous attractions, such as Collis P. Huntington State Park, Danbury Railway Museum and the Military Museum of New England. Visitors to Bethel have numerous dining options to choose from, ranging from German taverns to upscale Italian restaurants.
  
  

Old Heidelberg Restaurant

• Established in April 2004, Old Heidelberg Restaurant specializes in German cuisine. The restaurant held "Zagat" dining guide ratings of "very good to excellent" for its food and "good to very good" for its decor and service. The dinner menu features schnitzels, pork shanks, wurst sausages, smoked pork chops (rippchen) and roast beef and pork. For dessert, try the Schwarzwaelder kirsch torte, a black forest cake filled with morello cherries and whipped cream. The restaurant serves numerous German beers and wines. Old Heidelberg Restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily. Hours change seasonally. Reservations are accepted only for groups of eight or more. Casual attire is appropriate. A children's menu is available for young diners. Outdoor dining is available in the restaurant's garden, weather permitting.
  
  Old Heidelberg Restaurant
  
  55 Stony Hill Road
  
  Bethel, CT 06801
  
  203-797-1860
  
  restaurantheidelberg.com
  
  

La Zingara Ristorante

• Founded in 2003, La Zingara Ristorante is an Italian restaurant located in P.T. Barnum Square, a section of the town that commemorates the founder of Barnum and Bailey Circus, whose family was from Bethel. As of August 2010, the restaurant held "Zagat" ratings of "very good to excellent" for its food, service and decor. Eight appetizers lead the menu, such as the Napoleone di Salmone, organic salmon cured on-site and layered with red onions, avocado and fresh tomatoes on crisp crackers and topped with black caviar and horseradish aioli. A featured pasta dish is the Pappardelle al Ragu D'Anatra, ribbon-shaped pasta tossed with braised duck, grapes and tarragon, all drizzled in truffle oil. The wine list features more than 90 selections, primarily from Italy. Reservations are highly recommended. Business casual attire is suggested.
  
  La Zingara Ristorante
  
  8 P.T. Barnum Square
  
  Bethel, CT 06801
  
  203-744-7500
  
  lazingararistorante.com
  
  

The Putnam House Restaurant & Tap Room

• The Putnam House Restaurant & Tap Room is inside a restored Victorian mansion built in 1852. The restaurant held "Zagat" guide ratings of "good to very good" for its food, decor and service. The restaurant is known for its hot wings, which come with celery, carrot sticks and blue cheese dressing. Entrees include steaks, crabcakes, lobster ravioli, barbecue ribs and a daily pot pie or puff pastry dish. The restaurant has a full bar. The Putnam House Restaurant & Tap Room is open for lunch Mondays through Saturdays, for brunch on Sundays and for dinner nightly. Reservations are suggested for parties of five or more. Business casual attire is available. Outdoor dining is available on the restaurant's patio. A children's menu is featured for young diners.
  
  The Putnam House Restaurant & Tap Room
  
  12 Depot Place
  
  Bethel, CT 06801
  
  203-791-1852
  
  theputnamhouse.com