Popular Restaurant With Wood-Fired Pizza And Italian-Inspired Fare To Open Soon In Guilford

GUILFORD, CT — At long last, Char & Lemon is ready to hold its grand opening in Guilford.

According to an Instagram comment on a post about soft opening, Char & Lemon said they will have a grand opening event on Oct. 28.

The restaurant is located at 2 Water St., inside the former site of Amarone, an Italian restaurant that closed in recent years, as well as the day spa that was at the corner of Water Street and Whitfield Street.

The restaurant, which first opened in 2019 at Oxford's Quarry Walk development, is "a bright and contemporary pizzeria serving a modern twist on Neapolitan-style red and white pies, homemade pastas & Italian-influenced entrees," the restaurant's website says.

"Char & Lemon is a love story of flavor. Two opposites coming together in perfect harmony. Deep, complex smokiness from perfectly charred pizza crust is artfully balanced with the bright, freshness of lemon. And it’s that bold, delicious contrast of flavor that inspired the rest of our menu."

The Guilford menu features a variety of specials, salads, pasta, and larger plates. There is a brunch menu, as well as lunch panini offerings, as well as a selection of desserts.

The drink menu has an extensive list of beer, wine, and craft cocktails.

Starters range from arancini, or fried rice balls, to slow braised meatballs, eggplant plarm fries, and crispy Brussels sprouts with truffle parmesan, to name a few.

Pasta dishes include the Bucatine Limone with mascarpone, basil and bread crumbs, the short rib gnocchi, seafood pasta, and pesto cavatelli, and more.

Larger plates range from pan seared salmon and chicken piccata, to crispy chicken milanese and chicken parmesan.

The wood-fired pizza comes in 13-inch personal pies made with 100 percent organic wheat flour, and fresh mozzarella that's made in-house. Gluten free pizza is also available.

There are a variety of red and white pizzas to choose from, and the ability to make your own pie from a list of toppings.

The Hey Meatball is a red margherita pizza topped with ricotta and meatballs. The Buratta One has San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, burrata, Prosciutto Di Parma, and hot honey.

There is a street corn pizza, which has grilled corn, chorizo, shallots, jalapeños, fresh mozzarella, and cilantro lime crema.

The Lemon Chicken Pizza has grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, sweet ricotta, garlic, arugula, and lemon sauce.

Comments on the restaurant's Instagram and Facebook pages have routinely asked when the eatery will open. Char & Lemon first announced a Guilford location in September 2024.

Following the announcement, First Selectman Matt Hoey told Patch the addition of Char & Lemon to the downtown Guilford area is a plus for the town.

"The downtown area has become restaurant central over the last few years, and it continues to draw people into the downtown area which benefits the other merchants," Hoey said at the time. "With Amarone going out of business, it left a hole in a very highly visible place. To see another restaurant come back into that facility is really exciting, and we look forward to them coming here... It just adds another element of choice for folks who are looking to dine out in the downtown Guilford area."

For more opening information and details, be sure to follow Char & Lemon on Instagram and Facebook, and check out their website.