I’ve passed Laetus dozens of times while driving downtown. It looks nice enough, with the outward vibe of a club or exquisite cocktail lounge. The restaurant advertises Asian fusion cuisine, leaning heavily toward Vietnamese.
I decided it was time to give it a go after a recent networking event downtown. On approach, music gradually shifted from loud R&B from the apartments above to the odd choice of rockabilly from restaurant speakers. Not the new rockabilly cool kids listen to today, but the “grease your hair, go to the diner for a malted” kind of stuff that once blared from jukebox 45s across middle America.
Stepping into the dimly lit lounge of charmingly conflicting vibes, the smell of pho filled the air, that ubiquitous Vietnamese soup full of flavor. A woman behind the bar beckoned me in. I ponied up to the bar for a drink while waiting for my fiancé.
The cocktail list of mostly margaritas and martinis ($9 each) all sounded good, though slightly out of my brown liquor comfort zone. I ordered a Green Tea Martini (Absolut Citron, Grand Marnier, and green tea) for something a little less sweet. While the server prepared the drink, I took stock of the room. It was beautiful, with a wall of exposed brick, dark wood furniture and low mood lighting.
This Wednesday night, only five other people wandered in during our stay. An older woman behind a computer at the end of the bar, clearly the business matriarch, gave a friendly smile and wave when our eyes met. This was a nice place with nice people; where were the patrons?
My fiancé arrived and ordered a French Flirtini (vodka, Chambord, St. Germain, sparkling wine and pineapple juice). While my martini was lighter, the Flirtini packed a delicious punch.
We ordered a slew of dishes off the small plates menu. First was the Tempura Bacon ($7) — yes, strips of everyone’s favorite pork product breaded and tempura fried. There’s not much more that can be said about it: The strips were as tasty as you’d imagine, and then some.
Next came our pan-Asian trio of items: Shumai, a steamer full of Japanese shrimp dumplings, is served with sweetened soy sauce ($6). Another basket carried an order of delicious Chinese pork steamed buns ($6), followed by a Bahn Mi Vietnamese sandwich ($7). The bahn mi was particularly good, layering a flavorful pate in with the roast pork, something that is often missing from the dish.
After finishing, we chatted with the server/bartender and matriarch, both members of the owner’s family. Laetus has been around for more than a year, and the owners have put in significant renovations to the space. They love the idea of being right in downtown, but there are times business could be better.
With incredibly friendly owners and surprisingly good food, this Hartford cheerleader hopes things pick up soon.
Laetus Restaurant and Lounge, 253 Asylum St., Hartford, is open Sunday through Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.; and Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Information: 860-216-1964 and laetuslounge.com.
