Terrain Cafe In Westport Opens New Bar & Exclusive Bar Menu

Stephanie Webster August 13, 2023

One of the most visually eye-candy-esque restaurants in CT, Terrain Cafe, has recently added a new bar to their ever-expanding dining space. For years, guests haven’t been able to get enough of this local seasonal menu under the helm of Chef Jes Bengston, and tables can often be tricky to score. But now, you don’t need a reservation to grab a seat at Terrain. Simply sidle up to their new walk-ins only bar (always my favorite seat in the house), and enjoy their brand new dedicated bar menu, created exclusively for those 13 seats. Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to order the full Terrain Café menu from your bar stool, but wait till you see what else only you can enjoy.

Let’s start with the bar itself. Just like everything else at Terrain, it’s sexy rustic chic. The thick white marble slab counter is bright and elegant by day, and vibey by night as the lights dim and those happy hour feels set in.

“The BAR MENU was created to allow diners to explore elevated quick easy bites, and every one of the seven items is finger-food,” says Chef Jes.

The menu highlight for me, was the re-emergence of one of Chef’s fan favorites, the Crispy Chickpeas with sumac spice & kale chips. These crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside seasoned chickpeas were getting so many requests, they simply had to make a comeback. They are also the definition of a perfect bar snack.

Other items include 2-bite sized Tuna Tartare Tacos with yellowtail, cilantro crema, chile crisp and corn tortillas as well as Thai-style Chicken Wings with bird chile gastrique. The Corn & Scallion Fritters come with 4 in a serving and are freakin delicious especially when dipped in their accompanying tajin, lime cilantro crema, and somehow Bengston manages to create a decadent but still healthy Steamed Broccoli with arare and jalapeño aioli. There is also a Crab Bruschetta and Boursin dish that accompany a cocktail or glass of wine oh-so-nicely. The new menu “allows us be more playful,” says Bengston, and it will change seasonally just like the main menu.

“The bar was created to capture the after work happy hour crowd as well as anyone looking for a beautiful spot to grab a snack and a drink.” “Terrain’s cocktail program follows same ethos as the food menu,” says Bengtson.

Cocktails are presented with an artist’s flair mimicking the beauty of the surrounding spaces and foliage, as seen in the Orange Blossom Martini, Spicy Pineapple Margarita, or Strawberry Mint Mojito.

Happy Hour is new as well. The new bar area will be go into full happy hour mode Mondays-Fridays from 4-6PM with $2 off appetizers (and this menu is already VERY reasonably priced), $8 select cocktails, $5 draft beer, and $10 select wines. Beer will always be local with brands including NEBCO and Two Roads at launch, and will change up seasonally alongside the menu.

“The bar program gives my team a chance to be a little more adventurous and try out some fun new dishes …Some of these dishes would never make it onto the main menu but they are really perfect for bar snacks,” say Bengston.

We like it when chefs are allowed to play and take chances with their menus. This is a win for Fairfield County.

Note: For those of us who used to swing by Terrain for their coffee on the daily, the full coffee program is still in effect. It is just no longer the visual focus of the cafe area. You can still score one of these tasty Turmeric Lattes. No prob.