New Haven, CTMediterranean

A Mediterranean brasserie in the Taft Building from executive chef Vincent Chirico. CTbites describes a menu built in three moods: fresh, indulgent, and decadent. Order the hamachi tartare tower and the yellowfin tuna finished tableside with brown butter. The room leans polished and the cooking pulls from across the Mediterranean rather than one country, which is what separates it from the Greek and Turkish rooms elsewhere on this list.

Turkish cooking on Crown Street from the Donmez family, in the former Istanbul Cafe space. The New Haven Independent calls it modern Mediterranean alongside traditional Ottoman dishes. Order the hunkar begendi, the 'sultan's delight,' fire-smoked eggplant folded into a cream sauce under braised meat. The kitchen runs late, to 11 p.m. most nights and midnight on Saturdays, so it doubles as a sit-down option after the downtown theaters and bars.

Modern Greek from owner Peter Vouras, now at 2323 Whitney Avenue in Hamden, a short drive up from downtown. CTbites points to the souvlaki and the gyro pita with tzatziki, plus a bright avgolemono soup, the lemon-and-egg chicken broth. It is a straightforward counter-Greek spot built for the pita-and-skewer order. Note that the earlier New Haven storefront has closed; the Hamden location is the one still going.

RAWA cooks eastern Mediterranean food in Westville, with lambajeen pizza singled out by a local critic for its ground lamb, onion, tomato, cilantro, parsley and spices. The kitchen also serves dips, kebabs and other pita pizzas, so a table can start with mezze before the main course. Order the lambajeen for a dish that connects the room's pizza oven to its Mediterranean menu.

This West Haven kitchen brings Syrian and broader Levantine dishes to the Post Road. A reported visit found a fattoush of fresh vegetables and fried pita in sumac dressing, plus a sampler of hummus, eggplant dips and muhammara. The falafel pizza brought crisp falafel, vegetables, mint, tahini and lemon together on a warm crust. Order the falafel pizza with hummus and mutabal to share.