River Street has a way of reinventing itself without losing the plot. At 9 River Street — the old Strega address — Sorrento Cafe & Wine Bar is painted in lemon yellow, cobalt blue, and white, with a lemon tree holding court in the dining room like it never got the memo that Milford is not, in fact, the Amalfi Coast.
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It’s pouring wine, firing pizza, and giving downtown an Italian table that feels more vacation postcard than generic red-sauce night. Owner Pasquale De Martino — the Bridgeport restaurateur behind Trattoria ‘A Vucchella & Wood Oven Pizza — opened Sorrento in early spring 2026; CT Post’s April 14 coverage said it had opened the month before, which puts the debut around March 2026. The room already looks like it belongs on the block.
Amalfi on River Street
Walk in and the branding does not whisper. Yellow script on blue stripes. Lemons in the mural, lemons in jars above the bar, lemons hanging in the centerpiece tree. Green velvet chairs, a yellow banquette, blue goblets catching the light — the whole place is working the coastal Italian mood hard, and it works.
Outdoor seating along River Street extends the night when the weather cooperates. Inside, the bar is its own destination: wine bottles stacked on the overhead rack, a pizza oven glowing in the back of the house, and that same blue-and-yellow palette running from placemat to stool stripe.
The restaurant’s own About page puts it plainly — Italian café charm with a modern dining twist, built for slow lunches, date nights, and the kind of evening where you order one more glass because the room makes leaving feel optional. Catering and private events are part of the pitch too, if you’re planning something bigger than Tuesday dinner.
The menu: pizza, pasta, and a few plates worth circling
Sorrento’s menu (and the dishes CT Post flagged when the place was new) lands in familiar Italian territory without reading like a copy-paste of every other downtown trattoria.
Pizza and panini cover the casual end — Margherita, pepperoni, prosciutto crudo, Mediterranea, funghi & salsiccia, vegetarian, sausage & broccoli rabe, plus panini built on the same flavor lanes. Pasta runs from Gnocchi Sorrentina and crab gnocchi to lasagna, ravioli alla Sorrentina, pappardelle Bolognese, mushroom-truffle pappardelle, spaghetti with clams, and cavatelli with broccoli and sausage. On the secondi side: braised pork cheek, chicken rollé stuffed with broccoli rabe, baked branzino, and chicken marsala. Pastas and secondi carry separate lunch and dinner prices.
Antipasti, soups, and salads fill out the front of the meal; tiramisu, lemon sorbet, and cheesecake close it. The wine list spans reds, whites, sparkling, and rosés, with cocktails and a full bar if you’re not in a bottle-of-Falerno mood.
Sorrento offered a special menu during Milford and West Haven Regional Restaurant Week (Sept. 25–Oct. 4, 2026). That promotion is over, so plan on the regular menu below.
What to order
Margherita pizza — $18
Mozzarella, tomato sauce, and basil on a leopard-spotted crust. It’s the simplest test of the oven and the easiest way into the menu.
Pappardelle alla Bolognese — $25 lunch / $30 dinner
Homemade wide ribbons in a Bolognese ragù, finished with shaved Parmigiano and basil.
Branzino al Forno — $30 lunch / $34 dinner
Baked branzino with zucchini, carrots, and cherry tomatoes. It’s the lighter main, and it suits the cobalt-glass, white-wine mood of the room.
Guancia di Maiale — $28 lunch / $34 dinner
Braised pork cheek over mashed potatoes. It’s one of the plates CT Post singled out at opening, and the cold-weather order on this menu.
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Who’s behind it
Pasquale De Martino (spell it carefully — press has occasionally shortened or reshuffled the name) owns Sorrento and also runs Trattoria ‘A Vucchella & Wood Oven Pizza in Bridgeport. Multiple profiles over the years place him as Sorrento-born, with a background that includes limoncello-making in Italy before the Bridgeport trattoria years. The Milford room is a natural extension of that Southern Italian lane — less “another Italian place downtown,” more “the Amalfi Coast cousin who finally got a River Street lease.”
What diners are saying
All-around amazing!!! I felt like I was actually in Sorrento Italy again. Fresh, uncompromisingly authentic Italian food!!!
— Christopher L., Google review
Amazing food. Great service. Cute atmosphere. And they have gluten free options. It was a great evening and a great addition to downtown Milford.
— Kelli H., Google review
The gnocchi was absolutely delicious and the service was great as well. I will definitely be coming back to try more dishes out.
— Michael W., Google review
Hours note (use the restaurant’s site)
There’s a real hours conflict in the public record. CT Post listed Tuesday–Thursday as 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. and Sunday until 8 p.m., and Sorrento’s Google listing still shows an 8 p.m. Sunday close. The restaurant’s own site — checked again Oct. 11, 2026 — says otherwise. Milford Voice is using the restaurant website hours (if you’re going late on a Sunday, call ahead):
- Sunday: 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday–Thursday: 4:00 p.m. – 9 p.m. (dinner-only midweek)
- Friday–Saturday: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
If you’re planning a weekday lunch Tuesday through Thursday, don’t. Midweek is an evening play.
Parking and the practical stuff
Street parking on River Street is the obvious move. The restaurant also points diners to the free public garage at 44 River Street — a short walk that saves you the downtown parking roulette. Reservations are available through the site; takeout is a phone call away at (203) 713-8003.
PLAN YOUR VISIT — SORRENTO CAFE & WINE BAR
Sorrento Cafe & Wine Bar
📍 9 River Street, Milford, CT 06460 (former Strega space)
📞 (203) 713-8003
✉️ info@sorrentodowntown.com
🌐 sorrentodowntown.com
🅿️ Street parking + free public garage at 44 River Street
Hours (per sorrentodowntown.com, checked Oct. 11, 2026):
Sun 11:30 a.m.–9 p.m. · Mon closed · Tue–Thu 4:00–9 p.m. · Fri–Sat 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m.
What to order: Margherita $18 · Pappardelle alla Bolognese $25 lunch / $30 dinner · Branzino al Forno $30 / $34 · Guancia di Maiale $28 / $34
Owner: Pasquale De Martino
Also owns: Trattoria ‘A Vucchella & Wood Oven Pizza, Bridgeport
Opened: March 2026
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Photos: courtesy of Sorrento Cafe & Wine Bar (sorrentodowntown.com).
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