New Mediterranean Bistro Joins Local Restaurant Scene

East Haven native Dominic Sgro has his private art studio right next door to the just-opened Bistro Mediterranean & Tapas Bar at 383 Main St. So, when the new owners decided the area by the parking lot entrance needed sprucing up, it wasn’t hard for them to find just the right man to paint a mural.

“The owners were opening on April 20, and they needed something immediately,” Sgro said. “I don’t normally do murals, but this fit into my schedule. I spent about two hours on it, working for 15 or 20 minutes at a time over a period of five days.”

The mural features a seascape of a Mediterranean village surrounding a sunny ocean, overlooked by a dining terrace. The team who owns the sleek new dining spot, Kleber Guzman and Leo Carreno, think it fits the restaurant’s theme very well.

The new restaurant, which was primarily a bar before its extensive renovation, has a menu featuring salads, pasta, chicken, beef, and seafood dishes, as well as tapas, all with a distinctive Mediterranean flavor.

The Bistro retains an extensive bar area with contemporary seating, separated from the dining rooms with glass to minimize cross-over noise. The window-lined dining areas, with well-spaced tables draped with white linens, can accommodate 90 guests. Two rooms can be closed off for private parties of up to 60 people.

“We will be happy to create special menus for patrons who use the private rooms,” Guzman said. “In addition, we will also offer special menu selections each day. People ordering our tapas items will usually get something extra, as well.”

The man overseeing food preparation is Chef Gabriel Carreno, who brings an extensive background of experience with restaurants in New York City, Norwalk and Westport to his upscale kitchen.

As a 1980 graduate of East Haven High School, Sgro is well known around town for his artistic skills – he won his first art prize in third grade and he created his first tattoo at the age of 17.

On Thursday, Sgro was showing off the mural as he prepared to dash off to Hamden to talk to an author about illustrating a children’s book.

“Normally, I do oil portraits, watercolors, things like that, all by private appointment,” he said. His other specialty - tattoo artist.

"Tattooing is very structured and detailed, so it was kind of nice to do something large like the mural,” Sgro said. “I got to design and execute it on a scale that was very freeing.”

Currently, the restaurant's operating hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. There is ample parking in the adjacent lot and it is handicap accessible through the door adjacent to the new mural.

Reservations are not required but can be made by calling 203-467-2500.