Max’s Oyster Bar is the fourth creation of restaurateur Richard Rosenthal. He and partner Bob Cooke, formerly of Legal Seafood Restaurant Company, envisioned something quite different from the traditional Max dining experience. Fish.

Award winning designer Peter Niemetz created an atmosphere which is reminiscent of a big city oyster bar. An expansive dining room with a high ceiling provides guests with a view of the raw bar. The understated atmosphere of muted colors and comfortable seating allows diners to focus on what's truly important - the food.

Featuring modern renditions of classic American seafood, Max’s Oyster Bar menu has something for everyone. While seafood is the focal point, there are selections for even the most ardent landlubber. Ethnic influences are apparent throughout a menu filled with new interpretations on traditional fare. The raw bar offers an extensive variety of bi-coastal oysters and shellfish.

In it’s freshman year, 1999, Max’s Oyster Bar was awarded “Best New Restaurant” by Connecticut Magazine. Since then it has won numerous Reader’s Choice Awards, including “Best Seafood Restaurant” in 2003 and 2005. Zagat’s Survey has also given Max’s Oyster Bar an “extraordinary” rating of 26.

Located among unique shops, coffeehouses, and several restaurants, Max’s Oyster Bar compliments West Hartford Center’s charming and growing shopping district, and is another distinct success in the Max Restaurant Group offering.