While NYC has no shortage of celebrated restaurants, sometimes we must yield to the call of the quaint, and this seaside town more than delivers.
In a recent roundup of the best small towns in the country, Travel + Leisure crowned Mystic, Connecticut, as the best of the best for destination dining.
Made famous by the eponymous Julia Roberts film (yes, the Mystic Pizza parlor is still there), the town has risen above its humble pie reputation to claim its place as a true food mecca, complete with a mess of James Beard award-winning chefs and a glut of local seafood.
An easy 2.5-hour drive or train ride from New York City, Mystic’s rich maritime history has long made it a port of call for vacationers, but unlike neighboring coastal towns that remain committed to serving basic and boring fried seafood, Mystic has found its footing — and its foodie fandom — by fishing for more.
“This corner of Connecticut is practically overflowing with award-winning chefs, imaginative bartenders, hard-working farmers, knowledgeable servers, and expert fishermen. What’s more: They all intersect in Mystic because of the area’s fertile farmland and bountiful waters,” praised the outlet.
In terms of dining and drinking destinations, The Port of Call gets a shout-out for looking like the belly of a sea-worn whiskey barrel and for its James Beard-recognized beverage program. Offerings include a savory Manhattan known as Organic Woodland Matter made with rye, bitters, vermouth, and a seacoast mushroom infusion because why the hell not.
Other notable locales include Shipwright’s Daughter, a waterfront restaurant whose menu changes daily and is dictated by whatever bounty local fishermen haul onto the nearby dock.
The kitchen is helmed by David Standridge, a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef Northeast in 2024 and finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2026, and fan favorites include kelp-wrapped scallops and seared squid.
Standridge, who also owns nearby Mystic Fish Camp, sources everything as close to the restaurant as possible, creating a sustainable loop from purveyor to plate.
“If you’re bringing in all these products that are super authentically local and part of the fabric of the town, you end up with a menu that is really representative of what’s happening in town, whether it’s the mushroom farmer or kelp farmer.”
As the name suggests, bivalves are the star of the show at Oyster Club, a small restaurant with a tiered outdoor dining deck, appropriately dubbed the Treehouse, which overlooks the Mystic River.
Oysters from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Maine are served with house cocktail sauce, black currant mignonette, and lemons. Lunch and dinner are offered daily, and dishes include standout and salivatory ingredients such as tomato ghee, bacon fat aioli, and coriander crunch.
For those who worship at the altar of fermentation, Nana’s Bakery serves sourdough loaves, pizzas, and cult-status, made-to-order “sourdoughnuts” in flavors like cacao e pepe and blueberry glazed.
Also among T+L’s recommendations is Mediterranean-focused Barbary Coast. The intimate restaurant comes correct with a natural wine list and shareable offerings like a tahini Caesar salad with za’atar crumbs and moussaka with grilled local lamb.
Those interested in staying over in Mystic are in luck as the town is also in the swing of a hotel boom.
Delamar Hotel Collection, known for its original Greenwich, Conn., location, opened the dog-friendly Delamar Mystic last year, complete with waterfront views in every room, complimentary breakfast, and a guests-only outdoor heated swimming pool.
The Whaler’s Inn, a long-standing favorite, also just added a new building of high-end accommodations, the Stanton House.
Its Riverview Penthouse comes with a private balcony overlooking Fishers Island Sound, and you can order room service from the aforementioned Shipwright’s Daughter.
If you didn’t manage to make it to Mystic during the busy and balmy summer months, fear not, as experts say the good food and the good times are a four-season affair.
A commenter shared this insider tip for enjoying Mystic even and especially among the maddening crowds:
“My family loves Mystic, but it can be very busy during the summer and Thanksgiving. We prefer to stay in Stonington Borough at the Inn at Stonington after a hectic day. We get our sanity back since it’s so peaceful; then off we go again to the Mystic Seaport for another fun day.”
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