It was once difficult to find a great cup of coffee or specialty tea in Litchfield. No longer. The town is a hotspot for fine coffee shops that also cater to tea lovers, and most offer yummy (mostly scratch) baked goods. The lines often happily blur between coffee havens and bakeries. As with most of Litchfield’s lifestyle enhancements, the establishments below are generally divided among four areas: clustered across from the Litchfield Green; down the hill from the Green but still in Litchfield Center; down the road a bit in the Bantam Borough—or situated between village centers (in an area historically called Harris Plains).
Arethusa a Mano
(Bantam)
822 Bantam Rd. | 860-567-5722
Arethusa a mano in Bantam is part of the Arethusa Farm Dairy empire, which includes the dairy farm in the South Plains section of Litchfield (Route 63), as well as the creamery and retail store in the former Bantam firehouse, the acclaimed Arethusa al tavolo restaurant next door, and the nearby cheese-making operation. A mano is known for its Stumptown Coffee Roasters coffee, lattes and cappuccinos, as well as homemade bagels, gorgeous pastries and donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and lunch options.
Bantam Bread
(Bantam)
853 Bantam Rd. | 860-567-2737
Bantam Bread Company doesn’t serve coffee and tea, but its artisan breads are fabulous, as are the desserts and other homemade treats—like tea cakes, cookies, elephant ears and fruit tarts—and the dirt bombs are legendary.
The bakery also offers local and gourmet products, including Harney & Sons Teas, Winding Drive Jellies and Jams, locally-roasted coffee from Coffee-Tea-Etc., Bridgewater Chocolates, Sugar Ridge Apiary Honey, Brookview Sugar House Maple Syrup, Goat Boy Soaps, and more.
Dunkin’ Donuts
(Litchfield Center)
7 Village Green | 860-567-1047
That’s right, Litchfield even has a Dunkin’ Donuts (though not a Starbucks). Assuming everyone knows the name, we’ll skip the description. Ours is located in the Village Green shopping plaza.
Espresso 59
(Litchfield Green)
59 West St. | 860-361-6038
Located in the former Murphy’s Pharmacy on West Street, Espresso 59 is like a classic Italian pastry and coffee shop from the North End of Boston transported to the Litchfield, even down to hours that have it open deep into the evening to satisfy those looking for post-dinner sweets to accompany coffee or an espresso drink, including essentials like cannoli, bombolini, and gelato. There’s also heartier fare.
Krafted Brew Lab
(Bantam)
725 Bantam Rd. | 860-361-9300
Krafted Brew Lab (KBL), tucked behind the Sportsmen’s sporting goods shop on Route 202, is a no-frills micro-roaster offering fresh-roasted specialty coffee beans, espresso and coffee drinks, a small but tempting selection of baked goods, and a selection of locally-made merchandise. KBL features a rotating selection of Single Origin coffees, as well as Bantam Blend, the everyday medium roast inspired by Northern Italian espresso. KBL is inspired by the time the owners spent living in Germany and enjoying the European coffee/café culture.
Love Hearts Bakery
583 Bantam Rd. | 860-361-6526
The homemade English muffins returned in September at Love Hearts Bakery, located in The Cove between Litchfield Center and Bantam. It’s a favorite spot for everything you love to pair with coffee, tea, or chai lattes, like donuts, muffins, coffee cake, cakes, bagels, croissants … With soups sandwiches and more, it’s also a popular lunch stop.
Meraki
(Litchfield Center)
239 West St. | 860-361-9777
Meraki, next to The Litchfield Candy Company down the hill from the Green, is a breakfast and lunch hotspot with coffee, teas, baked goods and everything else required in a good pitstop.
Morning starts with muffins, scones, coffee cakes, breads, local egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos, a hash bowl, and more, and lunch signature sandwiches, salads and lots more. There’s outdoor seating tucked away in the back, and there’s also a Meraki food truck that brings the bounty to area events.
The Bakehouse
(Litchfield Green)
7 North St. | 860-361-6423
The Bakehouse is a scratch bakery that hits all the right notes—think croissants, chocolate croissants, cakes, pies, cookies, a line of homemade breads, muffins, and more—as well as locally-roasted coffee, espresso, lattes, specialty teas, etc.
Most fans of The Bakehouse stop, shop, and go, while some loyalists prefer to linger at a table inside, or one of the two café tables on the stone patio outside.
@ the Corner
(Litchfield Green)
59 West St. | 860-567-8882
Most people know @thecorner as an American Restaurant dishing up inventive and flavorful fare, with a terrific craft beer list—all of it served in a historic setting at the corner of West and South streets. The sunny front section along West Street is also a morning café, serving coffee, espresso drinks, teas, and baked goods. It’s a bit of an insider’s secret, as the only mention on the website or social media is the hint in the hours section saying the café is open 7 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Sunday.
Dutch Epicure Shop
(Harris Plains)
491 Bantam Rd. | 860-567-5586
A German and Dutch gourmet food shop, European bakery, cheese shop, and deli serving customers with sophisticated palates since 1967, The Dutch Epicure Shop is Litchfield’s oldest bakery and known for European-style pastries, breads, cookies and cakes, as well as prepared foods, sweet treats, and seasonal pies. It’s also a specialty shop offering European cheeses, fine teas, jams, chocolates, and more—including homemade ice cream.
The Ripe Tomato
392 Torrington Rd. | 860-567-8002
A deli with homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches, The Ripe Tomato at the top of the hill between Litchfield Center and the Torrington line is also a morning stop for coffee, muffins, and more—like the range of popular breakfast sandwiches.
Toast & Co.
(Litchfield Center)
18 Commons Drive | 860-567-0301
Toast & Co. is a very popular breakfast and lunch café with coffee, espresso drinks, teas, pastries, smoothies, milkshakes … and so much more, including dairy free, gluten free, vegan and keto options.
In addition to breakfast sandwiches, Toast & Co. offers signature toasts (from avocado to PB & banana), salads, and lunch sandwiches. The pandemic brought an outdoor dining area with picnic tables between toast and the road, which remains popular.
Troy Brook Bakery
860-309-5986 | Email
Troy Brook Bakery isn’t a physical place but more of a personal-baker-style operation that interacts with customers primarily through its Facebook account, where weekly pop-up menus are posted offering delectables like apple crostata, cinnamon sugar donuts, chocolate chip cookies, whoopie pies, breads, etc. You order by 4 on Thursday and arrange pickup for Friday or Saturday.