27
Deviant Donuts makes small-batch, hand-crafted donuts from scratch every morning at Olde Mistick Village — a rotating lineup of flavors
20
Jealous Monk is a European-style beer hall and garden with 32 rotating draft lines — one of the largest craft
8e
Mango’s is the only eastern Connecticut stop on the Connecticut Office of Tourism’s Connecticut Pizza Trail, and Connecticut Magazine’s pick
16
Never Enough Bake Shop is the award-winning bakery inside toast + tonic at Olde Mistick Village — custom cakes for
3b
Pink Basil is the Thai restaurant eastern Connecticut recommends first — scratch-cooked curries, pad thai and pan-Asian specials from Thailand,
7b
Seven Birds Ice Cream scoops Connecticut-made ice cream and its own custom flavors from a walk-up window at the center
24
Steak Loft has served steaks and prime rib at Olde Mistick Village continuously since 1973 — one of Connecticut’s longest-running
11a
The Boardwalk is the Village’s snack stop and seaside gift emporium — fried dough and funnel cakes, fresh-squeezed lemonade, Captain’s
16
toast + tonic is the Village’s breakfast-and-lunch kitchen, opened in 2023 by Chef Aimee Filippetti — creative dishes, craft cocktails,
Trattoria Amalfi is the highest-rated restaurant in Mystic on TripAdvisor — coastal Italian from Shoreline Hospitality Group, with pasta made
Where to eat in America’s Best Small Food Town
In August 2026, Travel + Leisure named Mystic, Connecticut its Best Small Food Town in America. Boston.com, Secret NYC and the New York Post picked the story up within weeks. It confirmed what people in eastern Connecticut already knew: for a village of about 4,000 people, Mystic feeds you remarkably well.
Olde Mistick Village is the part of that food scene you can walk in ten minutes. Ten restaurants and food shops sit around one landscaped green at Exit 90 off I-95, directly beside Mystic Aquarium, with free parking and no waterfront-district traffic. Italian, Thai, wood-fired pizza, a steakhouse that has been open since 1973, a beer garden, a bake shop, craft donuts and ice cream. Casual to white tablecloth, and most of it within a few steps of the same green.
The short version, restaurant by restaurant
- Trattoria Amalfi — coastal Italian from Shoreline Hospitality Group (The Mariner, Via Emilia). House-made pasta, local seafood, 200 seats, two patios. Currently the top-rated restaurant in Mystic on TripAdvisor.
- Steak Loft of Mystic — the Village’s original restaurant, serving steaks and prime rib since 1973. One of the longest-running steakhouses in Connecticut.
- Pink Basil — Thai cooking with a devoted following, from an owner known regionally for her cooking classes.
- Mango’s Wood Fired Pizza Co. — the only eastern Connecticut stop on the state Office of Tourism’s Connecticut Pizza Trail.
- Jealous Monk — social hall and beer garden with one of the largest craft draft lists in New England.
- toast + tonic — breakfast and lunch, with Never Enough Bake Shop‘s award-winning cakes and pastries inside.
- Deviant Craft Coffee & Donuts — small-batch donuts made fresh daily, plus espresso.
- Seven Birds Ice Cream — artisan ice cream at the center of the Village.
- The Boardwalk — seafood and casual fare.
Cooks and hosts should also stop at Kitch, the Village’s kitchen store, which runs classes and demonstrations and was featured on Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen, filmed at nearby Foxwoods.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mystic really the best food town in America?
Travel + Leisure named Mystic, Connecticut its Best Small Food Town for 2026 in its annual America’s Best Small Towns list, published August 18, 2026. Olde Mistick Village is home to ten of the restaurants and food shops that make up that scene.
What are the best restaurants at Olde Mistick Village?
Trattoria Amalfi (Italian, TripAdvisor’s top-rated restaurant in Mystic), Steak Loft (steakhouse, since 1973), Pink Basil (Thai), Mango’s Wood Fired Pizza (on the Connecticut Pizza Trail) and Jealous Monk (beer garden) are the most-asked-for tables. Toast + tonic, Deviant Donuts, Seven Birds and The Boardwalk round out the Village.
Which restaurants are closest to Mystic Aquarium?
Every restaurant at Olde Mistick Village is a short walk from Mystic Aquarium’s entrance. The Village and the Aquarium share the same exit (I-95 Exit 90) and parking is free.
Is there a restaurant in Mystic on the Connecticut Pizza Trail?
Yes. Mango’s Wood Fired Pizza Co. at Olde Mistick Village is the only eastern Connecticut restaurant on the Connecticut Office of Tourism’s Pizza Trail.
What is the oldest steakhouse in Mystic?
Steak Loft of Mystic has served steaks at Olde Mistick Village continuously since 1973, making it one of the longest-running steakhouses in Connecticut.
Do Olde Mistick Village restaurants stay open later than the shops?
Yes. Shop hours are 10am–6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am–6pm Sunday, but the restaurants and Mystic Luxury Cinemas keep extended evening hours. Check each restaurant’s page for its current schedule.
Where do I park to eat at Olde Mistick Village?
Parking at Olde Mistick Village, 27 Coogan Blvd, Mystic, CT 06355, is free. Take I-95 Exit 90 and follow signs for Mystic Aquarium; the Village is immediately adjacent.