2024 Connecticut Travel Guide | Best Restaurants, Hotels, & Things to Do

2024 Best of Connecticut: The Classics

CONNECTICUT CLASSIC DINING

BURGER STAND
Ted’s Steamed Cheeseburgers, Meriden

Connecticut is about the only place in the world where steamed cheeseburgers are found, and Ted’s is the ultimate place to try one. This modest eatery has a few booths and several stools inside, with a couple of picnic tables out front. Check out the stainless-steel steam boxes behind the counter: one for burgers, the other for gooey cheese. After several minutes in the heat, beef and cheese are united on a hard roll. So simple. So good. tedsrestaurant.com

LOBSTER SHACK
Abbott’s Lobster in the Rough, Noank

The Connecticut Shore’s most famous lobster shack wows patrons with its slow-steamed lobsters, four types of lobster rolls (including the LOL, with a full pound of meat), and ringside seats to watch pleasure boats glide by on the Mystic River. In addition to all the lobster goodies, there are freshly steamed clams and mussels, chowders and bisques, stuffed clams, crab cakes, and steamed artichokes. Oven-roasted chicken and ribs are available for the seafood-phobic. BYOB is still the way to go. abbottslobster.com

RETRO DINING
Shady Glen, Manchester

Step back into the 1950s at this roadside ice cream parlor and restaurant best known for its Winged Cheeseburger. Waitresses don crisply ironed white aprons, and griddle cooks look dapper in white paper hats: a dress code that hasn’t changed in more than 70 years. Try some deep-fried seafood or the egg salad sandwich if you’re not in the mood for a meat patty with curled, crisp cheese splayed around the bun. Shady Glen’s homemade ice cream shines best with its seasonal sundaes.

CONNECTICUT CLASSIC LODGING

AFFORDABLE ELEGANCE
Old Lyme Inn, Old Lyme

You’ll have the Florence Griswold Museum, Lyme Art Association, and Roger Tory Peterson Estuary Center for neighbors when you check into this 1865 farmhouse turned inn. You’ll also have some extra money in your pocket, because it’s possible to score a $200 room here even at the height of summer. Good thing, since you’ll want to splurge on splendid offerings like Saturday afternoon tea, bubbly in the art-graced bar, a prix fixe dinner on the tree-shaded patio, and groovy, big city–caliber performances at the Side Door Jazz Club. oldlymeinn.com

HISTORIC INN
1754 House, Woodbury

Rescued from the brink by chef Michael Bates-Walsh, who’s cooked at some of New England’s top properties, Connecticut’s oldest inn is looking spry of late. Sure, this 18th-century structure, which houses nine of 10 rooms (there’s a king suite in the Carriage House), has early-American architectural details, and the tavern speakeasy and restaurant’s convivial colonial surroundings intrigue guests as they dig into cast-iron skillets of mac and cheese with house-cured bacon. But today’s wanderers find comforts unimaginable 270 years ago—plus caramel corn on arrival. 1754house.com

CONNECTICUT CLASSICACTIVITIES

ART MUSEUM
New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain

Set in a scenic park, this family-friendly gem is the oldest museum in the country dedicated solely to American art. In its 120 years, it has amassed a collection that includes works by colonial portrait painters; Hudson River School artists; 20th-century luminaries like Thomas Hart Benton, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O’Keeffe; and today’s groundbreakers. This summer’s blockbuster exhibition, curated by the National Gallery of Art, brings together works by more than 50 contemporary Native American creators. nbmaa.org

HISTORY MUSEUM
Connecticut Museum of Culture & History, Hartford

Known as the Connecticut Historical Society Museum until last fall, this institution hasn’t just rebranded as it preps to mark its 200th anniversary in 2025. It has made bold moves to be more relevant, inclusive, and interactive. From true crime–themed events to major exhibitions like “Connecticut’s Bookshelf,” which runs through September 8 and celebrates the state’s role in birthing Webster’s dictionary, the first fugitive-slave narrative in print, American cookbooks, and comics, it’s a place to think and do—not just view. connecticutmuseum.org

STATE PARK
Gillette Castle, East Haddam

Looking like something out of a Tim Burton movie, this eerie landmark on the Connecticut River continues to impress visitors, especially in the summer months when the 1914 fortress is open for tours. The brainchild of William Gillette, an actor best known for portraying Sherlock Holmes, the 24-room castle is filled with unusual furnishings such as built-in couches, a movable table on tracks, and 47 uniquely carved wooden doors. River-view picnic grounds and walking trails abound. ctparks.com/parks/gillette-castle-state-park

THEME PARK
Lake Compounce, Bristol

Your day or season pass at America’s oldest amusement park is a bit more valuable when there’s a concert booked on the floating stage, which made its debut last summer. It’s an addition that harks back to the park’s origins: A bandstand gazebo was the first attraction. And it’s especially appealing for visitors who shy away from big-thrill wooden coasters like Wildcat, expected to be back in action this summer and smoother than ever following a multiyear restoration. lakecompounce.com

2024 Best of Connecticut: New & Buzzy

CONNECTICUTNEW & BUZZY DINING

BARBECUE
Hoodoo Brown, Ridgefield

Follow your nose to this most excellent barbecue stand on the outskirts of tony Ridgefield. Hoodoo Brown specializes in authentic Texas-style barbecue, slow roasting its meats in large barrel smokers scattered around the low-slung building. Beef brisket pairs nicely with a side of pit beans and a slab of homemade cornbread. Pulled pork, spareribs, and crackling pork belly are other pit standouts. hoodoobrownbbq.com

FARM-TO-TABLE
Ore Hill, Kent

If you’ve followed Tyler Anderson’s meteoric career and perhaps, like Sir Paul McCartney, traveled hours to dine at one of his restaurants, then heads up: The celebrity chef is hanging out on the Connecticut–New York line these days, serving as culinary director for the only Connecticut restaurant to make TheNew York Times’s current list of America’s 50 best restaurants. The building, a revamped 18th-century farmhouse, is as stunning as the tasting menu plates crafted with meticulously selected, just-harvested produce from farms on both sides of the border. Whether or not you opt for paired wines, it’s a tipsy treat to dine this well so far from city lights. orehillandswyft.com

ITALIAN
Gioia Café and Bar, New Haven

It takes courage to open a restaurant on Wooster Street, home of Pepe’s, Sally’s, and other classic Italian eateries. Yet two savvy restaurateurs did so in 2023. Gioia (pronounced JOY-ah) is a marvelous eating and drinking establishment with top-flight Italian fare, including comfort stalwarts like garlicky white bean soup and gnocchi cacio e pepe. An open kitchen is the scene-stealer in the bright, cheery dining room. On summer nights, head up to the rooftop café. gioianewhaven.com

NEW AMERICAN
29 Markle Ct., Bridgeport

Bridgeport has been on the foodie map since chef and co-owner Damon “Daye” Sawyer, a Fairfield County native, launched his first restaurant at the tail end of 2022. A new fine-dining restaurant is a rarity these days, but Sawyer has been earning high praise for his eclectic American menu with lots of smoky flavor. Most ingredients are gathered from local sources, and the colorful dining space is lined with historic photos of Bridgeport and bold portraits of jazz greats. 29marklect.com

PIZZA
Trigo Wood Fired Pizza, Willimantic

In a state where pizza is a religion, this 2023 newcomer is having a moment with its twin wood-burning ovens churning out artisanal California-style pies. Owner Patrick Griffin adorns each one with fresh ingredients from brother Phil’s farm in nearby Lebanon. Try Trigo’s famed Nightshade pizza with smoked scamorza cheese, fresh shallots, arugula pesto, and a thin, blistered crust. Or go for the more conventional mushroom pie with scamorza, caramelized onion, and bacon. trigokitchen.com

CONNECTICUTNEW & BUZZY LODGING

BOUTIQUE HOTEL
The Surfside Hotel, Stratford

When Doug and Daneen Grabe rebooted this longtime motel and restaurant into the Surfside, they raised the prominence of Long Island Sound even more at their 27-room boutique gem on Connecticut’s Gold Coast. Water views overfloweth, and there’s easy access to the sands directly in front of the hotel. Stretch out for some beach yoga, then reward yourself back at your sunny base camp with stellar in-room services, from massages to four-course customized dinners. Paddleboards and complimentary bicycles are available, and because the Surfside is pet-friendly, Fido won’t miss a beat of your adventure. thesurfside.com

CABIN RENTALS
Getaway Machimoodus, Moodus

Provision up for a stay in the woods that’s regal compared with tent camping, cozy compared with your first apartment, and therapeutic compared with whatever life’s been handing you lately. In this complex of 45 tiny house–style cabins on the quiet side of the Connecticut River, the one you receive a code to unlock just two hours before arrival will feel like a window-walled realm all your own. Sequester your phone in the provided box (really)—at least until the flames in your firepit falter, your belly’s full of s’mores, and you want to play your song on the Tivoli Audio Bluetooth radio. getaway.house

CONNECTICUTNEW & BUZZY ACTIVITIES

CULTURAL ATTRACTION
The Bruce Museum, Greenwich

Who says bigger isn’t better? Having wowed visitors with its world-class exhibitions of art, science, and natural history for more than a century, the Bruce upped the ante last year, thanks to a $67 million renovation that more than doubled its size, adding state-of-the-art gallery, education, and community spaces, as well as a new sculpture garden, museum store, and restaurant. Works by Picasso, Matisse, and Renoir are just a few of the more than 15,000 astonishing treasures found here. Which is to say, you’re gonna need another visit. brucemuseum.org 

EDUCATIONAL OUTING
Yale Peabody Museum, New Haven

Dinosaurs once again roam Whitney Avenue as Yale’s natural history museum gradually reopens after four years of major renovations. The main galleries were revealed this spring, allowing visitors to take in the dramatic changes and enhancements that have been made to the museum’s core. Exhibit space has increased by 50 percent, and the building’s layout is completely new. peabody.yale.edu

MULTI-ARTS DESTINATION
American Mural Project, Winsted

AMP is, above all else, a visual phenomenon. The 120-foot-long, five-story mural celebrating American workers is the world’s largest indoor collaborative work. More than 15,000 students and adults helped artist Ellen Griesedieck create it. And even as you ascend to higher viewing levels via elevator or stairs, you can never quite take it all in. In its second full year, AMP is counting on you to guide its next phases. How? By voting with your presence at concerts, talks, writing workshops, teen theater productions, and other events, you’ll inspire more of the same. americanmuralproject.org