Save this story Save Story Save this story Long a popular country retreat for New York City finance types, Connecticut’s Litchfield County—which includes the picturesque towns of New Preston, Cornwall, Kent, New Milford, Litchfield, Bantam, and Washington—has, in recent years, become a go-to getaway for creatives and foodies alike.
“There’s something for everyone: art galleries, outdoor activities, shopping, great food,” explains Cheri Bowen , a talent manager at The Society Management , who put down roots in the region with her family years ago. “With its covered bridges, forests, and rivers, the scenery is gorgeous. In fact, every season challenges the next for which is more beautiful.”
Just in time for leaf-peeping season, when the fall foliage in Connecticut’s northwest corner is a sight to behold, here is Vogue ’s guide to the area. Below, a look at where to stay, shop, and eat should you decide to make your way to Litchfield, Connecticut for an idyllic weekend away. Just be warned that there is one tiny downside: “The drive back home when you realize there are five whole days to wait until you get to come back again,” laughs Bowen.
Photo: Courtesy of Auberge Collection Where to Stay in Litchfield, Connecticut No trip to Litchfield is complete without a stay at the bucolic Mayflower Inn & Spa, Auberge Collection . This pastoral hideaway has long been drawing the stylish crowd up north—and it’s easy to see why: The property, which consists of a resplendent English country house and three standalone cottages set on 58 serene acres, feels like something out of a fairy tale. Each room features charming details (four-poster beds, lavish soaking tubs, Edwardian wallpaper) with views of the grounds—including the property’s magical Shakespearean walking garden. Enjoy a meal by chef Luke Dowdy, an alum of the Thomas Keller Group and Jean-Georges, or indulge in a holistic wellness treatment at their on-site oasis, The Retreat . Be sure to check out the ever-changing roster of activities, including country excursions outfitted by outerwear company Barbour and parlor games featuring Checkers, Tic Tac Toe, and Connect 4 designed by Edie Parker .
Photo: Courtesy of Auberge Collection For a slightly more rustic experience, book the Treehouse at Winvian Farm in Morris. The wood-paneled cottage set 35 feet above the ground is way more grown-up than you might initially expect: It has a king-size bedroom, wood-burning fireplace, steam shower, full bar, and a jacuzzi. Guests of the treehouse—or any of the property’s other cozy cottages —also have access to Winvian’s other amenities, including yoga classes and bikes to explore the 113-acre resort’s wooded trails and organic gardens.
If you consider yourself something of a modern traditionalist, there’s also The Litchfield Inn . Housed in a classic 18th-century colonial estate set amid 10 acres of rolling hills and forests, it features 32 guest rooms and an unfussy New England aesthetic. Our favorite room? The cottage. With its white shiplap walls, four-poster king-sized oak bed, and cute rattan wall sconces, it manages to feel both cozy and minimalist at once.
New to the scene, as of 2025, is Belden House and Mews , a luxury boutique hotel from the team behind the Hudson Valley’s esteemed Troutbeck Hotel . “An air of relaxation extends to every facet of the Belden House & Mews experience, from the bathroom’s stock of Wildsmith products to the lush Frette linens on the beds and the house’s idyllic front porch, perfect for a slow morning over coffee,” writes Vogue ’s own Hannah Jackson. But the highlight? It was “undoubtedly the spa, where my esthetician, Christina, gave me a transcendent facial that left me floating between wake and sleep, and my skin feeling refreshed.”
And for those who would rather have their own space to use as a home base, an Airbnb is your best bet. This Litchfields Hills cottage is on the border of Washington and Bantam, with five acres of outdoor space to explore and quaint interiors that include a lemon-yellow kitchen.
Photo: Read McKendree Where to Shop Historic New Preston has quickly become a serious shopping destination thanks in part to cult-favorite boutique Plain Goods . Tucked in a tiny whitewashed cottage just off the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it main drag, the shop is an ode to life’s simpler pleasures: home furnishings, clothing, accessories, and beauty products in a pared-down palette of natural textures and neutral hues. If that sounds boring, it’s anything but—everything is sumptuous and tactile, from the handmade cross-body pouches in burnished caramel leather to the ribbed mock neck sweaters made from 100% cashmere. Alongside pieces from the in-house brand, you’ll also find a well-curated assortment of vintage items and antique treasures. Think: sleek stoneware containers, French linens in washed-out plaids, opaline glass lamps, and primitive wood cupboards, as well as pre-loved Etienne Aigner and Coach bags. In short, it’s the kind of store that will have you re-thinking your entire aesthetic—and, at the very least, tempt you to buy everything in sight.
Photo: Courtesy of Plain Goods For those who prefer a slightly more extravagant offering, head next door to J. Seitz & Company , a two-story lifestyle emporium founded by a former magazine editor and filled with all manner of eclectic objects to desire: slip-covered furniture, cashmere sweaters, and artisan-made apothecary gifts. There’s so much to see among the artfully arranged tableaus that it’s easy to lose track of time. But that’s alright: The sound of rushing water from the town’s 40-foot waterfall, which is located right behind the store, lends a soothing, no-rush vibe.
In Sharon, check out the decor and curio shop Dugazon , opened in 2025 by former fashion editor and magazine executive Matthew Marden and his husband, Bobby Graham. “Housed in a charming storybook clapboard cottage (complete with wraparound porch) along Main Street in Sharon, the space features an eclectic curation of delightful bits and bobs: John Derian painted dishes, Charvet Editions linens, small-batch pottery from local makers, antique silverware and candlesticks, glossy coffee table books, woven baskets, and gourmet food provisions to name just a few,” says Vogue ’s Max Berlinger. “It possesses both the feeling of an old-timey general store and the most polished urban boutique.”
In Washington Depot, there’s longtime friends Betsy Goldin and Caroline Klein’s boutique Pinnacle , which sells clothes by Alex Mill, TWP, Ulla Johnson and more. In Kent, you can take a stroll through the art galleries, shop for your weekend read at the House of Books , or peruse sustainable clothing and home decor at Rentrayage , the flagship of former CFDA finalist designer Erin Beatty’s brand known for breathing new life into vintage fabrics, old clothes, and deadstock. For the Issey Miyake fans among us, check out Workshop in Litchfield, which has a nice selection.
And, of course, a country shopping excursion is never complete without a day of hopping between antique markets. Luckily, Litchfield has no shortage to satisfy the urge. In New Preston, visit Dawn Hill Antiques for neutral, Swedish-inspired decor and River Song Country Antiques for quaint country classics; In Woodbury, Farmhouse Antiques & Design offers a down-home curation, while Mill House Antiques & Gardens features more upscale furnishings. Elephant’s Trunk Flea Market in New Milford is the largest flea market in New England, making it a must-visit any Sunday from April into December, pending the weather. In New Preston, D.K. Schulman Design is a gift shop and stationery store that specializes in personalized invitations.
In an area filled with rolling hills, apple orchards, and sprawling farms, it’s not surprising that many of the area’s restaurants focus on farm-to-table fare. What is surprising, perhaps, is the range of atmospheres in which it’s offered. At the White Horse Country Pub and Restaurant in Marbledale, the decor leans toward antique British (cream walls, dark wood furniture, equine art), while the menu offers American classics with a modern spin—most of which are made using ingredients grown in the pub’s fields at the Back Forty farm. On warmer days, snag a seat on the Pub’s patio, the ideal place to linger over a burger and Bloody Mary while watching the river below.
Photo: Courtesy of Arethusa Farm Dairy In Bantam, Arethusa Al Tavolo also offers ingredients procured from its own farm, although here, the ingredients come from the restaurant’s namesake dairy farm right next door—and the vibe is decidedly more elegant. Alongside super fresh butters, cheeses, and yogurts, the ever-changing seasonal menu by executive chef Dan Magill offers refined dishes like Atlantic skate with green onion risotto and hen-of-the-woods mushrooms and heritage pork tenderloin wrapped around caraflex and leeks. (Be sure to stop at the Arethusa Farm Dairy store before or after your meal—not only is it the ideal place to stock up on aged cheeses, fresh-turned butter, and the most decadent ice cream, but it is also housed in a charming red brick building that was once the Bantam Firehouse.) Plus, there’s Bantam Bread for your artisanal bread needs.
Just down the road is another gem hiding in plain sight: West Shore Seafood . The eatery is charming in its simplicity—just a few picnic tables situated underneath an airy tent with space to play corn hole out back—but the kitchen offers some of the freshest, best-prepared seafood around. The menu ranges from classic fare like fried calamari and a (truly exceptional) Connecticut lobster roll to more elevated options like a delicate sesame-seared tuna and pan-seared salmon salad. It all pairs perfectly with the house-made lemonade or a crisp white from the full-service bar inside.
Photo: Courtesy of Community Table At Community Table , executive chef Marcell Davidsen brings an understated Nordic sensibility to the area’s locavore tendencies. The interior of the restaurant, which is housed deceivingly in an old white colonial house on a country road between Washington Depot and New Preston, is as modern and chic as the gorgeously plated dishes, with a pared-down dining room featuring warm paneled walls, peaked ceilings accented by floral wallpaper, and dark spindle chairs. The menu changes weekly, but recent mouth-watering options—which lean mostly plant-based—include seared local mushrooms with garlic-leek risotto and green romesco, coffee and five-spice roasted carrots with herbed labneh dressing, and house-made six-grain sourdough bread with maple butter.
Litchfield is its own escape, but you’d be forgiven for thinking you’ve somehow landed in a quaint European city after visiting The Owl . The airy New Preston wine bar with its twinkle-light patio perched on a hill is the ideal place for an al fresco aperitivo. Order the homemade meatballs, polenta with sautéed mushrooms and mascarpone, and a pepperoni-and-hot-honey pizza along with any of the interesting wines or local craft beers on the tidy beverage list.
In West Cornwall, you can’t go wrong with dinner at The Pink House (or pastries in the morning at their new coffee service, Pink House AM). Set in a charming—you guessed it!—pink house, the buzzy bistro is the first project from stylist-turned-restauranteur Marina Muñoz and business partner David Ellen, a longtime Cornwall resident. “The food was delicious,” Vogue head of editorial content Chloe Malle wrote of a snowstorm-eve dinner at The Pink House earlier this year. “I loved the three-day chicken soup and za’atar carrots—and I loved the works by local artists decorating the space, like Laurie Simmons’s photographs of desserts.”
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Source: Lifestyle
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