Fairfield County Favs
Fairfield County Favs
Maeve Cutts
New to the area? Sick of your regular spots? Fairfield County is Connecticut's gold coast and there's lots to explore.
I moved to Darien, Connecticut, when I was around six years old, and aside from a couple of years when we lived in Hong Kong - it's where I called home for the majority of my life! After five years in Chicago, my fiancé and I moved to Stamford in 2023, and honestly, really struggled to find our footing at first.
We were spoiled rotten when it came to our selection of high-quality, (relatively) low-cost restaurants in Chicago. After about a year of living in CT again, there are good spots - you just have to dig a little deeper to find them.
Look no further - here's my list of tried and true eateries. From upscale restaurants to delis - this guide has you covered! If I've missed anything or if you need recommendations on anything else - let me know!
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There's definitely going to be some overlap between the sections but I've broken our favorite spots down by meal.
To-Go Breakfast/Lunch
Fairfield County is home to the best breakfast sandwiches in the entire world. Typically we go for a BEC (bacon, egg and cheese) or a SEC (sausage, egg and cheese) dished up on a "hard roll" (which isn't hard at all) its soft pillowy bread. I always add hot sauce and sometimes add avocado or potatoes. I honestly don't know how they do it but they're unreal. Each place makes them slightly different so its fun finding which places you like best!
A lot of these "breakfast" places also make great lunch sandwiches with chicken cutlets. You can make any combination you want but my go to is chicken cutlet, cheddar, lettuce and chipotle mayo. Oh and a side of cones. They're tiny little fried mashed potato bites of goodness. You never regret a side of cones.
BARVIDA.
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Corbo's Southside Deli
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Mama Carmela's Deli
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New Canaan Chicken
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Playa Bowls
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Reddi Rooster
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Rowayton Market
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sweetgreen
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Uncle's Deli
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UCBC Bagels - Darien
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Diners
After living in Chicago for five years, I didn't realize how lucky I was to grow up with the 24-hour diner scene I had in CT. Here's some of our favorite spots for when you're craving pancakes and potato skins at the same time.
Darien Diner
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Elm Street Diner
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Lucky's Classic Burger & Malt Shop
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The Stamford Diner
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Sit Down Lunch or Dinner
Barcelona Wine Bar
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Bodega Taco Bar
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Cafe Silvium
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Capriccio Cafe
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Charlies
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Coromandel Cuisine of India
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The Granola Bar Darien
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The Goose American Bistro & Bar
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Little Thai Kitchen
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Mecha Noodle Bar
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Molto Darien
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Oishi Sushi & Izakaya
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O'Neill's Irish Pub & Restaurant
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Prime: An American Kitchen & Bar
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Rowayton Seafood Restaurant and Market
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Sails American Grill
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Scena Wine Bar & Restaurant
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Seamore's Darien
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Sunset Grille
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Tengda of Westport
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Washington Prime
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1020 Post Rd
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Pizza Pizza
Colony Grill - Norwalk
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Colony Grill - Stamford
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Heights Pizza Company
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Rowayton Pizza
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Sally's Apizza
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Coffee & Pastries
Arden's Rowayton
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Flour Water Salt Bread
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Gregorys Coffee
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The SoNo Baking Company & Cafe - Darien
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NEAT Coffee
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Sweet Treats
Brendan's 101
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Dairy Queen (Treat)
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Gofer Ice Cream - Darien
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Gelatissimo Artisan Gelato
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Specialty Markets
Fjord Fish Market
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Pagano's Inc
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Everything Else!
I know it's hard finding your go-to spots when you move somewhere new so here are all the other places that I frequent from manicures to workouts and everything in between.
Grocery Shopping
Palmer's Market
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Trader Joe's - Darien
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Stop & Shop
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Trader Joe's - Stamford
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Whole Foods Market
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Beauty (Mani/Pedi/Medspa/Wax)
European Wax Center
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Grace Nails & Spa
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OVME
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Posh Spa & Nail
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Versailles Medical Spa
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Dry Cleaning/Tailors
Butler's Laundromat & Cleaners
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Darien Cleaners & Tailors
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Workouts
Kaia Yoga and Meditation Darien
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Pure Barre
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[solidcore]
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Darien YMCA
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Parks/Beaches
Cherry Lawn Park
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Kosciuszko Park
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Jennings Beach
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Sherwood Island State Park
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Waveny Park
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* * *
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maeve Cutts
✈️ a 20-something-year-old third culture kid always plotting her next trip
🛂 32 countries, 35 states & counting
🤍a lover of tasty foods, slow travel & a nice cuppa tea
I was born in London to an Irish (🇮🇪) but American-born (🇺🇲) mother and an English (🇬🇧) but Singaporean-born (🇸🇬) father. I lived in the UK, the US, and Hong Kong all by the time I was 13. My first flight was at 2 weeks old and I've been on the go ever since. I frequently travel around North America, Europe, and South East Asia but truly no place is off limits! I'm based in Chicago with my fiance and 2-year-old English Springer Spaniel!
I've always loved documenting my travels with photos and videos, and sharing my recommendations and tips for traveling. From visiting varioius friends and family around the world, I have a local's insight to many great places. I can offer custom itineraries, city guides, food guides, travel consultations, and more! DM me on Instagram (@maevecutts) or email me (💌 maeve.cutts@gmail.com) to set up your consultation today!
- Custom Itineraries: $15+
- 30-minute Travel Consultation: $30
Don't forget to subscribe to my Thatch profile and download the app to keep up to date with my travels all over the world!
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