Arethusa a mano

Our coffee shop in Bantam serves bagels, sandwiches, and farm butter

4.4· 381 reviewsHours

About

Arethusa a mano is a coffee shop in Litchfield. We offer a variety of coffees, bagels, sandwiches, and croissants. We serve our own farm-fresh butter, and we sell the same coffee we serve for guests to take home. We also feature donut varieties like crullers and Bantam Cream.

Reviews

Devdav Newar
3 months ago

We stopped by Arethusa à Mano during a day trip from Massachusetts after seeing it pop up on a few “must-visit” lists for the area, and I’m really glad we did. It has that cozy, local coffee-and-breakfast spot feel—nothing too fancy, just a place that seems to be a part of the town’s everyday rhythm. They had a nice variety of options like bagels, sandwiches, croissants, and more. We ended up trying a few different coffees, and honestly, all of them were really good—smooth, well-made, and definitely one of the highlights. I also liked that they sell the same coffee they serve, so you can take some home if you want. For food, we tried a bagel sandwich that was fresh and really satisfying. The turkey and cheese sandwich, served on what seemed like their in-house brioche, stood out—it had a homemade feel to it that you don’t come across everywhere. We also picked up the “almond croissant,” which was nicely crisp and enjoyable in its own way. Another thing worth mentioning is their butter, which comes from their own farm—it’s one of those small details that makes the whole experience feel more thoughtful and rooted, and definitely something I’d recommend picking up if you’re there. Overall, it felt like a genuine local gem. If you’re visiting the area or just passing through, it’s definitely worth a stop—maybe not overly fancy, but just really good at what it does.

Shae Nuh
7 months ago

Obviously the Arethusa name is known for their ice cream and their eggnog is an annual must! My husband had a haircut in the area and the barber recommended them when he mentioned getting donuts. $54 for 10 donuts and a chocolate crossaint. Which is fine we will gladly spend silly money on fire donuts. These however were not fire. It’s like they were hyper-focused on artisanal flair while completely missing the mark with the basics. The “glazed” was not a yeast donut. It was cake like consistency but also… savory? The cruller was the best one but was less crispy and more wet. The filling on the Bantam Cream (their version of Boston Cream) was delicious. Which isn’t surprising because it’s cream and that’s their wheelhouse. But the taste, texture and consistency was like a dinner roll. The jelly fillings were pure and preserve like, but not a preserve you want an inch thick of in a donut. Chocolate glazed was very bitter and had burnt undertones. The cook was inconsistent on most of them, many leaning toward the raw side. Overall more of a 1/5 but given that they aren’t known for their donuts and we didn’t try anything else feel that a 1 isn’t appropriate. Would have been happier with spending $10 at DD and that’s wild because IMO those aren’t real donuts. Really disappointed given it came from the Arethusa brand.

L French (Giggles McFrenchy)
a year ago

Best donuts 🍩 I've EVER had!!! The donuts were still warm from the oven at noon! Went here for brunch. Great staff, great location and great atmosphere. Parking is limited so come early! I recommend the cruller donut. I also recommend the reshi tumeric ginger chai latte.

Andrew D.
2 years ago

If you're looking for a reasonably priced big sandwich this isn't the place. However, I have to say that although they got half our order wrong and the sandwich was on the small side it tasted fairly amazing. The ingredients tasted fresh and healthy. The staff was friendly and efficient.

Andrew Izzo
3 years ago

My wife and I stopped here on our way home. It’s located on route 202 in Bantam. Parking lot on the side. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and positive attitude of the employees. Lots of delicious selections of sandwiches, bakery items, and drinks. You can taste the difference in the items that come from there farm. We got an almond croissant which was a nice starter while waiting for our sandwiches. I got a bacon, egg, and cheese on a brioche roll. Very delicious. The eggs were from their farm and the cheese was made across the street at their dairy. It was very filling. I had a bite of my wife’s which was ham instead of bacon. It was just as tasty as mine. Just be prepared to spend a little more than at a regular deli. I know you get what you pay for with the high quality of ingredients. However, in the end it’s still an egg sandwich.

Frequently asked

  • What are your hours?

    Local time · GMT-4

    • Monday7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
    • TuesdayClosed
    • Wed – Fri7:30 AM – 3:30 PM
    • Sat – Sun7:00 AM – 4:00 PM

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