If you’re the type that likes to venture outside of New York City to find your next best meal, we have some inside information you might be interested in. No, we’re not talking about Damon Baehrel or Blue Hill at Stone Barns. This place is actually in the sleepy seaport town of Mystic, Connecticut—you know, where Julia Roberts once had a pizza parlor job—and is getting all sorts of buzz.
The restaurant is part of a classic New England inn called the Spicer Mansion, which is located in downtown Mystic and has just eight guest rooms available. So what that means is, if the mansion is full, only guests will get to experience what Executive Chef Jennifer Backman has to offer. So we’d suggest booking a reservation. (The Spicer Suite is the finest accommodation available and comes in at $765/night.)
What’s the draw at the Spicer’s restaurant? Chef Backman, who’s a veteran of the high-end New England culinary circuit, offers a seasonal six-course tasting menu that changes on a nightly basis. (The sextet of dishes costs $115 without gratuity, and you can opt for an additional $95 wine-pairing to go with your meal.) You can also go for the more baller option, too, where you’ll enjoy your meal with privacy in the exclusive Belvedere room. That experience will cost you $1,500, but you’ll get caviar and a bottle of Dom Pérignon to make the sticker-shock disappear.
If you’re not one for fancy-shmancy meals, we’d suggest trying Spicer’s casual dining option—the newest addition to its top-notch culinary experience, which is coming next year. Probably best experienced in the spring or summer months, a “Speakeasy Menu” can be ordered from the mansion’s Room No. 9 cocktail lounge and enjoyed on the outdoor porches or in the Rose Salon. Check out the menu here.
For more information on staying or dining at the Spicer Mansion, click here.
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