A guide from your hosts
Welcome toMadison
Madison · Connecticut Shoreline
A little note from us
We can’t wait to welcome you.
Before you arrive, here are a few of our personal favorites — the places we actually eat, the beaches we love, and the short drives worth making. Think of this as a list from us, not a tourist directory.
Every name opens in maps
Where we eat
Seven, all in MadisonGrand Apizza
We love the pizza and we love the family. New Haven–style apizza — start here.
French · Scotland AveBar Bouchée
One of our favorites. A proper French bistro, and it has been here a long time.
Comfortable barCafe Allegre
A very comfortable bar with a great restaurant behind it. Usually an older crowd. The food is always dependable.
BreakfastCristy’s
Our fun spot for breakfast in town — and they do something like forty flavors of pancake.
MexicanComomango
Great Mexican, right in the middle of town.
Steak · great barMadison Prime
More than a steak place. The bar is great, the food is great, and the whole room has a good feel to it.
On the waterThe Wharf
At the Madison Beach Hotel. Always a great restaurant, and the bar has the best vibe on the water.
Where we swim
It’s just such a clean townHammonasset
Two miles of beach, dunes and salt marsh. If you only go to one, go here.
Town beachSurf Club
The town’s own beach and park, a few minutes from the middle of Madison.
Quiet · smallWest Wharf
Smaller and calmer, looking out at Tuxis Island.
Quiet · smallEast Wharf
The other end of the same idea. Good for a slow morning.
All of them are open to the public for a fee — you don’t need to be a resident or hold a town pass to go. Just plan on paying at the gate.
Where we wander
Downtown Madison
Boston Post Road
R.J. Julia Booksellers
One of our favorite places in town, and genuinely famous for it — open since 1989, a former Publishers Weekly Bookseller of the Year, and more than three hundred author events a year. Worth an hour even if you didn’t come to buy a book.
RJ Cafe & Bistro is in the same building, if you want lunch or a coffee alongside it.
R.J. Julia Booksellers ↗
Worth the drive
Six, a few towns overNothing here is far. Guilford is ten minutes west, Clinton ten east, and Killingworth and Westbrook are a short run inland or up the coast.
Char & Lemon
Wood-fired pizza, house pastas and proper cocktails.
Guilford · on the greenPrime on the Green
The Guilford counterpart to Madison Prime, right on the green.
Guilford · all dayShoreline Diner
A proper diner with a surprisingly large vegetarian menu.
Killingworth · ItalianLa Foresta
One town over, and worth the trip. White tablecloths, Italian.
Westbrook · bistroCafé Routier
A New American bistro and lounge on the Post Road.
Clinton · the bigger oneGrand Apizza Shoreline
Same family, same apizza, a much larger room.
If you have a whole day
Forty-five minutes eastMystic
Make the drive
About forty-five minutes up the coast, and the scenery on the way is the point as much as the destination. Great restaurants when you get there.
Mystic, Connecticut ↗Have a blast.
Go to the beach · Eat somewhere great
Wander the Post Road · Have a drink
Drive to Mystic · Relax
And if you find a restaurant, beach, bar or hidden gem you absolutely love, tell us. We’re always looking for new favorites to add to the list.
We hope you have an amazing stay.
Nick & Christina
Madison · Connecticut