“ Hands down the best restaurant I have been to in Connecticut. PROs: -knowledgable servers every time -food quality and presentation -exquisite and creative dishes -octopus / polpo is incredible -never met the Chef or Mngr, but it's obvious they care about their quality and how well the front of the house is trained. Love seeing this. CONs -They add Lemon to their Espresso Martinis and they're not good. Hey, you can't be good at everything. -the wait to book a reservation -the stuffy and pretentious vibe inside Regardless, can't wait to return! - ”

“ Difficult to get a reservation so plan in advance, and it was so worth it! The food was solid and delicious, including the amuse bouche and their yogurt butter was amazing! I loved the monkfish entree - so many complex flavors - and the ice cream store was closed next door, so we could pick up a pint here and they wrapped it in an ice bag for us. Great service! ”

“ Arethusa al tavolo is a fantastic restaurant that lives up to the hype generated by an episode of The Dish on CBS Saturday morning news. I first learned of this farm to table restaurant from that CBS news feature a year ago and immediately added a stop to my planned holiday travels to the northeast this year. The location is a nice small town in Connecticut with a rich history. The restaurant is welcoming from the moment you enter. Our server April was awesome. My husband and I had a reservation, which is highly recommended and can be booked up to 90 days in advance. We booked at that 90 day out mark and are glad we did, since the restaurant was certainly full that evening. We started with cocktails....old fashioned and Mighty Manhattan. Both were delicous and definitely packed a punch. We ordered the flat bread and tartare starters, which were excellent. The complimentary pretzel bread and butter were great too. For our entrée we selected the steak and pork loin. They were both cooked to perfection and the combination of flavors was heavenly. At that point we found ourselves too stuffed to partake in dessert, unfortunately. However, servers came by our table twice offering samples from the chef on the house; a kind of squash and cauliflower soup in a shot glass and tiny apple muffins. We enjoyed both and appreciated the opportunity to sample other items from the menu. I also tried the figrone cocktail...delightful, to round out the evening. They also have a robust wine list and offer several different beers as well as mocktails; so most people should be able to find a beverage of their liking. The service was fantastic and we would definitely come back, should we be traveling in the region again. Thank you! ”

“ Every drink,appetizer and entree was delicious! Servers were prompt,personable and attentive without being over bearing. We loved the experience and will surely be returning. ”

“ I love it here because they work hard to create a superior culinary experience and it shows from start to finish. Ambiance I'd classify as romantic with true candles throughout. The drinks are creative. I had a Bellini and flavor was wonderful without feeling too sugary. The food had so much depth of flavor and you know they had to think it through far in advance. My favorites are the scallops and sea bass. They bring homemade whipped butter and bread too! Finally service is always on point! ”

“ I will do my best to recall what we ate. The restaurant is smaller and fancy with lots of STAFF attending to your table throughout the lengthy European style dining experience. We went three (3) plus hours with gaps between each course. Given we're in the "tech age" this would not fly everywhere but since we are in this area almost nobody should be in a rush. CARBONATED CUCUMBER YOGURT SHOT: -- super refreshing and tasty RATING = A+ FRENZY SAUVIGNON BLANC: -- I have fallen in love with New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc wines in the summer and this is no exception -- super aromatic, grapefruit, citrus, crisp, peach or other stone fruit -- right in my wheelhouse of preferred sniffs and tastes for Sauv Blanc RATING = A- SHRIMP APP on a STICK: -- super aesthetically pleasing to the eye...as is everything here -- great texture and flavors "MEDIUM-RARE" SALMON: I wish you did not have to go to the "big fancy" or "small fancy" restaurants to get fish cooked the right way. "Medium rare" is the only way to fly and the best way to ensure no dry fish. -- yum -- moist and tender -- the bulgar tomato salad is delicious even though I am not supposed to eat much tomato RATING = A+ Dad's PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE looked great but I did not sniff in. A great dining experience when you are ready to indulge in a meal that will set you back a bit in the wallet. ”

“ Arethusa is a solid 4-star dining experience in swanky/sleepy Litchfield County that is worth the wait. The team creates a diverse selection of sea-to-farm-to-table fare in an upscale interior that includes an outdoor covered-patio with a brick laid floor and a water-spouting-frog fountain. Appetizers we liked: Maine lobster on a bed of avocado surrounded by grapefruit slices; the downside is that for $31, you'd expect a more generous portion than 1-2 ounces of lobster. The yellowtail tartare was a crowd pleaser, especially when paired with a salty ridged potato chip. The beet & apple salad another terrific appetizer option. Main course: Duck prepared 3 ways: we liked the breast, but not unanimous on the pâté or the rillette. The seared diver scallops paired with onion risotto was spectacular, but for $59, you might expect more than 3 scallops. The service on the patio where we sat, was refined, often attentive, but sometimes spotty. $20 glasses of Chardonnay seem gratuitous. ”

“ We went to arethusa over a year ago. At that time the food was delicious, very vegetable focused, and had a rustic style. We liked it then but on our most recent visit we found we like it even better now. The venue is the same but the plating is beautiful-every dish is a work of art. While vegetables are not as center stage as they were it's still a seasonally and locally inspired menu. They have lots of fun cocktails too. Service is great, our waitress was knowledgeable and attentive. We were tempted to try their plated desserts but in the end couldn't resist their amazing ice cream. ”

“ My husband and I had a lovely dining experience. The ambiance was quaint and upscale. We had a wonderful server who was helpful, knowledgeable and kind; she made of dining experience so fun! For food, we ordered the fog and prosciutto flat bread to start. I got the agnolotti as my main and my husband got the steak. We ended with 3 desserts (we got excited) - chocolate torte, beignets, and a scoop of sweet cream chocolate chip. Everything was well done and delicious; you can tell its all fresh ingredients. My only qualm was the price; I did feel that the cost was on the higher end considering everything. However, I would visit again. They really bring something special to Bantam, CT. ”

“ Overall, a high quality meal with fresh, varied ingredients, and top notch staff. My reasons for not giving more than a 4 come from feeling each dish fell just short of anything more than good/great and the price points do not justify the full experience or separate itself from other "lesser" options for a special meal. Should you still go here for a special occasion, to experience it, or to say you did given its recognition? Yes...but we do not see a reason to go back more than once. I guess I'm struggling with what the place is: high-end, fine-dining restaurant with poured sauces and foams and ingredients that might have been placed using tweezers? A high-quality restaurant with dishes focused on showcasing fresh ingredients? A high-priced but relaxed restaurant? The setting and ambiance is nice, but I don't get a fine dining vibe...with starters at $20-$30 and plates at $40-$60 I expected an environment that was a bit more formal, but not in a stuffy or pretentious way. The decor is high quality but it doesn't deliver a "special" feeling that justified my internal argument before leaving the house if I should wear a tie. Based on the decor and the other diners I could have worn jeans and a sweater. The food and prices deliver fine-dining but the decor does not. We also found the entire place extremely loud due to the many hard surfaces. We sat at a 2-top across from each other and had difficulty having conversation (we are not even considered middle-aged yet). The menu is varied and provides great options for different tastes. We started with the shaved Brussels salad and the pork belly dumplings. The salad was fresh, bright, and had multiple textures and flavors but we could not describe it as anything more than "good." The dumplings were flavorful, with delicious pork belly, that made us wanting more. I enjoyed my beef short ribs dinner, but felt the item that lacked flavor the most was the beef. The added, poured, stacked ingredients provided texture, acid, and flavor but, in isolation, the beef fell way short. My wife said her scallops were big and fresh and tasty, but receiving 3 for $49 did not justify the dish. For dessert we both enjoyed our ice cream. Both dishes were a conflict of parts vs. sum. We debated our experience on the long ride home, which given the location, is probably a long ride for many guests. We both concluded it was a good experience but found no reason to return, which was unfortunate due to the many recommendations we heard from people to go here. Without listing other businesses in the Hartford to Litchfield area we have visited, we both agreed there are comparable options that deliver the same or better high-quality meal and a higher-end experience at lower price points. But, I wrote a long review that was more negative than positive and still gave it 4 stars, so what do I know... ”