Litchfield Hills, Connecticut
Winvian
Storybook Retreat
What it is
A 113-acre eden with 18 singular cottages and a famed locavore restaurant.
What it isn't
Basic. Everything here is extraordinary, from the spa (where fireplaces flicker in the treatment rooms) to the 40-foot swimming pool set within a lush meadow.
What we think
Calling Winvian Farm a magical wonderland could seem like an overstatement, but isn’t. Because in a world of corporate sameness, this family-owned spot is a retreat from all things ordinary. To start with: in lieu of guest rooms, you’ll find 18 different cottages designed by 15 architects, including a library themed bolthole with two floors of tomes and a soaring wood fireplace and Beaver Lodge, where the bed’s headboard is flanked by tree trunks, the bathroom floor is made of heated river rock, and the jacuzzi tub fills from the ceiling. Whichever cottage you choose, know that it will come with certain amenities: BOSE stereo systems, rainfall steam showers, fireplaces, jacuzzi tubs, and wi-fi—not that you’ll care to use it.
You're here because
You want to unplug a la Henry David Thoreau, but retain latter-day indulgences, and Winvian’s activities list does your dream justice: you can take pasta cooking classes, do a chocolate tasting with their executive pastry chef, kayak Bantam Lake, learn fencing with an Olympic master...in short, you won’t be bored while finding your bliss.
The Moment
You’ve dined in your fair share of exquisite restaurants, but none hold a candle to Winvian’s, where fires flicker within the 18th century dining room and some 80% of the vegetables and flowers on the prix fixe menu comes straight from the fields beyond the window. Sigh.
Restaurants & Bars
Restaurant at Winvian Farm - Executive Chef Chris Eddy creates fresh and spontaneous farm-to-table menus
Location
In the charming rolling hills of Connecticut’s Litchfield County (a.k.a. the area where Gilmore Girls was supposedly set), a ten minute drive to the entrance of Bantam Lake, the state’s largest at 947 acres.