Arethusa Farm Dairy

Impossible to describe how incredible this tasted. My goodness I ate so much my tummy hurt. I couldn’t stop. What a surprise for my taste buds. The chocolate (and chocolate chunk?) was out of this world. Went back for the coffee ice cream the next day. Buts it’s not just the ice cream. The cheeses. The Swiss like cheese ( crybaby ) ? Unbelievable. We had to others on a board from their restaurant next store and came back to bring some home. Finally the butter. They got everything right. Both days the counter help was great thank you for helping us remember what we had and liked.

If you want great ice cream this is the place! What would you expect except excellence from an ice cream store that has it's own dairy farm! If you like ice cream... come here, you won't be disappointed!

I love their coffee ice cream and their raspberry flavor. All the other flavors are great too, but these are my two favorites. Their milk is great and cheeses, as well as butter. It’s a really cozy spot after visiting either their next-door restaurant or any other great locally owned restaurants.

Great ice cream!! V creamy! Cute dairy, would definitely trek out for it again

Our 1st time here and let me tell you, we loved it. Not only was it easy to park, but the staff couldn't be friendlier or more polite. We ordered the strawberry ice cream and the cherry and chocolate. Loved both flavors and I think it was the best tasting ice cream I've had. Can't wait to try other flavors.

How can you go wrong with quality ingredients, attentive service, and simple flavors that just hit your palate in the right way. No toppings, no sprinkles, no nothing, need it on any of the ice creams that are served here. The flavors are always rich, delicious and on point. Some of our favorites include the peach ice cream, vanilla ice cream and raspberry ice cream. Rotating flavors on the menu board indicate what is being served when. This truly is the way ice cream is meant to taste wholesome goodness in your waffle cone cup.

Ice cream was incredible. I was pretty disappointed that only 2 cheeses were available and the butter was sold out too. Next time maybe I should check first. I was as excited about trying the cheeses as the ice cream, but the sweet cream ice cream lessened my disappointment 😇

The real deal. Everything you want in a creamy, dreamy, fresh ice cream straight from a farm. The stuff of Midwest dreams. Loved everything - the peppermint stink with chunks of peppermint, the chocolate with chocolate chunks, vanilla, and sweet cream with chocolate chunks. Every flavor is a win. 5 stars!!!

MAPLE WALNUT ICE CREAM (pint): -- we picked up a pint and brought it home where I added more walnuts -- color of ice cream is off-white -- I got a nice, rounded scoop -- very creamy, smooth and milky -- authentic maple flavor moderate plus RATING = A I also tried their WHOLE MILK while in town and it was next level. Combine this with a top shelf cookie and you would be in bakery dairy heaven.

Arethusa offers some of the tastiest local ice creams I've ever had. It's been a while since I've been to one of their locations, since the West Hartford location isn't what it once was. Arethusa's home location is in Bantam. Here you may also find their coffee shop as well as their restaurant. It's a whole little community of everything Arethusa. It was very busy when we arrived at Arethusa. The line was long, but moved fast. They have around 8 - 10 in house made ice cream flavors. I forgot how super generous they are with filling your cup, with just one scoop. They will also do half and half scoops. I went with the coffee flavor. Of course, nothing was light about it. From the rich, authentic coffee flavor, to the overflowing scoop in my cup. As much as I enjoyed this flavor for its authentic taste, I should have gone half with coconut or vanilla, just to mellow out the richness a bit. I still enjoyed it so much that I drank the remaining melted ice cream from my cup. For truly the best ice cream in Connecticut give Arethusa a try!

Stopped here on 4th of July on my way to Hidden Valley Preserve. Got here at 10:45 thinking we'd be the 1st ones there that morning but there were already a few groups outside eating ice cream. The sweet cream w/ chocolate chips and toasted almond coconut were excellent and the waffle cone made it absolutely outstanding. Wish it was closer but it's in a scenic area and well worth the drive.

Life-changing ice cream. The best I've ever had in my life. We stopped in for a quick cone while in Litchfield, and ordered a few different flavors: strawberry, chocolate with dark chocolate chunks and cranberry with chocolate chunks. All of them were incredible. I would drive an hour just for the ice cream.

The real deal. Everything you want in a creamy, dreamy, fresh ice cream straight from a farm. The stuff of Midwest dreams. Loved everything - the peppermint stink with chunks of peppermint, the chocolate with chocolate chunks, vanilla, and sweet cream with chocolate chunks. Every flavor is a win. 5 stars!!!

Fabulous ice cream! Loved the different flavors (chocolate with chocolate chips, vanilla, peach, mint chocolate chip, pumpkin, cherry). I tasted the peach ice cream, real peaches! I ordered the pumpkin and the chocolate & chocolate chip. The chocolate is very rich, so good. You must stop here if you're in the area.

ORIGIN: In 1999 Vice President and President of New York-based Manolo Blahnik shoes, Anthony Yurgaitis and George Malkemus, purchased a 350 acre dairy farm to protect the view from their Litchfield home. The dairy farm, previously owned by the Webster family since the mid-19th century, was named Arethusa after the native pink orchid that grows in boggy areas. In time, the farm's structures and purpose were restored, becoming the home of 350 pampered dairy cows. National awards followed, as did the opening of this storefront in Bantam's former firehouse in 2011. LOCATION: The literal brick and mortar storefront for Aresthusa Farm is located on the primary thoroughfare that stretches across Bantam (Route 202/Bantam Road). A parking lot is located behind, accessible via a turn onto Doyle Road. While there is no seating inside, several wooden benches line the front entrance. CONCEPT: The store sells award-winning and highly regarded products from the Litchfield dairy, including ice cream, cheese, and milk. FOOD and BEVERAGES: Ice cream flavors are limited, with expanded options produced seasonally. For example, during the winter holiday season you will find rum raisin, cranberry and dark chocolate, and pumpkin and ginger molasses cookie flavored ice cream. Ice cream is served in cones, cups, and shakes, as well as through take home containers. Looking for something savory? A variety of cheeses, including Camembert, Gouda, and Cheddar, are sold from refrigerator cases. SERVICE: As noted by other customers, service is not consistent in terms of feeling welcomed. In my most recent visit, the two people working the counter exchanged comments as I took photos for this review. The store was empty at the time, and I had purchased $60 worth of goodies, but apparently efforts to quickly capture the three products I had purchased via store-based photos was annoying. TIPS: Eggnog from the dairy is produced during the winter holidays and is a real treat. The product is sold in old fashioned glass milk bottles with festive painted labels with designs that mark the year. Cloth ribbon adorned boxes of cheese are also available during the winter holiday season -- an easy and likely welcomed house gift. White paper boxes with clear tops are available to create custom gifts, and are able to neatly fit four pints of ice cream.

Went to see my grandchildren in New Fairfield. This place came highly recommended to them but unfortunately they didn't research. They were expected "a farm" with animals for the kids. There was none of that. Basically there's 2 standing structures. An upscale dinner place (the menu looks amazing) , an ice cream shop, and the sandwich lunch place. Small menu but everything was good. We had a tuna sandwich, a fried chicken sandwich and the roast beef. All was delish. Really good bread. Grapes on the side. Very clean.

Clean and efficient ice cream location! Ice cream portions were huge and ice cream was super creamy. We had the chocolate chocolate chip and it was delicious. Long line on a Sunday night and they were very efficient with getting through the line Server who I think was the manager was sweet and helpful.

Quality ice cream nice flavor very creamy I would say it was very good but not the best I have had . But if you go by the place it's worth stopping ....

Service was fast and friendly. The store was perfectly clean. The ice cream was very good. I would have given them five stars if they had seating available.

Always a staple in our family and perfect every time! I share with the kids because I would never finish a single cup but that doesn't stop me from enjoying their ice cream. We also buy their egg nog every year & collect the bottles!

While the service here is great, the ice cream does not live up to the hype. Many people say its the best ice cream, but it has never had a great taste. I love ice cream, and this is one that I will not be getting again.

Fantastic service Fantastic food Old school ice cream parlor atmosphere Make sure you come early and know what you want ahead of time. Card use preferred

Delicious ice cream and dairy products! The cheese is always great and they have fun ice cream flavors that are sure to please. Prices are reasonable and everything tastes fresh.

Arethusa ice cream is by far some of the past you'll ever have! The Litchfield (Bantam) location is the original one, with the farm just a short distance down the street. They also have a restaurant (Arethusa al Tavolo) right next door, and a breakfast/lunch cafe (Arethusa a Mano) directly across the street. The ice cream is just simply, amazing. Their selection is not huge, with just about 12 flavors to choose from (Classic, Specialty, and Seasonal). And there are also no toppings available (but honestly, you don't need them!). You can combine two flavors into one scoop if you choose. Besides ice cream, they sell other dairy products like milk, cheese, yogurt, etc. I went and got the Coconut with Dark Chocolate Chunks in a waffle cone, and it was so creamy and delicious! If you got on a spring/summer weekend day, the line will likely be out the door (or pretty close). But they usually have a lot of staff working and so it moves quickly. The service is very good, they definitely have the process down. There's no seating inside, but a few tables outside in front of the building. Parking is available in a lot behind the building. Arethusa also has two ice cream locations in New Haven and West Hartford and the ice cream is just as good. A spot you need to check out this summer!

Worth the drive for the best ice cream, great service and scrumptious dairy products!

I loved my experience here. It is located in the beautiful town of Bantam. There is a parking lot located in the back with plenty of space. They offer many different ice cream, cheese and milk. The dairy is on premises. Everything in the store is made fresh only feet away from where you are buying it. The ice cream was amazing. You can get two scoops of freshly made ice cream for a similar price of the chain ice cream shops. I'd rather pay a slightly higher price to have much better and fresher quality. Excited to go back next time and try some of the cheeses that are made there as well. Five stars!

Amazing ice cream, not too pricey. Lots of flavors and generous scoops. Good service and outdoor seating.

Delicious chocolate dark chocolate chunk and sweet cream ice cream! My boyfriend loved the old fashioned almond with toasted coconut as well

A friend, Bryan, told me about this place and that I had to stop here. He didn't overhype it, but did say it was the best ice cream he had ever had. It wasn't in the cards, until I glanced out the window and noticed a long line, read the sign, and realized we were literally passing by this recommended ice cream shop. My mom turned around, and we parked the car and hopped in line, which was socially distanced. They listed the flavors on a sign closer to the front of the line, so you could better prepare for when you went inside to place your order. Although the line was long, we probably waited for under 10 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. I got the 1 scoop (which was 2 balls) with the pumpkin and sweet cream with chocolate chips. My mom opted for the 1 scoop with coffee and chocolate chocolate chunk. We went to our car to eat the ice cream. The minute I put the spoon to my lips I knew that I had just experienced something magical. The pumpkin was exceptional. So was the sweet cream with the chocolate chips. This is one of those places that is now on my list, that I would make the six hour drive to experience this again. I tried my mom's flavors as well and they were divine. I don't even know how to describe the ice cream, except that it was a religious experience. Don't even ask for sprinkles, toppings, or cherries, they don't do that here and you don't need it. Just experience this flavor explosion and bit of heaven on earth. Make your mouth the happiest it will ever be by trying this ice cream.

Great ice cream. So rich. A must stop in Litchfield County. I haven't been to the formal restaurant they have.

Store was rustic, very clean and neat. They don't have an expansive variety of ice cream flavors to choose from. The ice cream is no frills, no thrills. Basic boring flavors, but I will say that it's made from quality ingredients. Definitely didn't live up to the hype, but still good ice cream! It would be great if they had indoor seating for their guests. It would make the experience much more enjoyable as we had to stand out doors in the rain!

Ok ice cream, definetly not worth the hype! Small I cream is 2scoops, so cant complain about portions. I had the cherry and chocolate chip... disappointing tasted like vanilla and not a chip to be had. So thought the portions were good the flavor and other ingredients were lacking! My friend got the vanilla, which tasted just like my cherry, except the vanilla was grainy and lot of ice crystals, which meant that at some point it was not kept frozen. Over all a cute place but with all the other homemade hand made ice cream joints not at the top of the list. I did buy some of their cheese, now there is a reason to drive there! Rich, creamy, flavorful.... Excellent on a baguette !

Arethusa Farm is a local farm that has has 3 separate outposts (all next to/across the street from each other) where they sell their produce: 1) A formal restaurant 2) A casual cafe & 3) A tiny spot for homemade ice cream. This page is for their ice cream outpost. The place does not have any seating inside or out, but their ice cream quality is fantastic. They had my go-to flavor, chocolate chip, but I was very lucky because they only had ~6 ice cream flavors in total. They make delicious homemade waffle cones in addition to their ice cream, and they have large sized cake cones as well, however they do not have any sugar cones so come prepared. The staff was not very friendly either, so come prepared for that as well. Ice Cream Quality: 10/10 Flavor Variety: 1/3 Environment: 1/3 Cone Quality: 2/2 Sufficient Mix-In's: 2/2 Overall: 8/10

I was so eager to go to this flagship store considering I generally go to new haven location which I simply love from service, to ambiance. This town is adorable and quaint but this location lacks the coziness of New Haven and the selection in flavors is far more limited here. The taste is just as great as are the decadent waffle cones but the service was terrible!! Came here on a March Monday amid all this corona chaos in the hopes to take out a little stress with some sweet sensation and instead get not nos a terrible attitude from the dark haired bearded gentleman but a rather confrontational reply to boot. His coworker quickly picked up on his negativity and was eager to rectify the situation but I was so taken back, I kept with what I had. My husband and I immediately said that we would never return to this location. Figured we would get the best from the mother store but so far from the truth! Avoid the young dark haired bearded kid if you don't want to be traumatized...by the way, the bathroom porta potty in the outside back parking lot was another instant turn off...seriously??? New Haven gets 5 stars and this gets 2 stars only because the fair haired red head came to the rescue otherwise it would have been 1 star!

Dairy like it should be. They make their cheese, yogurt, and ice cream right there. They age the cheese in a nearby building. Gorgeous, handmade, delicious, crafted, cared-for cheeses that are worth every penny! The owner is simply lovely. Cares about his staff, his cows, and his customer. He has built up the community as well (local shop owners and my local family told me how much he has done to put Bantam on the map).

The ice cream is good. .... However they let too many "non" service dogs in there which is pretty disgusting.

Arethusa Farm Dairy is a farm and artisanal creamery that opened in Litchfield, Connecticut in 2011. It was founded by business partners George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis. The dairy farm itself was founded by the Webster Family in the 1860s. They named the farm Arethusa for the small pink orchid that grew in a swamp on the land. Arethusa Farm originally started as a dairy farm which delivered milk and dairy products locally. George and Tony purchased the dairy farm in 1999 with the hope of saving open farmland. Eventually the partners became interested in establishing their own dairy herd; they now have over 300 prized dairy cows on the farm. They began bottling milk and selling it in local stores. An old brick firehouse was purchased in the Bantam section of town and it was converted into a creamery and retail store. In 2013, George and Tony purchased the building next store (the old village general store) and converted it into a farm-to-table restaurant called Arethusa al Tavolo. The following year, a building across the street was purchased and converted into a cafe and pastry shopped dubbed Arethusa a Mano. Additional creameries/retail stores were opened in New Haven in 2016 and West Hartford in 2020. My wife, son and I visited Arethusa Farm Dairy this past weekend. We had just gone hiking in the area and had a craving for some ice cream. My wife and I had previously visited the New Haven location, but this was our first time at the original Bantam location. My wife ordered a cup of Peach with Raspberry, I ordered a cup of Pumpkin with Mint Chip, and our son had a cup of Vanilla. We were very happy with our choices! We also loved how the owners of Arethusa Farm beautifully restored and repurposed the old buildings that now house their businesses. We look forward to future trips to the area so we can try the food at Arethusa al Tavolo and Arethusa a Mano.

We could not pass up the opportunity to grab Arethusa Farm ice cream prior to our dinner reservation at Arethusa al Tavolo. Although the ice cream is costly, the portion sizes are absolutely massive and could easily be shared between two people. We can attest that the portions at the Arethusa Farm Dairy are much larger than those served at Arethusa al Tavolo for dessert... so we definitely recommend an early dessert or waiting until your meal is finished if you are in the area for dinner!

Outstanding ice cream. I read many reviews but missed trying them last summer. I remember something about you had to try the coffee ice cream. That was the one to have. Well they were right on target. The coffee ice cream was delightful. The chocolate chocolate chunk was also great. I was going to order a sundae but I found out they don't carry toppings. That's when you know their product is amazing, which it was and most certainly is. Can't wait to go back for more.

Sorry not the best ice-cream.. not creamy and all the freezer slides were open and the ice-cream was very soft when the woman scooped it many people complained..woman behind counter was rude.. love the yogurt and cheese but will not be getting ice-cream again

Ok Yelpers whoever and wherever you might be, I've got a gripe. The most recent Yelp list of the 100 best ice cream shops in the USA -- who decided this anyway? -- included two in Connecticut. Only they got them wrong. They left off Arethusa in Bantam, which is -- let's be totally honest here -- higher quality and downright tastier than Ferris Acres in Newtown, one of the stores on the Yelp list. (We've never tried Rich Farm in Oxford, the other CT store, so we'll withhold judgment on it). But the Yelp list also omitted the Walpole Creamery in Walpole NH, which is a serious rival to Arethusa and also superior to Ferris Acres, in our humble yet occasionally authoritative view. Of course, the bottom line here is that there really isn't a bad ice cream anywhere that we've ever tasted, so everything (including our opinions) is pretty darned relative. And we're talking about ice cream; maybe we should all take a breather and go get some, right?

Arethusa is slowly taking over the town of Bantam, and this was their first conquest. The store houses coolers of cheese, milk, seasonally eggnog, and (best of all) ice cream. It smells delicious, and their ice cream is creamy and refreshing. If you look at the ingredient list, it includes recognizable names like "sugar" instead of chemicals. As good as the ice cream is, in my humble opinion is the best is the cheese. The Mount Tom and the Tapping Reeve are some of their older varieties, and although I like one more then the other, I never remember which so I always get both. The extra cheese is never regretted. My current recommendation is the Diva cheese - it's very soft, even softer then a brie, and I just wish it was sold in stop and shop with longer hours!

The sweet cream with chocolate chips is the best pure ice cream I've ever had. Fantastic service as well.

I love ice cream from Arethusa farm. I visited the New Haven and Hartford ones many times. Finally went to Bantam to try from the original location. Ice cream was good and creamy as always. Pumpkin flavor was my favorite today, followed by coconut with chocolate chunks and cranberry walnut. Chocolate with chocolate chunks was good as well, but a bit bitter. My only disappointment was that they didn't have pistachio flavor.

Stopped in after lunch, so we weren't hungry enough to try the ice cream. The whole place smelled like waffle cones though, which was a huge plus. We bought some egg nog to take home and it's amazing!! Even for $10, well worth it. If you're at Arethusa for lunch or dinner, or anywhere in the general area, stop in for some fresh milk, eggs, cheese, or ice cream. Or eg nog at Christmas time!

Arethusa Farm's ice cream is Top Notch. Even on a cold, windy day here in Connecticut in late October, business inside was very brisk. I ordered a two scoop cup of sour cherry & almond toasted coconut, my wife went with a two scoop waffle cone of butter pecan & pumpkin spice w/ ginger snap swirl. All the flavors were very fresh tasting, our favorite was the almond toasted coconut, it was AWESOME. The pumpkin spice had a bit of aftertaste of the ginger snap, but my wife still loved it. Prices were extremely reasonable, a bit of a surprise considering where this business is located. We are looking forward to MANY return trips to Arethusa Farm for ice cream in the future, long lines be damned ! A super-easy 5 Star review.

In terms of quality of the ice cream that they serve, I think Arethusa has the best ice cream. They don't have a ton of flavors or toppings if that's your thing. But they absolutely nail flavors like chocolate, vanilla, pumpkin and almond with toasted coconut. I don't generally order chocolate ice cream, but Arethusa's is amazing.

Very creamy decadent ice cream. I wish they allowed samples, and also... a smaller size? That's crazy to say, eh? But really, this photo is of a "single scoop, small" WHAT! I loved the fact I got two flavors in a single scoop, but I did have some regrets after that. I love ice cream but sometimes I'd prefer to pay less, to have less. Also, I wish they had a bit more variety. All in all- I'd return and recommend for sure though.

After paying $11 for a chicken salad sandwich on a bagel across the street, I was thinking that the pricing here for a cone would be way up in the 90th percentile. Boy, was I wrong. A small cone (two scoops!) only cost a paltry $3.25. And the ice cream was among the very best I've had in a long while. They have a full dairy farm just four miles away and their store sells more than ice cream -milk, cheese, yogurt, butter and eggnog. Their ice cream has 16% butterfat, so it qualifies as "super premium" and it's taste sure merits that description. My small cone was two big scoops, so I went with one of Coconut with Dark Chocolate Chunks and one of Sour Cherry with Dark Chocolate Chunks. At $3.25 it was the biggest ice cream bargain I have seen in a while, but the real shocker was just how delicious the ice cream was. Any ice cream adjective you can think of works here- creamy, decadent, smooth, luxurious, sweet, creamy -pick them all because they all apply. They are open daily - Sun-Thurs from 10:00am - 8:00pm and Fri-Sat from 10:00am - 10:00pm.

The best ice cream out there, period. Every single flavor is perfect! And it's local. Staff is incredible too!

I've been to Arethusa Farms' New Haven store once and thought the ice cream was very good, although my 2 scoops had several ice crystals, which is not normal. I decided to give the Bantam location a visit since I was in the area. No ice crystals this time as the ice cream has a rich, buttery texture. I had a cup with 2 scoops, coconut with almond and coconut with chocolate chunks, so that costs $5.75. As others have said, these are huge scoops, so one scoop will be enough for most people. The people working behind the counter are super nice. And I am looking to forward to trying the 3 cheeses (Blue, Tapping Reserve, Mount Tom) I bought from their refrigerated section!

Simply the Best........... Natural ingredients, Great taste, Delicious! Basic is all you need for fresh dairy ice cream. No Toppings No Fuss =Delicious

DELICIOUS ice cream- the woman scooping it today- not very nice- sharply told 3 gents who just got theirs to "go outside- you can't stand here" ( there was no one else in shop) When tried to order a cone 1/2 chocolate, 1/2 vanilla for my 5 year old grandson was sharply told- "only one flavor allowed- so NO" VERY unfriendly- but ice cream was top notch- She kinda ruined our visit!!!

Really good ice cream. The staff is out of this world rude. Making fun of customers right behind the register where others can hear. Plus your sizing is totally ridiculous.

The food was delicious and extremely rich; portions are on the smaller side just be prepared for that. Service was excellent our waiter was attentive. Drinks were excellent and strong. The restaurant was packed nothing special to look at inside very plain. Food is good but not a place I would want you to go to all the time.

Cute ice cream spot. There wasn't seating inside but there is seating outside. They have other items for sale inside.

This place is awesome. What a find! If you are in the area and want some delicious ice cream, this is a must stop. Try the Butter Pecan. The taste is heavenly. I found this little gem on the recommendation of some locals. Glad I did too because the flavor was great. They have benches outside so you can eat in the sun. Very nice. They are currently giving pumpkin ice cream samples and so remember to ask for a sample. They have some wonderful flavors but are somewhat limited on toppings. Still worth a visit because the Ice Cream is really authentic tasting. The inside is nice too. They also sell Milk and Cheese here. It's a lovely little Dairy shop and well worth checking out.