Marty’s Cafe

I had been by here a billion times… and had never tried this place.
BF likes the Gilmore Girls so in the process of going on the «where I grew up» tour through the area, I took him here since allegedly Luke’s Diner is modeled after Marty’s, though I don’t agree with that at all. (The Depot being the basis for Stars Hollow however, I do agree with) Luke would never have wifi or such foo foo things as paninis. ;)
That said, I very much enjoyed my chicken and goat cheese panini. The shop was very cute & comfortable so we hung out for a while and just enjoyed our lunch before exploring Hickory Stick afterwards.

This place is so-​so. Biggest complaint is the service. Went by today at 4:30…posted hours are until 5. Lady was in there but the door was locked. She did not even acknowledge us or say sorry that they are closed early. All we wanted was some hot cocoa for the kids. Another family came right after us and received the same treatment. A shame overall.

We spend most of our weekends here in the area and gave several chances to this place for takeout breakfast or eat-​in but never satisfied my appetite. Baked goods taste very generic and it looks like nothing is baked in house as they claim, also they are not that friendly as you would aspect in a town like this… got step up a notch!

We basically came here based solely on the photos, thanks to one of the previous reviewers for posting all the great shots!
Food or drink was secondary for us today. We were looking for a comfy café with lots of light, COUCHES and nice artistic décor that didn’t look like a jumbled mess of tacky nightmare-​inducing garage sale fodder like some other coffee joints. Somewhere to feel relaxed and work on the laptop if needed.
Marty’s nails it. The vintage wood door, matching dark aged wood furniture against light paneled walls and carpet, the comfy couches and pillows we were looking for and light jazz music. Perfect!
(Okay, if I had to nitpick, I would prefer real Jazz classics as opposed to smooth Jazz, but eh)
Had a cappuccino and cranberry muffin for about $ 6. I don’t think that’s that bad of a price, especially if you’re going to stick around and enjoy the ambience and free wifi. Of course, I’m from Hipster California so I’m used to high coffee bar prices.
As for the lady that works here, I was pleasantly greeted and quickly served.
I started on the right foot with common manners of course, and saying a nice short greeting, please, and thank you will take you a long way with most people. So treat her with respect and courtesy and you’ll get it in return.
Oh and the cappuccino was very good! The cranberry muffin was exactly as you would expect, and a good size.
Again, prices don’t seem that big of a deal to me, but either way I’ll share a photo of the menu so you can judge before coming.

I’ve been here many times, live in Washington, and think I can write a solid review.
Pros:
— This is a great place to meet up. Washington (and the Depot, etc.) don’t have many spots where you’re able to just sit and have a wonderful conversation with either a friend or a business partner.
— It has wifi. If you live in Washington, this is a perk! It’s also a nice place to catch up on some work online — because it’s fairly quiet.
— You are never rushed.
Cons:
— It’s a bit expensive for what it is. Prices for small things, like a cookie, are a little surprising.
— Food, for me, has been inconsistent.
So overall, if you’re going to meet up with friends or a business partner, I give it a thumbs up. If you’re going for breakfast or lunch? I likely would have some better suggestions.

I recently made a trip up to Washington Depot, and got coffee and a panini for lunch at Marty’s. I had the chicken and goat cheese panini, and had spinach added. It was so yummy! It was not a small sandwich, and I couldn’t help but eat the whole thing. I would have had another if I had room! The coffee was great, and my friend and I loved sitting outside at their outdoor tables and chatting in the sun. This is a great little spot! Next time we’ll make sure to save room for ice cream.

My boyfriend and I were going to Martys for many years. We love to drive around Litchfield county and this was always our place to stop for breakfast or lunch or tea. We spent a lot of money there, but we didn’t mind the prices initially realizing you always pay more in a place like this. However, we noticed the gradual decline in quality of food and even more noticed how the portion sizes continued to get smaller with less on the side. Used to get a nice chicken burrito with a lot of chicken in it and rice/​salsa on the side. Now, the burrito is just full of junky cheese and can barely find a trace of chicken and no more rice on the side, but just potato chips (which don’t go with a burrito!). Last time we were there a few months ago, we were fuming after getting our bill in which we were charged extra for items (such as a small cup of salsa that is supposed to come with a certain dish) and hot cocoa was like $ 6.00. We didn’t say anything at the time, but then agreed that we just can’t go back. It’s a shame as we really miss having that place to stop and relax a bit. Atmosphere is cozy, but staff is never friendly. They barely look up to say hi — particularly the owner who knows we are regulars there.

So yummy we ate here twice! Great location in picturesque Washington Depot, friendly service and AWESOME quiche, chicken avocado sandwich and crumb cake. Yum. Definitely a great place for food! If I lived in the area I’d definitely stop in regularly and linger a bit with a book and a coffee… and crumb cake. :)

Great coffee and a fantastic place to munch, have coffee and meet friends. The menu varies and the owner is present and making constant improvements. It’s what Starbucks always wished it could be, a great coffee place with great food and with a real sense of community.

Good service and a great selection. You have got to try the Cuban panini or the fresh soups. The coffee and espresso options are diverse for the small location and I would definitely recommend it to anyone

Very nice looking place, comfortable and free wifi. That’s the good part — the bad part is food is… often not fresh and coffee is just OK. Oh BTW I have heard better background music at my dentist — who is picking the channel. The biggest concern is freshness of the food — for example how long have those bagels with cream cheese been sitting out?
Is it always so cold in here?

I ran into into Marty’s for 3 coffees this afternoon after picking up my books at the Hickory Stick Book Shop. I’ve been in before and have always enjoyed their coffee and muffins. Today I noticed a «Tapas Menu» posted and decided to run out to the car and drag my mom and grandmother in. We sat — relaxed and ordered a few plates off the menu. Mom and Grandma each had a glass of wine — and we shared generous portions of chicken meatballs — crab cake sliders and a plate of brownies. The food was well prepared — perfectly seasoned and presented by friendly and attentive staff. The plates were very reasonably priced — and a perfect afternoon snack. I would recommend stopping in and trying out the menu items. We will certainly return!

I agree with other commenters here that Marty’s can have a snobby feel to it and various staff members there need an attitude adjustment. If you can get beyond that (understandable if you can’t) you can get a decent sandwich and coffee drink there.

I totally agree with LC. My Husband and I stopped in there today and once last week. The older women behind the counter is anything but friendly. She was even rude to a younger fellow worker when we were there last week. Besides the fact that another individual make the cappuccinos today and they were terrible. Way too hot froth. They not only need lessons in Customer service but making coffee drinks. Time to move on to far better coffe houses. No more try’s.

The first thing I saw when I walked in was the funky zebra striped couch. Further in I noticed a warm and cozy space furnished with equally contemporary décor that I really enjoyed. One of the hippest-​looking cafes I’ve been in here in Connecticut, I’d say. A welcome change from the chains and also more aesthetically pleasing than other non-​chains. A few comfy-​looking couches, a section of books, many tables including a large one by the bathroom for big groups, occupy the space nicely.
My boyfriend and I ordered a couple of iced coffees while we were here today. Small for me and medium for him — and together it was six bucks and change. I thought that was a bit pricey for what we got. I told him that and he said, «Hey, it’s Litchfield County.»
The counter is located in the middle of the café and there were many delicious-​looking treats like coffee cakes, rice krispie squares, brownies, cookies, etc. but we passed on the food because we had just eaten lunch before going to the café and had already had dessert.
Woman behind the counter did not exude warmth and attentiveness that I typically experience at the West Hartford and shoreline coffee spots I frequent, but she wasn’t overly unpleasant either. Similarly, when I was waiting in line to go to the bathroom I commented to another employee who was wiping down a table close by, how impressed I was with what they had done to the space visually — and I received a lukewarm response.
The coffee was good and the iced held up with a nice bold flavor, as someone had mentioned to us before we made the decision to go. If I am ever back in the area I would certainly come back. Good coffee and cool space trumps mediocre service, at least in this case.

I so want to patronize my local coffeeshop, but every time I try, I have a bad experience. The woman who is often behind the counter is a NASTY GRUMP and the other staff is slow and not very accomodating. I’ll stick with 9 Main in New Preston or Lazy Frogs in Morris, where the stafff is friendly and the vibe is much less pretentious –Marty’s is East Hampton in CT.
If the weather’s nice, grab a fresh roasted turkey sandwich and a trailblazer cookie at the Pantry nearby and sit outside.

The décor and vibe are totally charming. My croissant, however, was not: stiff and heavy, it felt like it was either from a quik-​e-​mart or was day-​old. Homemade lemonade was perfectly sweet and sour. I’ll definitely give this place another chance. The cooked breakfasts looked excellent.

This is by far my favorite spot to stop at while on a weekend drive in the hubby’s Porsche (he gets upset when I don’t capitalize that!) We’ve stopped at Marty’s several times for lunch or an afternoon snack and we’ve always left happy. I love the ginger peach iced tea and the chocolate croissants, and we’ve never tried a soup there we didn’t love (especially the gazpacho). We love stopping here for a snack and drink, then continuing on to either Kent or the winery at Lake Waramaug for the afternoon. Great food and even better people watching.

A fabulous little coffee shop in the heart of Washington Depot, Connecticut. A gentrified jewel that offers a great selection of coffee, tea & food to match. Close your eyes and you’d think you were on the upper west side. You’ll find a congenial mix of «city folks in the country for the weekend» bumping into other «city folks in the country for the weekend». Wireless Internet and a pleasant assortment of seating and décor invite you to stay longer than anticipated. Latte sipping patrons seated at one of the outdoor café tables can enjoy errant Range Rovers & Mercedes jockey for parking positions.
See you at Marty’s!

What I Liked: Great Veggie Wrap & decent chai latte (not too sweet, even when Splendified)
What I Disliked: Proprietor loudly talking on her mobile right next to me in the café while I was eating; food (two veggie wraps for Mom & I) took ~45 min to arrive (!!!); they had run out of the whole wheat tortillas
Overall: Nice place in a beautiful section of the state, but too crowded & citified for my liking