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Mention of the name Mystic in Connecticut usually brings three things to mind: the 19-acre Mystic Seaport Museum; that famous Mystic Pizza shop portrayed in the 1980s movie of the same name, which launched a young Julia Roberts’ career; and food – Mystic is a 21st century foodie destination.
Mystic is a relaxed, yet surprisingly lively port town on the Connecticut coast. Picturesque and surrounded by quaint villages, its natural beauty inspired Mystic’s renowned 20th century artist colony, a side of creative life here that is captured at the Mystic Museum of Art.
And it’s known for a drawbridge that regularly rises to let sailing craft continue up and down the Mystic River, stopping traffic and pedestrians as if to say, slow down. Pause a minute.
Situated by that historic bascule bridge, right in the heart of downtown Mystic, The Whaler’s Inn has operated as one form of lodging or another for more than 125 years.
It is now made up of five different buildings surrounding a central car park. Each “house” has its own story, but all are now uniformly transformed into a boutique hotel, within walking distance of Mystic’s quirky boutiques and amazing bakeries and restaurants.
The main inn dates to 1920 and houses a bright lobby, done out in nautical crisp white and bright blues. Help-yourself coffee is available and a gift shop sells essentials and ephemera.
Some rooms have views over the bascule bridge and the Mystic River as it flows into Long Island Sound. But all guest rooms mix practicality and style: They are spacious and have a chic, but soothing palette of white with seal grey trim, and indigo and cream patterned carpet.
Bathrooms are enveloped in white subway tile and pale grey marble, and have jetted tub-showers. Rope tie hooks double as wall hooks for robes; other nautical touches throughout the room are boat paddles and mast flags as art. Gas fires add a cozy touch and much warmth during the colder seasons.
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Rooms in the Hoxie House, named for a former hotel built here, are dominated by big, very high, supremely comfortable beds – there’s a wooden step stool to help with clambering up!
The 1865 House has seven guest rooms, including two impressive spacious suites. This was the home (built in 1865) of shipbuilder George W. Mallory, who operated his business on part of what is now the Mystic Seaport Museum, which was founded in 1929 to preserve America’s seafaring past: whaling, slaving, warts and all. The Seaport Museum has a miniature replica of this splendid Victorian house.
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Thoroughly modernized now, the two included suites are The Mallory Suite and The Morgan Suite. The Mallory has two bedrooms with one including bunk beds for children – perfect for families. The large and airy Morgan Suite is a romantic retreat with a double-sided fireplace warming the sleeping and lounge areas. Its large white subway-tiled bathroom has a double vanity, jetted tub and shower.
Like all rooms, beds are invitingly decked out in brilliant white tufted quilts and linens; and each room includes coffee makers and robes to slip into.
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The latest component in this comfy inn’s evolution is The Shipwright’s Daughter. Opened by chef David Standridge in 2020, The Shipwright’s Daughter gives the inn a signature restaurant and adds another must-visit spot to Mystic’s renowned dining portfolio.
Standridge’s resume includes Michelin-starred chef Joël Robuchon’s L’Atelier in Manhattan; the seasonal, farm-to-table influenced West Village restaurant Market Table; and Greenwich Village clean eating haunt Café Clover’s Clover Grocer.
The Shipwright’s Daughter’s picture windows look onto the gentle bustle of East Main Street. Royal blue velveteen banquets and vintage oak flooring warm its fresh white seaside chic design. It is open for breakfast through late-night drinks.
Standridge’s menus encompass first class farm-and-sea-to-table cuisine, mostly built of local and seasonal produce. The menu includes much from cod chowder with in-house made oyster crackers to a lemon chicken with Standridge’s own tangy dehydrated powdered lemon.
Standridge’s plant-based dishes shine: perfectly roasted heirloom carrots on a whipped creamy cashew butter have a citrusy cumin dressing; a sweet potato roulade topped with pickled huckleberries is served with a calming, tender dice of turnip and beet; smoky soft roasted eggplant with delicate cascabel chilis is finished with bright coriander; and a stuffed honeynut squash roasted to a caramel-y finish is served with maitake mushrooms and lacinato kale.
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Floor staff are knowledgeable and invested. But the restaurant is far from formal: it’s as much a destination as it is a place for locals to pop in for a burger and a beer or two. And a backing soundtrack running from The Smiths to Sinatra makes the place swing.
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