Simon's Marketplace in Chester, CT is located right in the town's historic district, and the setting is probably its strongest feature. The deli and coffee house has a very antique, old-school vibe that fits nicely with the charm of the area. They offer coffee, sweet treats, and a variety of sandwiches, making it a convenient stop while exploring the town. We ordered the South West and Monte Cristo sandwiches. Both were nicely portioned--bulky sandwiches filled with roasted chicken, fresh tomatoes, and avocado. The food itself was decent and satisfying enough for lunch, but nothing particularly memorable. While we enjoyed the meal, the overall value felt a bit off, especially considering the price point of $38, which seemed high for what we received. That said, Simon's Marketplace works well as a quick and easy lunch spot, especially if you're already in the area and looking for something casual. It's fine, just not somewhere I'd go out of my way for. Overall rating: 3 out of 5. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Monte Cristo sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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While at the farmers market in Chester, we finally got to try out Simon's Marketplace -- and we're so glad we did! It's a very cute spot with a charming store area filled with unique gifts, perfect for picking something up while you're there. More importantly, their food offerings really impressed us. They serve breakfast until 11:30 AM, along with a full lunch menu, coffee, and freshly baked goodies. Their baguettes are made in-house, and to my delight, they also offer gluten-free bread! The staff were very sweet and helpful! I had the gluten-free breakfast sandwich and it was perfectly made. It was fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. My dad went with the Southwestern sandwich and enjoyed it! It's definitely a welcoming stop with great food. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Southwestern - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

This is a cute town with some nice shops. I started my day with breakfast here. You can get a lunch sandwich or breakfast foods. I got a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese and capers. They hadn't changed the menu board of specials so I was a little disappointed when I saw listed but couldn't have the Cuban sandwich. Luckily, I enjoyed what I got. My mom went with a simple grilled cheese. We shared a sugar cookie. There's also lots of gift and decor items to shop. Service was friendly and it feels like a warm, local spot where you go weekly to meet up with a friend, have some lunch while reading a book, or grab a coffee and sit outside. The lunch specials looked and sounded tasty. If you're in the area or looking for a nice day trip, check out Chester and start the day here. Maybe get some sandwiches to bring to Gillette Castle which is nearby. read more

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Obsessed with this place. Every dish is healthy, hearty, and home cooked, like you're in a friend's kitchen. The sweet-and-savory Mayflower "Thanksgiving" sandwich, the meatloaf, the brussels sprouts, the creamy mushroom barley soup, the cowboy "kitchen sink" cookies. Includes an adorable boutique for candle/stationary/creams shopping. Sunlit, calm, lots of windows, peaceful. 5 stars!!! read more

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It's an interesting vibe in here for sure. Some of the staff working were super nice, like the person who went and got me ice to change my super hot coffee that burned my tongue into an iced coffee because I obviously couldn't handle it. Then there were a few others working who really could use a bit of interpersonal communication skills training, honestly. My s'mores latte was delish, once I could feel my tongue again. The PB cookie I got was also pretty yummy. There's lots of cute random gifts for people that can be found in here, as well as holiday cards. read more

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Great sandwich selection Very central location great for relaxing people watching. Quick and easy service. Will be back read more

Very cute spot with some food and gift items. We got was pretty good. I can see how the seating would be very limited on a busy day. The staff at the front counter where the coffee and the bakery items were was lovely. The younger staff in the back with the sandwiches have mac & cheese were OK But definitely not friendly. We didn't try the sandwiches so we will have to go back to do that . read more

Food is good and the atmosphere is pleasant. Interior is interesting. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhbh read more

The oatmeal is SO good! A great place to sit and enjoy coffee and a muffin too. Simons is a great gathering place.

The center of downtown Chester is truly a treasure trove and Simon's Market is one of its gems. From fresh coffee and baked goods to prepared hot meals and desserts, Simon's Market is the place to fuel up. We popped in for a warm coffee during the Tractor Parade and were surprised how spacious it was. From the outside, it only looked to be a small cafe. A wave of coffee aromas hits you when walking through their door. There was a self serve hot coffee bar and coffee bean dispensers with grinder, serving up a variety of Jim's Organic Coffee. Seating is set up in front, followed by a counter serving up specialty coffee drinks, cookies, muffins and breads. When you walk further into the shop, there is another counter with warm meals for lunch specials, prepared food and desserts. The wall opposite from counters are lined shelving, stocked with Chester souvenirs, gifts, party supplies, greeting cards and other trinkets. Simon's Market had so much to offer, it's crazy that was our first time visiting. We got a few coffees; Americano, Dirty Chai and a staff favorite Tiramisu Latte. We tried a hot meal lunch that was a savory stuffed puff pastry with chicken and mushrooms. It came with a small side salad and slice of bread. The puff pastry was buttery and flaky, chicken was moist and the mushrooms were full of flavor. We also grabbed a few cookies and a baguette for later. read more

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Cute little Deli with a nice variety of vegetarian sandwiches. We got a caprese on a baguette and a roasted veggie sandwich with spinach, artichoke and feta. It's a "counter-service" place with a small table area. The restaurant is in a cute town on a quaint block with a lot of nice shops, restaurants and galleries to walk around and shop at. read more

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My boyfriend and I stopped here for some breakfast and had a great experience. The food was delicious, the iced coffee and latte was so so good, and the employees were so sweet. I would for sure come here again! read more

Simon's Marketplace - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Another delish lunch at Simon's Marketplace! The staff are always super friendly and the food is fresh and crave-worthy. I had the Caprese and my husband chose the Boom Roasted. Our daughter gave two thumbs up to the cookie and the salted baguette. We live about 45 mins away but always stop at Simon's when we're in Chester. PS We miss The Blue Oar! read more

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Great sandwiches in a cute shop in downtown Chester. They also have prepared hot food and some party favors and other small gifts.

Fantastic food, great service, and a super cute space to eat and enjoy as well. We love Simons!

Ok, I thought long and hard regarding this review. This review is actually based on 4 meals over 3 days with 3 actual visits to the shop. I am hoping this is a wake up call to the owners, or at least the managers. First meal, (drove over from Ivoryton) I ordered an egg sandwich for myself, and as I was waiting I noticed some guy with glasses in the back room, coming out and grabbing ingredients to make something, I noticed he kept touching his face, then his glasses, then i noticed he grabbed a tomato from out front for the sandwich he was making. It wasn't until I finished eating, i realized he was the one who made my sandwich, not the lady who was at the sandwich counter earlier, so I got a little grossed out. needless to say. ( If you are touching food, wear gloves! ) 2nd Meal As I was leaving Simon's, my wife called and asked if i could bring her a turkey sandwich, so i ordered it. As the lady was making my wife's sandwich, she answered the phone a couple of times, as they were busy. Once again it didn't dawn on me til later that night, this woman never changed gloves after touching the phone that multiple people had touched throughout the day. I gave my wife the sandwich, I checked in with her and asked her how the sandwich was. She said the bread was stale, and tasteless and proceeds to open the sandwich, and there is no turkey on it! So being annoyed I had her take a picture of the other half, and I brought it back to Simon's, and the girl behind the counter was apologetic and gave me a new sandwich no questions asked. 3 & 4th Meals My wife and I were going to go to the Villager in Chester for a late breakfast, sadly it was too late when we got there, so we said "lets give Simon's another chance". My wife ordered a different turkey sandwich, on a different bread, I ordered a BLT, well once again my wife's bread was stale, she said the turkey was fine. Well, my sandwich was dry, chewy, they didn't cook the bacon enough, so i had to pull my sandwich apart, after each bite. Bread is key, you might want to switch your bread company, as I saw some other reviews that have said the same thing... Now for the inside, there was no A/C, they have a window unit in the back where you pay, and you have to stand on top of it if you want to feel any coolness, and they have a walk in entry rug that was filthy, as if it hadn't been vacuumed in days. The garbage is piled up overflowing, and surprisingly for such a liberal town there was no recycle bin, You need bigger trash bins. ( see pics) Someone who worked there left an uncovered coffee carrier ( see pics), which i am sure is against health regulations. My table was filthy, and my shirt stuck to the back of the seat, ( window seat on the right looking out on to Chester streets) and lastly I was in there for at least 30 mins, people coming and going, and not once did I see anyone walk around and clear off the tables, in fact, as I was walking to the trash bin, i took garbage off 2 tables myself. You can look at my reviews, i don't give bad reviews, and I hate to do it to this one now, but the owners need to close for a day, and deep clean this place. It is a really cute store, and the young people working there were very nice, it just needs some love and attention. read more

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Absolutely love this market. We stop here quite often in the summer as it is a very cute area to visit and love the farmers market on Sundays. The sandwiches and prepared foods are delicious. Grab a salted baguette if they have any leftover. My absolute favorite item to get is a sausage, egg and cheese on a fresh croissant. Their deli sandwich options for lunch are also yummy and enormous. The cookies are also a must try. Grab them to go and heat them up at home for a few minutes in the oven. Just a heads up that everything is made to order so you do wait a bit for your food. It's not a terrible wait but just be prepared so you don't think you are going to run in and out in 5 minutes. read more

This place had a lot of cool elements. There was a coffee and pasty bar as well as a lunch counter for sandwiches and prepared food items (like the Brussels sprouts I ordered). The vibe was very eclectic and slightly chaotic. In addition to the food counter, the marketplace also have candles, stoneware, and such creating a gift shop feel. Of the food we ordered, my husbands curry chicken salad wrap was the standout. It was so flavorful and had just the right level of moisture for chicken salad! The item I would not recommend was the strawberry scone, it was far too bland for my taste. I would go back but would definitely want to try some different items from the large and varied menu. I also think I will go in warmer weather and sit outside as that seems like it might be a bit more relaxing. read more

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Simon's Marketplace is a super cute spot and is located in the heart of downtown Chester and is certainly worth a stop when visiting the area. They have delicious sandwiches and daily specials. They also have a full display of pastries. The best, hands down, however is the salted bread! If you are in Chester, stop by just for the loaf of bread. It's a long baguette style loaf with salty buttery goodness and even more amazing when it's fresh out of the oven! Simon's is just one of those places that no matter the reason you're stopping in, you'll be super happy you did! read more

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Rude servers, this one adolescent told me that I had to leave right now. I was busy on the phone and that I would leave when I was finished. But NO, she yelled you have to leave right now! We have cleaning to do and I couldn't be there. I replied why do you have to be so bitchy. I've only been spending money there since the day they opened. Later in the day the owner texted me, I was no longer welcome into the restaurant. I apologized. Final decision, not welcome! read more

I went here for lunch (my first time) about a month ago with friends and we ordered the Margeaux and Caprese sandwiches. They were amazing! The bread was fresh and the sandwich was flavorful. So delicious! The staff was friendly too. A cute little cafe with gifts too! I left saying the Margeaux was easily on my top 5 sandwiches I've ever had. Fast forward to 6/14...I went in with a friend after bragging to her how good their sandwiches were. We live 25 minutes away so it's a bit far but I thought it was so worth it. We ordered the Margeaux and Going Hamb. We went in the afternoon for a late (3pm) lunch. We were both so disappointed. The bread was stale. Employees should have toasted the bread after seeing how stale the bread was. The Margeaux was super thin and the ingredients in it were very skimpy. It was terrible. My friend got the Hamb sandwich and the mustard threw off the whole sandwich. It was very acidic. The staff also consisted off younger people working who were not attentive or friendly. We felt as if we were a burden to them by being there. Didn't seem like they took any pride in making our sandwiches. Super disappointed!i read more

It's a true anchor and local hub. I like the energy and buzz of that--this type of place is very important to a small downtown. There is a chaotic feel to the service but everyone is friendly, so it overrides. I'd be at Simon's a lot more if the coffee were better; if I'm looking for good cup of coffee in the river valley area, I venture down to Essex. read more

Lovely unique market, family owned and run. This is truly what a neighborhood store feels like. Cozy & welcoming & priced just right. Wonderful lunch spot to get together with friends read more

I've been to Simon's Marketplace twice now. This is an adorable little store and restaurant, in downtown Chester. First of all, I love this tiny, little town. Simon's Marketplace is a store that sells all sorts cool gift items like glassware, mugs, jewelry, tea towels, puzzles and such. It is also a restaurant that serves lunch and coffee. They also have cookies and other pastries. There are seating options inside or outside. This place is very warm and inviting. The food looks really fresh and tasty, but I didn't get anything. I got pumpkin coffee the first time and a regular coffee on my most recent visit. Both times, the coffee was not impressive, very bland and a bit watery, not my favorite. I'd be very interested to come to Simon's again and have lunch, I love the comfort of the store. Seating outside is limited, but seems like a nice spot for the view of the area and enjoying the sunshine. read more

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Never dined in but their sandwiches are great and the cookies were awesome! They have cute Knick Knacks or gift ideas to look at while you're waiting for your food. They also have cards. read more

This is a good place to grab a bite to eat Sunday's after the farmers market. Simon's has pretty consistently good food, they have an effective ordering style, the wait staff is pretty impressively on top of things considering how busy it gets and how young most of them look. We got our food moments after ordering, I have gotten the southwest sandwich the past few times that I've come here because it's delicious and why mess with a winning system, right? One of our group got the baked mac & cheese, another the meatloaf, and another the margeaux (I might have butchered that name) sandwich. Everyone agreed their food was tasty, a generous portion, and it all tasted like just simple and delicious home cooking. If it's what you're looking for in a restaurant...they also have kind of a strange but unique and cute selection of knick knacks. My only pretty big point deduction for Simon's is that their bathroom the last time I went was honestly, pretty freaking gross. It was weird enough to have to walk through part of the food prep work area to have to get to it, but knowing that a bathroom that yuck was so close to food stuff was really pretty off-putting. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Southwest sammich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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we ordered soup and a sandwich, soup was delivered but sandwich was never made. paid for two bottles if water and then we were told water is from a jug on the counter. we finally had to ask for our money back for the sandwich and two bottles of water we never received. five people working behind the counter but not doing much of any customer service. very disappointed read more

Simple combination deli, restaurant and shop. Excellent sandwiches. Fantastic avocado omelet. Breakfast served til 11:30 pm Breakfast and lunch only. Highly recommend. Outdoor seating. Very casual. read more

What an amazing little gourmet market. With a wide selection of fresh and premade entrees, baked goods and coffee, this place basically has it all. I split a turkey, cheese, lettuce, bacon and avocado sandwich with beet salad with my mom and it was definitely enough food. I also tried the quiche, which was amazing, and the southwestern chicken Mac and cheese - incredible. I also had a slice of key lime pie, because, duh. It was top notch. Friendly service and a fun store to browse after you eat (they've got tons of cards and fun gifts)! read more

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Simon's Marketplace is nestled in the center of the Chester. Quaint doesn't even begin to describe this place or even the little town. This old storefront is deep with a wall full of fun merchandise. The best part is the food, however. Their sandwiches and pastries are all delicious. The curry chicken salad was tasty and included Granny Smith apples and plump raisins. The Thanksgiving sandwich was exactly that -all the good feels and tastes that come along with Thanksgiving. The giant Russian Tea Cake is very rich and heavy. I loved it with my coffee afterwards. Definitely stop in! read more

Simon's Marketplace - Curry Chicken - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Food was excellent!! I ordered the French toast with bananas and my husband had the western omelette. We both thought they were the best we ever had! Adorable little atmosphere inside with a gift shop. Lattes were excellent too. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Coffee bar - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Decent food, couldn't-care-less service. I always get the feeling that customers are a terrible burden to the staff here, and they have better things to do than interact with the people who come in. Never a smile, or "how can I help you", and forget about a thank you. You can stand at the counter for five minutes before somebody says over their shoulder that they'll be with you in a minute, then get a really unenthusiastic offer to get you something to eat. read more

Four stars for the salt bread alone---it's legendary! Get a soup ($5.95 for a bowl) and the bread will come with it...I've had the roasted red pepper (very good) and the butternut squash (ok, but a bit too thick/sweet for my taste). Their desserts and sandwiches are very good as well. My favorite is the Thanksgiving (mmm, that stuffing) and curried chicken wrap but I recently had the Margeaux ($8.95) and it was excellent. It sounds simple (chicken with roasted red peppers, goat cheese, and greens on a ciabatta) but the bread is fresh and the white balsamic vinaigrette makes it very tasty. It's big enough to share. I also tried an interesting s'mores bar for dessert; I would recommend it, but just be ready to share, it's huge. The cafe itself is cozy, bright, and fun, a great atmosphere. I wish I could have lunch here every day. read more

Stopped by Simon's Marketplace when exploring Main St. Chester. Got two iced Americanos and the Mayflower (gobbled up before I could get a pic)! The interior was super cute, snagged a cozy spot in the back corner. Loved the variety of sandwiches, coffee, and baked goods. I also love that they have fun things to look at/buy while you wait. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Sat in the back at an adorable seating area - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Great place for a salad or sandwich. I had Chicken Piccata with multigrain bread . It was in the case along with other salads and dishes. My dinner was delicious and the sandwiches that everyone else had looked good. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Chicken Piccata - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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Great combination of cute grocery store, with gift items and excellent kitchen. Prepared foods, panini, soups, etc. I got the Meatloaf and it was moist and delicious. It came with a nice side side. My BF got the Ham and Brie panini and it was also a winner. Many people around us got soups and wraps... Yum. read more

Simon's Marketplace stands the test of time (not so for all Chester Village businesses) due likely for its reliable consistency in offering interesting and inviting salads and sandwiches and soups and breakfast choices, and also owing to its energetically cheerful staff of young persons focused on customers. Simon's Marketplace is casual at casual best, with windowfront counter seating, lot's of tables and chairs to arrange to the number of your group, and comfortable corner window-seat tables (think: pillows!) There is nothing pretentious here. Any sandwich, any wrap, any soup is sure to please -- I had a cup of the wonderful 'Rustic Tomato Soup' (presented with a warm wedge of salted baguette) my last visit; do yourself a favor and don't get stuck on a favorite -- come back again and again and try them all. There is free WiFi -- a nice touch. Added to all of the above, Simon's location at the forefront of charming Chester Village completes the checklist of a favorite place. read more

I have been coming to Chester since Simons used to be Robbies malt shop and we would go on Sundays after church. This place has good food and it's very fresh, but the staff are robots and could care less if you are there or not. A little smile might get you more tips and repeat customers. read more

What happened they went from number 1 to why go there! Everyone is saying the same thing, the food quality has dropped off and the servings are downright skimpy. Jim I don't know who talked you into this but please take the best place in Chester back and restore it to its former glory. Even the high school kids aren't having fun working here anymore. read more

Big fan of this place, even though we've only had lunch here a few times and can never remember the name. All the ingredients seem very good quality and fresh. I love the meatloaf sandwich, which has the best glaze on it. The roasted artichoke side is so yummy. I also really enjoyed the one entree I got here, which was campanelle pasta with sun dried tomatoes and a nice side salad and bread. The options may be limited at times, but I feel like a lot of love went into everything, and haven't been disappointed yet. I also really like the casual attitude. Order food at the counter, go grab a drink, sit down, they bring your food over, and you go up and pay at the end. read more

Simon's Marketplace - Hours - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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