Stopped in at Zest for year 3 and this time I had a white chocolate Dubai latte and one of their peanut butter squares. I will say this though, for small business Saturday they need to have at least 6 more people working, we had to wait over a half hour for 3 coffees. read more

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I've been to zest too many times to count. It's a quintessential amazing bakery with too many treats to choose from. My favorites are the macaroons, the sugar cookies, the brownies and they have a key lime tart that's incredible. Everything I have tried has been wonderful and balanced and fresh. I often order their pastries for the holidays and they are a wild hit with anyone who tries a bite. They offer a lot of catering options for small to large events and the price point isn't terrible at all. I really love their bakery and the owners are wonderful. read more

Zest - Best coconut macaroon ever - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Located in the Velvet Mill, there is plenty of signage to find this storefront-Very close to the parking lot. There were so many items I didnt know where to start. We grabbed 2 quiches and a piece of GF Carrot cake for later. Everything looked great. There is inside seating and the staff were great. For 2 small pieces of quiche and a small gf carrot cake came to $24.15-a little pricey in my opinion but good food and quality ingredients. read more

Zest - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

While the items were a bit on the sweeter side, this place does texture really well! Coming from NYC there is no shortage of amazing baked goods - I would love to see this place closer to home, to be honest. My favorite was the berry oat pie that was delectably soft and jammy. Not lacking in fruity sweetness and so satisfying. There was also this cookie that had hazelnut in it that was rich with hazelnut flavor and had a great crumb, delicately breaking apart in your mouth as you chew it. Their savory items were also a win, thoroughly flavorful and well-baked. This place makes me want to revisit the area, along with the great spots to eat in Mystic nearby! Wishing this place all the success. read more

Zest - a box of pies and pastries - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Great food! This place is just so cute. The staff are so friendly and nice. Loved what I ordered and loved the service I received read more

Zest - Sausage egg and cheese on a brioche! - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

I love Zest in the Stonington Velvet Mill. They have delicious pastries available every day they are open and also make amazing and tasty commissioned treats. I recently commissioned cookies with a hero design on them and I was shocked by the size, deliciousness, and accuracy to the original submitted design photo. I look forward to requesting more custom treats by them for events in the future! read more

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Some of the best baked goods and some of the best prices I've seen for such great food.

This is for the Ledyard location next to Holdridges. I used to love this place, but not sure what's happened with the smoothies. They are not blended at all anymore (see pics). The mixture you get is all chunky to the point you need to chew the 'sips' you take. I've been coming here for awhile and they used to be blended to a silky-smooth consistency. Then I started noticing this new chunky consistency and figured maybe a blender was down, or the person working just didn't notice, etc. But it's been months like this now, and I can't help but wonder...if I can see the chunks immediately (looks like they're handing you a cup of throw up honestly) then how can the person working not notice, and be ok with this quality..? How can they call it a "smoothie"...if it's not even blended? Very disappointed because I wanted to love this place! :( read more

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By Elizabeth Rubin Looking to host a Sunday brunch with a smashing centerpiece? Find your sweet ending at Zest Fresh Pastry, an artisanal bakery in the cool and industrial Velvet Mill in Stonington. The bakers here love to combine unusual flavors to create their signature desserts. My recommendation is the Fig Plum Frangipane Tart. Start with a spoonful of the green tea lavender crust, then a bite of almond flavored cream, topped with figs, sliced plums, and slivered almonds. The flavor combination of fruits and frangipane create an unexpected but oh-so-interesting indulgence. Other sweet treats recommended by Zest staff busy at work in the open kitchen: their Tiramisu with coffee liquor soaked vanilla cake, mascarpone mousse, and whipped cream, finished with a dusting of cocoa. For something with a bit of tang, try the creamy mini cheesecakes with fresh fruit topping. Consider stopping at Zest before a DIY brunch with friends at nearby Saltwater Farm Vineyard. This hip bakeshop is literally a hidden gem, but so worth the hunt. www.zestfreshpastry.com read more

Zest - Tiramisu - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

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The service and food are amazing. Love giving to small local businesses that do an outstanding job.

We found this place on Google because we were in search of a cinnamon bun and when we got there they said they sell out super fast. I was bummed it took over 20 mins to get there but we settled for some other pastries. The. Cheese cake was amazing .loved the raspberry macaroon . Elvis was so rich I could barely eat a third of it. I guess cinnamon buns only made on weekends and sell out by noon. read more

Zest - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Very good local artisan bakery with a very unusual array of offerings quite different from the usual dessert suspects. Zest is worth an explore as you will find confections you have never seen or heard of before. read more

Zest - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

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Over the top Wonderful Bakery! I had bakery items from here that are far better than any other bakery in 06355 Mystic downtown. The sticky buns are exactly as mom used to bake. I can't go anywhere else! read more

Amazing bakery. Cake was beautiful. I found their cake design off Pinterest and saw that this bakery was nearby. How they handled the tasting was one of the best compared to other bakeries we tried. They gave us requested cakes flavors in tiny shaped cubes, the filling flavors in cups and the icing also in cups. This allowed us to combine the fillings and icing with the cakes freely. The cake turned out to be exactly how I wanted. We did the first base champagne flavored and the two other layers carrot cake. The cake was very moist. The champagne cake was the majority favorite. My husband loved the carrot cake. We were very happy! Also we love their rose sugar cookies. Whenever we visit the bakery we always buy all their rose sugar cookies out on display. read more

Zest - Wedding cake - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

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Love everything! Everything is delicious & fresh. The donuts are amaz ing.

So glad that Yelp directed us to this place for a delicious breakfast while in Stonington. The cinnamon roll (nice hint of nutmeg and orange) and bacon/cheddar scone (buttery savory deliciousness) were fabulous, and the cold brew was great (and quite strong). Only miss (oddly recommended by staff) was the blueberry oat muffin which was too thick and dry, lacking in any lasting flavor aside from oat. read more

Zest - Cinnamon roll, bacon scone, blueberry oat muffin - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Omg... little hidden gem! Cute pastry shop at the funky Velvet mill. Cool vibe and amazing baked goods. Had the lemon poppy raspberry muffin, best muffin I ever ate! Spotted a classic chocolate buttercream cake displayed on a cake stand... snagged it... just happened to be my husbands birthday! Cake was so fresh and was out of this world!! So happy we discovered this little spot... will definitely be back to try everything else!!! Coffee was on point too!! read more

My wife and I were visitiing Stonington and were seeking a bakery where we could get bagels with cream cheese and coffee. The Zest bakery was recommended by a worker in a local shop. We arrived at the shop and waited quite a while for attention from the worker behind the counter. When we were finally waited on we were told that there were 2 varietes of bagels available, we ordered 2 plain, toasted with cream cheese and coffee. Unfortunantely the bagels ended up being the worst we have ever had. They were small in size compared to others we have had at other local bake shops. Worst of all they were extremely tough in texture, such that they were difficult to chew and consume. I wondered how the baker could have even allowed them to be sold. In comparison, we did share a large chocolate chip cookie which was quite delicious. I would advise anyone who is seeking a fresh bagel to forgo a stop at the Zest Bakery. read more

Zest Bakery did a fantastic job with their Thanksgiving specials menu. We overindulged and had the Apple Crumb pie, the Spiced Sweet Potato Pie and the Pecan Tart. They were outstanding. All ver fresh and each with a perfect amount of spice, not overpowering, but right there to be tasted. Of course the quality matches their everyday baked goods. We'll be ordering from their Christmas special menu, that is for certain. Highly recommended. read more

My daughter wanted a smash cake for her daughter's first birthday. Given the restrictions imposed by Covid, the photo shoot would be the highlight of the small party. She was told by the very helpful person who initially spoke with her that they had made smash cakes before and knew about all them! When I arrived to pick up the two cakes, I didn't realize that I should have only been charged $20 each, so I didn't comment on the price from the unfriendly clerk who rang me up. At first glance, the cakes looked beautiful! There were three layers of swirls: aqua, purple and pink. Perfect for the mermaid theme! However, these weren't "smashable" cakes. The cake itself was so very dense that our little one year old couldn't possibly have pushed it down. The whole idea is to have the baby destroy the cake and then reap the results. It didn't happen. The cake was ok but, as previously stated, so dense it sat in our stomachs uncomfortably. Quite honestly, the cupcakes my daughter made from a box were tastier and more popular with the adults. Oh, and warning: watch out if you order a cake with teal-colored frosting! We all have stained fingers and baby has a tinted mouth and a day later still has stained fingernails from the food dye. While the cakes looked cool, they weren't what we thought we were ordering and that I was overcharged was infuriating. Disappointing. read more

What even is this crazy place? First of all, it is worth coming here just to check out this insane abandoned ex-velvet factory that has been turned into this hipster enclave for artists in the middle of a sleepy Connecticut town. Zest is known for their marshmallows and gluten free goods and neither of these disappoint. In fact, I could not decide whether I loved the chewy, orange scented almond macaroons or the chocolate covered marshmallows more. I also picked up a bag of the pretty flawless and amazingly light vanilla marshmallows. I came here just before Christmas and so they also had a pretty awesome selection of ginger-related treats. A gingerbread man with royal icing and a chocolate ginger cookie were both exceptional, with a moist, chewy consistency and a good punch of gingerbread flavor. Honestly, the selection here is out of hand. Like I seriously didn't get how a little bakery this remote could have maybe 30 different baked goods all of which were freshly made and not wrapped in plastic. For instance, I spent like 5 minutes debating whether I wanted an almond or coconut Mac (both gf) or one of four different cookies or this little beautiful gingerbread loaf coated with a sweet glaze. I happened upon this place when I had to drive my mom to see one of the artists in the abandoned factory and honestly it made the trip. Anyway, I could go on but while these might not be baked goods worth driving a hour and a half for each way, as I did, they are certainly some very, very amazing treats in a very amazing location. read more

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I heard about this outstanding patisserie and made a specific trip to see for myself! All of the choices we bought were phenomenal! Zest exceeds all my expectations and has the best croissants I've had in the USA! read more

Wow what a gem! Good thing I don't live closer. So many beautiful confections, muffins, cakes, scones, bars, cookies oh my! The carrot cake moon pie w cream cheese frosting was so good as were the coconut macaroons, peanut butter cookie, & the homemade marshmallows. Looking forward to trying more goodies when up here again. read more

I've been looking for a lot of bakeries that carries different items. They have a pretty wide selection of pastries and desserts. I see some staple items and some items that change which is nice because it lets my taste buds be adventurous! :) I think when they get the rush of people like on Farmer Market days the service isn't as polite or nice but I've been on here on weekdays and they are very kind! They cheesecake was a bit dry for me but that didn't stop my husband from eating it all. I love their flourless chocolate cake- delicious! :) I forgot what else I had bought but it was a bar with strawberries and that was yummy too! read more

Zest - Case :) - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Scrumptious GF baked goods BEYOND ALL MY HOPES! Zest offers a GOOD selection of GF yummies including french macaroons. I chose a huge chocolate raspberry 'cupcake' covered in chocolate ganache. Omg. Moist. Velvety. Fresh ingredients. Melty chocolate heaven. I also tried the cocoa/punkin seed/pecan/bacon treat...wow. Different!! With...bacon! Sweet and savory. Very reasonably priced. Very, very good. Counter person was DElightful. Please spend $$ there soon. read more

Zest - Bacon, cocoa AND punkin seeds! - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

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Hearing about the "above & beyond" service & delivery has drawn my attention! I will definitely use this food source!

The bakery items were so great. I had the caramel apple cheesecake, and I'm pretty sure it was the creamiest cheesecake I've ever had. There weren't too many apples either! The only thing is there appears to be a lot of flies in the area (the whole "velvet mill" building, but all of the bakery items were covered! It's a little annoying if you try to eat it there, though. read more

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After searching just about everywhere locally including the best baker in America for a place to make a gluten free birthday cake we finally found a place that was willing to make it for us. Everywhere we tried had refused but Zest stepped up to the plate. The service they provided was outstanding. They even helped us out by delivering the cake for us. These girls truly went above and beyond. The best service we have ever had anywhere!! Their willingness to work with us for a very special event was superb. They created a three tiered gluten free masterpiece! Not only was it beautiful but it was the best cake I have ever had. Each layer was different so we got a little taste of everything. I highly recommend this bakery and look forward to working with them again. read more

Zest - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

cold service. failed to provide napkin for pastry or cups for bottled drinks. left me standing at the register because she didn't close out the charge properly. another server dealt with it after I asked. not welcoming at all. pastry ok. read more

They're going above and beyond to give my best friend the birthday she deserves. They're delivering goodies to her home this afternoon and are even including something extra special with it! I live in PA so can't comment on their food (yet; I'm sure I'll hear all about it later today) but their customer service is just amazing! read more

i think a lot of people stumble upon Zest while visiting Beer'd .. The building itself is interesting, a large space with lots of small businesses in a semi-industrial old time structure that is being brought back to life by these new companies. Beer'd was great - and so was Zest. Their home made marshmallows were good, they had some vegan and gluten free options when we were here and they were yummy. Nice people, cool company - you need to check out this place (and go when Beer'd is open, because they make some of my favorite CT brews..) read more

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We had two brioche doughnuts two weeks ago that were amazing. Soft, light and delicious. Last week we ordered one and it was dense, dark and dry. We composted it. I'm not sure we would spend $4 to risk the inconsistency. Also, and very importantly, please pull your masks over your noses and wear gloves in the back. We can see you and it's gross. One person was icing cookies with bare hands. If you are going to have an open concept....you must be aware that customers are watching everything and are hyper vigilant because of COVID. read more

Much deserved 5 stars! We ordered a gluten free pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting. Zest was affordable, extremely easy to work with and our guests couldn't stop raving about how amazing our cake was. This was one of the best cakes I have ever tasted (gluten or non- gluten). read more

Zest - Gluten free pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing. Look at this flowers!!! - Bakeries Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Their cookies are awesome. Love the interesting ones with herbs! The savory scones are also very tasty, more like a biscuit but they're a good lunch read more

This tiny shop is hard to find:like hidden treasure, and that is what it is. You can taste all the hard work and good ingredients that go into everything they make. If you don't know what I mean....enlighten yourself! I have my favorite items here, but you can find your own, it's all worth it! Go here! read more

Yesterday for my birthday my husband got a cake for me. I want to start off by saying we had the same cake in April and it was amazing. I even wrote them that day to tell them how fabulous the cake was. Well my cake was not. The cake was dry... the frosting was pure butter and a bit hard. None of us ate our pieces. The cake literally went in the trash. I wrote and email last night and was expecting to hear something back. I didn't hear anything from them (no biggie) so I decided to call. I spoke to the owner and explained. She stated "I had to go out and get special sprinkles for you cake" on top of saying that they haven't changed their recipe of the cake and frosting. She said she pays her employees well and they won't get the labor back. She offered to give me half off my next purchase. Then offered to give me the other half in a gift card. To be honest I didn't want either. I wanted a refund as the cake wasn't eaten and not because we didn't want to. I have been going there for years and never had any issues really. But this is not how to do business. As I told the owner, offereing to make me a new cake would have been better and maybe apologizing that the cake wasn't good. Basically saying our recipe is our recipe and it's good and your taste buds are off.... We all four had the same cake in April and it was amazing and to have my birthday come and be excited to be super disappointed and then have that interaction with the owner... I won't be going back. Sad because that not usually how zest is. read more

Zest did our wedding desserts and they were absolutely incredible. Gabriella was professional, informative, and flexible from the time we did the cake tasting all the way through to the wedding! We had an array of desserts including a pumpkin cake two-tiered cake, pumpkin pie, apple pie, and a mix of different cupcakes (carrot, pumpkin, champagne) and every single thing was so delicious and beautifully decorated! I'm so glad we went with Zest and can't wait to get desserts from them again in the future! read more

This Bakery is Phenomenal. I live in upstate Ny, but from Stonington originally. Finally a Bakery with passion!!! When I was growing up Gulinos Bakery was it!! And loved it, missed it when they left! Thank you for finally bringing a respectable Bakery back to the area. Well needed!!! read more

The staff here is very nice and the hot chocolate was better than most, very chocolatey. Good cinnamon buns, though a bit overheated. May want to tell them how long to heat it. Macaron was a good texture but didn't really have much flavor. Sadly out of the box of treats I got, I found just about all of it very bland. I really want to like this place more but I didn't finish anything I ordered other than the hot chocolate and cinnamon roll. 3 stars is generous. I tried the rocky road fudge, pumpkin cream cheese bar, macaron, bownie, lemon tart, 2 mini red velvet cupcakes (stale), and eggnog bread pudding. Pudding was soft on the bottom, very hard on the top. Fudge was hard. Brownie was good in flavor but more the stiff texture of fudge rather than soft. I have to wonder if they taste their own products. Lis bakery in Mystic is way better than this place, no comparison. Make the ten minute drive. Prices for smaller items were reasonable but over $4 for a muffin is pushing it. I would not stop in again unless I was already in the building for something and wanted a hot chocolate or cinnamon bun. read more

Omgosh! Visited Zest's tent today at a farmers market in Mystic and bought one lavender macaroon and another apple sweet. I just had the macaroon, and it was so delicious. I can't wait to eat the other item I bought! read more