BEST CUSTOM HOME BUILDER: Ruddy Builders, 664 Post Rd, Darien, CT, jnruddy.com, @ruddybuilders
BEST ARCHITECT: VAKOTA Architecture, PLLC, 177 W Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT & 1216 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY, vakota.com @vakotaarchitecture; VAKOTA is committed to developing and promoting architectural creativity; your passions become our own – we design without limits.
BEST HOME DECOR AND FURNISHING: Jill Rae Designs, 19 Governor Street, Ridgefield CT, jillraedesigns.com, @jillraedesigns; Jill Rae Designs is a full-service, luxury Home Build, Renovation, and Home Staging company. Located in Ridgefield Connecticut, we service all areas of Fairfield County and the surrounding areas.
BEST LANDSCAPER: Damato Landscaping, Norwalk, CT, damatolandscaping.com
BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER: Alicia B. Designs, aliciabdesigns.com, @aliciabdesigns; Classic, traditional, and fresh interior designer known for attention to detail and exceptional client relationships.
BEST REALTOR: Ashley Petraska, Sales Vice President | Luxury Properties Specialist, William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance, 4 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT, AshleyPetraska.Raveis.com, @newcanaanrealestate; Trusted, leading realtor delivering concierge-level service, local expertise, and strategic real estate success since 2006.
BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY: The Agency, 6 South Ave, New Canaan, CT, TheAgencyRE.com, @theagencyre
BEST MEDICAL SPA: Element Medical Aesthetics, 80 Main St 2nd Floor, New Canaan, CT, elementct.com, @element.ct
BEST DAY SPA & BEST FACIAL: New Beauty & Wellness, 128 Main Street New Canaan, CT, newbeautywellness.com, @newbeautywellness; New Beauty & Wellness is a luxury medical wellness spa offering cosmetic, holistic, and personalized spa treatments.
BEST DERMATOLOGIST: NicholsMD of Greenwich, 50 Old Field Point Road, Greenwich, CT, kimnicholsmd.com, @nicholsmd_dermatology; NicholsMD of Greenwich offers luxury dermatology services with personalized care and natural-looking results.
BEST ORTHODONTIST: The Orthodontic Boutique, 24 Old Kings HWY, South #101, Darien, CT, orthodonticboutique.com, @orthodonticboutique
BEST PEDIATRICIAN: New Canaan Pediatrics, 173 East Ave, New Canaan, CT, newcanaanpediatrics.com, @newcanpeds
BEST DENTIST: Dental Arts of Darien, 800 Post Rd 3rd floor, Darien, CT, dentalartsofdarien.com, @dentalartsofdarien
BEST ACUPUNCTURE: Intuitive Wellness, 5 Tokeneke Rd, Darien, CT, intuitivewellnessacu.com, @intuitive_wellness_acu; Personalized acupuncture for women’s wellness, fertility and deep reconnection with the body’s innate wisdom.
BEST FULL SERVICE SALON: Luscious & Co, 107 Main St New Canaan, CT, Lusciousandco.com, @lusciousandco; New Canaan’s guest-obsessed destination for stunning hair color, cuts, and discreetly flawless hair extensions.
BEST MEN'S SALON: Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop for Guys, 88 Heights Rd, Darien, CT, hammerandnailsgrooming.com/location/darien-ct/, @hammerandnails_darien; Your premier destination for men’s grooming experiences, in a relaxed environment, designed with your privacy and comfort in mind.
BEST JEWELER & BEST FINE JEWELRY: Manfredi Jewels, 72 Elm Street New Canaan, CT, manfredijewels.com, @manfredijewels; Manfredi Jewels offers an unparalleled collection of exquisite jewels, watches, timepieces, and Manfredi exclusive jewelry creations, as well as offering a suite of jewelry and watch repair and restoration.
BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL: St. Luke’s School, 377 North Wilton Road New Canaan, CT, stlukesct.org, @stlukesct, @stlukesstorm; SLS is a secular (non-religious) private school for grades 5-12 serving over 40 towns in Connecticut and New York. SLS offers innovative Emerging Tech and Leadership core curricula and individualized Compass coaching to help students thrive.
BEST COFFEE SHOP: NEAT Coffee, 20 Grove St, Darien, CT, neatcoffee.com, @neatdarien
BEST BRUNCH & BEST MARGARITA: Bodega Taco Bar, 980 Post Rd, Darien, CT, bodegatacobar.com, @bodegatacobar
BEST SMOOTHIE: Green & Tonic, 15 Corbin Dr, Darien, CT, greenandtonic.com, @greenandtonic
BEST FINE DINING: Josie & Tony's Supper Club & Italian Deli, 20 North Main Street, South Norwalk, CT, josieandtonys.com, @josieandtonys; Josie & Tony's is a semi-private supper club and old-school “Arthur Avenue”-style Italian deli nestled in the heart of South Norwalk. The restaurant is acclaimed for its award-winning wine list, hailed by many as the finest in Connecticut.
BEST CASUAL DINING: Locali, 32 Forest St, New Canaan, CT, localipizzabar.com, @localipizzabar
BEST BAR & BEST NEW RESTAURANT (2024): Blackbird, 103 Elm St, New Canaan, CT, zhospitalitygroup.com/blackbird/home, @blackbirdnewcanaan
BEST FLORIST: Nielsen's Florist & Garden, 1405 Post Rd, Darien, CT, nielsensflorist.com, @nielsensflorist; Nielsen's Florist celebrated 80 years in business in 2025. We believe life can be more beautiful and that small things can become GREAT things when they work together. Whether that's people, flowers, plants or ideas. Beauty, elegance, creativity and design is in the fabric of everything we do. It's who we are.
BEST MEAL DELIVERY & BEST HEALTH FOOD: Kinney Lane, 31 Vitti Street, New Canaan, CT, kinneylane.com, @kinneylane; Wholesome, organic prepared meals and sauces, made with integrity and inspired by the seasons.
BEST LOCAL PODCAST: Nina's Got Good News, 194 Gregory Blvd, Norwalk, CT 06855, ninabradleyclarke.com, @ninabclarke, Nina B. Clarke is an Emmy-award winning journalist, She is a storyteller at heart after working in TV news for 15 years. Nina is the founder and host of the top-rated "Nina's Got Good News" Podcast available on all podcast platforms. She is also a popular lifestyle blogger, brand influencer and public speaker. Nina lives in coastal Connecticut with her husband and two children.
BEST BLOW DRY: Julias Salon and Company, 1950 Boston Post Rd, Darien, CT, juliassalonandcompany.com, @juliassalonandco
BEST YOGA STUDIO: Sama Yoga Center, 45 Grove St, New Canaan, CT, samayogacenter.com, @samayogacenter; Award-Winning Yoga Studio and Training Academy founded by Rebekah Jacobs.
BEST FITNESS INSTRUCTOR: Rebekah Jacobs, 45 Grove St, New Canaan, CT, @fitnessgururebekah; Functional Mind-Body Personal Training.
BEST KIDS PROGRAM: Yoga Fun with Marisa, @yogafunwithmarisa
BEST BARRE STUDIO: Pure Barre, 1958 Post Rd, Darien, CT, purebarre.com/location/darien-ct, @purebarredarien
BEST LOCAL INFLUENCER: Lauren Seib, laurenseib.com, @lauren_seib
BEST FAMILY BUSINESS: Roost Kitchen + Coffee, 1950 Post Rd, Darien, CT, heyroost.com, @heyroost
BEST LASHES: Posh Spa & Nails, 1077 Boston Post Rd, Darien, CT, poshct.com,@poshspanail, @poshdarien; We are a full-service day spa and nail salon serving the Fairfield County community since 2002. We are committed to providing a relaxing and rejuvenating experience for all clients.
BEST NAIL SALON: To & From, 975 Boston Post Rd f2, Darien, CT, @_toandfrom_; More than just a regular salon, our intention is to create a unique and modern experience. Highly trained technicians alongside the use of chemical-free products are our perfect formula to make sure our clients’ nails are not only healthy but also beautiful.
BEST CATERER: Four Forks, 7 Tokeneke Rd, Darien, CT, fourforks.net, @fourforksdarien
BEST GRAB AND GO: Aux Délices, 25 Old Kings Hwy N, Darien, CT, auxdelicesfoods.com, @auxdelicesfoods
BEST OUTDOOR SEATING & BEST BURGER: Elm, 73 Elm St, New Canaan, CT, elmrestaurant.com, @elmrestaurant
BEST PIZZA: Riko’s Pizza, 934 Boston Post Rd. Darien, CT, rikospizza.com, @rikospizzaofficial; Riko’s Pizza is a franchise concept famous for its super-thin crust tavern-style pies, neighborhood atmosphere, and extensive bar selection.
BEST ICE CREAM SHOP: Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, locations in New Canaan and Darien, vanleeuwenicecream.com, @vanleeuwenicecream; Van Leeuwen's mission is to make good ice cream from good ingredients that makes you feel good.
BEST MARTINI & BEST CASUAL FOOD SPOT: The Granola Bar, 1020 Boston Post Rd, Darien, CT, thegranolabar.com, @thegranolabar
BEST GOURMET GROCERY: Palmer's Market, 264 Heights Rd, Darien, CT, palmersdarien.com, @palmersmarket, Considered a trendsetter in the industry, Palmer’s Market has been recognized in both national and international publications and has won over 31 ‘Best of’ awards.
BEST BAKERY: Flour Water Salt Bread, 20 Grove St, Darien, CT, flourwatersaltbread.com, @flourwatersaltbread
BEST LOBSTER: Rowayton Seafood, 89 Rowayton Ave, Norwalk, CT, rowaytonseafood.com, @rowaytonseafood
BEST SUSHI: Hashi, 11 Forest St, New Canaan, CT, hashisushict.com, @hashinewcanaan
BEST WOMEN FASHION STORE: Sail to Sable Cabana, 7 Corbin Drive Darien CT, stscabana.com, @sts_the_cabana; The Cabana offers a hand-selected, thoughtfully curated assortment of coastal-inspired fashion from beloved brands like Cara Cara and Hunter Bell, along with our own timeless Sail to Sable collection. Inspired by classic silhouettes, bold prints, and the charm of endless East Coast summers, The Cabana embodies elevated, effortless style for every day and special occasions.
BEST MEN'S FASHION STORE: Darien Sport Shop, 1127 Post Rd, Darien, CT, dariensportshop.com, @dariensportshop
BEST ACTIVE SPORTSWEAR: Rhone, 1 Dock St #500, Stamford, CT, rhone.com, @rhone
BEST EVENT DRESSES: Winged Monkey, 384 Post Road East Westport, CT, wingedmonkey.net, @wingedmonkeywestport; We are a boutique that carries clothing, shoes, and accessories for girls and women. We specialize in special occasion dresses and gowns - so whatever the occasion, we have the dress for you!
BEST EVENT PLANNER: A Perfect Little Plan, New Canaan, CT, aperfectlittleplan.com, @aperfectlittleplan; A Perfect Little Plan is an event planning company focused on creating unforgettable, stress-free weddings with personalized detail and seamless execution.
BEST MASSAGE: Lanphier, 20 West Ave, Darien, CT, lanphier.us, @lanphier.us
BEST KIDS ACTIVITY: Make-Modern, 1985 Post Road, Darien, CT, make-modern.com,@makemodernstudio; Make-Modern is a contemporary crafting studio with locations in Darien, Greenwich and Westport. Classes, camps, workshops + parties for kids + adults.
BEST EVENT VENUE: Waveny House, 677 South Ave, New Canaan, CT, wavenyhouseevents.com, @wavenyhousevents
BEST VETERINARIAN: VCA Darien Animal Hospital, 1302 Post Rd, Darien, CT, vcahospitals.com/darien, @vca
BEST CHEF: Brian Lewis, okokitchen.com, @brianlewischef
BEST KEPT SECRET: Simply Sorted Living, 605 Valley Rd, New Canaan, CT, simplysortedliving.com, @simplysorted.living