CT Eases Dining Restrictions: Where to Eat in West Hartford

Maura Keary ’22

Features Editor

Citizen Chicken and Donuts, West Hartford

Citizen Chicken & Donuts is also a recent opening located on New Park Avenue, in the previous Hartford Baking Company space. Serving both fried chicken and freshly baked donuts, you cannot go wrong with any menu option. There are a variety of donut options, ranging from the classics to Maple Bacon and Crispy Chocolate. 

For a later-in-the-day option, Citizen serves fried chicken served alone or on sandwiches on a Hartford Baking Company bun. The unique combination gives customers a different taste of Hartford cuisine, one that Trinity students would love.

Caribe, West Hartford

Located just a mile and a half away from Trinity’s campus is Caribe, standing right on the line of Hartford and West Hartford. 

An authentic Dominican eatery, Caribe opened in January and serves mainly take-out options. Some of their most popular dishes are Bistec Encebollado, several types of mofongo and paella. Caribe also houses a full bar, serving margaritas, mojitos, and more. 

With the COVID-19 restrictions lifted, there is now seating for up to 115 guests, not including the outdoor patio. Caribe replaced the former Prospect Café and has performed many updates and renovations to create a sense of Dominican culture inside.

Doro Marketplace, West Hartford

Doro Marketplace is labeled a European-style market, café, and bakery, located on the corner of New Britain Avenue and South Main Street. It is an easy commute for students to drop by for a quick meal or to sit and study. There is outdoor and indoor seating available. 

The quaint, farmhouse style atmosphere provides customers with a relaxing and comforting place to eat. The Marketplace serves everything from coffee and breakfast sandwiches, to pastries, to dinner bowls and rotisserie chickens. Doro also has grab-and-go options such as cookies, hummus, and other packaged goods. For more restaurants owned by the DORO Group, try Zohara, Àvert, and Treva!

Toro Taberna, West Hartford

Toro Taberna has been open for about one month now, serving up a 

completely gluten-free tapas style menu. The restaurant puts a Spanish-style spin on its shareable plates, the first of its kind to land on Oakwood Avenue. 

Toro Taberna already has several hot items including Patatas Bravas (spicy potatoes with chorizo), Picaduras, and Fideos (a paella-like dish). Similar to Caribe, Toro Taberna also has a full bar inside. 

Meals here are available for eat-in and takeout, with tables inside separated by plexiglass for the time being. It is the perfect spot to hit with a group of friends to share a bunch of plates while enjoying the Spanish ambience.