For this edition of Guide to Greenwich, I visited Green & Tonic, Méli-Mélo, and The Granola Bar to find which café sells the best berry smoothie in and surrounding Greenwich, Connecticut (CT). I judged each drink based on taste, price, and proximity to Sacred Heart Greenwich.
Green & Tonic
My first stop was Green & Tonic in Glenville, CT, a mere nine minute drive from the Sacred Heart campus. Its accessibility from campus makes it the perfect grab-and-go spot to accommodate busy lifestyles. Green & Tonic is a health food, fast casual restaurant with locations across Fairfield and Westchester counties, including in Stamford, Greenwich, Cos Cob, Darien, Rye Brook, and Chappaqua. I visited the store around 12:00 p.m. on a Wednesday. The parking lot was mostly empty, and only three other customers were inside the shop when I entered.
I ordered a small Berry Garcia smoothie, which came out to $10.68. My order came out quickly and the presentation was notable. The smoothie blends coconut water, acai, strawberry, blueberry, and banana, with hemp seeds on top. Green & Tonic is not only a smoothie store, but they also sell salads, protein balls, and chia seed pudding, among other refrigerated health foods. For this reason, the quality of the smoothie pleasantly surprised me. It had a smooth texture and fresh taste, with salient blueberry and banana flavors. The smoothie was satisfying and kept me full throughout my afternoon classes, even with its small size.
Méli-Mélo
My next stop was Méli-Mélo, a creperie and restaurant on Greenwich Avenue. While it is a further, 16-minute drive from Sacred Heart, there are plenty of other restaurants to visit and stores to peruse through on Greenwich Avenue, making it worth the trip. Méli-Mélo is a family-owned business, offering robust menus for breakfast, all-day meals, and an extensive juice bar selection. Thus, this is the perfect location to grab a bite to eat at any time of day.
I visited around 1:00 p.m. on a Friday, making parking difficult to find. Families and shoppers often crowd the Avenue in the early afternoon, so there were no tables available inside to sit down. I decided to take my smoothie to go. I opted for the Acai Smoothie, which contains blueberry, strawberry, banana, acai, chia seeds, and almond milk. There is only one size option, which is similar in size to the small Green & Tonic smoothie. My order came to $13.29, though, which was notably more expensive than the Green & Tonic smoothie. Though the shop was busy, the staff were kind and brought out my order quickly. The taste was refreshing, with a prominent banana flavor. This smoothie had an even smoother texture than the Green & Tonic smoothie and tasted more sugary than my previous contender.
The Granola Bar
My last stop was The Granola Bar in Rye, New York (NY). This location is a similar 16-minute drive from Sacred Heart, but in the direction of NY rather than CT. The Granola Bar also has other locations in Fairfield and Westchester, including in Greenwich, as well as in New York City and Long Island. I visited around 2:00 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon. In the bustling streets, it was difficult to find a parking spot, so I parked at the nearby Rye train station. Although it was a busy day in Rye, I ordered ahead of time, so when I entered the café, it only took me a few minutes to obtain my order. I decided on the Very Berry smoothie, with strawberry, banana, honey, Greek yogurt, and milk, which came to $11.34. There was also only one size option available, and it was similar to the two previous smoothies.
This smoothie was very different from my previous two orders. The whole milk and Greek yogurt made for a a strong dairy flavor. Additionally, its texture was not as smooth as the previous two, and its visual presentation was the least appealing out of the three smoothies. I enjoyed the honey taste, but ultimately, I would not order this smoothie again. However, The Granola Bar offers an extensive food menu with breakfast and lunch meal options, so smoothies are not their sole focus.
Winner
After tasting all three smoothies, I chose the berry smoothie from Green & Tonic as my favorite. It was it the most affordable option, which was a vital criterion. Additionally, it kept me full for a long time and tasted the freshest out of the three. Although Méli-Mélo’s smoothie was smooth and delicious, its price and low accessibility to campus made it not worthwhile. Additionally, The Granola Bar’s smoothie is a good choice for those who enjoy more dairy-based smoothies, but it was not my favorite. If you are looking for a quick, healthy snack or lunch food, picking up a smoothie at Green & Tonic is the best option.
Featured Image by Caroline Gammon ’26
