News & Updates

A Washington favorite serving fresh-baked pastries, smoothies, acai bowls, and lunch options like the chicken winner sandwich with a side of “totchos.” - Litchfield Magazine

The white clapboard structure with the white picket fence suggests a typical New England house. In truth it is a historical building, which has been in existence since the 1900s, and for a time operated as a pharmacy and small grocery. With its proximity to the Frederick Gunn School, it then became a place for students and faculty to meet and share a meal at its old-fashioned lunch counter replete with soda fountain. These items have remained all these years and even served as a backdrop in recent years for fans of Gilmore Girls, who visit Washington as part of a local fanfest and who claim that The Po was the inspiration for Luke’s Diner. Celebrity aside, everybody loves that The Po is back in business with the talented Maggie Colangelo and her husband Frank in charge. Read More

The iconic Po Café is located in the heart of Washington CT and lives in a charming historic white clapboard house right next to the town’s post office – hence the nickname. The building, once home to a pharmacy and grocery store, sits across from the idyllic town’s church. The area served as the inspiration behind fictional town Stars Hollow made famous by Rory and Lorelei Gilmore. As soon as you walk through the front door you can almost imagine Luke standing behind the counter of the old fashioned soda fountain pouring a cup of coffee. Read More

The Po Cafe is chosen as one of the “Best New Restaurants in the CT Magazine Best Restaurants 2021: Readers' Choice and Experts' Picks

For an authentic Luke’s Diner experience, check out the The Po Café located on the Washington Green. Its vibe will immediately transport you to Stars Hollow and you can even order a delicious burger off of their menu, just like a Gilmore. Read More

The first stop on Gilmore Girls tour is Luke’s Diner Part 1 (aka The Po Cafe). The Po Cafe is a quaint spot in Washington, Connecticut that sits next to the town post office and across from the “town green” of the picturesque church where many of the town happenings take place. It is small but packed with so many fresh food offerings, it is a definite must-see. Read More

f your coffee cravings are as powerful as Lorelai Gilmore’s, a double dose of exhilaration is in store at this petite bakery and café on the green in Washington, the Connecticut town that inspired Gilmore Girls’ Stars Hollow. You’ll be looking at its historic architecture—not a TV set—as you sip one of chef-owner Maggie Colangelo’s playful beverages, like a latte swirled with her own Flirtation Farms lavender syrup. But whether you’ve settled at an outdoor table or on a stool at the old-time soda fountain, you’ll love sampling farm-fresh comfort food and binge-watching the goings-on at the hub of this small Litchfield Hills community. Read More