Antonio's Pizza
Pizza$
Order: Two slices, one plain and one odd
The late-night slice that UMass lines up for, open till 2 a.m.
Best for: late night · Reserve: no; expect a line after 11 p.m.
31 N Pleasant St, Amherst, MA
North America · United States
Where to eat in Amherst and Northampton
Amherst and Northampton are two college towns 8 miles apart in the Pioneer Valley, home to UMass, Amherst College and Smith. They eat like farm country with a student budget: cider doughnuts and asparagus from Hadley farms, ice cream from the shop that says it invented mix-ins, late-night slices on North Pleasant Street and grinders on Main Street. Come in September or October for apples and leaves, or in late spring for asparagus.
Amherst and Northampton at a glance
- What to eat
- Apple cider doughnut; Ice cream with mix-ins; Pizza by the slice; Deli sandwich; Diner breakfast.
- When to go
- Best: September–October. Also good: May–August. Hardest: January–February.
- Top tables
- This guide lists 2 award-winning restaurants, starting with Antonio's Pizza and Atkins Farms Country Market.
- Where locals eat
- Local favorites off the prestige lists include Mala Pot & Grill, Amherst Oyster Bar, Tellus & the Satellite Bar and Flayvors of Cook Farm.
- Markets
- Amherst Farmers Market, Northampton Tuesday Market and Atkins Farms Country Market.
The dish to eat here
Apple cider doughnut
A cake doughnut made with boiled-down apple cider, fried and rolled in cinnamon sugar.
The best three: Atkins Farms Country Market, North Hadley Sugar Shack, Cook Farm.
25places in Amherst and Northampton, ready to save to your trip
6Eat tonightChef's picks, the well-known and the discoveries6Dishes to tryWhere to eat each one, and how to cook it at home5Walk itA walking tour in eating order3Romantic dinnersTen tables for date night
What is in the 25
2 award-winning10 local favorites1 hot right now3 markets5 walking tour stops6 chef's picks2 sandwich shops3 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots4 new openings12 dish spots
What to eat in Amherst and Northampton, and where
Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Apple cider doughnut
Warm from the farm stand fryer, rolled in cinnamon sugar; best in September and October
The 3 best places to eat it in Amherst and Northampton
- 1Atkins Farms Country Market
Order: A bag of cider doughnuts
A farm market since 1962 and a readers' pick in Boston.com's 2025 New England cider doughnut roundup.
- 2North Hadley Sugar Shack
Order: Cider doughnuts from the farm market
Named by readers in Boston.com's 2025 cider doughnut roundup.
Seen in Boston.com (readers, Oct 2025) - 3Cook Farm
Order: A cider doughnut with a scoop of Flayvors ice cream
On the New England cider doughnut map; the farm also makes its own ice cream.
Ice cream with mix-ins
Herrell's says it started smooshing candy into ice cream; the dairy-farm scoops in Hadley are close behind
The 2 best places to eat it in Amherst and Northampton
- 1Herrell's Ice Cream
Order: Any flavor with a smoosh-in
Steve Herrell began mixing candy into ice cream in the 1970s; the Northampton shop has been here about 45 years, with a second shop in North Amherst's Mill District.
Seen in Wikipedia, Amherst Indy - 2Flayvors of Cook Farm
Order: A cone made from the farm's own milk; Hadley Grass asparagus flavor in spring
Ice cream made on a working dairy farm, on the state's ice cream trail.
Pizza by the slice
The late-night slice that UMass students line up for after 11 p.m.
The 2 best places to eat it in Amherst and Northampton
- 1Antonio's Pizza
Order: Two slices from the case, one of them odd
Up to 1,000 slices between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. on weekends; often named the state's best slice.
- 2Pinocchio's Pizzeria
Order: A slice
A downtown Northampton slice shop that locals compare with Antonio's.
Deli sandwich
Grinders and baguettes from the delis on Main Street in Amherst and State Street in Northampton
The 2 best places to eat it in Amherst and Northampton
- 1Black Sheep Deli
Order: The Black Sheep Baguette (fresh mozzarella, sun-dried tomato, pesto, balsamic)
Top of the Valley Advocate's deli and sandwich poll.
Seen in Valley Advocate, Visit Hampshire County - 2State Street Fruit Store
Order: A grinder from the deli counter
A neighborhood store and deli since the 1930s, second in the same poll.
Seen in Valley Advocate
Diner breakfast
Pancakes and eggs in a 1941 dining car, or brunch in downtown Northampton
The 3 best places to eat it in Amherst and Northampton
- 1Miss Florence Diner
Order: Pancakes or French toast with thick-cut bacon
A dining car opened in 1941, still serving breakfast every day.
Seen in Wikipedia, Miss Florence Diner - 2Jake's
Order: A brunch plate
A downtown breakfast and brunch regular, with a second spot in Amherst.
- 3Esselon Cafe
Order: Weekend brunch and a coffee roasted on site
Halfway between the two towns; the roaster turns in the corner while you eat.
Sugar shack breakfast
Pancakes with syrup boiled on the farm, in maple season from about mid February to mid April
The best place to eat it in Amherst and Northampton
- 1North Hadley Sugar Shack
Order: Pancakes or waffles with their own syrup
Sugarin' breakfasts with boiling demos in maple season, listed for the 2026 Maple Weekend.
The most celebrated tables
The top 2 restaurants in Amherst and Northampton, per 2026.
More award winners
Antonio's Pizza
Named Massachusetts' best slice (reported by Yahoo News)
The slice shop UMass students queue at after 11 p.m.
Atkins Farms Country Market
Boston.com readers' best cider doughnuts in New England, 2025
Cider doughnuts and a year-round farm market since 1962.
When to go and what is in season
Amherst and Northampton food calendar: month by month → What is in season, what to eat and the food festivals each month.
JFMAMJJASOND
Peak Sep–OctShoulder May–AugHard Jan–Feb
Why these months
September and October bring apples, cider doughnuts and the leaves. Late May and June bring Hadley asparagus. Summer is quiet once students leave. January and February are cold, though maple season starts in mid February. Graduation weekends in May fill restaurants and rooms.
In season
- Hadley asparagus May–Jun Grown in Hadley's river soil; called Hadley Grass.
- Maple syrup Feb–Apr Sugarhouses boil sap from about mid February to mid April.
- Apples and cider Sep–Oct From Hadley and Amherst orchards and farm markets.
Food events
- Amherst Farmers Market opening day Apr April 18, 2026; Saturdays through Nov 21.
- North Hadley Asparagus Days May May 30, 2026, at the North Hadley Sugar Shack (the old Hadley Asparagus Festival ended after 2025).
Closures to plan around
- Bistro Les Gras closed in Dec 2020.
- Hungry Ghost Bread closed; Choclo Bakery is taking its State Street space.
- Lichter & Levin Delicatessen closed; Cafe Howl is planned there.
- Coco & The Cellar Bar in Easthampton is listed as permanently closed.
- Garcia's Mexican in downtown Amherst is closing (Aug 2026).
From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
Secret discoveries
Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.
counter
Mala Pot & Grill
Order: Malatang: pick your vegetables, noodles and meats and they cook them in a spicy broth
Sichuan street food across from the Academy of Music, opened Oct 2025 by Kelvin Zheng.
Seen in Daily Hampshire Gazette (Nov 2025) · worth confirming hours before you go
bar
Amherst Oyster Bar
Order: Oysters on the half shell
Opened April 2025 in the old Judie's space and sold 10,000 oysters in its first month.
bar
Tellus & the Satellite Bar
Order: The Wagyu double smash burger
A small bar and kitchen under Thornes Marketplace from three local owners.
Seen in Daily Hampshire Gazette, Northampton.live · worth confirming hours before you go
farm
Flayvors of Cook Farm
Order: A cone of farm-made ice cream
A working dairy farm that makes its own ice cream, with a spring asparagus flavor.
Seen in UMass Commonwealth Honors College, NHPR (Jul 2026) · worth confirming hours before you go
family-run
State Street Fruit Store
Order: A grinder
A store and deli since the 1930s that still makes the sandwiches people vote for.
Seen in Valley Advocate · worth confirming hours before you go
farm
North Hadley Sugar Shack
Order: Sugarin' breakfast in maple season, cider doughnuts in fall
A sugarhouse and farm market by the Connecticut River.
classic
Miss Florence Diner
Order: Pancakes and thick-cut bacon
A 1941 dining car in Northampton's Florence village.
Seen in Wikipedia, Miss Florence Diner
family-run
Izote Latin & American Kitchen
Order: Ask for the Latin plates
A new Amherst kitchen that held its grand opening on May 6, 2026.
Seen in Amherst Indy (May 2026) · worth confirming hours before you go
classic
Paul & Elizabeth's
Order: Fish and vegetarian plates
A natural foods restaurant open since 1978, now run by a new family owner.
Seen in CISA Buy Local Food · worth confirming hours before you go
counter
Black Sheep Deli
Order: The Black Sheep Baguette
The Valley Advocate readers' favorite deli.
Seen in Valley Advocate, Visit Hampshire County
Food markets in Amherst and Northampton
Plan a food trip to Amherst and Northampton
All 131 food citiesExplore the 250 food markets
More in North America
Awards come from the guides named on each listing (2026). Researched November 7, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for Amherst and Northampton: where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Amherst and Northampton: who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
Every place in this guide, A to Z (22)
- Amherst Farmers Market
- Amherst Oyster Bar Downtown Amherst
- Antonio's Pizza Downtown Amherst
- Atkins Farms Country Market South Amherst
- Black Sheep Deli Downtown Amherst
- Cafe Howl
- Choclo Bakery
- Cook Farm Hadley
- Esselon Cafe Hadley (Route 9)
- Flayvors of Cook Farm Hadley
- Herrell's Ice Cream Downtown Northampton
- Izote Latin & American Kitchen Amherst (West Street)
- Jake's Downtown Northampton
- Little Petroni's
- Mala Pot & Grill Downtown Northampton
- Miss Florence Diner Florence
- North Hadley Sugar Shack North Hadley
- Northampton Tuesday Market
- Paul & Elizabeth's Downtown Northampton (Thornes Marketplace)
- Pinocchio's Pizzeria Downtown Northampton
- State Street Fruit Store Northampton (State Street)
- Tellus & the Satellite Bar Downtown Northampton (Thornes basement)
Chef Amazing · Will Travel for Food · Food cities · 250 food markets · The Best 100