40 Best Restaurants in Hudson Valley, New York

There's more to this storefront patisserie than meets the eye. Exquisite cakes, tarts, and baked goods fill the pastry case. The lunch and dinner fare always includes a vegetarian option or two, such as penne tossed with wild mushrooms, baby spinach, and roasted red peppers. Calico is known for its roasted garlic soup garnished with crème fraiche that chef Tony Balassone, a Hudson Valley native, once served at the James Beard House. The chef also prepares a flavorful Marseillaise bouillabaisse, brimming with shellfish in lobster broth.

You never know which eclectic special you'll see on the menu at this cozy bistro and bar in uptown Kingston. So take a seat in one of the red leather chairs and admire the paintings from local artists on the wall while you peruse the exciting menu. If you sit at the bar, you can watch the chef in action. Don't be surprised to see roasted tomato and Brie frittata for breakfast, a North African spiced pork stew for lunch, and a roasted leg of lamb for dinner. Just be sure to save room for the goat cheese custard dessert with fruit compote.

Named for the Manhattan neighborhood where the owners (chef Craig Stafford and his wife Jessica Stingo) met, this sophisticated steak house wouldn't be out of place in its namesake neighborhood. Three cuts of steak (hanger steak, filet mignon, and a 16-ounce rib eye) are served with your choice of sauces including chimichurri, housemade steak sauce, and au poivre. There are plenty of options for non-carnivores, including oysters, littleneck clams, fish, pastas, and a terrific veggie burger made with roasted eggplant and brown rice. The shoestring fries alone are worth the drive.

The locally-sourced menu here changes daily, but the bistro-style dishes always have a Mediterranean accent. You'll find lots of fresh seafood, like yellowfin carpaccio, fresh shucked oysters, baby shrimp crudo and P.E.I. mussels. There's also plenty for the vegetarian set too, like feta-stuffed ravioli and chickpea sliders with cumin yogurt. On the weekends, there's a lively bar scene.

You can unwind at this popular bistro with brick walls and a bar along one wall. The wide-ranging menu includes dishes such as Cajun-cornmeal fried calamari, slow-roasted pulled pork with Carolina BBQ, and sesame-dressed soba noodle salad. There are also several vegetarian options and a long list of beers.

Ben Gable was known for his savory pies and quiches in Brooklyn before he and his partner moved upstate to open this welcoming café serving his signature savories made with local milk, cream, cheese, and eggs. The café also sells sandwiches, soups, salads, and sweets.

What looks like a kitschy old diner on the outside might as well be a trattoria in Capri on the inside: photos of the island adorn the walls and the food is authentic Italian. That's why locals wait in long lines to get in. Its pastas—veal-stuffed ravioli, baked pasta with eggplant and loads of cheese—are renowned. Vegetables such as wilted broccoli rabe are also a specialty.

The paper tablecloths and the crayons displayed in water glasses reflect the relaxed nature of this eatery. From seared monkfish to burgers made from grass-fed local beef, everything here is just right. The kitchen makes the most of local produce. Vegetarian entrées change nightly, drawing aficionados from miles around.

This classic French bistro is famed for its raw bar, which it stocks with frequent seafood deliveries. Fresh briny oysters (only $1 each at Sunday brunch) are perfectly complemented by the mignonette and spicy cocktail sauce. Mussels are prepared with tasso ham, leeks, and cream; duck confit is cured in a mixture of salt, sugar, and spices. The menu changes every three weeks but the popular steak tartare is always on the menu as are the impeccable french fries.

This clean and classic restaurant serves northern Italian fare. A mahogany ceiling and cherrywood floor in the dining room give way to a lighter, more elegant, birch-maple motif in the main dining room. The homemade pastas and raviolis are local favorites; the ravioli with beef or veal ragout is sublime. During warm weather, enjoy a romantic candlelight dinner in the tiered garden. The owners also run an inn housed in three impeccably restored houses close by.

This elegant and rustic boulangerie/bistro features handmade artisanal breads and sophisticated pastries and fruit tarts. The dining room serves classic French dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Standouts include housemade sausages and pâtés, crostini topped with artichoke and feta or roasted garlic rosemary hummus, and moules frites. The brick patio is a welcome oasis in warm weather while the zinc bar is an intimate spot for a rendevous with wine, craft beer, or cocktails.

The jolly sunburst graphic on the café sign and the banks of colorful flowers on the front steps are très French. Warm terra-cotta–tone walls and vine-motif sconces continue the theme inside. The food is authentic French bistro fare, well prepared and presented. What a delight to find a really good croque- monsieur and moules (mussels) or steak frites. Tarte tatin, baked by the chef and served with a scoop of crème fraîche, is not to be missed.

Chef Chaminda Widyarathna and his wife Shiwanti hail from Sri Lanka and serve specialties from their home country alongside some of the best Indian food in the Hudson Valley. To start, try the chicken tenders topped with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and Sri Lankan spices. The chef's divine fish curry cooked in tangy tamarind sauce with spicy chiles is wonderful. The couple also have an outpost in Poughkeepsie.

Housed in a 400-year-old samurai farmhouse—shipped to America from Japan and reconstructed on-site in Central Valley—this hibachi chophouse claims to deliver both "steak and theater." Skillful chefs slice, dice, flip, and grill your dinner before your eyes, while kimono-clad servers fetch appetizers and umbrella-topped specialty drinks. Proximity to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets makes this a convenient (and affordable) post-shopping spot.

You can dine by a fireplace in this late-17th-century stone house, a National Historic Landmark. Try the aged steak or the special seafood of the day. On Saturday night, prime rib is served with Yorkshire pudding. The homemade pastas are also a treat. The dessert menu includes several types of cheesecake and a warm fruit cobbler in season. In summer, ask to sit on the patio.

American pub fare and some of the best beer in the Hudson Valley are served in this relaxed restaurant-brewery. The menu includes sandwiches and pizzas as well as toothier fare like steaks and pastas. The breads, desserts, and ice creams are made on the premises. Live music three nights a week makes this a popular nightspot, too.

The flavors of Tuscany take center stage at this highly regarded eatery tucked into an unlikely corner of commercial Newburgh. You'll want to toss the menu aside in favor of the exhaustive list of daily specials. Fresh buffalo mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, and sun-dried tomatoes pop up in many dishes; the osso buco is a signature dish, and the pasta with shaved black truffles has acquired nearly a cult following. For dessert, don't miss the chocolate soufflé cake. The cordial waitstaff, outfitted in ties and crisp white aprons, presides over the dining room with pressed-copper ceilings and blond-wood beams.

The decor at this busy Thai restaurant is rather basic, but don't let that deter you from trying the varied menu that includes excellent dishes like crispy duck and steamed dumplings. Weekend specials are often standouts too.

Widely hailed as one of the Hudson Valley's best Mexican restaurants, this welcoming eatery is brightly painted and decorated with Mexican Talavera pottery. Guacamole is made (and spiced to your taste) tableside. There's an impressive selection of tequilas and Mexican beers as well as interesting margaritas. Main courses include traditional entrées like vegetarian chile relleno, shredded pork carnitas, and arroz con pollo (served with a spicy lemon jalapeño sauce) or try the unique camarones al pastor (shrimp topped with pineapple and ancho-guajillo chile sauce). For dessert, the ice cream topped with Mexican chocolate and caramel can't be beat.

This relaxed bistro offers a slice of France in uptown Kingston. Try modern versions of traditional dishes, like duck pâté served on a bed of red onions (a starter) or grilled New Zealand rack of lamb in a merlot–balsamic vinegar reduction. The prix-fixe menus offer good value. True Francophones will be delighted by the café au lait served in bowls

Gianni Scappin, who's been serving excellent contemporary Italian cuisine at Cucina across the river in Woodstock since 2007, recently opened a laid-back yet elegant trattoria serving Italian-American specialties in the center of Rhinebeck. Go for the Neopolitan-style pizzas cooked in the wood-burning brick oven, housemade pastas, and excellent meats including a local rib eye topped with a spicy aioli.

A hickory smoke oven was imported from Louisiana to give authentic flavor to the Southern-style cooking found here. Slow cooking takes on a new meaning when meats are smoked for 4–15 hours. Hearty dishes of pulled pork, ribs, chicken, and crab cakes are served with your choice of two sides; the cheese grits and collard greens are popular.

Come off Warren Street into this slice of contemporary Mexico—an outpost of Manhattan's Mexican Radio. High ceilings mean there's plenty of room for thematic art on the orange-hue walls, which are dominated by wrought-iron crucifixes and augmented by Mexican art. The cuisine is hearty, high-end Mexican; Cajun burritos filled with chorizo and shrimp and topped with jalapeno salsa, and steak and shrimp fajitas stand out. Some of the produce (like the tomatillos) is grown specially for the restaurant by local farmers.

With a hunter-green awning over the entrance, walls covered with framed hunting prints, and wood paneling that recalls a stable, this restaurant plays up the horse-country theme. The food is billed as "authentic 19th-century cooking." Everything is cooked in the wood-fired oven; the open-plan kitchen invites you to watch. The house's baked stuffed Spanish onion, a concoction of cheddar cheese and fresh vegetables, is well worth trying. Entrées are served on sizzling cast-iron platters straight from the oven.

Colorful accents and artwork adorn this lively restaurant helmed by two-time Food Network Chopped champion Ric Orlando. A large bar and a sapphire-and-stainless-steel open kitchen are focal points. The eclectic menu include pan-blackened string beans with a Cajun remoulade that will have you humming zydeco. Other classic entrees include sofrito-laced Cuban pot roast and bacon wrapped, smoked gouda stuffed meatloaf. Vegetarians will appreciate the many veggie offerings including blue corn-crusted seitan cutlets topped with tomatillo salsa.

While there are no river views or outdoor terraces, the cozy restaurant boasts delicious homespun Mediterranean food, charred and flavorful out of a massive wood-fired oven. In addition to airy pizzas with cool toppings, you can enjoy Greek-inspired salads and lots of seafood.

This immaculate Japanese restaurant is popular with the college crowd as well as with the locals. It offers high-quality sushi, teriyaki, tempura, and noodle dishes. There's also an extensive assortment of sake. The meal always ends with a perfectly chilled orange.

You can count on a cheerful greeting when you venture into this immaculate sushi bar and restaurant. The fish is super-fresh, the presentation artistic, and the sake assortment excellent. In addition to sushi, the menu covers teriyaki, tempura, and udon-noodle dishes. The place isn't large and it tends to fill up on weekends, but it is worth the wait. Nearby Tivoli is home to an Osaka branch.

At Pier 701, you'll find modern American fare with breathtaking views. During the spring and summer seasons, snag a table on the outdoor patio that overlooks the Hudson River for an outstanding brunch, lunch, or dinner. Or go for a drink at the tiki bar, a great location to watch the sunset over the river.

Culinary Institute alum Patrick Amedeo may only serve six different pies and four different salads, but that's all you need at this exquisite artisanal pizzeria. There are traditional thin-crust Margherita and white Bianco pies, but for something more innovative try the Morandi topped with Grana Padano cheese, red onions, pistachios, and rosemary. The Mediterranean salad—romaine and arugula topped with wood oven-roasted eggplant, tomatoes, ricotta salata, and sherry vinaigrette—is sublime. A small selection of wines is available, and if you're in the mood for something sweet, ask Patrick to make his decadent calzone filled with melted Nutella.