NYCGuide
The Best Restaurants In The Catskills
Breweries, bakeries, BBQ spots, and other places where you should be hanging out in the Catskills.
The Catskills have changed quite a bit since the days of Dirty Dancing-style resorts and anybody trying to put baby in a corner. (There are fewer Hemlock trees and way more breweries now, for example.) But the area still has plenty of beautiful, pointy mountains to climb, non-polluted air to breathe, and fresh trout to eat.
Whether you’re visiting for a weekend, going to seven barn weddings in a row, dropping off your kid at camp, or living in the area, use this guide to find all the best restaurants and bars in nine towns in the Catskills.
If you’re looking for something more in-depth, we also have guides to Woodstock and Phoenicia. And if you’re headed to the Hudson Valley, we have lots of great ideas here.
ACCORD
This is one of our favorite places in all of upstate New York. Westwind Orchard sells fruit on their farmstand, offers cider tastings, and has a yard that’s covered with picnic tables and a wood-burning pizza oven. Their margherita pizza is on par with what you’ll find at the best spots in NYC, and they also do creative things with their own produce—like the raspberry and sausage-covered pie. If it wasn’t clear from everything we’ve already said, Westwind Orchard is perfect for kids, but it’s also perfect for pretty much anyone else.
Whether you’re staying at Inness or just passing through Accord, make a dinner reservation at the hotel’s restaurant. If you can, snag a table on their porch, which has great scenic views of the property and will make you say: “Should we move here?” at least twice to your dinner companions. There’s also a large indoor area that looks straight out of a Restoration Hardware catalog, plus a courtyard out front with picnic tables, Adirondack chairs, and fire pits for a more relaxed meal.
Expect starters like local sourdough, boquerones with spring garlic and salsa verde, and, of course, a little gem salad. Follow that up with some pastas (go with the fusilloni cacio e pepe) and mains like roasted chicken in a pomme puree or wild striped bass with fennel, bok choy, and smoked trout roe.
ANDES
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Aside from hiking and the coffee shop, the biggest attraction in Andes is Wayside Cider. You can go ahead and add this cider brewery to your list of Catskills wedding venue fantasies (even if you’re already married or insist you don’t believe in the concept of marriage). There are a bunch of spaced-out tables in the grass, as well as a barn with picnic tables where you can sit when it starts pouring. The cider here ranges from funky to crisp and classic. When you get hungry, order a charcuterie board or the smoked trout plate.
Dragonfly Coffee
Andes doesn’t feel nearly as New York City-invaded as Phoenicia or Woodstock, and there’s really just one small section of Main Street with a wine shop, general store, a farmer stand, and this very cute Italian coffee shop. In addition to drinks, Dragonfly serves sandwiches and Italian pastries like a flourless almond cake that somehow stays moist. Stop by and recharge on their back deck next to a little stream before you go hiking.
BOVINA
Brushland Eating House is on the far western side of the Catskills, and it’s worth driving out of your way for (even if that means navigating dark dirt roads without cell service). It’s on the first floor of an old farmhouse, and the space has floor-to-ceiling windows, a giant bar, and nice wooden banquettes. (Vogue Catskills doesn’t exist, but if it did, they would be all over this place.) Dinner costs $75, and it consists of a three-course family-style meal. The menu changes weekly, so check Brushland's website to see what's in store. If you’re picking just one restaurant to go to in the Catskills, this is it.
CATSKILL
An annoying number of restaurants in the Catskill-proper area are only open Thursday-Sunday to cater to weekend visitors, but J&J Smokehouse BBQ is open seven days a week. Housed in a 1940s-era gas station, this place doesn’t limit itself to one specific regional style. Instead, you’ll find smoked meats and sides that pull from the wide variety of American barbecue techniques. Everything is solid, but they do spicy foods especially well. We love the sausage of fire and spicy pickled cauliflower. The burnt ends tend to sell out quickly, so if that’s your favorite meat, we recommend coming earlier in the day.
HUNTER
West Kill Brewery is one of our favorite places to hang out in this part of the Catskills. Mostly because it’s located right on the side of a mountain, which gives you the best possible view you can have while drinking a beer without actually going on a hike (although, you should also do that). They typically have an outsourced food vendor serving snacks like tacos or sausages and pretzels, in addition to tons of games and picnic tables available.
The people behind the Scribner’s Lodge used a formula discovered by many Williamsburg ex-pats before them: buy an old, run-down Hudson Valley building, make it look like Brooklyn, and the people will come. Scribner’s is a beautiful space, with impressive views of Hunter Mountain on display from the floor-to-ceiling windows in the hotel’s restaurant, Prospect. The smoked anchovy caesar, burger with pickles and special sauce, and cocktails are all delicious, as are all of the desserts.
LIVINGSTON MANOR
Upward Brewing Company
You may not know about this place yet, but you absolutely need to check it out. In addition to a short menu of highly-drinkable beer (get the Opiate IPA), Upward has a full food menu with things like chicken tenders, cheese-covered fries, and Bavarian sausages. But the real draw is the 120+ acre property. There are tons of spaced-out tents set up around a pond, and the brewery even has its own mountain you can hike called Beer Mountain. This is a great stop if you’re anywhere near Livingston Manor.
This place is half-grocery store and half-cafe. On the cafe side, you’ll find great sandwiches, salads, and soups. But you can also buy most of the ingredients on the menu in the store section on the left side—including cured meats, trout, local tomatoes, and pickles. This is our favorite place in the area for a quick to-go lunch, and works well if you want to pick up a couple snacks before a hike. In the summertime, there’s often a farmers market set up in front with even more fresh produce.
The Kaatskeller is right across from Main Street Farm. They’re managed by the same people, and we’ve witnessed the owner running from one to the other carrying a wheel of parmesan in his hand. Kaatskeller is a pizza place that’s 85% outdoors (including their kitchen and most of the seating), and very family-friendly. The patio space feels a little like a German beer garden, but with the addition of Neapolitan-style pizza, dogs, children, and a fire pit in the back. Make sure to order the White Album pizza and the trout rillettes.
This is where you go to drink the best beer in the Catskills, the Devil’s Path IPA. It tastes much better here than in Yankee Stadium (where they also serve it on draft). They have a picnic area outside and a small bar inside. Bring your dog and maybe some food from Main Street Farm to eat outside—or just keep going up to the bar for free refills of popcorn.
This biscuit-focused bakery makes square-shaped, flaky biscuits and other breads. Place your order at The Walk In’s counter on Pleasant Street then grab a table outside with your dog, who we presume will also be interested in your curry chicken salad sandwich and BEC on a biscuit. We like stopping here after a hike at Willowemoc Wild Forest or a trip to Catskill Brewery for something quick and filling.
A few miles from the main street in Livingston Manor, you’ll find the farm, restaurant, and venue where you should plan a date or a group dinner. In addition to the big barn space where they play live music on the weekends, the communal fire pit, the porch seating, and the banquet space in the back, there’s a restaurant and bar here. The food is American and mostly kind of heavy, with dishes like a fried chicken sandwich (get that) and lamb chops (get those, too). It’s all good, but the real draw here is the huge and beautiful space.
PHOENICIA
As much as you’ll feel like you’re walking into Portlandia Goes To Woodstock, it’s pretty much impossible not to love Phoenicia Diner—and everybody we know who’s been here feels the same way. The menu is full of stuff you want to eat, including all-day breakfast with pancakes that need to be part of any order. The inside has a quintessential diner feel, but if you arrive to a long wait on the weekend, don’t hesitate to order at the food truck and dine at the picnic tables. Your corned beef skillet or Catskills po'boy will be just as delicious.
This cozy cafe that recently got a revamp makes great flapjacks the size of a frisbee for breakfast or lunch. They also do Belgian waffles that are perfectly crispy on the outside and dusted with pearlized sugar. This is the place to go before or after some time exploring nearby towns like Woodstock and Saugerties.
Peekamoose is an even better restaurant than it is a word, and that’s saying a lot. We’d put it alongside Cucina in Woodstock as a must-visit for dinner. The space is in a restored farmhouse, with two options for seating: make a reservation for the more formal dining room, or head to the deck where there’s plenty of first-come, first-served outdoor seating. The menu includes a list of dishes that make you want to order everything, including plates of wood-grilled octopus and homemade gnudi.
Despite the name, Woodstock Brewing is technically located in Phoenicia. The indoor space has huge windows and a tap list that includes beers like a pineapple passionfruit gose, an IPA with malted oats, and a porter that tastes like Dr. Pepper. Outside, there are tons of tables and a full food menu, including a phenomenal burger.
HV Guide
The Best Restaurants In Phoenicia, New York
STONE RIDGE
Cherries is nothing more than a tiny deli by the side of the road, but don’t let its size fool you. This is maybe the best “deli” in all of upstate New York. The counter-service space with an attached covered patio has a full menu of things that are exactly what you want to eat in the middle of your road trip (fantastic sandwiches, chicken tenders, and curly fries to name a few). But you’re here for one thing above all else: their soft serve.
Hasbrouck House is an old inn that was taken over and renovated, and it has a nice restaurant called Butterfield. The walls are stone, there’s a fireplace, and the whole spot generally makes you feel like you’re in the upstate New York version of a castle. A low-key castle, but still. The restaurant serves brunch and dinner and you can choose from high-end American dishes like tagliatelle with bottarga and black trumpet-crusted venison.
WOODSTOCK
Part Asian grocery store and part Filipino takeout spot, Harana Market is where you should go to grab a post-hike snack or gather cooking supplies for a big family dinner. The rotating menu of homestyle Filipino food is all delicious, and they’ve set up some chairs and hammocks outside where you can eat. They’re also always doing specials, like halo halo, beef machado, and fried chicken with Filipino fish sauce, which you can find out about on their Instagram. On Sundays, they offer free meals for people who identify as LGBTQIA+.
If the idea of the L’Artusi of upstate New York is exciting to you, then you should make it a priority to go to Cucina. And if it’s not, then we’re curious and a little nervous to hear what does excite you. The seasonal Italian food, converted farmhouse, and wraparound porch makes this place easily one of the best dinners you can have in the Hudson Valley—and a perfect place to have a romantic meal with your partner after a day of lounging around your Airbnb.
The Mud Club is the perfect morning stop for coffee and some bagels. It’s basically in a gorgeous Hudson Valley backyard, with a bunch of benches and giant rocks where you can spend a couple of hours planning an afternoon hike or your inevitable move upstate. If you’re in Beacon, check out their second location where they do sourdough pizzas for dinner on Friday and Saturday.
This funky-looking wine bar and small-plates spot is from the same team as Mud Club (and also located right next door). It’s open later than most other spots around town, and is therefore the perfect place to sit and drink outside with someone you do coupley things with. Get a spot next to the fire pit so your clothes smell like beef jerky the next day, or hang out inside under the disco ball.
If you want to snack on something, we like the dips that come with crunchy Mud Club bagel chips that you won't be able to stop eating. You’ll have to stop by Thursday through Sunday, since they’re closed during the week.
HV Guide
