HVGuide
The Best Restaurants & Bars In Hudson, New York
photo credit: Anne Cruz
If someone you know has said “we should go Upstate” in recent memory, they probably were thinking of the idyllic, antique-filled streets of Hudson. As one of the more accessible Hudson Valley cities (you can get there by train), it sometimes feels like an extension of Brooklyn. That might kind of bum you out, or you might start looking up boutique hotel listings, but either way, you should know that the restaurants here keep getting better.
You could spend an entire day just wandering through Hudson’s giant antique warehouse or window shopping down Warren Street, but its location also means other Hudson Valley cities and the Catskills are just a short drive away.
There's a handful of newer spots that would probably fit right in if they opened in Williamsburg or Bushwick, but you'll also find restaurants, bars, and coffee shops that have been serving the community for years. And all of it is worth exploring between bouts of looking wistfully across the river or vintage shopping.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Kate Previte
Cafe Mutton feels like it was made for a rapidly-disappearing version of Hudson—one that remains eccentric, affordable, and connected to the natural world around it. Things like sausages and buckwheat scones are made in house, with the kind of care and attention you couldn’t manage in New York City without charging at least three times as much. The country pâté, served in sandwich form, is the kind of dish to go out of your way to eat again and again, and the savory pig head porridge is the perfect way to warm up when you overestimate how warm it would be Upstate. Expect crowds and a constant wait on weekends, while weekdays are usually a bit more relaxed.
photo credit: Anne Cruz
Whether you catch the morning train or have to claw your way through Friday night traffic, Kitty’s should be your first stop when you arrive in Hudson. During the day, you’ll find Vietnamese coffee-glazed crullers, cloud-like hash browns, and a breakfast sandwich with fluffy eggs, tangy sauerkraut, and creamy aioli. At night, they open up the airy dining room for cassis cocktails, oysters, and beef cheek ragu. The market section of the cafe is also perfect if you need to pick up some fancy provisions for the luxe cabin or guesthouse you’re staying in.
Lil Deb’s Oasis is full of serious food and wine in a place that makes a point not to take itself too seriously. Pretty much everyone here is wearing a crop top, and wine descriptions read like cryptic Connections solutions (tasting notes include “tiny pants" and “overdue apology”). Always order the whole fried fish—digging into the crisp, piping-hot flaky goodness with your bare hands before dipping it into the citrusy sauce is a sensual experience. Everything is delicious, but don’t leave without getting a slice of kabocha chocolate mousse cake for dessert.
photo credit: Anne Cruz
New York City bakery fanatics collectively mourned when Mel closed up shop on the Lower East Side. Thankfully, people who brag about having sourdough starters older than most kindergarteners can flock to Mel’s location on Warren Street, where you can get flaky laminated pastries and boules to pair with the fancy butter you can find in nearby shoppy shops. You can’t really go wrong here, but we especially love the cinnamon roll, which has a thick pat of frosting in the center rather than a pervasive sticky glaze. On Fridays starting at 11am, they also do Italian heroes on a sesame-covered spelt baguette, so it’s worth coming into Hudson early to try the weighty sandwich.
Wm. Farmer & Sons is connected to a hotel of the same name where the rooms average about $350 a night, and it feels like a much nicer-than-average hotel restaurant. The service is great, and the food menu has all the familiar trappings of a hotel restaurant, like a grass-fed beef tartare or chicken française, but includes tweaks like serving charcoal-roasted beets with rose petals, or topping a fantastic burger with butter-braised onions and tomato relish. They also have an exhaustive cocktail list that sources inspiration from historical cocktail books and modern bars like Dutch Kills and Attaboy.
photo credit: Clare Lagomarsino
There’s a world outside of Warren St. in Hudson, and it’s absolutely worth exploring, especially when you’ll have a sandwich from Quinnie’s to show for your effort. You’ll need a car to get here, as it’s located just on the outskirts of Hudson, but it’s worth it for the schmaltzy chicken salad and saucy tikka masala sandwiches. Plop down at one of the picnic tables in their sprawling outdoor area while you wait, or kill time at their ping pong table. Always get a buttery, sandy halva shortbread cookie as a post-meal treat.
photo credit: Mariana Garay
Be prepared to stand in line at Culture Cream for live probiotic ice creams and sorbets made with kombucha and kefir. Flavors like blueberry thyme sorbet and miso ice cream with honey roasted strawberries not only taste great, but also answers the question of “what if ice cream were better for your gut health?” Interacting with the staff almost feels like you’re talking to a pharmacist, but instead of filling a prescription for probiotics, you’ll end up with a delicious cup of vanilla or cardamom ice cream
If you’re looking for a backyard where you can eat a simple, extra thin-crust pizza and drink an interesting $25 bottle of wine, head straight to The Half Moon on Front Street. They also serve pizza by the slice in case you arrive to town hungry at 10pm after everything else has closed. The classic cheese pizza is a favorite, but it’s also worth venturing out to try the white pie with ricotta and garlic.
Hudson Brewing Company is great for your friend who named their cat after their favorite type of hops, and has lots of other food and drink beverages for the people in your group who just want to have some wings and fries on the dog-friendly patio. The beer selection has a super wide variety that includes a pineapple cider and a stout made exclusively from ingredients grown in New York State, so get a few flights to share with friends to try a bit of everything.
photo credit: Anne Cruz
In recent years, Hudson has become a town where you can’t step outside without spending $50 on a candle. So we’re all the more appreciative of places like Backbar, where you can roll in with a group of friends without booking a reservation weeks in advance or spending $100 per person. It’s easy to make a meal out of Southeast Asian small plates like chicken lemongrass dumplings and sweet chili cauliflower wings on the spacious outdoor patio, but you could also camp out inside with a smoky mezcal slushee to watch whatever movie is being projected onto the wall. They host events all the time, which means you might even stumble into a Bingo or “bring your own backgammon” night.
Feast & Floret feels sort of like a curated playground for adults who like Nice Things, all wrapped up in a gorgeous brick building that would feel at home in the Italian countryside. They sell fresh and dried arrangements of flowers from their very own farm, as well as housemade amaro and flavored salts. The rotating menu of Italian dishes is solid for a romantic dinner, if not a bit predictable with things like burrata and braised beef pappardelle.
Grazin’ is a good, casual option for a burger or weekend brunch in an old-school diner space. If you’d rather get your order to go, you could take your grass-fed beef or goat cheese salad across the street to 7th Street Park. They also have a distillery and tasting room, so you can peruse their selection of liquors and chase your burger with a snifter of whiskey.
Le Perche has been in Hudson for years, but it was revamped in 2018 by the people behind Swoon Kitchenbar. The wood-covered interior and long bar are nice places for a low-key dinner or drinks, and you should keep the greenery-covered patio in mind for all your brunch needs. If you’re here in the morning, get a chocolate croissant—they’re made in house and are super flaky.
The Rivertown Lodge is basically the real-life amalgamation of every well-styled photo of Upstate New York on the internet. There’s blonde wood everywhere, tiny light fixtures scattered across the ceilings, and they use and sell the kind of ceramic mugs you decide you want to buy for your apartment until you realize they’re $45 each. They serve one of our favorite Hudson breakfasts on the weekends—highlights of the brunch menu include a maple ricotta Dutch baby and a focaccia egg sandwich with fontina and calabrian chili. It’s worth it to stop by for dinner, too, when you can get grilled pork ribs with sichuan five spice or a wild bluefish with grilled cucumbers.
