The Best Restaurants In The Catskills

The Catskills may look a lot different from its heyday of Dirty Dancing-esque resorts, but the area still has plenty of beautiful mountain trails to hike, non-polluted air to breathe, and fresh trout to eat. Nowadays, there are tons of hot dinner spots that’ll have you start looking up aspirational Zillow listings in the area, alongside general stores stocking $20 tinned fish and plenty of breweries.

Since the sheer amount of choices can feel overwhelming at times, use this guide to help narrow things down as you decide where to eat in towns like Woodstock and Phoenicia. 

Whether you’re here just to get away from the city for a bit, or happen to get hungry while combing the area for the perfect antique sideboard, these are the best restaurants, bars, and breweries in the Catskills. Since there’s a lot of ground to cover, we’ve organized this list by towns in alphabetical order. And if you find yourself closer to the river, here’s where to eat in the Hudson Valley.

New-ish spots we’re excited about: Casa Susanna, Day June, Nat’s Mountain House, Fellow Mountain Cafe, and Good Night.

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 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. The pick-your-own apples and wide open spaces make Westwind Orchard 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

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, and when you get hungry, there are many charcuterie-adjacent options you can graze while deciding which cider to try next.

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

If you’re picking just one restaurant to go to in the Catskills, this is it. 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 obsessed with this place. Dinner costs $75, changes weekly, and consists of a three-course family-style meal—check Brushland's website to see what's in store.

CATSKILL

There’s a beer for everyone at Subversive, a brewery that specializes in a slightly archaic method of brewing called “floor malting.” But as refreshing as the pilsners and pale ales are, we’re mainly here for the smashburger. The Classic has two patties topped with american cheese, housemade pickles, and sauce, all served on an airy milk bun, alongside fries and a necessary order of beer cheese.

This is the type of meal you’ll want when you’re too lazy to cook, celebrating a birthday, nursing a hangover—really anytime at all. Subversive’s big outdoor space is open all year, meaning you can scarf down burgers and knock back beers even in frigid temperatures, thanks to fire pits and insulated tents.

Most places in Catskill close before 9pm, but Hemlock, which is open Thursday through Monday until midnight, is one of the exceptions. It's also the rare place in town where you can get a little dressed up to lounge in a comfy booth and sip on a few cocktails like pineapple daiquiris or martinis with local conifers. If you get hungry, they have a small food menu and serve hot dogs after 10pm.

You’ll find Atelier Ku-Ki in the back of Made X Hudson, an upscale clothing boutique, where a leather jacket costs the equivalent of a round-trip (coach) flight to Japan. And yet, the Japanese bento counter is the perfect stop for a quick lunch on Friday or the weekend.

The bento boxes rotate weekly, and if it's available, order the salmon—the piece of perfectly cooked fish is accompanied by Japanese potato salad, lotus root, pickled vegetables, rice, and greens with a downright slurpable carrot-ginger vinaigrette. Most people take their lunch to go, but there are some bistro chairs and tables where you can eat next to $400 linen tops.

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HIGH FALLS

Ollie’s Pizza is the platonic ideal between a hype-y Brooklyn pizzeria and Upstate charm where you can spend a weekend afternoon hanging out with your friends on the huge outdoor patio. Share some local beer and sesame-crusted pies, or take a long lunch inside the cozy barn dining room filled with dark wood beams and booths. Thin crust, wood-fired pies are the star here, like the onion pie topped with shallots, calabrian chilis, and fresh herbs, but the baked gluten-free grandma pies are also excellent with a springy crust that maintains its structural integrity, even when loaded up with toppings.

HUNTER

Sitting just in front of Hunter Mountain, Fellow looks like it could be on a postcard. But the picturesque location isn’t the only thing going for this spot—their luscious BLT with garlic scrape mayo is the perfect lunch, and their iced espresso drinks are excellent and make for refreshing pre-outdoor adventure fuel. The large indoor seating area and some quiet outdoor tables on the porch are also ideal if you “forgot” to tell your boss you were coming Upstate and have to fire off a few quick emails.

Here’s why West Kill Brewery is one of our favorite places to hang out in this part of the Catskills: 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.

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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.

LEEDS

Casa Susanna is tucked away in a refurbished motel lodge-turned-luxury resort in Leeds, but don't let its sleepy exterior fool you—this is one of the hottest dinner spots in all of Upstate right now. The Jalisco restaurant is worth seeking out no matter where you’re staying for incredible masa and goat birria in a dining room that looks like it could have been AI generated from Mad Men concept art and issues of Architectural Digest. Dishes like scallop aguachile are so pretty you’ll momentarily resist digging into it with a tostada shard, but you’ll get over it as soon as the scallops melt onto your tongue.

There’s steep competition in the Catskills when it comes to fancy diners that serve seasonal local fruit and burgers with hand-cut fries, but Gracie’s Luncheonette stands out. The aesthetic here leans more modern farmhouse than retro diner car, and they do two things particularly well: melts and donuts.

The tuna melt is made from flaky fresh fish and the brisket sandwich is piled with house-smoked meat and a tangy white barbecue sauce that’ll mellow out the slices of jalapeño tucked into each bite. End the meal with one of their fluffy raised donuts dipped in fun seasonal glazes like blueberry corn or pomegranate cardamom.

LIVINGSTON MANOR

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.

The Kaatskeller is managed by the same people behind Main Street Farm, 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 bakery makes square-shaped, flaky biscuits and other breads that’ll help you avoid hanger after a morning hike in the Willowemoc Wild Forest. 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.

PHOENICIA

Phoenicia Diner has become so emblematic of the Catskills’ food scene that it’s become a meme, but it’s impossible not to love it. 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. 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 dinner 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 and onion rings the size of your entire head.

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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. You’re here for one thing above all else: their ice cream. The small-batch hard ice cream comes in flavors like lavender honey blueberry and peanut butter cup, and their creamy soft serve is legendary. If you can’t decide whether to go for a scoop or a swirl, they also make a bullseye cup that has soft serve with a scoop of hard ice cream in the middle for maximum cold dessert inception. 

The counter-service space with an attached covered patio also 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).

Hasbrouck House is an old inn that was taken over and renovated, and it has a fine dining restaurant called Butterfield. The walls are stone, there’s a fireplace, and the whole spot generally makes you feel like you’re in a fairy tale where food-based plots are motivated by locally foraged mushrooms rather than poisoned apples. The setting makes a great spot for celebrating a birthday or having a super-romantic date over trout rillettes, plus there’s a solid cocktail list if you want to toast with a drink that looks like it could be the subject of a still life.

TANNERSVILLE

At Nat’s Mountain House, we’re not sure what’s more beautiful: the views of the Catskill mountains from the spacious back deck, the multicolor Dada-esque mural taking up an entire wall, or the plate of pakora fried radishes. Like its older sister in NYC, Nat’s On Bank, the Mountain House is where you should go when you want a fun night out.

At Happy Hour, cocktails, wine, and small plates are all less than $10, so rest up after a hard day of antiquing with a celery-laced G&T and some crab rangoon dip. The loud but relaxed atmosphere of Nat’s never feels like anyone’s trying too hard, and will take your mind off that midcentury modern Danish teak credenza you had to leave behind.

WINDHAM

On any given weekend, it seems like thousands of people from New York City flock to the Catskills to enjoy the quiet and good Air Quality Index. Day June partially exists to cater to the weekenders and transplants (the fancy, modern diner is from the same team behind Wildair), but the food is so good you won’t even mind running into your coworker.

The comfort food dishes are the type of food you’d dream of eating while watching Saturday morning cartoons: cheddarmelt pancakes are topped with cheese and chipotle salsa, and the chicken fried steak is breaded with mini saltine crackers that look like gems poking out of a geode.

WOODSTOCK

Come to this Southeast Asian spot on a Tuesday and you might find some parents sharing walnut larb and grilled trout while their children doodle in coloring books. Come on the weekend and you’ll likely see a big group kicking off a craft cocktail-filled birthday weekend with 10 of their closest friends. This is just a snapshot of the vibe at Good Night, a Woodstock restaurant with really delicious drinks that’s good for any occasion.

Order some fried local oyster mushrooms with a tangy yuzu aioli into and the monkfish tempura that’s bright and crisp without tasting too oily or heavy. While each plate here is a flavor-packed knockout, well-balanced cocktails like the Thai 75 with basil, pineapple, and lime, are also worth planning an entire trip around.

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, but the tofu sisig is a standout that pairs wonderfully with garlicky rice. They’re also always doing specials, like halo halo, beef machado, and long, crispy batons of lumpiang shanghai, which you can find out about on their Instagram.

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.

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