If there’s one meal that’s always a celebration, it’s brunch. Luckily, these Hudson Valley restaurant know how to do it just right.
By Francesca Furey and Megan Wilson
You can eat breakfast food or lunch food, have cocktails and dessert, relax with family and friends, and still have the whole day ahead of you! If you want to really enjoy brunch, don’t be the host—gather your favorite people and head to one of these seven restaurants that know how to do the midday meal just right.
brunch
/brenCH/noun
Sometimes accompanied by alcoholic drinks (typically Champagne or a cocktail). Served between the hours of 10:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m. The word “brunch” is a portmanteau of breakfast and lunch, and originated during Great Britain’s Victorian era. It became popular in the United States in the 1930s.
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The Amsterdam
Rhinebeck
A New American restaurant rooted in seasonal, farm-to-table fare. Reservations strongly encouraged.
THE VIBE Housed in a renovated 1798 Dutch Colonial right in the village, The Amsterdam is both welcoming and modern. When the weather warms up, enjoy your meal on the patio in the backyard garden which has a full bar, sofas, and firepits.
MENU STANDOUTS The brunch selection is concise and globally inspired. We recommend the chorizo scramble (served with avocado, potato, onion, and semolina toast), biscuits and maple fennel sausage gravy (with two eggs any style), and the tomatillo shakshuka (tomato, baked eggs, feta, cilantro, and grilled bread). The charcuterie board—with local cheeses and house-made duck and pork paté, smoked ham, chicken liver mousse, and more—is a must-share for the table.
CHEERS The specialty cocktails are super inventive. Favorites include Rye’s Up (rye whiskey, apricot, and lemon), the Manhattan-esque (cherry liqueur, absinthe, and bourbon), and the bold Queen Rosie (rum, mint, and ancho chili).
Hudson Hil’s Café
Cold Spring
Delicious all-day breakfast is the draw. Reservations accepted for groups of five or more; on weekends, the queue picks up around 10 a.m. (You can join an online waitlist.)
THE VIBE White farmhouse meets charming eatery on the corner of Main and Kemble. The covered front porch is where everyone wants to sit on a pretty spring day.
MENU STANDOUTS There are so many great options it’s hard to narrow down. Their egg dishes are topnotch, especially the eggs Creole (andouille sausage, poached eggs, and sautéed shrimp drizzled with spicy hollandaise on cornbread) and the fig and prosciutto (fig, green apples, prosciutto, bacon, and leek hash on multigrain bread with over-easy eggs, creamy goat cheese, and arugula). If you’re looking for old-school comfort, order the savory biscuits and sausage gravy. The polenta cakes (made with roasted cauliflower, broccoli, peppers, and snap peas) with harissa are a great vegan option.
CHEERS Settle in with a classic mimosa, a glass of local wine (they carry bottles from Brotherhood and Whitecliff wineries), or a Hudson Valley-brewed beer from Captain Lawrence or Keegan Ales.
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Hudson’s Mill Tavern
Garnerville
A Rockland gem known for its three-course brunch on Sundays with bottomless drinks, inventive bites, and live music.
THE VIBE This circa-2019 tavern takes up the first floor of a historic brick mill at Garnerville Arts & Industrial Center. Choose from large communal tables for groups of 10 or cozy spots for two or four in the corners.
MENU STANDOUTS A few words of wisdom: you’re going to need a to-go box for the entrées (they’re enormous). Popular options include the chicken and waffles (buttermilk fried chicken and a sunny-side-up egg on cornmeal waffle with hot honey and maple syrup drizzle) and the addictive Bad B**** Benny (soppressata, spinach, tomato, and cheddar on a toasted baguette with hollandaise). Whatever you order, be sure to add a side of their famous BTS bacon—glazed in maple chili and garnished with chives and sea salt. End on a sweet note: the cinnamon churros and flan are fabulous.
BOTTOMS UP Yes, there are mimosas and Bloody Marys, but try the Sunday Punch. (The ingredients are top-secret but trust us on this one.) Hudson’s Mill also has a unique smoked cocktail menu: the old fashioned, Manhattan, and Apple Crisp (Jim Beam apple whiskey, apple cider, cinnamon sugar rim) are served in wood-smoked glasses that add an extra depth of flavor.
Le Perche
Hudson
Beautiful pastries and fresh breads will lure you in. Beyond the boulangerie is a Parisian-style dining room (revamped by Swoon Kitchenbar owners in 2018) anchored by a circa-1830s fireplace.
THE VIBE Cozy and rustic, with plenty of tables or banquettes to choose from. In-season seating in the large backyard is perfect for sunny spring days.
MENU STANDOUTS You have the option of going simple or all out. Among the lighter bites are a savory croissant, egg sandwich, or avocado toast. Hungrier than that? Consider the crispy brown rice with asparagus, crab, and poached egg; duck confit hash with poached eggs and salsa verde; or Maine mussels cooked in white wine and topped with saffron cream. All the bread is homemade in their wood-fired oven.
CHEERS Embrace the Euro atmosphere with an Aperol spritz or French margarita (subs tequila and orange liqueur with Grand Marnier and Chambord). The tropical Rum Swizzle (rum, pineapple and orange juices, grenadine, Angostura bitters) is refreshing and complements savory entrées.
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Main Street Bistro
New Paltz
College students and locals adore this all-day breakfast spot. On weekends, arrive early or prepare to wait for a bit; the line often goes out the door and wraps around the corner onto Church Street.
THE VIBE A cozy, old-school diner style interior filled with industrial accents and pop art by local artist Ryan Cronin.
MENU STANDOUTS A delicious variety of eggs Benedicts: The Trailblazer (poached eggs, crab cakes, andouille sausage, and tomato on an English muffin with chipotle and roasted red pepper hollandaise) and Red Light, Green Light (poached eggs, basil pesto, sun-dried tomatoes, asiago, and hollandaise on an English muffin) are popular. If you’re craving something sweet, order the French toast with house-made walnut citron bread and cinnamon or the Franklin Lakes cranberry cakes (pancakes with cranberries and almonds, topped with powdered sugar and maple syrup).
CHEERS Aside from booze-free classics like egg creams (and bottomless hot coffee), Main Street stirs up mimosas, The Georgina (Champagne and cranberry juice), and sangria pitchers for a crowd.
Mama Roux
Newburgh
A taste of New Orleans at the corner of Broadway and Liberty streets, this lively eatery serves up a super-popular brunch on Sundays—reservations are strongly suggested.
THE VIBE Art deco meets NOLA’s garden district. A good time is guaranteed with a DJ spinning 45s; if you visit on the last Sunday of the month, you’ll catch a drag show with local performers. (It almost always sells out; tickets are available on eventbrite.com.)
MENU STANDOUTS Regulars love the shrimp and grits (blackened shrimp, a poached egg, Tasso ham, sweet potato soft polenta, and cider-braised collards in a garlicky tomato-fennel broth) and the sweet buckwheat waffles à la mode (vanilla bean ice cream, blackberry, pineapple, mint, smoked pecan brittle, maple syrup, and Meyer lemon whipped cream). The softshell crab Benedict—with wilted spinach, a poached Egg, and crawfish hollandaise served over a buttermilk biscuit—is truly decadent.
CHEERS Drink specials rotate weekly. Popular cocktails include the Cigar Bar (MAC’s bourbon, Averna liqueur, malmsey wine, drunken cherry syrup, and bitters) and Gurl You Spicy (Casco Viejo reposado tequila, cilantro-jalapeño simple syrup, lime, and fresh orange juice). Mocktails are also available—The Aviator, with house “not gin,” butterfly pea flower and violet syrups, and lemon—is a customer fave.
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Restaurant Kinsley
Kingston
The modern Hotel Kinsley sprawls across four blocks in the historic Stockade District; the 50-seat dining room in the Wall Street building serves a seasonal New American brunch on weekends.
Courtesy Restaurant Kinsley
THE VIBE Airy and welcoming with blond wood tables and chairs, velvet sofas, and tropical greenery. Artwork lines the walls, including a portrait of George Harrison over the fireplace and a large mural above the open kitchen.
MENU STANDOUTS Anything in sandwich form is a homerun: best-sellers include the BLT with house-cut fries and the smoked salmon bagel. Customers also rave about the fluffy buttermilk pancakes topped with fruit purée, local maple syrup, and berries, and the leek and cheddar omelet with crispy potatoes.
CHEERS Many cocktails feature house-made syrups and exotic bitters (like celery and chocolate chili). Try the Four Corners old fashioned with bourbon, Pommeau, salted cane sugar, and Castilian and orange bitters. The bottomless mimosas are made with fresh-squeezed, organic OJ.
Related: 8 Hudson Valley Destinations Every Food Lover Needs to Visit
