The Hudson Valley’s Coolest Restaurants Bringing Guests Closer to Nature

Clay at Wildflower Farms

2702 Main St, Gardiner, NY 12525

Rooted in the center of sprawling wildflower fields at Auberge Resorts’ landscape hotel, new American restaurant Clay is eloquent and down-to-earth. The color tones and textures throughout the eatery reflect its namesake with rich brown velvet booths, terracotta accents and milky linen curtains draped around two-story glass windows and wooden walls, ceilings and beams. As guests peruse a hyper-seasonal menu of staple dishes and specials—dependant on factors like what chef Rob Lawson’s mushroom guy shows him that week (when I dined one January night, it was a rare mushroom from the Himalayas)—they can sink into views of meadows and rolling hills. 

Most ingredients used to create the menu are sourced through community agriculture at the on-site gardens and farms for meat and game. These practices are evident throughout the meal, whether it be the bright, forward flavors of chimichurri prepared tableside in a molcajete or in the extensive explanations any server provides when asked, “Is this steak local?” (the answer was not only yes, but what farm, information on the cut and a prep demonstration at the chef’s table over open fire). Finish off the meal with the homemade ice cream. For even deeper immersion into the natural elements, guests can enjoy an al fresco drink at the adjacent open-air lounge and fire pit before or after dinner, equipped with wool blankets for outdoor seating comfort on chillier nights.

Klocke Estate

2554 County Rte 27, Hudson, NY 12534

Open since July 2024, this whimsical restaurant and brandy distillery sits atop a 160-acre estate with sweeping, beautiful views of the Hudson Valley. Drive up the winding driveway through nearly 38,000 apple trees and grape vines to a dark, modern building lined with glass windows. Every seat is positioned to watch the sun set over color-changing hills. The host stand, surrounded by pink and emerald murals of the property’s orchards, gives way to a sizable bar with eight comfortable armchairs. To one side of the bar is the distillery with copper equipment imported from France and Germany and to the other, a dining room paneled in crushed gold velvet and green floral wallpaper. 

Served Wednesday through Sunday, the dinner menu at Klocke Estate changes seasonally and, as winter softens into spring, offers fare that is both comforting and fresh. Raclette and gruyere fondue served in a cast iron pot over a flame with pickled and roasted vegetables, sourdough and apple is a delightful starter, along with crimson-purple and orange beets with roasted grapes, cured olives, mint and labneh. Light pistachio-pesto pasta, duck breast with a deep sultana relish and parsnip soubise and the halibut held its buttery texture beautifully in a bowl of saffron-fennel broth intended to be soaked up by toasted sourdough. (My 10-year-old said was the best she’d ever had; I agreed.) Whether dining in the restaurant, grabbing a drink, booking a private party or doing a brandy tasting tour, Klocke Estate is a new Hudson gem that mirrors the natural splendor around it.

Blooming Hill Farm

1251 State Route 208, Monroe, NY 10914

Nestled on a multi-generational family farm near Storm King Art Center, Blooming Hill’s restaurant serves as a magical setting for wood-fired pizza, handmade pastas and seasonal specialties like olive oil poached arctic char and wood-roasted rutabaga. Despite its removed, woodsy location, Blooming Hill pulls its culinary talent from some of NYC’s heavy-hitters. Restaurant director Ray Rando joined Blooming Hill Farm after years at Carbone, Eataly and Babbo, and executive chef Rob Zwirz formerly held the same position at Marc Forgione’s One Fifth, in addition to gigs at Peasant and Babbo. In the colder months, guests tuck into a warm, creamy wood interior as the rain or snow drips down clouded windows overlooking the working farm. As spring and summer sweep through the valley, natural wood tables spill onto the outdoor patio, situating diners amidst the blossoming flowers and verdant canopies that surround the intimate dining space. Blooming Hill is an ideal and laid-back option for leisurely brunches bookended by a visit to its farm market, casual dinners with friends and special occasions, from birthdays to weddings.

Quinnie’s New York

834 NY-66, Hudson, NY 12534

In 2020, Quinn Levine and Simon Burstall restored a mustard-yellow farmhouse into a thriving community hub after it sat abandoned for six years. The husband-and-wife team have since carved out a place for family, fresh air and killer red beet eggs at their casual restaurant, Quinnie’s, and saved a 250-year-old historic landmark in the process.

“Before we opened [in November 2021], I would look out at the field and patio areas and envision families, friends, and folks with dogs all enjoying the freedom of the open space. And that’s exactly what happened. It has been such a gift having the land for everyone to enjoy,” Levine told Observer.

Quinnie’s is located off Route 66, across from a tractor depot perched on a large lawn with twinkly string lights, picnic tables, an outdoor play kitchen for the kids and an open garage for ping-pong. The inside is outfitted with a fireplace, meticulously preserved horsehair plaster walls and white shelves decorated with bright-colored goods, such as small-batch olive oils, gingham children’s tea sets and sardines. The breakfast and lunch menu is the same all day (plus a pop-up style dinner on Saturdays) with items like a roasted chicken salad sandwich on schmaltz griddled pullman, a vegan soy-glazed sweet potato bánh mi, the locally sourced hot dog (with an option of adding kimchi and Japanese mayo), grilled cheese and their “boo boo” bacon and egg breakfast biscuit; the last two are smothered with Velveeta. 

The Maker Restaurant

302 Warren St, Hudson, NY 12534

Located in downtown Hudson, The Maker Hotel was a private residence until 2020. Spread throughout a Georgian mansion, Greek Revival building and 1800s carriage house, the 11-room hotel features a café, juice bar, lounge, library created in partnership with The Strand and courtyard pool. What lands this more cosmopolitan property on the list is the seasonal Italian restaurant from chef Alex Napolitano housed in a conservatory at the heart of the building. The plant-covered room, encased completely in glass, is complemented by rouge bohemian seating. In the cold months, this greenhouse feels like an escape to a lush garden, and in spring and summer, it accentuates the warm, blossoming world outside its see-through walls and ceilings.

The menu of house-made pastas, creative Italian starters (the eggplant terrine is particularly sumptuous and hearty) and entrées reflects Napolitano’s connection to local farms and purveyors. Early spring brings freshly harvested chives and morels to a cloud-like goat cheese agnolotti as well as raw green chickpeas—a surprising dish with mint and soft cheese that bursts with flavor and texture. For the richer palate, the white lamb ragu is a beautiful take on bolognese that uses no tomato or cream, but the cooked-down juices of lamb to saturate the pappardelle.

Casa Susanna

800 County Rd 23B, Leeds, NY 12451

When considering Hudson Valley gems, one must also remember the roadside motels and time-tested campgrounds that provide visitors a place to rest during days of hiking the surrounding splendor. Casa Susanna, a 2024 and 2025 James Beard Award semifinalist,  showcases exceptional dining in a good old-fashioned campsite. Located in Camptown, formerly Carl’s Rip Van Winkle Motor Lodge, Casa Susanna is a culinary tour de force from chef Efrén Hernández that transports diners back in time, as if they were stopping in for an overnight amongst the natural world. The road-facing restaurant and bar is housed in the 90-year-old original building—L-shaped with log walls, low ceilings and camper-like windows that look out onto the 22-acre site dotted with renovated slate, red and yellow cabins. In the warmer season, diners can enjoy the kitschy architecture and landscape in a small outdoor area and enjoy fresh-grown ingredients from Camptown’s on-property gardens. 

The menu comprises Hernández’s family recipes, and each dish is layered with the taste and texture of multigenerational cooking, seasoning and sauces. The masa tortillas, imported from Jalisco, Mexico, and made in-house all day on a volcanic stone press, are worth the trip from New York City—or from anywhere, really, besides Mexico or maybe southern California. 

You can’t go wrong with anything at brunch, including the breakfast tacos, but the chilaquiles con cochinita and smoked queso fresco enmoladas are not to be missed (the peanut-chipotle mole in the chilaquiles warranted a side order of just the sauce and tortillas), in addition to the morning-friendly Cel-Raicilla, a celery margarita served in a pirate glass. The dinner menu is hyper-focused with the chef’s take on regional Jalisco specialties, such as blood sausage tamal, scallop in fennel aguachile with citrus and serrano, wood fire roasted beef tongue with sunchoke and coffee jus and chintextle cured mackerel with pickled kohlrabi and smoked scallop sauce. Casa Susanna masters the intersection of authentic Mexican cooking with the lovable, kitsch aesthetic of the Hudson Valley region in New York State.

Full Circle

297 Bruynswick Rd, Gardiner, NY 12525

Full Circle is a family-owned collective of food, beverage, events and trails all connected to create this hub in Gardiner. “Full Circle was inspired by the idea of a ‘third place.’ We’ve designed the space to feel open, welcoming and vibrant—a place where people can connect with each other and with nature,” Christina Benevento, who founded the collective with her husband, Mike, in August 2024, told Observer.

The space was designed and built with Mike Benevento’s trail-building company to make biking, hiking and walking as easy as ordering a buttery, layered croissant from its on-site bakery, Gardiner Bakehouse. In January, the newly launched collective added a dine-in restaurant from the owners of New Paltz favorite, Grazery. A burger and beer garden, Benton, is housed in a glass greenhouse on the grounds. A casual food menu is available, and beginning this spring, Benton will serve craft beer, cider and wine, so those enjoying a late lunch or dinner (it opens at 4 p.m.) can truly feel immersed in the outdoors, whatever the season.

Westwind Orchard

 215 Lower Whitfield Rd, Accord, NY 12404

A variety of craft ciders, tours and outdoor events are to be expected on stretches of upstate apple orchards. What is surprising about Westwind Orchard, a working orchard with an on-site kitchen and full-service dining experience, is that it serves the type of Italian food you’d find at a white-tablecloth Italian spot in the West Village. Many of the ingredients are home-grown (such as the potatoes in the patate e cipolle, pureed with caramelized onions and topped with crispy potatoes, rosemary and parmesan, or the Vermont cranberry beans in its fagioli cavolo nero) and house-made (like the pastas and cheeses). The menu consists of small plates for the table, a couple choices for soup and pastas and one piatti grandi—an oven-roasted local half chicken. For those looking to feel the laid-back comfort of outdoor dining at picnic tables amidst rows and rows of apple trees while being wined (or shall I say, cidered) and dined with great food and drink (and live music on Saturdays), Westwind is the spot.

Matilda

39 Goshen Rd, Hensonville, NY 12439

A soft, warm palette welcomes inn and dinner guests into Matilda, the upscale restaurant at The Henson. Opened for dinner only, this dynamic restaurant from chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra relies heavily on the landscape, with menus changing every four to six weeks. Think pickled knotweed, mustard seeds and anise herb oil with whichever East Coast oysters look best or smoked steelhead trout with nori puree, garlic mustard and beans. The muscovy duck is hay-aged, the Highland Hollow striploin is dry-aged, and the Amish golden chicken with dandelion and koji is slow-grilled. In spring, Matilda flows into the property’s surrounding gardens for a feeling of an outdoor dining experience at a friend’s—only with fare the chefs self-describe as “comforting yet challenging.” Challenge accepted.

The Roundhouse Restaurant

2 East Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508

Floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of the cascading waterfalls from every table at the Roundhouse Hotel’s fine dining restaurant in Beacon, New York. Located amidst a backdrop of rolling hills that turn color from auburn to stark gray to soft spring blooms and electric green, the restaurant brings the outdoors in, whatever the season. Not only does this modern American restaurant have a tranquil setting, it also works with local farms, purveyors, wineries and distillers to provide a taste of the Hudson Valley region. The menu leans toward decadent with starters like duck confit, crab cakes or Windridge Farm mushroom fondue with grilled challah and lingonberry compote. Entrées include a rich little neck clam pasta with guanciale, three variations of home-made mac and cheese (original, spicy lobster and brisket with andouille sausage and pickled red onion), steak frites and St. Louis BBQ ribs.

Blackbarn Hudson Valley

25 S Partition St, Saugerties, NY 12477

The sister restaurant to Blackbarn in Nomad, this fine dining concept from chef John Doherty brings diners closer to the land from which he sources his ingredients and closer to natural surroundings. Mirroring the farm-to-fork ethos of his New York City location, which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary, Doherty focuses on artisanal American dishes, served alongside riverfront views. He develops the menu based on partnerships with farms and suppliers around the Hudson Valley area to offer fresh fish, oysters, meat, cheese, dairy and produce throughout the seasons. There is a large selection of garden dishes, such as a spring vegetable lasagna and veggie-dense Buddha bowl, as well as selections from ocean and pasture, like black sea bass with tomato fumet and crispy skinned Amish chicken with wild mushroom and grilled sourdough panzanella. Located in the Diamond Mills Hotel in Saugerties, Blackbarn is designed like an upscale barn with outdoor seating that floats over a tributary of the Hudson River called Esopus Falls.