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The best restaurants in New Paltz, NY.

The Best Restaurants, Bars, and Cafes in New Paltz, New York

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The best restaurants in New Paltz include an Italian deli, an Irish-American restaurant on a golf course, and a coffee shop that also makes their own beer.ย None are fancy or upscale. Afterall, it is a college town.

But the town gets busy with out-of-towners from summer into fall, as its proximity to New York City makes it a popular weekend getaway. New Paltz is nestled in the heart of the Hudson Valley and is surrounded by natural beauty, withย outdoor activities facilitated by its proximity to the Shawangunk Mountains.ย The Gunks, as they are often referred to, are a popular destination for rock climbing, hiking, and bird-watching.ย 

Within the town is the historic Huguenot Street, one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the U.S., showcasing stone houses and a glimpse into the 17th-century life. And the village is quite walkable, though most accommodations are on the outskirts.

The town has something for everyone. These are the best New Paltz restaurants, bars, as well as some other great spots to try. I guarantee you’ll find a favorite.

Table of Contents

Best Restaurants For Dinner

Garvan's Gastropub

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Garvan's Gastropub is one of the best restaurants in New Paltz, NY. It serves Irish and American food.
Garvan's Gastropub

Garvan’s Gastropub in New Paltz, NY, is an establishment rich in history and natural beauty. It is situated beside the New Paltz Golf Course in a building that has stood since 1759 on historic Huguenot Street.ย 

The owners, Garvan and Leonie McCloskey, opened Garvan’s Gastropub with the vision of bringing a piece of Ireland to New Paltz. Their efforts have turned Garvan’s into a beloved spot for locals and visitors alike, serving meals that emphasize fresh, local ingredients and offering a menu that marries Irish culinary traditions with New American flavors.ย 

Stop for a Gorganzola Burger, a Rueben, and a few beers after playing a round of golf. Or theย Guiness Lamb Stew adds a taste of Ireland and is a perfect choice for a chilly day. The dinner menu adds fancier options like a Duck Breast with Port Wine and Cherry reduction, a short Rib Ragout, and a Shrimp & Butternut Squash Ravioli.

Huckleberry

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Huckleberry is one of the best New Paltz restaurants and has an outside area great for enjoying beer or cocktails with friends.
Huckleberry

Huckleberry is one of the most popular restaurants in New Paltz, due largely to its welcoming vibe and a greatย outdoor garden area. It’s a casual yet hip place to sit outside and enjoy a drink, especially when they have a fire going.

While there are a few entrees, the menu is mostly small plates, salads, and sandwiches. Favorites include theย Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich, Korean BBQ Chicken Wings, the burger, and the rosemary parmesan fries. There is also a great selection of local beers and cocktails.

Huckleberry is pet-friendly, and is open late each night, making it a great spot for lunch, dinner, or as an evening hangout. It’s probably the closet that anything in New Paltz comes to “hipster.”

RลชNA

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Runa is a restaurant in New Paltz that serves French Cuisine, wine, and other food in a nice atmosphere.
RลชNA

RลชNA opened as a French bistro in 2019. Not long after opening it shut down during the pandemic and didn’t reopen until 2021. 

The menu is small, with a handful of small plates, entrees, and an ever-changing dessert selection. And now, in addition to French classics like escargot, fromage, and duck confit you can sometimes also find dishes influenced by her part Bengali heritage as well as some other regions.

While it has gone through some early pains, and survived a pandemic, you can get some very good meals here. Plus, the ambiance is quite nice for this college town and with both indoor and outdoor areas is able to host private events and even small weddings. So, while it doesn’t have the history or consistency of top restaurants in other areas, I’m looking forward to seeing how it evolves when the busy season comes around.

The Parish

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The Parish is one of the best New Paltz restaurants, and has a great view from the 2nd floor of the Water Street Market.
The Parish

The Parish offers dining with an emphasis on New Orleans-style cuisine. It has aย friendly, upbeat vibe and boasts perhaps the best view in town from the 2nd floor of the Water Street Market. The menu includes features dishes like Gator Bites, Cajun Chicken Wings, and Jambalaya, alongside a diverse selection of drinks. After Mian Street Bistro, it’s probably also the next best weekend brunch option in town.

Ciao Bella

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Ciao Bella

For an inviting Italian dining experience in the heart of New Paltz, Ciao Bella offers a setting thatโ€™s perfect for both intimate dinners and family gatherings. This family-owned restaurant combines the elegance of white tablecloth dining with the charm of the historic train station it now calls home.

The original Ciao Bella in Monticello has been a local favorite since 2014, and its New Paltz location, opened in 2023, brings the same dedication to quality Italian cuisine. The northern Italian menu features a variety of veal and chicken dishes, handmade pastas, and wood-fired pizzas, offering something for everyone.

Bars & Nightlife

The Lemon Squeeze

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The Lemon Squeeze is a cocktail bar, piano bar, and restaurant in New Paltz, NY. It has live music most nights.
The Lemon Squeeze

The Lemon Squeeze is a new restaurant, cocktail bar, and piano bar in New Paltz that has a slightly more sophisticated atmosphere than many places in town. So, you will find a slightly older crowd here versus the bars that cater to the college crowd. And it brings aย unique vibe to town with a mid-century aesthetic and cozy, intimate setting.

If you are looking for great cocktails, this is probably the place to come. But what really sets itย apart is that The Lemon Squeeze has live music Thursday through Saturday nights. A live pianist sets the tone during dinner hours. And it also acts as a live music venue forย local musiciansย and even hosts open mic nights.ย 

SUNY New Paltz alumni Ed Carroll and Gina Oโ€™Brien opened The Lemon Squeeze in 2022 after renovating the interior. They added a heated deck that includes two fire pits. Stop in just for cocktails, or stay and order menu favorites like the oysters, lobster mac & cheese, or the burger.

Jar'd Wine Pub

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Jar'd Wine Pub is a wine bar in New Paltz with a back patio that makes a great place to watch the sunset.
Jar'd Wine Pub

Jar’d Wine Pub is potentially the cutest wine bar that doesn’t look at all like a wine bar, that I’ve ever seen. The word cozy might be a common way to describe this spot, but the inside is even smaller than that. But a back door opens to a small porch with just a few seats overlooking the rail trail. This porch is the best place in New Paltz to relax and watch the sunset with a glass of wine.

While the emphasis is on organic, biodynamic, and natural wine, there is a surprisingly good cocktail menu. And there are also some beer and cider options plus small snacks.

Bacchus

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Bacchus is a craft beer bar and pool hall in New Paltz, NY
Bacchus

Bacchus is a craft beer bar with anย extensive list of over 300 different brews, including many local Hudson Valley favorites and unique imports.ย The bar area has a laid-back, rustic atmosphere and serves a full menu with pub style food. The menu is actually quite big, and includes wings, burgers, salads, and many dinner entrees. It also includes a large selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes.

But Bacchus is more than just a bar.ย One of the biggest draws is the large billiards room, where you can play pool late into the night. There are also some arcade games and a dart board.

There is sometimes live music, and admission is strictly 20+ after 10pm. Oddly enough, Bacchus has perhaps the best Wi-Fi in town, which is generally hard to come by.

Breakfast & Coffee Shops

Main Street Bistro

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For over 30 years, Main Street Bistro has been serving up the best breakfast in New Paltz. And the crowds of people, especially on summer weekends will confirm this.

They are open for breakfast and lunch and have been often listed as one of the favorite brunch spots in the Hudson valley. While not fancy, you will absolutely get your money’s worth here, with a great breakfast at a reasonable price. Try the famous corned beef hash, the chicken & waffle, or the popular Huckleberry Frolic (scrambled eggs, spinach, pesto, avocado, sprouts, tomato, and cheddar in a tortilla).

Alternative: Main Street Marketplace also offers up a quick breakfast and lunch. It’s a casual serve-yourself setting, so you order & pick up your food at a counter and can grab any other items from shelves before finding a table.

Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters

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Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters is the best coffee shop in New Paltz, NY. They also have one of the best breakfast sandwiches in the Hudson Valley and are the sister company to a local brewery.
Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters

While they have the best coffee in town, Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters is more than just a coffee shop. This spot, located at the far end of the Water Street Market also serves breakfast and lunch, baked goods, and their own beer.

Husband and wife team, Michelle and James, weren’t married when they opened Mudd Puddle back in 2002. But they eventually tied the knot, added three kids, and they turned a homebrewing hobby into another venture when they founded yard Owl Brewery in nearby Gardiner, NY.

As the name suggests, they roast their coffee beans in-house. But honestly, what keeps me coming back is the egg panini made with egg, roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella, and pesto on French peasant bread. It absolutely is one of the best breakfast sandwiches I have had in the Hudson Valley. In case you are wondering, the two others are from The Hog in Wappingers Falls and at Kelly’s bakery in Poughkeepsie.

If you visit New Paltz, you will inevitably end up at the Water Street Market at least once. And Mud Puddle is a necessary stop when you’re there.

What to Get at Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters
  1. Coffee brewed from beans they roast on-site
  2. The egg panini is one of the best breakfast sandwiches in the Hudson Valley
  3. Yard Owl Beer, which they brew themselves in nearby Gardiner

Recommendation: The Grazery, located next door, is a cheese shop that also sells local beer, wine, and many other items… even plants. This is a great place to pick up some things to take back home with you.

Hard Cider, Whiskey, and Beer

Brooklyn Cider House

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Brooklyn Cider House makes cider with apples from Twin Star Orchards
Brooklyn Cider House at Twin Star Orchards

Don’t let the name fool you, Brooklyn Cider House isn’t in Brooklyn. It’s in the outskirts of New Paltz. But in 2014, Peter Li told his sister he wanted to open a Cider house in Brooklyn and convinced her to quit her job and partner with him. And although the dream didn’t materialize in Brooklyn, they ended up revitalizing a Hudson Valley apple orchard, built a cidery with tasting room, and added a pavilion for special events.

Kettleborough Cider House

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Kettleborough Cider House makes cider from apples at Dressel Farms in New Paltz
Kettleborough Cider House at Dressel Farms

Kettleborough Cider House was founded in 2011 by Tim Dressel, whose family has been growing apples in New Paltz for four generations. After graduating Cornell in 2007, Tim returned to his family business and decided he wanted to expand into a cidery.

They began planting nearly-extinct varieties of apples that are better suited for hard cider production than your typical grocery store varieties. So, in addition to the “dessert” style apples like Red Delicious, McIntosh and Honeycrisp, Kettleborough plants many rarely found varieties that are used just for cider.

Coppersea Distilling

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Coppersea Distilling is a Hudson Valley distillery that focuses on rye whiskey and bourbon
Coppersea Distilling

If you want to explore the Hudson Valley distilling scene, thenย Coppersea Distilling is a must-visit destination. This distillery, nestled on a farm just outside New Paltz, is celebrated for its dedication to traditional, small-batch distilling techniques that showcase the flavors of locally sourced grains and pure spring water.ย 

The farm grows primarily corn, rye, and barley to be used for these spirits. This creates a true farm-to-glass distillery.ย The Coppersea tasting room is a cozy space where visitors can sample their signature spirits, in particular rye whiskey and bourbons.

Clemson Bros. Brewery

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Clemson Bros. brewery opened a second location in New Paltz where they make beer and also serve casual pub food.
Clemson Bros. Brewery

Clemson Bros. Brewery first opened in the Hudson Valley town of Middleton. And in 2019, they acquired the belovedย Gilded Otter Brewing Company here in New Paltz, opening this spot as their second location.

Here, you can enjoy a selection of Clemsonโ€™s flagship beers alongside some classic Gilded Otter favorites, like the popular Hefeweizen, maintaining the original brews that locals have loved here for years.

This location acts as a brewpub, serving casual pub food and also brewing many of the beers here, though on a smaller scale than at their original location. It offers a spacious outdoor seating area that provides scenic views of the Shawangunk Ridge and the Wallkill River. It’s a great place to meet up with friends, but I’d come for the beer as opposed to the food.

Sweet Treats

Krause's Chocolates

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Krause's Chocolates is one of the best chocolate stores in the Hudson Valley. It also has locations in Saugerties and Rhinebeck.
Krause's Chocolates

Krause’s Chocolates also has locations in Saugerties and Rhinebeck, but you can find the same great chocolate at the shop here in New Paltz.

They are a family-owned business that has been making hand dipped chocolate since 1929, spanning over four generations. The hand-made sweets include truffles, caramels, fudge, peanut brittle, and more. They have been voted as the Hudson Valley’s best chocolate & candy store for over 18-years.

In addition to ordering what is on display, Krause’s provides a personalized chocolate experience with customized boxes and many designs for molded chocolate.

Other Spots in New Paltz

P&G’s: a longstanding restaurant for casual food. While it has changed hands over the years, Mike Beck is now the 3rd generation of the family to run it. While I wouldn’t call it a culinary gem, it’s one of those places that if you live here or once did, you keep coming back to.

Underground Coffee and Ales: While this location of Schatzi’s Pub will be missed, Highland’s popular coffee and beer spot opened their second location here.

Apizza!: This new spot for coal-fired brick oven pizza serves up some pretty good pies. No slices.

Lola’s Cafe: Slightly different menu than the location in Poughkeepsie, but it has most of the same great wraps and sandwiches that make it one of the best lunch spots in town.

Beans Cat Cafe: get some coffee or tea and a pastry, and you can pay a nominal fee to enter into a side that has cats. They partner with an adoption agency for this. Also has a location in Beacon.

Snug Harbor: If you really want a beer before noon, this is the place to come. It’s a dive bar. But it can be pretty fun at night.

The Bear Mountain Bridge in the NY Hudson Valley

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