Nestled along the Hudson River, the picturesque village of Cold Spring boasts a diverse array of eateries, boutique hotels, and things to do in the area.
Start your day at a hip brunch spot, take a hike up Breakneck Ridge, and then cool off over a beer at a former train station. Then for dinner you have a rustic trattoria serving northern Italian fare, a French bistro, and many other spots to choose from.
Whether you’re seeking a romantic riverside dinner or outdoor activities, Cold Spring is a great destination.
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Hudson Hil's
Hudson Hil’s is a charming daytime café that in my opinion easily has the best breakfast in Cold Spring. You will find locally sourced food and a friendly staff. The all-day breakfast includes dishes like biscuits & gravy, eggs with fig & prosciutto, beef hash & eggs, and the eggs creole (pictured above).
If the weather permits, enjoy your meal on the sunny porch over a spicy Bloody Mary or an iced Amaretto latte. Hudson Hil’s is a place that will make you fall in love with Cold Spring and keep you coming back before your daytime hikes.
Alternative Recommendation: The Foundry Rose also serves weekday breakfast. The menu is a little smaller and more basic but is a decent substitute.
The Best Restaurants in Cold Spring
Angie's Bake Shop & Cafe
Warm Challah bread, jumbo muffins, and brownies await you at Angie’s Bake Shop & Cafe. But it’s the cookies, the biscuits served with honey butter, and the biscuits stuffed with egg, cheese, and bacon (without bacon also available) that make this a must stop when you’re in the area. They might not seem like as complete a breakfast as Hudson Hil’s, but you will find one biscuit should be enough to get you through to the afternoon. These typically sell out early. But if you arrive later in the day, then there is a lunch menu with salads and sandwiches.
With an inviting personality and meticulous attention to detail, Angie creates delicious baked goods. The local, homemade treats are simply irresistible, and her customer service is second to none. Angie’s Bake Shop is a must-visit destination for the finest and most delightful baked goods in town!
Alternative Recommendation: For coffee, pastries, and strong WiFi, Cold Spring Coffeehouse is a great place to stop.
Hudson House River Inn
The most popular lunch in Cold Spring could be at the Hudson House River Inn, a picturesque bed and breakfast that has been overlooking the Hudson River since 1832. Luckily, you don’t need to stay here to enjoy their excellent restaurant.
The River Room is the elegant main dining room and will fill up with both a lunch and dinner crowd. But the best views of West Point and Storm King Mountain across the Hudson are from the narrow outdoor porch.
The crowd is definitely on the older side here, so you won’t find quite as many people on a weekend trip up from Brooklyn. But you will find several cuts of Certified Black Angus beef, lump crabmeat stuffed shrimp, and an interesting take on a lobster roll (made on toasted ciabatta bread, avocado, and a hint of Dijon).
Le Bouchon
Who doesn’t love the charm of a French Bistro? Brasserie Le Bouchon is the perfect Cold Spring destination that blends a French menu with red and white checkered tablecloths that make you feel like you’re grabbing pizza down at Lombardi’s in Manhattan.
But the escargot, onion soup with Gruyère, and wine list featuring mostly French labels will quickly remind you that you are in fact at a French brasserie. The steak au poivre is a favorite, but if you’ve never had cassoulet before, you might want to try this slow cooked stew from the south of France. Specific recipes vary throughout the French regions and can even change here depending on the meats available. But Le Bouchon will generally use lamb and pork sausage with duck in a white bean stew.
The back patio is popular on nice days, or the three small tables on the front porch are great for people watching.
Cathryn's Tuscan Grill
Cathryn’s Tuscan Grill is a rustic trattoria that pays homage to northern Italian cuisine that owner Cathryn Fadde fell in love with. You will find a romantic atmosphere inside that is adorned with sheer fabric and vibrant Italian artwork. Outside is lovely garden seating.
Dishes are prepared with the intention of being simple and fresh, to be consistent with her Italian influence.
Try the simple pasta dishes like caccio e pepe or the more adventurous sauteed calves’ liver with sage-browned butter sauce. the ravioli of the day is often a winner, as is the ribeye steak. But just as important as the food, Cathryn’s previous experience selling Italian wine helped her create the best wine list in the region.
Riverview
After entering through a small, dark bar, you’ll eventually turn the corner into a bright sunlit dining room that creates an inviting space. You’ll definitely want to get a table on the enclosed porch window for a great view of the Hudson River and Storm King.
Riverview Restaurant has been a Cold Spring landmark and a favorite restaurant of locals for over 40 years. The menu has pushed past the Italian dishes and pizza by mixing in some Asian influenced dishes which can come across as odd. But the daily specials are generally what I look forward to here.
Cold Spring Depot
The Cold Spring Depot was a train station from 1893 to 1954, then a car dealership until 1972, and now a restaurant ever since. The Metro-North train stop is now just a block down, so this is the perfect spot for a beer or a bite to eat before heading back to the city. The inside is rustic and cute, but the outside patio is the main draw. And since it’s right along the railroad tracks, you’ll have trains pass by you throughout your stay. This is surprisingly calmer than you would think, until an Amtrak train that doesn’t stop at this station whizzes by and you’ll feel the shake and breeze it creates.
The food is generally unremarkable. But the atmosphere makes it a great spot for kids and very popular for a late lunch after a morning hike.
Note: I couldn’t really find a great definition, but it seems a “depot” is the building at a small train station where goods and/or passengers are loaded and unloaded. But it does seem to be used interchangeably with the train station itself.
The Best Cold Spring Bars
Barber & Brew
Get a stylish haircut with a beer at Barber & Brew, a classic barbershop and craft beer haven in Cold Spring, New York. Step into the modern interpretation of a traditional barber shop with Carrara marble floors and green leather barber chairs.
In the back, the speakeasy-style taproom awaits, adorned with exposed brick walls, plush leather lounge chairs, and a long black bar serving a curated selection of craft beers on draft, along with wine, ciders, and small plates or cheese boards.
Doug's Pretty Good Pub
Doug’s Pretty Good Pub’s is named pretty accurately. It’s not spectacular, but it’s pretty good. And Doug’s is really the only place in town that has a pub feel, so you can feel comfortable going in to simply sit at the bar and have a couple beers if you’d like. But they do have a food menu which is organized into two sections: Burgers and Not Burgers, which pretty much informs you that the burger creations are a main draw. And when I say “creations” I mean it.
These 1/2 pound burgers served on a toasted English muffin include variations like the Bleu, Swine & Tears (bleu cheese, bacon, and grilled onions), the Blister (grilled jalapenos, jack cheese, and reaper mayo), and the Captain Jack (pepperjack cheese, bacon, and tomato preserves). But the most intriguing burger here is the Nutty Hog, made with peanut butter, bacon, and cheddar cheese. It takes a small leap of faith to order it, but you’ll find this crazy concoction isn’t so nuts afterall.
“Voted best burger in town by some guy who likes burgers”
Where to Stay in Cold Spring
Hudson House River Inn
Hudson River House at a Glance
Pros
- Has one of the top restaurants in town
- Some rooms have a view of the river
- Located on Main St so everything in the village is walkable
Cons
- Some of the furnishings are a bit dated
The Hudson House River Inn is one of the best hotels in Cold Spring. It has a great location right along the Hudson River at the very end of Main Street. It is a quick walk from the train station and local hiking trails. Plus, it has one of the best restaurants in Cold Spring.
Bird & Bottle Inn
Bird & Bottle at a Glance
Pros
- Historic and beautiful Inn
- Great if you want somewhere a bit more quiet
- Has one of the best restaurants in the area
Cons
- Located outside Cold Spring
- Need a car to get everywhere
This is about 8-minute drive (4 miles) outside the village of Cold Spring. It was built in 1761 as a private home, later became a tavern, then a farm and sawmill, and finally opened in 1940 as the Bird & Bottle Inn. It has long been known as a culinary destination and has one of the best restaurants in the Hudson Valley. New owners have recently revamped the menu and restored the building making it a true luxury hotel near Cold Spring. Just be aware that you will want a car if you stay here, as you will have to drive pretty much everywhere.
Cold Spring Hotel & Cafe
Cold Spring Hotel at a Glance
Pros
- Great location on Main St in the heart of Cold Spring
- Feels more like an apartment than a hotel
- The most budget friendly hotel in town
Cons
- No amenities or lobby
Check Prices
The Cold Spring Hotel & Cafe is a less expensive hotel with a great location just up the hill on Main Street. It’s great for people heading up from New York City for a weekend in Cold Spring.
Pig Hill Inn
Pig Hill Inn at a Glance
Pros
- Great location on Main St in the heart of Cold Spring
- Essentially it’s a charming B&B with character
- Breakfast offered in a beautiful atrium
Cons
- No amenities and small lobby
The Pig Hill Inn is a cute 200-year old Bed & Breakfast located right on Main Street, just a short from the Cold Spring train station. Breakfast is served in the glass Victorian Conservatory or on the garden terrace depending on weather for guests only.
Things to Do in Cold Spring
Hike Breakneck Ridge
The trail at Breakneck Ridge is the best-known trail in the Cold Spring area and one of the most popular hikes in the Hudson Valley due to its accessibility by train from New York City. It has some spots that are fairly difficult though, so I wouldn’t do this hike with a small child.
The long trail is approximately 2.8 miles long and should take you around 3 hours to complete. But in 2021 a connector named the Nimham trail was added to create a short loop (1 mile, appx 1 hour) and there is also a moderate loop (2.1 miles, appx 2 hours).
Getting to Breakneck Ridge: The trailhead is located on Rt 9D about 1 mile north of the village of Cold Spring.
- By Train: If you are travelling during the Take the Hudson Line of the MTA Metro-North Railroad from Grand Central Terminal to the Cold Spring. You will then need to walk a mile or so up to the trailhead. However, on weekends and holidays there is a Breakneck Ridge stop right after Cold Spring that eliminates that walk.
- By Car: Follow Google maps towards the trailhead. There is a small parking area just north of the tunnel on Rt 9D and then parallel parking along the road just north of there.
Shop on Main Street
Main Street is lined with quaint shops, boutiques, galleries, and antique stores. Cold Spring is a great place to browse for unique gifts, art, and crafts.
Visit Boscobel House and Gardens
The Boscobel House is a Federal-style mansion that offers guided tours of its historic house, stunning gardens, and beautiful grounds. It also hosts various events and performances.
View Bannerman Castle
Bannerman Castle is an old abandoned military warehouse. It’s located on the uninhabited Pollepel Island, in the Hudson River offshore from Cold Spring and Beacon. You can book a kayak tours or self-guided walking tours, and the non-profit organization that oversees the island also hosts movie nights and other events during the summer.
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