New Paltz has a wide range of places to eat, from an Irish-American restaurant on a golf course to a coffee shop that roasts its own beans and sells its own beer. None of them are particularly fancy or upscale. After all, it is a college town.
Still, the town gets busy from summer into fall, when visitors from New York City and elsewhere in the region come for a weekend in the Hudson Valley. New Paltz sits near the Shawangunk Mountains, commonly known as the Gunks, which draw people for hiking, rock climbing, and other outdoor activities.
Within the village is historic Huguenot Street, one of the oldest continuously inhabited streets in the United States, lined with stone houses dating back to the 17th century. The village itself is compact and walkable, though many of the hotels and inns are located just outside the center of town.
These are some of the best restaurants, bars, and cafes in New Paltz.
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Best Restaurants in New Paltz, NY
Garvan's Gastropub
Garvan’s Gastropub sits beside the New Paltz Golf Course in a building that dates back to 1759 on historic Huguenot Street.
Owners Garvan and Leonie McCloskey opened the restaurant with the goal of bringing some Irish influence to the New Paltz dining scene. The menu reflects that background while also leaning into New American dishes and ingredients sourced from the region.
After a round of golf, it is a good place to stop for a Gorgonzola burger, a Reuben, and a few beers. The Guinness lamb stew is another option that reflects the restaurant’s Irish roots and works especially well on a colder day. The dinner menu expands beyond pub food with dishes like duck breast with port wine and cherry reduction, short rib ragout, and shrimp and butternut squash ravioli.
RŪNA
RŪNA opened as a French bistro in 2019. Not long after opening, it closed during the pandemic and did not reopen until 2021.
The menu is relatively small, with a few small plates, entrees, and a rotating selection of desserts. While the restaurant started with French bistro classics like escargot, fromage, and duck confit, the kitchen has also introduced dishes influenced by the chef’s Bengali heritage along with flavors from other regions.
Like many restaurants that opened shortly before the pandemic, RŪNA has had to find its footing over time. Still, it is possible to have very good meals here. The space itself is also one of the nicer dining rooms in New Paltz, with both indoor seating and an outdoor area that can accommodate private events or small weddings. It will be interesting to see how the restaurant continues to evolve as the busy seasons return to this college town.
Ciao Bella
Ciao Bella is an Italian restaurant located in the historic train station building in the center of New Paltz. The setting works well for both a quieter dinner or a larger family meal.
The original Ciao Bella opened in Monticello in 2014, and the New Paltz location followed in 2023. The menu leans toward northern Italian dishes and includes veal and chicken entrees, handmade pastas, and wood-fired pizzas.
You will find dishes like chicken parmesan, veal marsala, and pasta with seafood alongside pizzas cooked in the wood-fired oven. Because of its location near Main Street and SUNY New Paltz, it works well as a dinner spot after spending time in town.
The Parish
The Parish Restaurant focuses on New Orleans-style cuisine and is located on the second floor of the Water Street Market in New Paltz. The space overlooks the Wallkill River and offers one of the better views in town.
The menu includes dishes like gator bites, Cajun chicken wings, and jambalaya, along with a full bar and cocktail list. It is also one of the better spots in town for weekend brunch, along with Main Street Bistro.
Bars and Nightlife in New Paltz
The Lemon Squeeze
The Lemon Squeeze is a restaurant, cocktail bar, and piano bar in New Paltz with a somewhat more relaxed and mature atmosphere than many of the college-oriented bars in town. The interior leans toward a mid-century style and the space is fairly intimate.
Cocktails are the main draw here, but the live music also sets it apart. There is usually a pianist playing during dinner hours, and the bar hosts live music Thursday through Saturday nights along with occasional open mic events featuring local musicians.
SUNY New Paltz alumni Ed Carroll and Gina O’Brien opened The Lemon Squeeze in 2022 after renovating the space. They also added a heated outdoor deck with two fire pits. You can stop in for drinks or stay for food like oysters, lobster mac and cheese, or the burger.
Jar'd Wine Pub
Jar’d Wine Pub is a small wine bar in New Paltz that does not look like a typical wine bar. The interior is very compact, though a back door opens to a small porch with a few seats overlooking the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.
This back porch is the best place in New Paltz to sit, watch the sunset, and relax with a glass of wine.
The wine list focuses on organic, biodynamic, and natural wines. In addition to wine, the menu includes a small selection of cocktails along with a few beer and cider options and some light snacks.
Bacchus
Bacchus Restaurant & Bar is a craft beer bar with a long list of beers that includes many Hudson Valley breweries along with a number of imports. The bar area has a relaxed, rustic feel and the kitchen serves a full menu of pub-style food.
The menu is fairly large and includes wings, burgers, salads, and several dinner entrees. There is also a notable selection of vegan and vegetarian dishes.
Beyond the bar and dining area, Bacchus has a large billiards room where people often play pool late into the evening. There are also a few arcade games and a dart board.
Live music is sometimes scheduled, and the bar is 21+ after 10pm. One unexpected perk is that the Wi-Fi tends to be more reliable here than in many other spots around town, which has been very helpful for me getting work done over a few beers.
Coffee Shops and Cafes in New Paltz
Main Street Bistro
Main Street Bistro has been serving breakfast in New Paltz for more than 30 years. The crowds, especially on summer weekends, show how popular it remains.
The restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch and is widely considered one of the favorite brunch spots in the Hudson Valley. The menu sticks to classic breakfast dishes at reasonable prices. Popular options include the corned beef hash, chicken and waffles, and the Huckleberry Frolic, which comes with scrambled eggs, spinach, pesto, avocado, sprouts, tomato, and cheddar wrapped in a tortilla.
Alternative: Main Street Marketplace is another option for a quick breakfast or lunch. It has a casual, self-serve setup where you order at the counter and pick up your food before finding a table.
Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters
Mudd Puddle Coffee Roasters is known for having some of the better coffee in New Paltz, but it is more than just a coffee shop. Located at the far end of the Water Street Market, it also serves breakfast, lunch, baked goods, and even its own beer.
Husband-and-wife team Michelle and James opened Mudd Puddle in 2002. At the time they were not yet married, but they later built both a family and a second business together when they started Yard Owl Brewery in nearby Gardiner.
As the name suggests, the coffee beans are roasted in-house. One thing that keeps me coming back, though, is the egg panini with roasted peppers, fresh mozzarella, pesto, and egg on French peasant bread. It is one of the better breakfast sandwiches I have had in the Hudson Valley. Two others I would put in that conversation are from The Hog in Wappingers Falls and Kelly’s Bakery in Poughkeepsie.
If you visit New Paltz, you will probably end up at Water Street Market at some point, and Mudd Puddle is an easy stop while you are there. In addition to the coffee and breakfast sandwiches, you can also try Yard Owl beer, which they brew in nearby Gardiner.
Recommendation: The Grazery, located next door, is a cheese shop that also sells local beer, wine, and other specialty foods. It is a good place to pick up items to take home.
Cideries and Orchards Near New Paltz
Brooklyn Cider House
Don’t let the name fool you. Brooklyn Cider House is not actually in Brooklyn. It sits just outside New Paltz.
In 2014, Peter Li told his sister that he wanted to open a cider house in Brooklyn and convinced her to leave her job and join him in the venture. The plan eventually shifted north, where they revitalized an old Hudson Valley apple orchard. They built a cidery and tasting room on the property and later added a pavilion that is now used for events.
Kettleborough Cider House
Kettleborough Cider House was founded in 2011 by Tim Dressel, whose family has been growing apples in New Paltz for four generations. After graduating from Cornell University in 2007, Dressel returned to the family orchard and began exploring the idea of starting a cidery.
To support cider production, the orchard began planting apple varieties that are better suited for making hard cider. Alongside more familiar dessert apples like Red Delicious, McIntosh, and Honeycrisp, Kettleborough now grows a number of lesser-known varieties that are used primarily for cider.
Coppersea Distilling
If you want to explore the Hudson Valley distilling scene, then 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.Â
The farm grows primarily corn, rye, and barley to be used for these spirits. This creates a true farm-to-glass distillery. The Coppersea tasting room is a cozy space where visitors can sample their signature spirits, in particular rye whiskey and bourbons.
Sweet Treats in New Paltz
Krause's Chocolates
Krause’s Chocolates also has locations in Saugerties and Rhinebeck, but the New Paltz shop carries the same selection of chocolate and sweets.
The family-owned business has been making hand-dipped chocolates since 1929, spanning four generations. Their offerings include truffles, caramels, fudge, peanut brittle, and other classic confections.
In addition to the items on display in the shop, Krause’s also offers customized boxes and molded chocolate designs.
Other Well-Known Restaurants and Bars in New Paltz
P&G’s: A longtime Main Street restaurant known for casual food and a lively bar scene. While it has changed ownership over the years, Mike Beck is now the third generation of the family to run it. And so, it’s perhaps the best-known restaurant in New Paltz. It may not be the most ambitious kitchen in town, but it is one of those places locals tend to return to.
Underground Coffee and Ales: After Schatzi’s Pub closed, this popular Highland coffee and beer spot opened a second location in New Paltz.
Apizza!: A newer coal-fired brick oven pizza spot serving whole pies only.
Lola’s Cafe: The New Paltz location has a slightly different menu than the original in Poughkeepsie, but it still serves many of the wraps and sandwiches that make it a popular lunch option.
Beans Cat Cafe: A café where you can grab coffee or tea and pay a small fee to enter the cat lounge. The cats are partnered with a local adoption organization. There is also a location in Beacon.
Snug Harbor: A classic dive bar on Main Street. It is one of the earlier places to open if you want a beer before noon and tends to get livelier later at night.
New Paltz may be best known as a college town, but it has developed a surprisingly good food scene for a place its size. From longtime breakfast spots and casual cafes to Cajun cooking, Italian restaurants, and wine bars tucked into the Water Street Market, there is a wide range of places to eat and drink within a short walk of Main Street.
Many visitors come to New Paltz for hiking in the Shawangunks, a stop along the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail, or a weekend in the Hudson Valley. When you are in town, these restaurants, bars, and cafes are some of the better places to sit down for a meal or grab a drink.
If you are exploring more of the region, you may also want to check out my other Hudson Valley guides, including places to eat in Beacon, Kingston, and Wappingers Falls.
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