Top Hudson Valley Dinner Restaurants According to Zagat

This article was originally published in July of 2016. So much has changed in 5 years. What is your favorite restaurant today? 

Looking for a different place to go and grab a bite to eat for dinner? I was recently looking at Zagat.com for a place because I had friends visiting from out of the area. Why did I go to the website zagat.com? This is one of the original websites (there used to be books that were published once a year too) that is based on 100% user feedback/experience.

So when I was searching through the website, here are the ones that it said were top rated based on food (** means that I have been there before).

• Big W Roadside BBQ in Wingdale
• Elephant, Kingston**
• Hokkaido Japanese Restaurant, New Paltz
• Mercato-Osteria Enoteca, Red Hook**
• Crave Restaurant & Lounge, Poughkeepsie**
• The Ship Lantern Inn, Milton**
• Farm-to-Table Bistro, Fishkill**
• Schlesinger's Steak House, New Windsor
• Global Palate, West Park/Esopus**
• Mountain Brauhaus, Gardiner
• Cafe Les Baux, Millbrook
• Le Petite Bistro, Rhinebeck
• Chateau Hathorn, Warwick

The readers/reviewers at Zagat rate each restaurant on food, décor, service and cost. When doing the research for this, I selected restaurants that were open for dinner and received high scores for their food. For myself, when it comes to décor, I don't need bells and whistles, but I also looked at how the restaurants ranked for service. Coincidentally the ones mentioned above, scored high in both food and service, but one or two we a bit lower in the décor department.

Do you use online recommendations or websites to base whether or not you will give a business a chance? Or if you will also avoid going to a place because of bad online reviews?

Side note, one restaurant that I have been to for Sunday brunch a few times, (and really enjoyed) that was not on Zagat reviewers minds (yet possibly?) for Dinner, but is for Brunch and Lunch, is McKinney & Doyle's in Pawling.

Keep in mind that the only opinion that matters is your own. If you love a restaurant and would like to share it with me, please let me know, I would like to check it out email brandi@wrrv.com.