17 Best Restaurants in The Catskills, New York

Most of the antiques are gone, but the classic foods for sale—from lollipops to jams and jellies to every kind of cheese imaginable—make this place feel like a blast from the past. You can hang out on the front porch, choose from a selection of more than 300 beers, and dig into a hearty "knish-wich" of potato knish, coleslaw, melted cheddar, pastrami, and turkey. You also can't go wrong ordering one of several cheese plates to share with the table. Drop by in the evening, as there's often live music.

Freshly baked breads and pastries beckon from the window of this centrally located café where Woodstockers go to wake up. You can get all the local gossip while waiting in line for a latte, or grab a table and enjoy a feta and leek quiche or a chicken sausage and kale sandwich. If you're pressed for time, this is the place to duck in, grab the fixings for a picnic lunch, and keep going.

Locals come to this upscale deli-grocery for breakfast and lunch, or to pick up specialty ingredients. You can eat a sandwich or sip an organic coffee drink at one of the café tables in the simple dining area. While waiting, study shelves of vinegars, olives, old-fashioned candy, and Italian lemonade.

In a pretty red farmhouse at the entrance to Bethel Woods Center for the Performing Arts, the Dancing Cat Saloon—sister restaurant to the Catskill Distilling Company—is hands-down one of the best eateries in the area and a great place to dine before a concert or after a trip to the museum. The dining room is decorated with musical instruments—appropriate enough, given its location and the fact that the Dancing Cat often has live music. A favorite hangout spot is the deck, where you can sit under umbrellas overlooking the field of “Stray Cat” sculptures in front the of Catskill Distilling Company. The food ranges from expertly put-together burgers to the satisfying main courses, which includes the signature pork chops. Jazz brunch is also popular, especially with locals.

You may want to reserve ahead, as the place is always packed.

In business for more than four decades, this venerable eatery's unassuming interior gives no hint of the wonders coming out of the kitchen. The inventive Middle Eastern menu includes zucchini flat cakes with yogurt and apricot jam and red beet risotto with seared scallops and asparagus. Joshua's smorgasbord brings together hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, dolmas, and warm pita bread. A popular spot for vegans, vegetarians, and those on a gluten-free diet.

At this laid-back eatery in one of the prettiest buildings in Tannersville, you will find homemade baked goods piled on the counter and breakfast all day. Mountain bikers and skiers fill the place in the morning to partake of favorites like Eggs McMaggie, with two fried eggs, bacon, and your choice of cheese on an English muffin; challah French toast; steak and eggs; and freshly squeezed juices. Later in the day, organic sandwiches and salads take over. Thumbtacks hold artwork on the white wood-plank walls, and church-pew benches are filled with boisterous families.

French doors open into a bright, airy space filled with white wooden booths, marble-top café tables, and a stainless-steel counter where trays of fresh muffins cool. You'll see why it's a local favorite when you tuck into the Blue Monkey, a stack of blueberry-banana buttermilk pancakes, or the savory huevos rancheros and experience the efficient, friendly service. Take a note from the locals—who come armed with newspapers and books—and grab a seat outside under the colorful umbrellas. Note that Sweet Sue's is a cash-only eatery.