We were scratching our heads over a bar round-up when it dawned on us that no one would have better insight on where to drink than Hudson Valley bar owners. So we hit up the folks at a few of our favorite institutions to ask where they drink on their nights off. From vibe to cocktail preparation, the local bars they picked tick all the boxes. And as we might’ve guessed, there is a delicious circularity between the recommendations.
Padrona | Hudson
Along with his wife Jenny, Paul Maloney co-owns the Stockade Tavern, a buzzing Uptown K ingston spot serving up speakeasy vibes with infallible cocktails and dimmed lighting in a historic space with tin ceilings. When Paul and Jenny do snag the occasional day off, they have a handful of favorite local watering holes to visit. The first of them is the sleek and stylish Padrona’s in Hudson. This cocktail-bar meets snack-lounge delivers inventive drinks alongside elegant small plates—think house-whipped ricotta with honey or tinned seafood and charcuterie. At Padrona’s 28-foot bar, you can order cocktails designed by Kat Dunn, a veteran mixologist, with a CV that includes tending bar at former Greenwich village haunt The Lion and several Fatty Crew restaurants, Zak Pelaccio’s erstwhile, James Beard-winning Fish & Game, Backbar, and Rivertown Lodge. Maloney says, “Kat Dunn and her team are always super accommodating, amazing cocktails, chill vibe, and yummy snacks!”
Tubby’s | Kingston
When staying in town or for a night cap, Paul and Jenny head to Tubby’s in Midtown Kingston. A neighborhood bar with gritty character, at Tubby’s you can expect rotating craft beers, mezcal and natural wines, a curated roster of live music that ranges from garage grunge to Swedish folk. The current food vendor Ace of Cups serves up tasty pan-Asian eats and dim sum like soup dumplings. The vibe is perfect for laid-back nights out. Of Tubby’s, Maloney says, “Funnest bar crew, top-notch mezcal selection, and the best live music venue around.”
Parish and Jar’d | New Paltz
Tucked inside New Paltz’s cute, walkable Water Street Market, Jar’d Wine Pub (downstairs) and the Parish Restaurant (upstairs) share owners, and the duo is another one of Maloney’s picks. Jar’d is a tiny jewel box wine bar with beautiful, gilded wallpaper, tasty snacks, a by-glass and bottle selection that spans classics and natty wine options, (plus a rotating sangria special). Infused with New Orleans flavor, the Parish features Cajun-style mains like gumbo and shrimp & grits, lively vibes, spirited cocktails, and a view that complements the Southern-style comfort. The deck offers views of the Shawangunk ridge. Maloney says, “Whether with Matt upstairs or Teresa downstairs, I always have a blast at either of the two sister joints. Whether I’m sipping on a great cocktail or glass of wine you can’t beat the view.”
Ollie’s | High Falls
Housed in a renovated 1850s barn, Ollie’s Pizza is a warm and unpretentious spot serving wood-fired, Roman-style pies, natural wines, and local beers. Out front, a big yard offers plenty of seating for warmer weather, in the heart of the cute hamlet of High Falls, which is where Paul and Jenny live. Maloney says of Ollie’s, “Not only is it some of the tastiest pizza around, the drinks are spot on, the staff is awesome, and best of all, it’s two minutes from my house.”
Chleo Wine Bar | Kingston
Davina Thomasula is co-owner of Poughkeepsie watering hole Goodnight Kenny and newish Kingston spot Sorry, Charlie. Her first upstate bar, Goodnight Kenny, is a neighbourhood favourite offering craft cocktails, beers on tap, and playful snack fare in a relaxed, lively setting. Sorry Charlie,, a collaboration with Hudson & Packard owner Charlie Webb, is a bar-pizzeria hybrid pairs well-crafted cocktails with “bar pies” (thin, crispy-crust pizzas) and a casual bar vibe. Thomasula happily admits to hanging out in her own bars. “If Goodnight Kenny and Sorry Charlie don’t count,” she says, “there are so many places in Kingston I go to, but Chleo is awesome.” Chleo Wine Bar has a sleek-yet-earthy, intimate space with plaster walls and dried floral arrangements hanging from the ceiling. On the menu, vegetable-forward small plates meet a curated wine list. With warm wood accents, an open-fire kitchen and stylish design touches, it’s a modern spot both welcoming and refined. “Their drinks and wine are great,” Thomasula says of Chleo. “I’d say I gravitate toward places with an amazing product and fun staff. I always feel welcomed there!”
Brunette Wine Bar | Kingston
Perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that wine bar owners like to drink wine in their spare time. Husband-and-wife proprietors of Uptown Kingston restaurant Chleo, pick Brunette Wine Bar in Kingston as their go-to hang. This snug waterfront wine bar was early in the recent wave of reinvention of the Rondout District, with its bright, tasteful interior and elegant marble bar. You can expect an adventurous list of low-intervention wines and playful small plates—think from-scratch snacks, seasonal vegetables, sharing boards, and cozy bar seats. Hope says, “Brunette is a vibe— it’s true romance and transportive. We always find ourselves surrounded by neighbors and friends at their bar, and the rest of the world just kinda melts away. Not to mention, the wine and food! So good.”
North Plank Tavern | Newburgh
Casual and energetic, The Wherehouse features a broad comfort-food menu—from poutine and mac-n-cheese to pulled-pork sandwiches—and an enormous draft and craft beer lineup, all in a friendly venue with a regular roster of live music. Michele Basch, the Wherehouse’s co-owner, picks North Plank Tavern for a night-off drink. This historic tavern has been in operation since 1801 and offers a refined-yet-relaxed menu of fish, steak, pasta, and more, with a strong focus on local Hudson Valley ingredients and a warm, garden-patio ambiance. Basch praises the “cozy atmosphere,” and says, “Tom and Denise, the owners, are always open to conversation and connect guests in conversation. I enjoy a good cabernet or their delicious cucumber gin martini.”
Small Talk | Woodstock
Opened in the former Lis Bar spot on Foxhall Avenue in Kingston, Lone Wolf is a modern cocktail bar serving inventive drinks and elevated pan-Asian small bites—think crispy rice tuna, duck legs, and artful concoctions. The bar is a moody, design-forward space perfect for late-night indulgence designed by owner Anton Kinloch, who brings expertise in craft tiki cocktails to his drink program. When he is off the clock, Kinloch heads up the road to Small Talk in Woodstock, which he calls “a hole in the wall where the lights are dim, the music hums, and the drinks are built with real intent, showcasing classics and modern classics.” Tucked in front of the Village Green, this cocktail and wine bar serves smart drinks (like a pickled pepper martini!) and small bites—dolma, chicken pot pie—late into the night. The vibes in the shoebox space are intimate and unpretentious. Ever the staunch defender of his craft, he adds that Small Talk “introduces the locals to what a cocktail should be like. It’s the kind of bar that reminds you cocktails aren’t supposed to taste like liquid candy in neon colors. They’re supposed to have structure, tension, and a soul.”
Pretty to Think So | Rhinebeck
When he’s up for crossing the River, Kinloch’s other pick is Pretty To Think So in Rhinebeck. In the historic Starr Institute Building (previously home to Liberty Publick House), the restaurant offers sophisticated farm-to-table dining with European flair, a raw bar, and craft cocktails in a moody, intimate setting that feels special and elevated. Kinloch says of Pretty to Think So, “It feels like part laboratory and part love letter. Every drink that comes across that bar feels like it was torn from the pages of Hemingway’s notebook, but with better booze and fewer regrets.”
The Parish | New Paltz
Theresa Fall is co-owner of both Water Street Market institutions the Parish Restaurant, where she does bookkeeping and back-of-house administration, and Jar’d Wine Pub, where she is the face of the bar. It’s always a good sign when owners like their own spots enough to hang after hours. “When I finish work at Jar’d, I truly love heading upstairs to The Parish to unwind and order a cocktail from what I consider the best cocktail menu in town,” she says. “I know it sounds like such a cop-out, but it’s just the truth. The Parish is without a doubt, the spot where local bartenders hang out. The vibe, the long bar…the nuttiness that goes on there, it all makes it a perfect after-work spot.” Her favorite cocktails are the Ninth Ward and the Monk’s Fire. On the vibe, she comments, “The music and lighting are spot on. I love a restaurant bar—and I love the bar at The Parish most.”
The Lemon Squeeze | New Paltz
When she branches out, Fall heads to piano bar The Lemon Squeeze on Main Street. The Lemon Squeeze merges sophisticated cocktails with elevated cuisine in a sleek Mid-Century setting. In a college town that “lacks adult bars,” its elegance is a welcome respite for Fall who loves “the feel” of Lemon Squeeze. Expect house-made pastas, raw-bar offerings and inventive mains amid live piano performances and a heated outdoor deck with fire-pit ambiance. Fall says, “They make a nice gin Gibson, the bartenders and management are friendly, and sometimes you can catch awesome live music. I love a proper martini and they do it well there.”
The Wild Kitchen & Bar | Beacon
Though it’s moved locations a few times since its start, the Vinyl Room seems to have found its forever home on Main Street in Beacon. The bar delivers vibrant energy with elevated comfort food—think wagyu burgers and Korean nachos—alongside craft cocktails and beer with vinyl records and live DJs spinning on the weekends. The two-floor space that blends a retro arcade, record shop, and bar into one. If TVR’s proprietor John Kilmire is sticking around Beacon for the night, he heads to newly opened The Wild Kitchen & Bar. From the architects of the Kitchen & Coffee, The Wild offers farm-to-table, gluten-free delicacies and masterfully crafted cocktails in a once-vacant corner lot at Main and Schenck. With its tall windows, industrial nods, and abundance of natural light, the space feels at once rooted in Beacon’s past and tailored for its present. Alongside high-level cocktails, you’ll find non-alcoholic elixirs and tonics made with cold-pressed juices, a cider list that emphasizes local makers, and natural and biodynamic wines.
Il Figlio Enoteca | Fishkill
Kilmire’s other bar pick is down the road from Beacon in Fishkill: Il Figlio Enoteca. An iteration of its predecessor, Il Barilotto Enoteca, Il Figlio features the same Italian flavors within a bigger, more comfortable space. A 33-foot quartz bar seats 15 people within an elegant, upscale room you would never suspect from the strip mall setting. With a culinary style the owner dubs “Hudson Valley Italian,” Il Figlio blends local ingredients with classic recipes, including handmade pastas and indulgences like veal chop, duck breast, and braised lamb shank. A curated cocktail list and a well-thought-out wine list accompany the eclectic menu.
Eliza | Kingston
Well Nice Wine Bar in Rosendale offers a welcoming, no-fuss wine experience with an eclectic list of international and Eastern European bottles paired with nostalgic small plates like playful pierogies and chip butties. The cozy Main Street storefront, formerly the home of the Alternative Baker, is run by husband-and-wife duo Joe Baron and Zoe Wilkins and boasts a well-worn feel that invites you to lounge a while. When Baron and Wilkins step out from behind the bar for a night out, they head up Route 32 to Kingston. “We love grabbing a couple of bar seats at Eliza in Kingston early on a Sunday night,” says Wilkins The Midtown bistro, from the same owners as Ollie’s Pizza (in High Falls and Kingston), offers a refined-yet-cozy bistro experience with a menu featuring wood-fired meats and vegetable sides, housemade charcuterie, and seasonal fare with European flair rooted in Hudson Valley ingredients. “The service is always so kind, and the space is very relaxing,” Wilkins says of Eliza. “It’s the best way to wind down after a hectic week. Their house martini always hits, or we’ll settle in and split a great bottle of wine and some snacks.”
