Top 10 Spots for Outdoor Dining near Beacon, NY
Image shot near the Round House
Maybe I’m biased, but I think Beacon, NY is one of the most beautiful places in the world to sit outside and eat. I love outdoor dining in Beacon regardless of the season (well, maybe not in winter! But all the others.) With Earth Day coming up, I wanted to share some of my fave spots around the area where you can eat outside and both revel in Earth’s beauty AND celebrate the delicious food that Beacon chefs (and those in nearby towns) are cooking up.
Here are 10 of my favorite restaurants with outdoor dining near Beacon, NY.
The Roundhouse - Beacon, NY
The Roundhouse is maybe the most recognizable and well-known outdoor dining spot in Beacon because it’s located at a popular hotel where lots of people from the City come stay for the weekend (or for weddings). But the hotel the Roundhouse, located in an old mill / factory building where Main meets E Main, has a restaurant with a gorgeous patio that overlooks Fishkill Creek and a gushing waterfall. Ambiance is king here and the food is good — it’s not the best in town, but some of the standouts are the burger (and the salmon or tuna burger when available), the Asian noodle bowls (they change) and any of the starter seasonal vegetable places. This is a gorgeous Beacon patio to eat on day or night. Call beforehand to make sure that they are serving on the patio.
The waterfall above is what you see when you eat on the Roundhouse Patio.
Melzingah Tap House - Beacon, NY
Melzingah Tap House is close to the Roundhouse down on the very end of Main street (near the East End). This beer-friendly place has great, upscale gastropub food with a chill vibe. Their outdoor dining happens in the backyard of the restaurant on a patio with many picnic tables that’s covered, so you can eat there regardless of the weather. This place has a great, fun vibe and they serve food late, so it’s a fun spot if you’re out and want something eat after. The food here is really good and there’s a range of stuff so there will be something for everyone—from moule frites to chicken fingers.
Cold Spring Depot - Cold Spring, NY
This is my personal favorite place to sit outside and dine in the Hudson Valley. Cold Spring is the town just to the south of Beacon, and the Cold Spring Depot is a classic dining staple with both indoor and outdoor dining. The outdoor dining space (giant patio and bar) offers a very particular experience because the restaurant is housed in the old Cold Spring train station and the restaurant’s patio is situated right along the metro-north train line, and the trains plow through regularly (note: it can get loud!). The food here is just classic straight up bar food with a few more upscale additions. It’s all tasty but you go for the experience and not necessarily fine dining. One of my favorites is pictured below… they serve a GIANT pretzel warm with cheese dip. It’s delicious and unforgettabl…y big. When you’re done you can go underneath the train tracks down to the riverfront where there is a gorgeous park and view of Storm King.
The Giant Pretzel at Cold Spring Depot
Blu Pointe - Newburgh, NY
One of the most upscale outdoor dining restaurants on this list is Blu Pointe. Blu Pointe is located on the waterfront on the Hudson River across from Beacon. You can get there by driving over the bridge or taking the ferry when it’s running. Blu Pointe is a seafood-centric restaurant but there are plenty of other fine dining menu options, like blank angus steak (multiple options) and a whole turf menu to pair with the surf (it has things like gnocchi, roast chicken, orrechiete, and more). Blu Pointe’s indoor dining area is tranquil and feels fancy. But when the weather is nice they have dining on the riverfront –both with large windows open in the back dining room, and sometimes on a patio (With and outdoor bar as well). This is a great spot for an anniversary, a date night, or take your folks when they’re in town. Call and ask about outdoor dining before you go.
Homespun Foods - Beacon, NY
For something cozy and backyard feeling (and a REAL Beacon classic, eat in the backyard of Homespun Foods. A lot of people know Homespun because they have an outpost in Dia:Beacon. (at least as of time of writing!) The home base of Homespun Foods is located on the West End of Beacon Main Street. The backyard of the restaurant is large and quaint, with lots of tables under umbrellas and lush landscaping so you feel like you’re in a private garden. The food at Homespun is a great for lunch and the sandwiches are something to write home about. Homespun Foods is tucked behind the restaurant so you don’t have any particular view or chance to do some people-watching on Main Street, but you do feel like you’re in a safe, cozy, peaceful enclave worlds away from the busy-ness of the Hudson Valley just outside the cafe’s front door. This is more of a lunch spot than a dinner place so come here for a mid-day break to recharge.
Bank Square Coffee - Beacon, NY
Another great place to recharge on a restaurant patio is at Bank Square. This is one of first stops in Beacon food or beverage-wise (tied with Beacon creamery across the street), as it’s at the corner of Main and South Ave, just as you’re coming into town from 9D, I-84, or the train station/riverfront. Bank Square isn’t necessarily a food place as much as it’s a place for beverages—they have coffee drinks, tea drinks, wine, and beer, but they also have fresh baked treats in a case (including lots of good vegan option) and a refrigerator with sandwiches and salads. This Beacon outdoor dining option is one of the best because you can feel the breeze of the river as you sit perched above it (Even if you can’t see it anymore at all) and the patio is giant with sunny and shady spots so you can find just the right place for you to sit. If you’re a local, get ready to greet your neighbors because it’s hard to sit here and not see someone you know either also getting coffee or walking by on Main street.
Hudson Taco - Newburgh, NY
Hudson Taco is another spot across the river in Newburgh with excellent outdoor dining. In addition to a large indoor airy dining space that offers views of the Hudson River, they actually have an outdoor patio on the side of the restaurant where you can order or your tacos or other Tex-Mex/Mexican delights with an absolutely stunning view of the river from your picnic table. There can be a wait here, so grab a spot in line and wander around revitalizing city of Newburgh, there are lots of cute places on the water. Even if you sit in the sun here (Which can get warm!) you’re close enough to the river you’ll always feel a cool breeze. And, the tacos are just dependably good so you can rest assured you’re going to be eating something tasty outside.
The Beacon Daily - Beacon, NY
The Beacon Daily is a little off the Beacon Path in Beacon, which is why I like it. I used to live really close to there and I always felt so lucky to be able to pop over to this cute spot that fills a much-needed hole in the Beacon dining scene, just casual, fast, cheap, easy lunch/brunch/breakfast that can be taken to go or eaten at a restaurant. When I eat at Beacon Daily, I love siting on their back deck or under the large shady shelter in their backyard (gravel ground). Beacon Daily made famous the “Beacon, Egg, and Cheese” and it’s hard to argue that their breakfast sandwiches are not one of the best…ever? Come here in the morning through the afternoon or early eve (check the hours the day you’re going) and you can sit outside to eat. They also have some sidewalk seating in front of the restaurant and you’ll get a nice view of a cute little residential area of Beacon.
Royal Crepes - Beacon, NY
Some of my favorite sidewalk seating in Beacon that existed even before everywhere had sidewalk seating in the pandemic is Royal Crepes. They have a small aisle of a restaurant where you can go in and order at the counter. Then take a seat outside smack dab in the middle of Beacon Main street and wait as they freshly prepare your crepe (sweet or savory!) or other Balkan delights. This is a nice section of Main Street right by the library and a cute coffee shop so it’s a good spot for stopping and people watching. The food is great too and Royal Crepes has become a longtime Beacon staple.
Dutchess Biercafe - Fishkill, NY
Our last spot for outdoor dining near Beacon is the Dutchess Biercafe in Fishkill, NY. Just a few minutes outside of Beacon, Dutchess Biercafe is on Fishkill’s Main Street (what Rte 52 in beacon turns into) and it is an absolute favorite for indulgent eats and biergarten food. You can brats and sausages and the like. But you can also get crazy fry-based concoctions and fried chicken and all other sorts of great foods that you can’t find a lot of other places around here- and that are just plain fun to eat. Beer lovers will find a ton of beers on tap here, and you can order your crazy food outdoors and enjoy it on a large patio that wraps around the restaurant.