4 Best Restaurants in Millbrook, Hudson Valley

The jolly sunburst graphic on the café sign and the banks of colorful flowers on the front steps are très French. Warm terra-cotta–tone walls and vine-motif sconces continue the theme inside. The food is authentic French bistro fare, well prepared and presented. What a delight to find a really good croque- monsieur and moules (mussels) or steak frites. Tarte tatin, baked by the chef and served with a scoop of crème fraîche, is not to be missed.

Widely hailed as one of the Hudson Valley's best Mexican restaurants, this welcoming eatery is brightly painted and decorated with Mexican Talavera pottery. Guacamole is made (and spiced to your taste) tableside. There's an impressive selection of tequilas and Mexican beers as well as interesting margaritas. Main courses include traditional entrées like vegetarian chile relleno, shredded pork carnitas, and arroz con pollo (served with a spicy lemon jalapeño sauce) or try the unique camarones al pastor (shrimp topped with pineapple and ancho-guajillo chile sauce). For dessert, the ice cream topped with Mexican chocolate and caramel can't be beat.

With a hunter-green awning over the entrance, walls covered with framed hunting prints, and wood paneling that recalls a stable, this restaurant plays up the horse-country theme. The food is billed as "authentic 19th-century cooking." Everything is cooked in the wood-fired oven; the open-plan kitchen invites you to watch. The house's baked stuffed Spanish onion, a concoction of cheddar cheese and fresh vegetables, is well worth trying. Entrées are served on sizzling cast-iron platters straight from the oven.

Since 1929 a diner has sat on this spot, with the current edition, a stainless-steel boxcar version, dating from 1952. It's a great hangout for locals, who love how quickly that early-morning cup of coffee is served. Order hamburgers, french fries, BLTs, and other diner basics here.