Where to Eat (and Drink) Near the Gunks
The main climbing areas of the Gunks are in the town of Gardiner, which has a small number of restaurants. Most of the “nightlife” is in the town of New Paltz, a fun and funky college town, home of the State University of New York (SUNY) at New Paltz. There are some other nearby towns with notable restaurants, like Rosendale and High Falls. It’s a good idea to know about these other towns, as on busy fall weekends, the traffic back into New Paltz can be a nightmare. This list is by no means exhaustive, but I’ve only listed places that I’ve actually gone to eat at.
(Feb 2023: I owe this page a major update, as many restaurants closed since the pandemic and many others opened. Feel free to send me your recommendations using my contact form.)
Quick summary of the best choices for your needs, and my favorites:
- Mountain Brauhaus, Gardiner – Closest to the crag, filled with climbers (especially the bar seating area), fantastic German & creative gourmet food, local ingredients, huge portions, excellent beer. Plan to wait a long time (no reservations) and take your time eating.
- Gilded Otter, New Paltz – fresh micro-brews, bar scene, outdoor seating with nice view, OK food.
- Bacchus, New Paltz – hugest selection of beer, good bar atmosphere with billards, but service is usually poor.
- McGuillicuddy’s, New Paltz – If you want to watch the game, go here for regular bar food and watch sports on multiple big TVs.
- Rosendale Cafe, Rosendale – lots of vegan and vegetarian choices, plus live music and outdoor seating.
- Rocco’s Pizza – New Paltz – wide variety of types of tasty pizza and yummy garlic knots.
- Cafe Mio, Gardiner – AMAZING foods for breakfast and lunch. Specializes in local produce. Best french toast I’ve ever eaten. Decadent.
See the map below if you don’t know where these towns are in relation to each other.
