Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Upstate New York

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Upstate New York? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Santa Fe Woodstock

4.9

4.9 (52)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Woodstock, New York

About the restaurant

Santa Fe Woodstock is an extension of the Santa Fe family which includes longtime Dutchess county favorite, Santa Fe Restaurant in Tivoli, NY – the Hudson Valley’s original award winning Mexican restaurant, and Santa Fe Uptown, located in the historic Stockade district of Kingston, NY.

For bold foods in a fun and inviting social bar, visit Santa Fe Woodstock in Woodstock, New York. Dine in and takeout flavors include such guest favorites as golden plantains, lobster quesadillas, grilled chicken enchiladas, sweet potato tacos, grilled fish and more. Santa Fe Woodstock provides select vegan and vegetarian dishes, and much of the menu is also gluten free!

The oversized bar provides a long list of imported and local tequila brands to try straight or in a blended cocktail. Santa Fe Classic frozen or rocks margaritas are hand-made, from scratch. Wine by the glass is also available, along with an extensive craft beer selection - draft, cans and bottles.

Top review

ChristineVIP

Dined on Dec 10, 2024

Always an amazing experience with Andrea and the crew!

La Bella Valatie

4.9

4.9 (119)

$31 to $50

Italian

Hudson

About the restaurant

La Bella Restaurant & Pizzeria in Valatie, NY is an Italian restaurant where the true taste of the old country reigns supreme. The old family recipes used at La Bella remain true to the mouthwatering homemade dishes prepared in Mama's Cucina Italiana. In Italy, using only the finest and freshest ingredients in the preparation of the meal, is of the utmost importance. At La Bella we believe that is one tradition to revere and to follow every day.

We hope you will join us soon for lunch, dinner, a pizza, or a slice to go.

Buon Appetito!

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Dec 24, 2024

Great place to dine. Food is wonderful. Service is outstanding!

Mason's Grille 52

4.8

4.8 (1033)

$30 and under

American

Buffalo

About the restaurant

Welcome to Mason’s Grille 52!

Located on historic Main Street in the Village of Hamburg Mason's is a neighborhood gem. The Ayer family has been proud to serve this
community since 2004. Our goal is to continue providing the best possible experience for our guests.

Mason's Grille offers a comfortable, casual, fine dining experience. Our menu succeeds in satisfying everyone. From tasty appetizers such as our Bacon BBQ Wrapped Shrimp and specialty Flatbreads to a variety of freshly tossed salads, homemade soups, mouthwatering sandwiches, chicken wings and delicious dinners such as Macadamia Crusted Salmon, Certified Black Angus steaks and Bourbon Glazed Pork Chops. Even our desserts are delightful!

Our full-service bar features 10 draft beers ranging from your favorite domestic to some of the best local micro and craft brews around. Mason's also has a full martini and extensive wine list .

Top review

MikeVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Outstanding as usual. Dinners were fantastic, service is delightful. Always a wonderful experience.

Acropolis OPA

4.8

4.8 (64)

$30 and under

Greek

Buffalo

About the restaurant

Acropolis OPA is a modern Greek/Mediterranean neighborhood restaurant located in the heart of Williamsville, NY. We offer a great breakfast and lunch program and a weekend brunch menu as well. Open 6 days a week 8am-9pm Wednesday through Saturday. Tuesday and Sunday we open 8am-4pm. Mondays we are closed. We are known for our breakfast and lunch and dinner and our signature dish is our Souvlaki Salad. For dinner, Our Roasted Lamb Shank is a must. Authentic dishes like Pastitsio and Mousaka and desserts like Rice Pudding and Bougatsa and Baklava are made in house by Effe who started the restaurant in 1982.

Top review

Bill

Dined 4 days ago

Repeat customer sums it up! Have visited several times and always happy we did.

Waterstone Grill

4.8

4.8 (300)

$31 to $50

American

Hamburg

About the restaurant

Coming Soon!

Top review

Barb

Dined 4 days ago

Service and food was excellent!!. French onion soup is the best!!

Ama Cocina

4.8

4.8 (300)

$30 and under

Mexican

Albany

About the restaurant

Located in Downtown Albany, ama cocina delivers a fresh and funky twist on modern mexican street food.

Our mission is to encompass the three most important elements of life -food•laughter•love

Let's get back to the days when we bond over a good meal and tasty beverage. Discuss our dreams, plan our next adventure, and remember the feeling you get when a thoughtfully prepared meal hits you. Don't forget to relax and laugh while you’re here - we will do the rest.  Welcome to our kitchen - and know that there is a lot of thought, fun & love here at ama.

Top review

Gina

Dined on Nov 23, 2024

Staff friendly and food consistently good ! Always relaxing exoerience

Cristo's Wood Fired Pizza and Pasta

4.8

4.8 (488)

$30 and under

Italian

Rochester

About the restaurant

CRISTO'S WOOD FIRED PIZZA and PASTA. Come enjoy our rustic charm and open kitchen. Featuring Appetizers, Salads, Wood Fired Pizza, Pasta, Chicken Dishes and Nightly Features including homemade Desserts. Live Music Wednesdays 5-8.

Top review

BobVIP

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

You can always be sure to have a great meal with great service. The Ravioli special for this visit was perfect.

Concordia Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (32)

$31 to $50

Italian

Endicott

About the restaurant

Endicott, NY's newest fine dining experience located in the heart of the historic Little Italy neighborhood. Guests can enjoy exceptional dishes in a sophisticated neighborhood restaurant. Our menu features Italian favorites alongside seasonal specialties. Join us for a new Northside of Endicott experience!

Top review

Dined 5 days ago

Another excellent dinner at Concordia. The service, drinks and food were all great.

Santa Fe Uptown

4.6

4.6 (70)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Kingston

About the restaurant

For a variety of international flavors and bold foods in a fun and inviting social bar, visit Santa Fe Uptown in Kingston, New York. Dine in and takeout flavors include such guest favorites as golden plantains, lobster quesadillas, grilled chicken enchiladas, sweet potato tacos, grilled fish and more. Santa Fe Uptown provides select vegan and vegetarian dishes that contain a variety of flavors for all guests to enjoy. Much of the menu is also gluten free!

The oversized bar at Santa Fe Uptown provides a long list of imported and local tequila brands to try straight or in a blended cocktail. The Santa Fe Classic frozen or rocks margaritas are hand-made, from scratch. Wine by the glass is also available, along with an extensive craft beer selection - draft, cans and bottles.

Top review

Paul

Dined 7 days ago

Always awesome. They noticed our OpenTable reservation that we were celebrating a 41st anniversary. They did a great job acknowledging it and this was awesome.

Smith's Public House

4.4

4.4 (16)

$30 and under

American

Cohoes

About the restaurant

Step into the rich history and vibrant present of Smith's Public House, the premier pub in Cohoes, New York. Dating back to 1873, our historic building has been lovingly restored to create a welcoming space where community and tradition converge. Indulge in our specialty classic cocktails, locally brewed beer, and upscale pub fare that's sure to please even the most discerning palate. As we honor the legacy of the legendary Michael T. Smith, also known as "Big Mike," we invite you to savor the fusion of past and present within our walls. Join us in celebrating the unique history of Smith's while experiencing the modern, inviting atmosphere we've crafted for all to enjoy.

Top review

LisaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Love the atmosphere! We were seated at a small table with velvety chairs in the big room with the fireplace. Very cozy. Our waiter was attentive. Love that they serve Josh red wine. We both ordered the NY strip steak. It was ok. Mediocre at best. Ordered the baked cookie with vanilla ice cream. Delicious.

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