‹ 25 small cities with big food › No. 9
Small city, big food · No. 9 of 25
Kingston, New York
Photo: Amy Lavine, CC BY-SA 4.0,New York's first capital, now the Hudson Valley's busiest little restaurant town: a stone-house Stockade district, a creekside Rondout and a Midtown full of new openings.
A Hudson Valley bistro dinner
Where to eat in Kingston
1A photo like it
Le Canard Enchaîné
Get: A bistro dinner
A French bistro that has been an Uptown fixture for nearly three decades: white tablecloths, hearty meals, a menu that does not chase trends. Yates still recommends it in Oct 2026. (wineenthusiast.com)
2A photo like it
Restaurant Kinsley
Get: The Kinsley Martini and a dinner at the bar
The hotel's dining room in a handsome old bank building, with a wood-paneled cocktail bar by reception. Yates (Oct 2026) calls it polished without being stiff and useful for brunch, lunch, cocktails or dinner. (hotelkinsley.com)
3A photo like it
Top Taste
Get: Jerk chicken and oxtails
Infatuation 9.1, the best and most affordable meal in town, plates under $20. (theinfatuation.com)
4A photo like it
Eliza
Get: Roast chicken with malt fries
A date-night bistro with limewashed walls and checkered tile. Split the roast chicken; finish with the rhubarb brown butter cake. (theinfatuation.com)
Plan the trip
- When to go
- May to October; the Saturday farmers market runs in the Stockade.
- Getting there
- About 2 hours from Manhattan by car, or Trailways bus from Port Authority.
More for Kingston
Why it's on the list
Food & Wine No. 9 small food city, 2026.
Next small city
Places checked November 14, 2026; hours and menus change. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Nobody pays to be on our lists.
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