Built as a stagecoach stop on the Old Albany Post Road in 1761, the Bird & Bottle reopened as a French-leaning dining room with a stream and a wooden footbridge on the grounds. It's one of the few places in the Hudson Highlands where dinner and an overnight stay in the five-room inn run through the same reservation system.
Heads upDinner requires reservations (busy weekends book quickly). Brunch walk-ins accepted but expect weekend crowds. The road to the inn can be bumpy and unpaved—drive carefully. The property sits slightly removed from the main road, creating a sense of escape. Room packages available for overnight stays.
Built in 1761 as a stagecoach stop, the inn was restored room by room rather than gutted and redone. Each small dining room keeps its own fireplace and character, so you might sit at a table for two while a party of four in the next room remains unseen. The restaurant and five-room inn operate as one: dinner guests and overnight guests book through the same system.
The kitchen works from a French base, building around what's in season rather than a fixed rotation. You'll find popovers, polenta bites, steak frites, and pan-seared scallops on the menu. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings bring a three-course prix fixe for $55, a more approachable way to eat here than committing to the full a la carte menu. The wine list and cocktail program are both considered rather than padded for length.
Outside, wisteria climbs the grounds and a stream crosses under a wooden footbridge. The setting has become central to the wedding business the inn runs alongside dinner service. Weekend brunch, Saturday and Sunday, brings crowds for eggs benedict and huevos rancheros. It's worth booking ahead, though walk-ins are taken when there's room.