The Catskills
Our corner of
the mountains.
Eat well. Browse slowly. Get outside.
Our guide
Not everything nearby.
Just the places we'd tell a friend.
The Western Catskills reward wandering. These are the places we actually return to.
A note about hours: Catskills businesses change their schedules with the seasons, holidays and private events. The hours below were current when this guide was updated in August 2026; please check directly before setting out.
Closest to home
Margaretville
& Arkville
Eat & drink
Café Mornings — Korean breakfast and lunch fare, a clever little shop and a children's play room. Thu–Mon, 7am–2pm.
Café Marguerite — French pastries, breakfast, lunch and coffee. Fri–Sat, 8am–5pm; Sun, 8am–3pm.
Tomato Tomahto — our favorite weekend stop for Italian breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus extraordinary house-made bread and pastries. Go early for the baking. Fri, 9am–5pm; Sat–Sun, 9am–8pm.
Oda Wine Garden — Balkan food and an excellent wine list. Get the Balkan platter. Wed–Thu, 5–9pm; Fri, 5–10pm; Sat, noon–10pm; Sun, noon–9pm.
Rae's — a gift on weekdays when many places are closed, and very serious about making the perfect martini. Fri–Tue, 4–9:30pm.
Shop
Kria World — handmade jewelry, stones and a beautifully edited mix of objects.
Barbara Alyn Artwear · Keeper · Species by the Thousands.
The Kitchen Cheetah — cookware, kitchen finds, gifts and specialty provisions. Mon–Fri, 11am–6pm; Sat, 10am–6pm; Sun, 11am–5pm.
Lively Harvest — local adult-use cannabis shop for guests 21+.
Saturday ritual
Pakatakan Round Barn Farmers' Market — Saturdays, generally 9am–1pm during the spring-through-fall market season at the Round Barn in Halcottsville. Arrive in the morning for the best selection and confirm the current seasonal schedule before visiting.
A very good afternoon
Andes
Browse
Heaven on Main Street — a beautifully edited shop with especially incredible makeup and skincare products.
Diamond Hollow Books — new, used and out-of-print books with the kind of shelves that make you lose an hour.
Eat & drink
Café Mutsi — bakery and café by day, natural wine bar on Friday and Saturday nights. Thu–Sun, 9am–2pm; Fri–Sat wine bar, 5–9pm.
Wayside Cider — wild Catskills cider, local food and one of our favorite places to linger. Bar Wed–Fri, 5–10pm; Sat–Sun, noon–9pm. Kitchen Thu–Fri, 5–9pm; Sat–Sun, noon–8pm.
The Andes Hotel — dependable tavern energy and weekend brunch. Restaurant Tue–Thu, 4–9pm; Fri, 4–10pm; Sat, 11am–10pm; Sun, 11am–8pm.
Dana's Place — hometown tavern, pool and easy pub food. Mon, Tue, Thu & Sun, 2–8pm; Fri–Sat, 2–10pm; Wed closed.
Pastoral Catskills
Bovina
Worth reserving
Bovina Farm & Fermentory — reservation-only farm dining during its May–October public season: Saturday dinner parties, Friday Kitchen Suppers and select Sunday Roasts. Reserve well ahead.
Brushland Eating House — Thu–Fri à la carte from 5:30pm; Saturday is a single family-style dinner, doors at 6pm and dinner at 7pm.
Russell's General Store — old-fashioned country store, coffee, baked goods and generous sandwiches. Mon–Fri, 7am–4pm; Sat, 7am–3pm; Sun, 8am–2pm.
Make a day of it
Delhi
Eat & drink
Pony's — chef-driven, unfussy dinner in the old Delhi Diner. Thu–Sun, 5pm to roughly 9pm.
Blue Bee Cafe — classic daytime café for coffee, baked goods, brunch and lunch. Mon–Sat, 10am–4pm; Sun, 10am–3pm.
Hollow — café by day and intimate bar by night. Café Wed–Sat, 9am–3pm; Sun, 10am–3pm. Bar Wed–Sat, 5–9pm.
EIGHTYMain — house-made pasta, cocktails and a wonderful special-dinner feel. Mon and Thu–Sun, 5–9pm.
Wednesday in Delhi
Delhi Farmers' Market — Wednesdays, 10am–2pm, and one of the liveliest times to be in town. In warmer months (generally May–October) it takes over Courthouse Square; in the colder season it moves indoors to the Delhi American Legion. Vendor mix changes constantly.
Antiques & design
Delhi is one of the best nearby towns for an unhurried afternoon of antiquing. Wander Main Street rather than shopping from a checklist.
Look for This & That, Made & Found, Chauncey Stewart, Uncle Alan's Antiques, Rabbit Boy Vintage, Stonehouse Shop and The Lost Bookshop.
A quick browse
Fleischmanns
Vintage
Two Doors Down and Formerly are both worth a stop for vintage clothing, furniture, objects and unexpected finds.
Provisions
Doolittle's — unique provisions and gifts, plus coffee, pastries and an easy browse. Daily, 8am–5pm.
Rainy day / after dark
Big Indian
Play
Ralph's Bar & Bowling — gloriously old-school bowling, a pool table, full bar and pizza. Mon–Thu, 3–9pm; Fri–Sun, 3–11pm. Pizza is currently Thu–Mon, 3–9pm.
Eat, drink & wander
Urban Cowboy Lodge — go for a drink or bite and climb into their massive tree net suspended high in the woods. Their Dining Room serves breakfast 8–11am and dinner 5–9pm daily.
Dandelion at Eastwind Oliverea Valley — seasonal, locally rooted cooking and cocktails in a quiet mountain setting. Dinner Sun–Thu, 5–9pm; Fri–Sat, 5–10pm. Seasonal weekend lunch is offered 11am–3:30pm through Labor Day.
Get outside
Choose your version
of the Catskills.
Stay on the property
Walk the trail up toward the meadow with a picnic—or bring a YETI thermos full of coffee or cocktails, depending on the hour.
Kaaterskill Falls
A classic waterfall outing. Afterwards, head to West Kill Brewing for mountain beverages and, when the pizza pop-up is running, pizza.
Belleayre Gondola
Ride to the summit for spectacular views across the Catskill Forest Preserve. Summer and fall service is seasonal and weather-dependent.
Plattekill
A smaller ski mountain with a relaxed local feel.
Rail Explorers
Pedal the rails for a memorable family outing.
Scenic train
The Delaware & Ulster Railroad departs from nearby Arkville and is especially great with kids.
With kids
Rain in the forecast?
Ralph's Bar & Bowling
Rail Explorers
Delaware & Ulster Scenic Railroad
Putt Putt Van Winkle
Delhi antique & book browsing
Cafés + a slow lunch