14 Best Italian Restaurants near Hudson

“Via Cassia in Hudson is one of those restaurants that people whisper about. The kind of place that consistently lands on “best restaurant in America” lists and books out weeks in advance — for good reason.

Chef and co-owner Gaetano Arnone, alongside his wife and partner Meigan Arnone, brings serious pedigree to the Hudson Valley. Arnone’s time as Chef de Cuisine at Babbo Ristorante and Executive Chef at Otto immediately caught my attention. Babbo, in my opinion, was the first Italian fine-dining restaurant in New York that truly made fine dining feel cool — sophisticated but unstuffy, with interiors and food that worked in perfect harmony.

So naturally, I was thrilled when I finally cleared the waitlist and secured a 7pm reservation.

After a full day exploring the Hudson Valley with my brother, we sat down excited to dive in. Unfortunately, my body had other plans. Something I ate earlier in the day decided it wasn’t staying put — and I found myself sprinting to the restroom before our first appetizer even arrived. Not exactly the Via Cassia experience I had envisioned.

We quickly pivoted, packed up our salad and pasta dishes to-go, cancelled our entrée, and called it a night. I left the server a $50 gratuity for the trouble and walked out deeply disappointed — mostly because I knew I was missing something special.

The silver lining? The food we took home was fantastic.
The Insalata Via Cassia with Radicchio Castelfranco, Trevisano, toasted almonds, and Parmigiano Reggiano was vibrant and beautifully balanced. The Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino with roasted garlic and Calabrian chilis was simple Italian cooking at its best — bold, clean, and deeply satisfying. And my brother ate the Bucatini all’Amatriciana with guanciale and pecorino was exactly what you want from the dish: rich, comforting, and perfectly executed.

So yes — technically my Via Cassia dinner ended before it even began. But based on what I tasted, I’m convinced the hype is real.

Next time, I’ll arrive a little hungrier… and skip breakfast and lunch entirely.“

“We had a family celebration meal in the private dining room. 5 stars plus! Everything was amazing! Couldn’t have been be more pleased.“

“I spent my birthday there and I had the NICEST TIME. The staff were amazing and they came out and sang. Made me feel so good! Thank you Savonas! 🥳❤️“

“Wow! I am pleasantly surprised by the service and food I had from Stellas. I called in a delivery order and was speaking to a kind, patient voice. No rudeness, or attitude (which happens alot with phone orders). I did 2 of their daily lunch specials (2 slices AND a soda for 3.49 [toppings 50 cents]), a small calzone, wings, and lasagna.. which was accompanied with bread and soup/salad. The soup was outstanding. It was creamy chicken, vegetables and had a nice fresh, homemade taste... not like a canned soup. Everything was made to order and came hot! They accidentally gave us an extra slice, so I called to offer to pay for it.. and they kindly declined. The delivery driver was fast, respectful and had change for my cash.. something I appreciate. I will definitely order here more. Especially based on the price, it has higher quality at a lower price than alot of places in this area. Thank you!“

“This place is the best around the owner and Chef are top-notch. I highly recommend this place.“

“We played at Anthony's last night for a private event. If you are looking for a very clean, friendly, great food, and an absolutely beautiful place to have your event, we highly recommend it. Anthony is a great guy, and the staff was amazing too! It's very spacious. Even the restrooms were very big compared to most places. Not to mention there were 3 types of soap in the bathroom. We hope to play there again!“

“Incredible traditional Italian dishes, in a friendly and inviting atmosphere. The owner is the chef, and knows his business, and many of the staff are family. We love this place.“

“Tonight we had a Christmas Party for the Fortnightly Club of Catskill. The food was delicious and everything was so well organized . If you’re looking to have a party or even just dinner this is the place to go. Excellent food and excellent service - Poppy and Alyssa were great tonight . Shawn is the best bartender around . Let’s not forget Cheryl who is the owner/chef! Her food is top notch !“

“Pomodoro’s catered our event and they did an amazing job. The guests all complimented the menu; the staff was friendly and professional; the presentation of the food was beautiful; and the food was plentiful and amazing -the tuna appetizer was a favorite! Can’t say enough good things and would highly recommend them for your next catered event!!“

“This is THE BEST pizza!!! I won't go anywhere else, even if they were closer than Vesuvio. Not only is the pizza (regular & sicilian) great, the owner is so nice! Definitely a 5 star rating! ***I forgot to mention the prices are great too!!!“

“Celebrated my birthday here yesterday and I was in heaven! The staff was attentive and fun, friendly. The atmosphere, food,and drinks are a 10/10 the wait staff brought out a cupcake with a candle for me without being asked and really went above and beyond!“

“Best pizza in Catskill, we stop in every time we visit N.Y“

“delicious food catered to our ugly sweater event in valatie yesterday from you , thank you . eggplant Parm was out of this world.“

“We ordered takeout from this Italian restaurant several times and had the dinners delivered to the James Newbury Hotel nearby. The portions were large, tasty and well prepared. Delivery was quick. We enjoyed the chicken and veal dinner choices and the salads. The staff was friendly and helpful on the occasion we stopped in to place our order for a later delivery time. They were accommodating to us with food allergies and made sure we stayed safe. Thank you Danielle for your help and upbeat attitude.“