Eating Around Saratoga Springs New York (2025)

Winter can be harsh in Upstate New York: think multiple feet of snow blocking your driveway. So, the area’s denizens sometimes hunker down for dinner. So, luckily for Saratoga Springs’ residents, the town famous for having the oldest thoroughbred racetrack in the country, offers solid food both in and out of racing season.

Most of the standout restaurants are local, single-location places and even the Morton’s here is somewhat swanky. A handful of new wine, and cocktail, bars have opened the town’s wine lists offer some unusual gems if you cherry pick them.

Bubbles Galore

A new wine bar that runs NYC hours just opened.

It is serving up bubbles from all over the world--as well as great still wine--in a swank setting accompanied by bumps of caviar. Bocage Champagne Bar would not be out of place in Brooklyn, and I mean that in a good way. The couple who owns the bar are slated to open another place called Standard Fare this spring, which will feature even later opening hours. The small sliver of Skidmore students, whose campus is up the hill from downtown Saratoga, who are of drinking age will no doubt love this place.

While the Saratoga Morton’s is unfortunately based in a casino, the steaks are good. And the DeToren Fusion V was better. It is one of my favorite Cape Blends--riffs on Bordeaux blends that may also contain wildcards like Syrah and Pinotage—from the Stellenbosch region.

Another wine highlight was the Dole Des Monts, a Swiss wine based on the grape of the same name, found at Seneca. Swiss wines are rarely seen on lists stateside as production is low, prices are high and the Swiss themselves are very fond of their own wines. This wine actually worked perfectly with a dish of fried perogies.

Other Bites Around Town

Hattie’s, one of Saratoga’s historic restaurants, serves up some nice fried chicken and savory Gumbo. The hours here are not as flexible as at Bocage, so come early for brunch or chow down quickly.

The Spanish-influenced restaurant, Boca Bistro, serves up a nice selection of salads. They also had a good, tomato-based seafood stew swimming in clams and shrimp. The wine by the glass selection is limited, but there are a few Spanish offerings.

The oddly named Hamlet & Ghost is considered one of the best restaurants in town. During racing season locals say it is tough to get a reservation here. The cozy, buzzy restaurant serves up some interesting small plates such as burrata fondue and chicory salad but doesn’t seem to have a lot of structure to its menu. Once again, these upstate wine buyers are finding some gems and we thoroughly enjoyed a great bottle of Chinon my last night.

The town is also home to a number of local tasting rooms such as the Thirsty Owl, which I sadly didn’t get to visit. The Finger Lakes’ wine appellations are sadly a three-hour drive away. The town has slow-as-molasses train service on the scenic route from Montreal and can also be reached by Albany airport.