just a suggestion
〰️
just a suggestion 〰️
eat & drinK
Our friends, favorites & a few good detours.
A little guide to the people, places, and businesses we love in Saratoga Springs and beyond. Good food, great drinks, interesting shops, beautiful places, and a few excuses to get out of town. Not a definitive guide to the region, just some places we're happy to send you.
Our sister restaurant on Caroline Street, where it all started! Creative cocktails, a thoughtful spirits collection, and a New American kitchen that likes to have a little fun. A great place to settle in for a proper night out.
The Hi-Note — Saratoga Springs
Cocktails, good music, and a welcoming, retro-inspired room on Putnam Street. An easy place to settle in for the evening.
Tacos and fresh mini doughnuts a good stop for something quick, casual, and satisfying.
Bakery Suzanne — Saratoga Springs
Beautiful sourdough breads and carefully made pastries from a small bakery just outside downtown. Get there early, buy a loaf, and find something sweet for the ride home.
A proper tiki bar hiding off an alley downtown. Tropical cocktails, rum, and a little escapism. One of Saratoga's newest places to disappear for a drink.
A great little wine bar on Henry Street, with an adventurous list and cooking built around an wood fired pizza ovens. Perfect for ordering a few things to share and discovering a new favorite bottle.
Worth the trip south for some of the best Shanghainese cooking in the region. We're partial to the Wontons in Spicy Flavor and Aunt Sung's Fish Soup, while the kids insist they make the best General Tso's Chicken around.
Barbecue and cocktails in the Adirondacks. Smoked meats, a great bar, and a good excuse to spend an afternoon in Bolton Landing. One of our favorite stops when we're headed up Lake George. Their Ramos Gin Fizz is a masterpiece.
Sweet Mimi's Café & Bakery — Saratoga Springs
A beloved breakfast and lunch spot with a serious baking program. The lemon ricotta pancakes have earned their reputation, and it's hard to leave without something from the pastry case.
Thoughtful coffee from people who really care about the process. Great espresso, carefully roasted beans, and an excellent place to start the day.
A proper old-school ice cream stand.
Things TO do
A beautifully curated shop devoted to tea and honey. Sample something new, ask questions, and leave with something you probably didn't know you needed.
One of Saratoga's most beautiful and underappreciated places. An incredible historic swimming pool surrounded by brick arcades and trees. Spend a summer afternoon here and you'll wonder why you ever went anywhere else.
A wonderful independent bookstore on Broadway. Two floors of books, thoughtful gifts, and plenty of reasons to lose track of time. Browse longer than you planned.
Saratoga Battlefield - National Historical Park
The site of one of the most consequential battles in American history, and a remarkably peaceful place today. Walk the fields, take in the views, or follow the self-guided battlefield driving tour. Especially beautiful in the fall.
An orchard and farm stand out in Schuylerville. Apples, cider, doughnuts, and plenty of good things from the region. A fall tradition, but worth visiting beyond apple season too.
Day Trips
1. Vermont Backroads
SARATOGA SPRINGS → CAMBRIDGE → WEST ARLINGTON → MANCHESTER, VT
Some of the prettiest countryside in the Northeast is just east of Saratoga. Take the back roads through Greenwich and Cambridge, follow the Battenkill into Vermont, and make your way north through Arlington to Manchester. Farms, covered bridges, mountain views, and a few perfect little places to stop along the way.
Our preferred route: NY-29 East → NY-372 through Cambridge → NY-313 toward Arlington → VT-7A North into Manchester.
Stops along the way
Cambridge: Stop for coffee and a wander through the village.
West Arlington Covered Bridge: A classic New England covered bridge over the Battenkill, near Norman Rockwell's former home.
Mount Equinox Skyline Drive: An optional toll-road detour with enormous mountain views, when open.
Manchester Village: Historic buildings, a lovely main street, and beautiful mountain scenery.
2. Long Way Up the Lake
SARATOGA SPRINGS → LAKE GEORGE VILLAGE → BOLTON LANDING → HAGUE
Skip the highway once you reach Lake George and follow Route 9N north along the western shore. The road winds past old lake houses, little towns, quiet bays, and some of the best views of the Adirondacks. Make a day of it, stop in Bolton Landing for something to eat, and continue north toward Hague, where the lake and mountains really start to steal the show.
Our preferred route: Saratoga Springs → US-9 North into Lake George Village → NY-9N through Bolton Landing and along Northwest Bay → Hague.
Stops along the way
Lake George Village: Grab coffee, walk along the waterfront, and take in the view from Million Dollar Beach or the village docks.
Rogers Memorial Park: A beautiful little public park right on the lake. Walk out on the pier and take in the view of the islands.
The Gem: Barbecue and cocktails in Bolton Landing. A natural lunch or dinner stop.
Sabbath Day Point Overlook: One of the best roadside views on the western shore.
Hague Town Beach Park: A quiet place at the northern end of the drive to enjoy the lake and mountain views.