21 Best Finger Lakes Restaurants You Must Try in 2026

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The Best Finger Lakes Restaurants to Try in 2026

With so many wineries, breweries and distilleries along the lake trails — plus outdoor adventures and museums — visitors are going to need some sustenance. Fortunately, the Finger Lakes is brimming with everything from fresh, casual bites to serious destination dining. We’ve refreshed this guide for 2026, confirming every spot is still open and adding some of the region’s best newer tables.

For a detailed travel guide to the region, check out our full itinerary for navigating the Finger Lakes (including where to stay). You can also browse these hotel options not far from the restaurants below.

RELATED: These are The Best Wineries in the Finger Lakes According to Winetraveler Readers

Finger Lakes Restaurants at a Glance

Here are all 20 restaurants at a glance — which lake and town, the style, and what to know. Scroll down for the full write-ups, grouped by lake.

Know Before You Go

• Many winery cafés are seasonal. Spots like the Dr. Frank Terrace, Stonecat, Fox Run, Ginny Lee and Crystal Lake generally run roughly April/May through October/November — always check hours before an off-season visit.
• Reserve the destination tables. F.L.X. Table books weeks out and is reservation-only; The Krebs, Ports Cafe and The Inn at Taughannock Falls also fill fast. A few gems (Le Café Cent-Dix, Fox Run) are walk-in only.
• Pick one lake per day. Keuka, Seneca, Cayuga and Skaneateles are each 30–60 minutes apart, so cluster your dining and tasting by lake rather than crisscrossing.
• Consider a driver. Wine country and a designated driver go hand in hand — a guided tour lets everyone taste (see below).
• Most pair with wine. The majority of these sit on or beside a vineyard, so plan lunch or dinner around a tasting.

Keuka Lake

The Lakeside Restaurant & Tavern

13780 West Lake Road, Hammondsport · (607) 868-3636

Winetraveler Pick

With a long tradition on Keuka Lake going back to 1936, The Lakeside offers spectacular water views, indoor seating, a multi-level outdoor deck, a rooftop patio and a Dockside Bar & Grill — plus guest docks if you’d rather arrive by boat. Expect a crowd-pleasing menu from Italian to American. Currently open Wednesday through Sunday. 13780 West Lake Road.

RELATED: 6 Best Keuka Lake Wineries to Visit around Hammondsport

Dr. Konstantin Frank — The Terrace at 1886

9749 Middle Road, Hammondsport · (800) 320-0735

Winetraveler Pick

For a snack with some of the region’s most celebrated wines, the rooftop Terrace at the historic 1886 Reserve Room opens seasonally (roughly June through October), overlooking the Dr. Konstantin Frank vineyards and the Keuka Lake bluff. Choose a flight of estate wines paired with local Lively Run Dairy cheeses — a fourth-generation Finger Lakes institution and one of the prettiest perches on the lake. 9749 Middle Road.

Seneca Farms

2485 NY-54A, Penn Yan · (315) 536-4066

Winetraveler Pick

Not everything in Finger Lakes wine country is a white-tablecloth tasting room — and one of the most beloved spots is a roadside institution just outside Penn Yan, on the Keuka side. Seneca Farms is the place for hand-breaded fried chicken, corn fritters, hush puppies and hand-pattied burgers, followed by homemade ice cream churned on-site. It’s casual, cash-friendly comfort food, open daily, and exactly the kind of local favorite worth a detour between vineyards. 2485 NY-54A, Penn Yan.

Seneca Lake

F.L.X. Table

22 Linden Street, Geneva · (315) 730-3083

Winetraveler Pick

Created by Master Sommelier Christopher Bates, F.L.X. Table is one of the Finger Lakes’ premier dining experiences: a single communal table of about a dozen seats with no barrier between guests and the kitchen. Each evening brings a reservation-only set menu built on the seasonality of local ingredients and paired with regional wines. Book well ahead. 22 Linden Street.

F.L.X. Fry Bird

18 Linden Street, Geneva

Winetraveler Pick

The more casual sibling of F.L.X. Table, Fry Bird is where you dine on outstanding fried chicken and waffles while sipping Champagne — yes, it’s a thing. It recently moved to 18 Linden Street, right beside F.L.X. Table, and now serves lunch as well as late nights on weekends. 18 Linden Street.

Kindred Fare

512 Hamilton Street, Geneva

Winetraveler Pick

A spirited, seasonally-driven “cookery” in Geneva that’s consistently rated among the city’s best, Kindred Fare builds an ever-changing menu on local sourcing and makes regional ingredients sing. Diner favorites include the calamari, the rice bowl, the “friendship fries” and the crème brûlée — approachable, ingredient-forward New American cooking. 512 Hamilton Street.

Stonecat Café

5315 NY-414, Hector · (607) 546-5000

Winetraveler Pick

A hands-down favorite, the Stonecat has been serving farm-to-table regional cuisine on the east side of Seneca Lake since 1999, in a renovated farmstead with breathtaking water views and frequent live music. Expert chefs use local ingredients and global influences on a menu that changes with the season. Note that it’s seasonal — open roughly early April through mid-November, closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Check the menu here. 5315 NY-414.

Red Newt Cellars Bistro

3675 Tichenor Road, Hector

Winetraveler Pick

One of the founding names of the Finger Lakes farm-to-table movement — its bistro opened in 1999 — Red Newt pairs wine-focused sharing plates with composed dinners and lovely valley views. Think tapas-inspired lunch plates and a much-loved grilled cheese on house-made Anadama bread with New York cheddar, all alongside Red Newt’s own acclaimed Rieslings. A genuine wine-country dining institution; reserve via Tock. 3675 Tichenor Road.

Fox Run Café

670 NY-14, Penn Yan · (315) 536-1646

Winetraveler Pick

Open seasonally (roughly April through December), the café at Fox Run Vineyards serves local sandwiches, salads, tacos and cheeseboards — much of it built on produce from Fox Run’s own garden and other New York farms. It’s walk-in only, groups capped at 12, and a glass of Fox Run wine with lunch is practically mandatory. 670 NY-14.

Ginny Lee Café

9322 NY-414, Lodi · (607) 582-6574

Winetraveler Pick

One of our favorite places to dine outdoors on a sunny afternoon, the Ginny Lee at Wagner Vineyards is a seasonal deck-view lunch café with casual American cooking, pairing easily with Wagner’s estate wines and Wagner Valley beers and looking out over the vineyards and Seneca Lake. 9322 NY-414.

Veraisons

5435 NY-14, Dundee · (800) 243-5513

Winetraveler Pick

The year-round, from-scratch restaurant at the Inn at Glenora Wine Cellars sources meats, produce and cheese from local farms and sustainably-caught fish, and even pickles and preserves its own fruits and vegetables for winter. Bread comes from local bakers and desserts are made in-house. The covered terrace opens seasonally for Seneca Lake views; open Wednesday–Sunday. 5435 NY-14.

Graft Wine + Cider Bar

204 North Franklin Street, Watkins Glen

Winetraveler Pick

At the southern tip of Seneca Lake in Watkins Glen, Graft is the area’s dedicated New York wine-and-cider bar, pouring an all-NY-State list alongside a seasonal, made-in-house menu from CIA-trained chef Orlando Rodriguez. Standouts include the steelhead trout and an excellent tofu bowl. A natural anchor for the southern-Seneca wine-trail crowd; open Wednesday–Saturday. 204 North Franklin Street.

Ports Cafe

4432 West Lake Road, Geneva

Winetraveler Pick

A longtime locals’ favorite on the shores of Seneca Lake, Ports Cafe is a very solid New American bistro known for daily specials built on fresh-cut fish, steaks and chops. It books up fast, so reserve well in advance; open Tuesday–Saturday. 4432 West Lake Road.

RELATED: Top Seneca Lake Wineries To Visit If You Love Dry Red Wine

Cayuga Lake

Crystal Lake Café

4367 East Covert Road, Interlaken · (607) 387-6804

Winetraveler Pick

Americana Vineyards’ café is a great stop for interesting, full-flavored dishes — from house-roasted pork and turkey to hand-packed burgers and cheesecake with Baco Noir ganache. The kitchen leans on fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, so the menu changes often. Open seasonally (roughly May through mid-October), with popular Friday wood-fired pizza nights and live music. 4367 East Covert Road.

Field & Vine at Knapp Winery

2770 Ernsberger Road, Romulus · (607) 930-3495

Winetraveler Pick

The restaurant at Knapp Winery — now reborn as Field & Vine — serves farm-inspired, locally sourced fare steps from the tasting room, opening onto an outdoor patio shaded by a trellis of grapevines that looks west to the estate vineyards. A perfect Finger Lakes wine-country setting; dinner service Friday–Saturday, with the winery open daily. 2770 Ernsberger Road.

1833 Kitchen & Bar at the Aurora Inn

391 Main Street, Aurora · (315) 364-8888

Winetraveler Pick

The dining room at the beautifully restored, 1833-built Aurora Inn (part of the Inns of Aurora resort) is known for its respect for local ingredients, farmers and the shared environment — everything from pasta to ice cream is made from scratch whenever possible. It’s open year-round with nightly dinner and daily brunch, overlooking Cayuga Lake. 391 Main Street.

Moosewood Restaurant

215 North Cayuga Street, Ithaca · (607) 273-9610

Winetraveler Pick

Moosewood is the OG of Finger Lakes restaurants, dishing up exceptional vegetarian and vegan meals since 1973. The pioneering natural-foods kitchen changed hands in 2022 but the original Ithaca location remains open and beloved, still turning out creative, globally-influenced dishes with a wine list full of local by-the-glass options. A must. 215 North Cayuga Street.

Le Café Cent-Dix

110 North Aurora Street, Ithaca

Winetraveler Pick

A warm, no-reservations French room on Ithaca’s restaurant row, Le Café Cent-Dix serves beef tartare, scallops, duck, French onion soup and a côte de boeuf for two with warm sourdough. Widely regarded as one of the city’s best dining experiences — arrive by 5pm to get in line. 110 North Aurora Street.

The Rook

105 West Court Street, Ithaca · (607) 319-0180

Winetraveler Pick

The Rook relocated to a larger downtown space at 105 West Court Street in late 2024, but the concept that made it a local favorite carries on: elevated small plates and a moody, gothic-leaning cocktail program in a hip, professional room. The three chefs pride themselves on a menu of high-quality ingredients and time-honored technique; open Tuesday–Saturday. 105 West Court Street.

The Inn at Taughannock Falls

2030 Gorge Road, Trumansburg

Winetraveler Pick

Set in an 1873 inn beside Taughannock Falls, this approachable fine-dining room serves American cuisine with a Mediterranean influence and some of the best 180° views of Cayuga Lake in the region. The kitchen prioritizes fresh regional ingredients and offers solid vegan and gluten-free options — a scenic special-occasion pick. Reservations recommended. 2030 Gorge Road.

Skaneateles Lake

The Krebs

53 West Genesee Street, Skaneateles

Winetraveler Pick

A Skaneateles landmark since 1899, The Krebs was reborn after a four-year restoration into a farm-to-table destination for high-end meats and seafood and craft cocktails. It holds a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and regularly ranks among the region’s top tables — a genuine marquee “wow” for a special night. Dinner Wednesday–Saturday plus a beloved Sunday brunch; reserve ahead. 53 West Genesee Street.

Frequently Asked Questions about Finger Lakes Restaurants

More Ways To Explore Finger Lakes Wine Country

Old World Wine in the Finger Lakes: A Journey through France, Here in the Finger Lakes

Top Seneca Lake Wineries To Visit If You Love Dry Red Wine

Seneca Lake Wine Country Itinerary & Guide (Hotels, Transportation, Wineries & Activity Recommendations)

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