Annarellas

Annarella’s continues to be our favorite place to eat! Here in the Hudson Valley we are surrounded by great restaurants– (the Culinary institute is just across the river) but we find ourselves at Annarella’s several times a month! It is a comfortable setting– but not «stuffy» — casual attire is as welcomed as formal. Joe the owner greets each and every person at the door and makes an appearance later in the meal to check in– the waitstaff are attentive and work as a team to make sure you have everything you need. There are always fresh flowers on the tables and beautiful place settings. AND– on top of all of that, the food is consistently amazing. As regulars we never tire of the great basket of fresh breads brought to the table– sometimes I just order two appetizers. The octopus salad is incredible, pastas are homemade and fresh, the seafood entrees are perfectly prepared, and the steaks are prepared to perfection. I cannot say enough good things about this hidden gem in Saugerties.

The scallops over risotto was probably one of the best meals that I’ve had in my life. Extremely delicious. I’ll definitely be back!

We decided at the last minute to have dinner here. From the moment we walked in, the experience was perfect. Our waitress, Tina, was a delight. The food was outstanding, especially the sirloin steak. Two excellent bottles of Cabernet, and the tiramisu for dessert. We will be returning here very soon.

Born @ raised in Saugerties and have seen a lot of restaurants come and go & have traveled all over the country but happy to see another fine place without having to travel to far. The atmosphere is soothing but a little to crowded. Get there early before it gets packed, then you find yourself shouting & the 4 tables 2 feet away are listening to every word. BUT the service is superb & the food is excellent. I had the best soft shelled crabs ever & the chicken dishes were exceptional. Definitely will go back.

Sooooo good! Was very nervous about trying a new place with such a unique menu but, WOW !!
This is our new favorite place!

Having eaten here often and loved it, in December, I booked a holiday dinner for a large group of friends — 49 of us. Every single person thanked me for choosing Annarella’s for the dinner. I had worked out a menu with Joe, the owner. To start, we had drinks and plentiful appetizers in the room with the bar. More food than we could all eat. Once seated in the main room and after we had the house salad, I had selected Chicken Piccata, Steak and Salmon with dijon mustard sauce as our entrée choices. For dessert we had a choice of tiramisu, cheesecake or chocolate ice cream with a hard dark chocolate shell. Each dish was delicious and, to my amazement, with each course, everyone’s food came out at the same time. Not an easy thing to do with so many in our group. Joe, the owner, came over to me a number of times during the evening to make sure everything was to our satisfaction. Most of my friends came over to thank me for arranging such a wonderful dinner. I had the easy job; Annarella’s had the hard one and they succeeded with flying colors. I just love this place.

This is our new favorite restaurant. The food is outstanding, and we are always excited to try the chef’s specials… delicious and creative. Right down to the house salad which is a refreshing twist.
We have found a friendly and warm atmosphere at Annarella’s. The staff is attentive, service is quick. We frequent this restaurant so often, it’s almost a home away from home. The owner, Joe is your host and often greets you at the door. He keeps a watchful eye on the place making sure all is well.
He circulates through the tables and the bar area and makes you feel welcome.
Always a pleasure to go there. A real jewel in the country.

This place is a gem! It was definitely an authentic Italian restaurant and reminds me of my trip to Italy a year ago. Upon arrival it was fairly empty and just minutes before dinner services next thing you know everything table at the restaurant was occupied.
The complimentary bread with olive oil and assorted hummus dips were very flavorful. My favorite dish was the grilled Portuguese Ocutpus. It was cooked to perfection. It wasn’t rubbery and very soft and tender to the bite. My calf liver dish was extra hearty, it was my first time having calf liver and it was quite interesting to all the other kinds of livers I’ve had.
The whole dining experience definitely reminded me of the fun times in Italy. The service was on point and there were no shortages on refills.

We waited to try Annarella until we could go there with another couple who had wanted to find really decent Italian food without having to get on a train.
Well…Annarella was not decent… it was out of this world delicious! Pan-​seared scallops over wilted spinach and a bed of risotto, surrounded by a hefty drizzle of a lobster reduction that fell victim to a bread-​mopping after the food was gone. I think my plate went back to the kitchen cleaner than it hit the prep table.
The service was excellent… attentive but not overbearing. The owner greeted us at the door and circulated through in a genuinely caring manner, and was engaging enough to make the whole dining experience just that… an experience.
We have several good authentic Italian eateries around us, but if you want REAL Italian… this is the answer to your quest.

This has been a number of restaurants, but the new owner, Joe, has hit a home run. This is definitely fine dining. The bar is great. About the only complaint is the wine list; it’s a little pricey.

Great atmosphere and friendly staff. The food is good and consistent. The menu suites most people. I continue to return so that is a positive thing and I love food.

We stayed at a Windham b&b and picked the place based on the Unilocal reviews. I gotta say I was a bit skeptical with a 5-​star rating from 20+ reviewers (I mean would you expect a perfect rating from a place in the middle of nowhere?).
After we reviewed the comments and pictures, we agreed to try it out. And I am so glad we did! The food was excellent, the staff was exceptional and the place was put together beautifully!
We are so glad we stumbled on it and my only regret is I don’t live closer to the place!

We went to this place in a group of three after a hike in the nearby mountains and as soon as we entered this place we realized we were not in the best attire. This is a fine dining place and from the outside it looks very normal but it’s decorated beautifully inside. I have eaten at fine places in Boston and NYC but the service that I got here was simply the best I ever received. All of the staff were really courteous and friendly which made the experience memorable for all of us. Not to forget the food was very delicious too. We had pasta and all of us loved the food. The tiramisu for desserts was pretty good too.
Having dinner at this place was a memorable experience for us.

Now being a Food & Beverage Consultant I have had the pleasure of dining in some Fantastic establishments in and around the City and have had pleasure of being fed by some of the most famous Celebrity Chefs in the World so imagine my surprise when I walk into this fantastically decorated Traditional Italian Restaurant all the way up in Saugerties, NY! The feel and smells radiating from this quaint establishment could make even the most abrasive of New Yorker feel warm and fuzzy at home here. The Owner Joe was First Class all the way, the Server Sarah And the Bartender Chelsea gave impeccable service seamlessly as if each of them were born into this industry. Ow and the food– the food was out of this world– my friend had the Pork Chop; which had to be the thickest, most juicy, tender and mouth watering pork chop I’ve ever tasted (yes I took several bites off his plate– I couldn’t help myself) and my Meat Lasagna was even better then my Grandmother’s from Naples (Thank Goodness she doesn’t read Unilocal or I might be in some trouble).
I want to Thank this establishment for truly getting it «Right» on every level! I will absolutely be back!

Wonderful place for an upscale meal at a reasonable price.
Located in Saugerties, NY, this restaurant is deceptively beautiful on the inside.
We were able to get a reservation for 10 on a Saturday night with no problem.
The staff was excellent, the restaurant was comfortable, and the food was AMAZING. Everyone was so pleased after the meal, noting that the portions were very generous and the quality was high.
I had the scallop special, which came on a bed of spinach and risotto with a sage butter sauce. It was delectable. I ate the whole thing!
We didn’t stay for dessert, but I definitely would when we return.
Highly recommended!

We chose to eat at this restaurant because we had eaten at DeGrezia’s Ristorante in NYC and loved the food. We were not disappointed. The owner Joe chooses only the best ingredients and every dish we order was superb. He is a gracious host. Our server was delightful. A wonderful evening!

Our meal was mixed, as if there’s real talent in the kitchen, but the head chef was on vacation. The bread was terrific and the wine list is very good, as other reviewers have pointed out, but the price of a bottle is high.
The menu is laid out on the basis of traditional, formal Italian courses, so we opted to share and try something from each section, though we skipped soup and salad. If we had done so as individuals it would have been over $ 60 per person, but the portions were large enough that the three of us had enough.
For the antipasto we had the tripe, which was very nice. For the primo course we enjoyed the gnocchi, although here it was obvious the chef was away or his heart wasn’t in it that night. The gnocchi were nice and soft, but the white sauce was very bland, as if made with just a rue and milk. If the goal is tradition, you’d expect a hint of nutmeg, shades of a good broth — something. Our waitress saved it with grated cheese, but I want pecorino for balance and depth, not as a basic seasoning. So, the dish was good, but not outstanding.
The secondo was a disaster. The recipe was well conceived: calf liver with peach — and the peach was brilliant paired with liver. That’s something I’ll start doing myself at home — yum! However, the chef over cooked it such that the oil separated out of the sauce. It’s an easy mistake, but it was really gross. Picture liver strips in a goopy sauce swimming in oil. The great ones know how to correct such problems, so something is wrong here, given how upscale this place is shooting for. As I say, if was as if the chef was on vacation.
This dish came with a truly amazing polenta, however, that was almost with the price of the meal. It was just amazingly soft and flavorful — out of this world!
The vegetable dish that followed was nothing special (and that it followed is weird, actually: why not bring the controlno with the secondo?).
So, all in all, a not too bad experience — oh, and the service was terrific — the waiter knew the menu well and was a great help in ordering and our waitress was very attentive. But the food was not quite there. Given the good reviews and some of the food we enjoyed, my guess is that this can be a great place. But, I can’t give 5 stars.

I grew up in, and live in Staten Island, so I’m inundated with Italian food. As matter of circumstance, I hold a high barometer by which to measure my experience in fine Italian dining. While visiting Saugerties I was Unilocaling to find someplace new to try and I discovered Annarella. Being of the beaten path, I would have never stumbled upon this place, but I am sure glad I did. Excellent, warm décor with attentive service. We tried and split a few different appetizers and entrees. Telling is the fact that I gobbled up ALL of the remaining red sauce with a spoon because it was that good. (It’s amazing how something so simple as tomato sauce could be done so wrong by so many places).
I plan on eating here next time I am in the area, which is hopefully sooner than later.

One of the best Italian meals I’ve ever had! Annarella was recommended by a friend while I was in town and I can’t stop talking about the food. The service was perfect and the atmosphere was great. I highly recommend the gnocchi and the burrata appetizer. I wish I lived closer — I would eat here often.

Went there this evening with friends. Had drinks on the veranda and a fabulous dinner after, The service was impeccable and the whole vibe was very comfortable. Will be going there a lot!!!

Not impressed by the service or food. There was a hair in my food. Prob won’t go back. Ask for a refill on bread and never received any. Wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone. Shitty service shitty food.

Saugerties has scored a hat trick. Annarella is a tremendous addition to the Saugerties Renaissance. This is a very special restaurant. I had the Tripe as an appetizer. It was tender and extremely flavorful. The sauce is special for scarpetta (look it up). The house salad was the best dinner salad. Not your typical garden salad; it has romaine, cabbage and cauliflower and this exceptional lemon dressing. The entrees were varied and different. I had the calves liver. Wow. Not over cooked, in a mild brown sauce with a hint of vinegar. Just magnificent. Great bar menu and wine list. This place is just like the best NYC restaurants without the tall buildings!

Saw the good reviews on Unilocal while in the area and decided to check it out. Very glad that we did. Excellent food, nice décor. Not quite what you’d expect from seeing it from the outside, as the exterior is rather plain. Had we not been looking for it, we may have driven right by. But definitely worth a stop!

I heard about this place from some co workers and decided to try it out with my wife and my expectations were surpassed. The food was out of this world I was shocked and didn’t expect to have the best Italian dinner I’ve had in some time. All ingredients were fresh from the basil to the fish, wine was superb and service was outstanding! The owner Joseph came to our table and asked how our meal was. He was super welcoming and image me feel like I was at a family members house. I had a really great experience here and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants an authentic Italian dinner.

Extensive wine list, superb Italian food and top notch attentive service make Annarella Ristorante truly a hidden gem!

As good as Mama’s
We are here all the time. The food is over the top good. This is authentic Italian at its best. Homemade pasta, bread and chef who knows what he’s doing. The wait staff has been well-​trained, the restaurant is elegant and the owner, Joe is friendly and knows his regulars and welcomes newcomers. It doesn’t get any better. We highly, highly recommend. Have sent friends and now they are hooked as well. Sunday’s Grandma’s dinner is a steal and you will feel like you are back home at Nona’s table!

This place can hold it’s own with any restaurant anywhere. Food, wine, service, ambience and friendliness all come together beautifully. I live in Asheville, North Carolina where we are fortunate to have many great eateries but this one tops them all.
Best of luck, Joe!
Rosie H.

Annarella is by far the very best restaurant — Italian or other — within 100 miles. The food is outstanding and atmosphere friendly, comfortable and simply a wonderful place to spend an evening. They have an excellent wine menu as well — all extremely reasonably-​priced. Joe has created an spectacular oasis that would rival even the best restaurants in NYC — I couldn’t be more pleased with Annarella and wish them many, many years of great success.