The 607 area code is huge, consisting of either part or all of 12 counties in Upstate NY. It is a mostly rural area (hence the number of diners represented here), with only a smattering of large cities, mostly in the “Southern Tier.” Here is a random list of 50 great places to eat while travelling the backroads and byways of area code 607.
We have included two or three different sites in some of the larger cities (Binghamton, Ithaca, etc.) and for places that see a large number of tourists (Cooperstown, Corning, etc.). Again, these restaurants are not necessarily the best places to grab a bite in each community, but they do offer a rich variety of Upstate foods to enjoy at corner coffee shops, diners, steak houses, family restaurants, theme restaurants, cafes, neighborhood sandwich shops -- and lots of Italian pizzerias!
Afton: Main Street Grill and Bakery
Extremely popular place for lunch and dinner. Located right in the middle of the downtown business block. Pastries are dreamy. If you get a salad, be sure and ask for Lizzie’s Sassy Salad Dressing (Lizzie is chef Liz Dawson). Locals swear by it! Featured Pick: Shrimp and Grits. Seared shrimp with creamy grits served with red eye mushroom gravy and topped with a poached egg and bacon.
Phone: (607) 639-2223
Alfred: Terra Cotta Coffee House
Just as you imagine the perfect college town neighborhood coffee house to be. Lots of tables and chairs, perfect cappuccino or espresso, delicious light menu, friendly atmosphere and even open mic nights for entertainers and poets. Featured Pick: Chicken Corden Bleu Focaccia. Chicken, ham, Swiss, honey mustard, sun dried tomato served on a toasted herb focaccia bread.
Phone: (607) 587-8800
Binghamton: Little Venice
Quintessential Upstate New York Italian restaurant. Veteran servers scurrying around the elegant dining room with plates laden with Italian favorites. The walls are lined with Old World oil paintings and autographed celebrity photographs. Everything is exquisite, but you must try their meat logs. Yes, not meat balls. Meat logs. They are legendary. Take home some of their famous sauce which you can buy here or online. Just a perfect Italian restaurant. Opened in 1946. Featured Pick: House made lasagna. Even your grandmother would blush.
Phone: (607) 724-2513
Binghamton: Dos Rios Mexican Cantina
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Located in busy downtown. High end Mexican restaurant. Tall ceilings, Mexican artwork on walls, modern lighting and a long and lively bar. Featured Pick: Grilled Carne Asada. Marinated grilled skirt steak, rice, black beans, and corn farrago.
Phone: (607) 235-5322
Binghamton: 205 Dry
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A must when out for a night for the first time in Binghamton. The owners spared no expense to re-create a Roaring Twenties style speakeasy here at 205 Dry. You enter buy finding the mystery doorknob hidden in a tall bookshelf. Just say “Joe, sent me.” Classy place with top shelf drinks and delicious food. May be the most fun you can have on a night out in the city. Featured Pick: The 205. Shaved chicken spiedies (a local legend) served on a roll with caramelized onions, mushrooms, peppers and cheese.
Phone : (607) 760-2103
Bloomville: Table on Ten
Tiny hamlet in rural Delaware County. This restaurant has caught the attention and the eye of locals, foodies and travel writers (including the New York Times and Bon Appetit). Top notch dining in about as rural a setting as you can get in Upstate New York. Remember Mayberry? You get the idea. Featured Pick: Chicken Bone Broth is heavenly!
Phone: (607) 643-6509
Bovina: Brushland Eating House
Located in another small, rural Delaware County hamlet just nine miles from Bloomville. Amazing place. Old fashioned general store brought back to life as a casual/elegant “eating house.” Just a handful of residents in the hamlet, but this place now has a reputation for good food that crosses several state lines. We suggest that you pair your visit to this region with Table on Ten just up the road. An amazing food paradise tucked away in the Catskill Mountains. Featured Pick: Hand rolled pasta. They have a limited but excellent curated wine list.
Phone: (607) 832-4861
Canisteo: Big Papa’s
Popular local restaurant in the village famous for “The World’s Largest Living Sign” (ask them). Steaks, seafood, burgers, beef on weck, pulled pork sandwiches, homemade desserts, homemade chicken and biscuits and much more. Featured Pick: You had me at homemade chicken and biscuits!
Phone: (607) 698-4481
Chenango Forks: Christy’s Rt. 12 Diner
Comfortable diner of the old round leather swivel counter stools, ceramic coffee cups hanging from hooks, breakfast served almost all daylong school of diners. Owner Christy Mann knows almost all of her customers by their first names! Featured Pick: Belgian Waffles with strawberries and whipped cream.
Phone: (607) 204-0731
Cherry Valley: Rose and Kettle
Quaint restaurant tucked away in the little business district of historic Cherry Valley (Otsego County). Popular with tourists visiting nearby Cooperstown for baseball and opera. Known for high quality meals and excellent wine list. Featured Pick: Paella. Saffron rice with chicken, shrimp, mussels, chorizo, artichokes and green beans.
Phone (607) 264-3078
Cooperstown: Mel’s at 22
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Great restaurant in a historic building. Comfortable dining room and much-admired American cuisine menu. Get a window table and enjoy the view down Main Street of “America’s Most Perfect Village.” Featured Pick: Lobster Roll. Cold water North American lobster meat, lettuce, tomato, mayo, Old Bay seasoning on a brioche lobster roll.
Phone: (607) 322-4012
Cooperstown: Cooperstown Diner
One of the smallest diners in Upstate New York. Little brick building sandwiched in among the historic buildings on Cooperstown’s Main Street. Busy hub to the village for coffee, lunch and gossip. Been here forever, and always a good place for celebrity sightings (many Baseball Hall of Famers have eaten here). So small it only has ½ an address! Featured Pick: Best hamburger in Central New York. Without a doubt, and you will need to grab it with both hands. It is huge!
Phone: (607) 547-9201
Cooperstown: Blue Mingo Grill
This tiny village of under 2,000 residents hosts nearly 250,000 visitors annually for baseball, world-class opera and sightseeing. There are many fine places to eat and the Blue Mingo is one of the best. Located directly on the crystal blue waters of Lake Otsego, eat on the deck and watch boaters drift in, tie up and hop out to enjoy the food and view. At dusk this can be a magical place. Featured Pick: Mingo Country Salad. Large salad of locally grown greens, local bleu cheese, apples, dried cherries candied pecans drizzled with a warm bacon dressing.
Phone: (607) 547-7496
Corning: Three Birds Restaurant
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Elegant restaurant. Dining room is filled with light from towering windows overlooking the busy shopping district. Excellent menu and some awesome martinis! Featured Pick: Three Birds Harbor Fish Soup. Sumptuous soup made with seafood in a lobster broth along with tomatoes and new potatoes. Scented with thyme.
Phone (607) 936-8862
Corning: Hand and Foot
Named after a card game. Comfy place filled with couches and easy chairs, a long community table to dine at with friends. Featured Pick: Nibbles are good, such as Korean Rice Cakes and Homemade Pickles. But you must try their homemade pretzels. Baked Amish pretzel bread with local sharp cheese and bacon and served with Narragansett beer cheese.
Phone (607) 973-2647
Cortland: Grindstone Café
Easy breezy café in this busy college city. Relaxed atmosphere for (as they say) “breakfast, lunch and coffee.” Featured Pick: Delicious coffee and scones. Also creatively designed waffles and pancakes.
Phone: (607) 763-0388
Deposit: Butterfield’s Café
A real find! In the small village of Deposit is one of the great food secrets such as the type Upstate New York is known for. Small café loaded with country charm, from the old Coca-Cola cooler on the front porch to the old stand up 1940s radio on the back porch. Lots to look at throughout this 100-year old former general store, and the food is delightful. Featured Pick: Butterfield’s Signature Pecan Chicken Salad. Medley of chicken, grapes, pecans, celery with a touch of mayonnaise on a flaky croissant served with house-made vinaigrette.
Phone: (607) 467-3111
Downsville: The Old Schoolhouse
Fantastic repurposing of an old schoolhouse. Built in 1903 at a cost of $1,000, this building now houses a beautiful restaurant which leans on every nostalgic nuance there is to make your visit pleasurable, nostalgia and delicious. In fact, the bar is where the 2nd and 3rd grades were originally taught! A great place on so many different levels. Featured Pick: Famed for their Longhorn Burgers. Customers call them the best burgers in the region. Many types. And yes, you saw it right when you pulled into the parking lot. That is the owner’s herd of Texas Longhorn cattle grazing on the hill behind the restaurant!
Phone: (607) 363-7814
Dryden: Mama Loye’s Café
Excellent café serving some of the most unusual (for Upstate New York) cuisine. Delicious dishes from the American South as well as the owner’s ancestral home West Africa. Featured Pick: New Orleans Gumbo. Add chicken, sausage, or shrimp to a spicy roux combining peppers, celery and onions.
Phone: (607) 708-4106
Elmira: Turtle Leaf Café
Supporting efforts to maintain a green environment, the Turtle Leaf Café adheres to the time-honored tradition of a small, familial neighborhood café where locals gather to visit and talk about the issues of the day. Delightful menu full of surprises (Coffee Banana Foster? Thanksgiving Sandwich?). Cute and popular spot. Featured Pick: Beef and Mushroom Panini.
Phone: (607) 767-6191
Elmira: 1157 North
Quickly becoming one of the hottest restaurants in the city. Menu highlights many high-end stake options, with Delmonico’s and Filet Mignon’s most popular. Featured Pick: Steaks are awesome, but try the Pan Seared Scallops served with a spinach pesto risotto.
Phone: (607) 738-7571
Endicott: Tony’s Italian Grill
Opened in 1977, building was a former billiard hall so there is plenty of space in this well-appointed dining room. Think about reservations on the weekends; this place gets busy! Comfortable bar area with an extensive co*cktail menu while waiting for your table. Featured Pick: Lasagna. Yes that is Black Angus beef mixed in it!
Phone: (607) 785-3750
Endwell: Oaks Inn
Venerable Italian restaurant that has been serving up Classic Italian fare and steaks since 1933. Beautiful ambiance and very busy (reservations encouraged on weekends). Featured Pick: All Italian dishes are spectacular. But they are also known for their Sautéed Chicken Livers Ala’ Oaks Inn, served with onions, mushrooms in a Sherry wine and butter sauce.
Phone: (607) 748-2764
Franklin: Tulip and Rose Café
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Fantastic and unique restaurant in the tiny Northern Catskill village of Franklin. With nods to Turkish, Malay, French, Thai, Persian and other global favorites this restaurant has managed to produce a brand-new menu every Tuesday since opening in 2017. Featured Pick: Squash and Roasted Red pepper Bisque with coconut milk was on a recent menu.
Phone: (607) 829-4040.
Greene: Boudreau’s Bistro
A bistro, diner, restaurant and ice cream parlor. Family owned and operated. Featured Pick: Breakfasts are classic. Try the sausage gravy on biscuits with a side of home fries. You won’t be disappointed. Daily homemade soups are also delicious.
Phone: (607) 875-4147
Hammondsport: Timberstone Grill
Busy restaurant in the Finger Lakes tourist village of Hammondsport. They use as much locally sourced food products as possible. Popular outdoor patio. Bar has many regional craft beers. Featured Pick: Maple Walnut Crusted Pork Tenderloin. Served with a red wine rosemary pan sauce.
Phone: (607) 224-0006
Hanco*ck: Hanco*ck House Hotel
Three story hotel, banquet facility, tavern and restaurant in the heart of Hanco*ck, N.Y. Featured Pick: Pot Roast dinner. Also, visit the tavern in the hotel, Honest Eddie’s. Named for baseball player Eddie Murphy. He was the only Chicago Black Sox player not implicated in the great scandal of the 1919 World Series. Hence the nickname “Honest Eddie.” He was born here and his parents at one time owned this hotel. Baseball memorabilia lines the wall of the tavern.
Phone: (607) 637-4859
Hornell: Club 57 Restaurant
Popular family restaurant known for their buffets. Featured Pick: Bacon Mac and Cheese Pizza. Also try this interesting appetizer: Bread Service with Olive Medley. Bread served with garlic butter, homemade herb olive oil and fresh cracked pepper.
Phone: (607) 324-1143
Ithaca: Just-A-Taste
Located in the famous Commons District, this restaurant serves up original Spanish tapas made for tasting and sharing. Featured Pick: All of the tapas selections are wonderful but try the Warm Brie with Sliced Apples and Homemade Crostini.
Phone: (607) 277-9463
Ithaca: Moosewood Restaurant
One of the most famous restaurants in Upstate New York. First opened in 1973. Initiated the restaurant co-op movement and they have produced many award-winning cookbooks. Operated by 19 “members” who collaborate on some of the best menu offerings in Ithaca. Featured Pick: Menu changes constantly. Lucky for you if their Maple-Apple-Bourbon Shrimp is on the menu the day you visit!
Phone: (607) 273-9610
Johnson City: Cacciatore’s Italian Restaurant
Now entering their 20th year, this family run restaurant serves up “by scratch” Italian favorites as well as a nice selection of Black Angus steaks. Featured Pick: Ravioli Florentine. Spinach, plum tomatoes and garlic sautéed in extra virgin olive oil then tossed with cheese Ravioli and finished with Asiago cheese.
Phone: (607) 798-7699
Johnson City: Pour House Pub and Grill
Local pub that takes the phrase “bar food” to a whole new level. Over three dozen beers on tap. Lively place on weekend nights. Featured Pick: Chicken Salad Sliders. Chicken salad topped with craisins, lettuce tomato and raspberry chipotle aioli.
Phone: (607) 203-1031
Morris: Scotty’s Pizzeria and Restaurant
Newly opened, bringing a tasty Italian food option for this tiny Otsego County village. Featured Pick: Eggplant Parmigiana with Spaghetti or Penne Pasta.
Phone: (607) 285-40008
New Berlin: New York Pizzeria and Restaurant
Well-established reputation for hearty Italian favorites. Customers come from as far away as Utica (30 miles) to enjoy the pizza and specialties here. Same family has operated this place since it opened more than 25 years ago. Classic ambiance with old black and white Italian family photographs covering the walls. Featured Pick: Frank’s Ziti Special. With bacon, broccoli, mushrooms & fresh grape tomatoes sautéed with garlic & extra virgin olive oil.
Phone: (607) 847-6188
Norwich: Wild Owl Café
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Located on the “main drag” of S. Broad Street. Café offers inventive menu items like Bulgarian fries and Garlic Parm Pretzels. Featured Picks: Famous for their “Abeetz” items. Basically flatbreads. Many to choose from. Try the Harvest Abeetz. Garlic spread, cheddar, spinach, and dried cranberries, crumbled bleu cheese and chunked apple.
Phone: (607) 373-3209
Oneonta: The Depot
One of the best “restaurants in a train station” in Upstate New York. The architectural nuances of this century old train depot have remained intact. One of this college city’s most popular eateries. Famed for pizzas and burgers. Featured Pick: Best wings in Oneonta are the “Garbage Wings” at the Depot. Invented here and now wildly popular. The wings even have their own website. Plus, yes, you can take home some Garbage Wing sauce at the restaurant itself or online.
Phone (607) 433-2076
Oneonta: The B Side
Unique place for food, co*cktails and lively live entertainment. Dark dining room, perfect for friendly conversation or first date meet-ups. Active list of local entertainers. Some of the best bartenders in the city. Featured Pick: Cuban Sandwich. One of the best this writer has ever had. Smoked ham, pulled house pork butt, alpine cheese, pickled onions, w/dijon on a toasted ciabatta with house-made pickles.
Phone: (607) 432-2053
Owego: The Cellar Restaurant
Serving European dishes like Beef Wellington and Lobster Thermador. Great smoked meat selections as well. Comfortable bar highlights local craft beer and seasonal co*cktails. Featured Pick: Smoked Pastrami. Pastrami is smoked in house and served with melted Swiss and Dijon mustard on grilled rye bread.
Phone: (607) 687-2016
Oxford: The Stadium Sports Bar and Grill
Nothing fancy here. Small town bar and restaurant with a large dining room, many sports TVs, and a great menu filled with comfort foods. Featured Pick: Pizza, wings, burgers, salads. No surprises really, but everything is good and portions are large.
Phone: (607) 843-5255
Roscoe: Roscoe Diner
One of the great diner legends of Upstate New York. Located off Rt. 17, it is just about halfway between the many Upstate colleges and universities and Metropolitan New York. Tourists, fly-fisherman, traveling salespeople, college kids and their parents, and motor coaches make up the customer base. Has been known to serve up to 1,000 meals in a single day. Been open more than a half century. Featured Pick: Pies, cakes and pastries are positively mouth-watering.
Phone: (607) 498-4405
Schenevus: Chief Schenevus Diner
Only about 600 people in the village of Schenevus, and just a handful of businesses. Still, the Chief Schenevus remains the heart of the community serving up breakfasts, coffee, lunches and desserts for almost 30 years. Credit is given to the owners of this establishment, and to others with places like this, to keeping these little restaurants alive in the small, sparsely populated communities of Upstate New York. Featured Pick: Opens at 6:00 am and there are always people ready to chow down on a big Upstate breakfast here. All the locals rave about the fresh baked goods at “The Chief.”
Phone: (607) 638-9488
Sherburne: Lewis’s Restaurant
Known by its distinctive lighthouse tower. Been a family favorite since 1942. Home-cooked meals done to perfection. Featured Pick: Shrimp Scampi over Linguine. With tomatoes, scallions, black olives, mushrooms and white wine.
Phone: (607) 674-9055
Unadilla: The Meeting Place
Tiny café on Main Street in this historic village. Cars are lined up across the street for the busy (and excellent) Unadilla Diner, but do yourself a treat and stop in at The Meeting Place and see what owner Dwight Mott has cooked up for a daily special and a homemade soup. It is always fantastic. Featured Pick: Small item but heroic. Without a doubt the best blueberry muffins this writer has ever had!
Phone: (607) 435-1543
Vestal: Skylark Diner
One of the great traditions in the Vestal area. No frills, good food, friendly service and one of the most comfortable “comfort food menus” you will find. A mainstay on the Vestal Parkway for over a half-century. Eat in one of the booths or on the round padded stools at the counter. All are original to the opening day in 1956. Right out of “Happy Days.” Featured Pick: Grilled Ham Steak with a pineapple ring (and it is under $8.00).
Phone: (607) 785-9795
Walton: Feather and Stone
Great place for lunch or dinner, to hold a party or banquet or just to meet up with some friends at the tavern which comprises half of the building. Very comfortable and with excellent food. Featured Pick: Chicken Fried Hamburger Steak. Burger patty breaded and fried and served on a hoagie roll with country gravy.
Phone: (607) 510-4027
Waverly: O’Brien’s Inn
Restaurant, hotel and banquet facility. Perched on a tall mountain overlooking Waverly, N.Y., the view from the dining room is spectacular. Two brothers, Ed and Bill O’Brien, started serving food “at the top of the hill” in 1918. Today it is one of the region’s most popular places for a special dinner out. Courier Magazine gave it a glowing review and dubbed it “Heaven on a Hill.” Featured Pick: Coffee Crusted Elk served with horseradish parsnip puree, braised red cabbage and blackberry port compote.
Phone: (607) 565-2817
West Oneonta: Pizza 23 West
Classic pizzeria and Italian restaurant. Creative menu items. Many of the pizzas are named for nearby villages such as Laurens, Unadilla, Morris, Davenport, etc. Some of the best pizza in Otsego County. Featured Pick: The Grandma. Square Sicilian with mozzarella, plum tomatoes, fresh garlic, extra virgin olive oil and fresh basil (as they say here, “Just like Grandma used to make”).
Phone: (607) 432-4222
Whitney Point: Aiello’s
Family owned and operated. Popular restaurant right off busy north/south Interstate 81. Founders came from Italy and it shows in their delicious homemade classic Italian specialties. Featured Pick: Rigatoni alla Vodka with Prosciutto. Prosciutto di Parma (Italian cured ham) sautéed with garlic, Imported Romano cheese, heavy cream, plum tomato with a splash of vodka.
Phone: (607) 692-4114
Windsor: The Windsor Diner
No surprises here. Like so many other typical diners across Upstate New York. Nothing fancy, popular with breakfast crowd, and has been open for a very long time. Reliable and tasty place for lunch, with a special nod to their fantastic pastries and baked goods. Featured Pick: Banana Walnut Pancakes.
Phone: (607) 655-1548
Worcester: Worcester Inn
Perhaps the signature building in tiny Worcester, N.Y. Built in 1814, the inn offers 18 overnight rooms, two elegant dining rooms and a comfortable café. Popular stop for those heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Featured Pick: Filet Mignon or Shrimp Scampi.
Phone: (607) 397-8500
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