The 10 best restaurants in Amsterdam, NY

The Mohawk Valley city of Amsterdam celebrates its Italian heritage every September, and much of the best eating sits on the South Side around Bridge Street and in the Rockton neighborhood along Lyon Street. This list is for Saratoga County and Capital Region readers driving west for dinner and for Amsterdam locals looking for a change. The list runs from Neapolitan pizza and a Thursday-only osteria to a tavern lunch counter, a bakery with Puerto Rican and Italian pastries and a diner full of toy trains.

Nine of the ten are inside the City of Amsterdam. The tenth, a family diner, sits in the Village of Hagaman in the Town of Amsterdam, and the entry says so. Several restaurants with Amsterdam mailing addresses on Route 30 are in the Town of Amsterdam or in Fulton County, so each address was checked against state and federal records.

How we chose

We looked for independent restaurants with a steady local reputation, coverage in the Daily Gazette and other local outlets, and staying power, and we checked every address against New York State Health Department records and the U.S. Census geocoder. Each one was confirmed open in October 2026 from the restaurant’s own page, a 2026 state health inspection or 2026 news coverage, and hours and prices come from those sources. Chains were left off. The list is unranked and in alphabetical order, and no restaurant paid to be included.

Hours, prices and dates below come from each business or official source and change without notice. Call ahead if you are making a special trip.

Bosco’s Family Restaurant

The calzone is the calling card at Bosco’s Family Restaurant, an Italian dining room and bar on Division Street whose advertising read ‘Home of the Famous Calzone!’ when the Daily Gazette reviewed the place in 2018. That review also found pizza and complete veal, chicken and seafood dinners. The room suits a no-fuss family supper. Order the calzone right away; the reviewer was told it takes as long as a full dinner.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 165 Division St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• Visit Montgomery County describes Bosco’s as a simple Italian spot with pizza, pasta and a full bar.
• Dinners came with soup, bread, salad and pasta when the Daily Gazette reviewed Bosco’s in 2018.
• Bosco’s took part in the city’s 2026 Taste of Amsterdam, St. Paddy’s Day Pub Fest and WingFest, the Daily Gazette reported.

More details are in our directory listing.

Cali Cantina

Downtown on East Main Street, Cali Cantina serves Mexican food with a California twist, down to burritos with french fries rolled inside. Owner Quincy Rashad Carver started the concept as a San Diego pop-up in 2013, ran the city’s Veterans Park food trailer in 2025 and moved into this storefront in January 2026. The kitchen suits a quick, filling lunch. Uber Eats lists hours of 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. without naming the days, so check before you drive over.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 30 E. Main St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• The business opened at 30 E. Main St. as Cali Burritos and later rebranded as Cali Cantina, the Daily Gazette reported in 2026.
• Partner Tiawon Sackor’s mango salsa was a quick hit at the 2025 trailer, the Daily Gazette reported.
• The Daily Gazette reported in 2025 that Carver’s experience includes Michelin-starred restaurants.

More details are in our directory listing.

CP’s Family Restaurant

Toy trains, model cars and gas station signs crowd the dining rooms at CP’s Family Restaurant in the Village of Hagaman, where the Phillips family has served home-style diner food since 1983. Burger patties are hand-made and pies come from the kitchen, the Daily Gazette reported in 2019. Kids and car buffs will find plenty to look at between bites. Grab a bag of the freeze-dried strawberries on the way out.

Hours: Check current hours before you go.

Address: 17 Main St., Hagaman, NY 12086

Why they made the list

• A 2017 Daily Gazette survey named the CP’s bacon cheeseburger among the best in the Capital Region, the paper reported in 2019.
• License plates from all 50 states hang on the walls, the Daily Gazette reported in 2019.
• The restaurant started with 35 seats and expanded in 1998, according to the restaurant.

More details are in our directory listing.

l’ultimo

Only on Thursday nights does the Parillo family open l’ultimo, a Bridge Street osteria with a short Italian menu that changes every week and gets posted on Facebook. The family has cooked for Amsterdam since 1973, and the name means ‘the latest’ or ‘the last.’ Expect fresh pasta and family recipes in a room with a bar. There are no reservations, so arrive near the 5 p.m. opening.

Hours: Thu 5–9 p.m. only; no reservations

Address: 54 Bridge St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• The Parillo family’s ancestral villages are Alife and Sgurgola in Italy, according to the restaurant.
• The osteria also sells party platters, caters and runs a fundraising program for local groups, according to the restaurant.
• The osteria was a stop on the city’s 2026 St. Paddy’s Day Pub Fest and took part in Taste of Amsterdam, the Daily Gazette reported.

More details are in our directory listing.

Lorenzo’s Southside

About a block from where Luigi Lanzi opened his first restaurant in 1920, Lorenzo’s Southside pairs homemade pasta with Neapolitan pizza from an imported Valoriani wood-burning oven that runs above 900 degrees. The 12-inch pies bake in 60 to 90 seconds and are served for dine-in only, so plan to eat at the table. The room suits a family dinner or a date night; the kitchen is closed Tuesdays.

Hours: Wed–Mon 4–9 p.m.; closed Tue

Address: 1 Port Jackson Square, Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• Lorenzo’s is certified by the Associazione Pizzaiuoli Napoletani, and the Lanzi brothers trained with pizzaiolo Roberto Caporuscio, according to the restaurant.
• Lorenzo’s added an outdoor patio bar in June 2023, according to a release from Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara’s office.
• Lorenzo’s sponsored the 2026 Taste of Amsterdam restaurant week and the ItaliaFest spaghetti-eating contest, the Daily Gazette reported in 2026.

More details are in our directory listing.

Lyon Street Bar & Grill

Dan Nelli washed dishes at the old Crystal Bar at age 15, and today he runs Lyon Street Bar & Grill in the same 72 Lyon St. building after buying the vacant property from the city. The big kitchen doubles as the base for his barbecue catering company, while the fall 2026 menu sticks to pasta dinners, calzones and pan, deep-dish and specialty pizzas. Groups can book the banquet room; posted winter hours run Thursday through Sunday.

Hours: Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 3–10 p.m.; Sun 3–8 p.m.; closed Mon–Wed (posted winter hours)

Address: 72 Lyon St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• The Common Council approved Nelli’s $10,000 bid for the building, and a soft opening followed before Thanksgiving 2022, the Daily Gazette reported in 2023.
• Nelli’s bacon mushroom cheeseburger chowder repeated as Most Unique Soup at the 2024 Soup Fest, the Daily Gazette reported.
• Pickup orders are taken online, and pickup and delivery orders by phone, according to the restaurant.

More details are in our directory listing.

Meg’s at Muni

Golfers and non-golfers share the dining room at Meg’s at Muni, which opened in November 2025 inside the new city-built clubhouse at the city’s municipal golf course. Dinner runs 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with plates like a 16-ounce tomahawk pork chop in cognac cream sauce for $36. The room suits an anniversary or a burger after a round. Bring cash: menu prices are cash prices, and cards carry a fee.

Hours: Mon–Fri 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sat 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun 9 a.m.–7 p.m.; dinner menu Tue–Sat 5–9 p.m.

Address: 158 Upper Van Dyke Ave., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• The 3,870-square-foot clubhouse is built for year-round use and has a working fireplace, the Daily Gazette reported in 2025.
• Chef Colin Chase plans seasonal menus that use area farms when possible, the Daily Gazette reported in 2025.
• Sunday brunch, a kids’ menu and takeout are available, according to the restaurant.

More details are in our directory listing.

The Rockton House

Pizza by the cut is the house style at The Rockton House on Lyon Street, from a 4-cut pie at $10.97 up to a 24-cut tray at $32.50. Wings come by the 10 or the 50, and combos pair the two for groups and game nights. The bar and dining room suit a casual night out in the Rockton neighborhood. Order ahead online for pickup, and note the kitchen is closed Mondays.

Hours: Tue–Thu 3–9 p.m.; Fri–Sat 3–10 p.m.; Sun 1–8 p.m.; closed Mon

Address: 34 Lyon St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• The Rockton House sponsored the city’s 2026 WingFest, the Daily Gazette reported.
• An 8-cut pizza with 10 wings costs $31.20 as an everyday combo, according to the restaurant.
• The menu also lists grinders, deli subs, club sandwiches and pasta dinners, according to the restaurant.

More details are in our directory listing.

Rosito’s Bakery

Pastelillos, quesitos and pan de agua share the cases with cannoli and sfogliatelle at Rosito’s Bakery on James Street, a family bakery and deli in business since 1993. According to the bakery, Leo Rosito was born in Italy and grew up in Guatemala, where his mother ran a bakery, and the shelves reflect both. Lunch can be a pernil or Cuban sub. Custom cakes need five days’ notice, and the shop closes early on weekends.

Hours: Tue–Fri 7 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Sat 7:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Sun 8 a.m.–1 p.m.; closed Mon

Address: 37 James St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• The Rositos opened their first bakery in Canajoharie in 1993 and moved to Amsterdam in 1997, the Daily Gazette reported in 2021.
• Cake choices include a Puerto Rican cake and tres leches, according to the bakery.
• Rosito’s took part in the city’s 2026 Taste of Amsterdam and St. Paddy’s Day Pub Fest, the Daily Gazette reported.

More details are in our directory listing.

Shorty’s

Lunch is the draw at Shorty’s, a South Side tavern on Broad Street that dates to 1948 and reopened in March 2024 under Chris and Jaime Giglio. Executive Chef Bill Pereicich runs a menu of wings, burgers, wraps and the Amsterdam grinder, with grinders from $13.50 to $16.75. The kitchen suits a work lunch or a game night with friends, and a drive-up window handles takeout.

Hours: Kitchen: Mon 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Tue 4–9 p.m.; Thu–Sat 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sun 11 a.m.–8 p.m.; closed Wed (bar stays open later most nights)

Address: 51 Broad St., Amsterdam, NY 12010

Why they made the list

• Christopher Giglio grew up going to Shorty’s with his parents and later worked there, the Daily Gazette reported in 2024.
• The kitchen serves a Taco Tuesday menu from 4 to 9 p.m., according to the restaurant.
• Shorty’s was a stop on the city’s 2026 St. Paddy’s Day Pub Fest and WingFest, the Daily Gazette reported.

More details are in our directory listing.

Also worth knowing

For a cocktail before dinner, the tasting room at Second Act Spirits pours drinks made from the distillery’s own spirits inside the Amsterdam Clocktower at 37 Prospect St.

Frequently asked questions

Where are the Italian restaurants in Amsterdam, NY?

Two of them sit on the South Side near Bridge Street: Lorenzo’s Southside serves Neapolitan pizza and homemade pasta Wednesday through Monday, and l’ultimo opens Thursday nights only. Bosco’s Family Restaurant on Division Street is known for the calzone.

Which Amsterdam, NY restaurants are open on Mondays?

Lorenzo’s Southside opens at 4 p.m., Meg’s at Muni opens at 11 a.m., and the kitchen at Shorty’s opens at 11 a.m. on Mondays, according to their posted hours. The Rockton House, Rosito’s Bakery and Lyon Street Bar & Grill are closed Mondays.

Where can you find Puerto Rican or Latin food in Amsterdam, NY?

Rosito’s Bakery on James Street bakes pastelillos, quesitos and pan de agua and makes pernil and Cuban subs. Cali Cantina on East Main Street serves Mexican food with a California twist.

Last checked October 27, 2026. See a place we missed or a detail that has changed? Send us a correction.