This summer, my boyfriend, Matt, and I took a good old fashioned roadtrip up to North Salem in Westchester, New York to visit my best friend, Emma, and her boyfriend, David at their weekend home. While I have spent a lot of time in New York City over the years, I had never spent much time in the areas surrounding. But I am so glad we went as we loved our time in North Salem — it’s a charming rural town with lots of two-lane roads, beautiful homes with lots of land, horses, and cute restaurants + shops. It felt like a true escape from the hustle of daily life. (It reminded me a lot of Middleburg, Virginia as both are equestrian towns outside of a major city!)
A few weeks ago, I made a return trip to North Salem for the Emma + David’s engagement party (!!!), and I can confirm the town is absolutely stunning in the fall. I was there during peak fall foliage and we enjoyed several afternoon drives just to go and look at all the leaves — the vistas around the town’s Titicus Reservoir were particularly gorgeous.
North Salem Westchester Travel Guide
I wanted to share some of the places that Emma and David have taken me to eat + drink during my visits — most are in North Salem, but a few are in the surrounding Westchester towns of Bedford, Pound Ridge, and Katonah. If you ever get a chance to visit this beautiful area, jump at the opportunity!
Cenadou | North Salem
A charming French bistro-style restaurant created by a husband and wife team, it’s the more casual sister to La Bastide, the fine-dining tasting menu experience located in the same building downstairs. We started with a delicious summer gazpacho and then my boyfriend and I split the homemade cavatelli and the chicken. The menu rotates seasonally and everything we had was delicious! The dining room itself was stunning, and there’s a beautiful bar should you want to grab a pre-dinner drink or a nightcap.
The Market at Union Hall | North Salem
We stopped in one morning to grab coffee before heading out for a round of golf (my first time playing!). They had a great selection of pastries, prepared foods like pasta salad and chicken salad, and grocery essentials like eggs and yogurt. If you stop by, make sure to check out BB Abode upstairs in the same building — it was such a cute home goods and gift shop.
Bedford Post Tavern | Bedford
Located in the famed Bedford Post Inn, which is owned by actor Richard Gere, we did a tripe date here one night and it was so fun! The hydrangeas were in full bloom, the tavern’s atmosphere was so cozy and welcoming, and the food was delicious. We all started with popovers that were served with strawberry butter and then I did the burger and fries, which were so good. This is probably my favorite place I’ve been in the area!
Harvest Moon | North Salem
In the fall, this is a very popular pumpkin patch, but when we went in July, it was the perfect spot for breakfast! There is a large market, with plants, gifts, and prepared foods and baked goods, alongside a made-to-order menu. We all enjoyed breakfast sandwiches and sat in their greenhouse, which they have filled with picnic tables. There were also goats wandering around the property and on Friday nights, they have live music.
The Blazer Pub | North Salem
When I visited in October, we ate here on a chilly fall night and it was the perfect warm, pub-like atmosphere. A local institution, they have memorabilia and college banners hung up on their wood walls, which are also adorned with classic, homey sconces. It’s a simple, but well-done menu, and I had a Cobb salad with fried chicken and we all split a side of well-done fries.
Hayfield’s Market | North Salem
Hayfield’s is part café, part market, and 100% charming. In addition to coffees and pastries, there’s also a made-to-order menu alongside a curated selection of gifts, plants, and local provisions. They also do this really cute “blind date with a book” option where they wrap books in craft paper and give you a few details about the book, but you’re surprised by the title when you take it home and open it.
Goldberg’s Bagels | Katonah
After strolling the cute town of Katonah on a Sunday morning, we grabbed bagels at Goldberg’s and they did not disappoint! I went with my go-to of chicken salad on a toasted everything bagel and it was delicious – my only regret is not buying a dozen to bring home!
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On both of my trips to North Salem, we also went into Connecticut for the afternoon. In July, the four of us played golf at Ridgefield Golf Course and then grabbed BBQ for lunch at Hoodoo Brown BBQ — my pulled pork sandwich with sides of mac + cheese and coleslaw really hit the spot! On this recent October trip, we went to New Canaan to eat lunch at Uncorked, where I had a blood orange mimosa and the TBE bowl, which was a house-made flour tortilla bowl with romaine lettuce, rice, beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and oaxaca cheese served with crema & arbol sauce. It was SO good! We then walked around New Canaan’s downtown, popping into many of the stores — I especially loved The Whitney Shop as it had beautiful home and seasonal decor.
I can’t wait to visit again, and will continue to keep this post updated with any new recommendations from future trips to North Salem! x
