Mount Kisco has a combination of characteristics that few other Westchester towns can claim: It’s walkable, diverse (38% of residents are foreign-born), and there’s whole lot of good eating and drinking, especially if you’re looking for a lively evening out.
You might not be able to get table on a weekend evening at buzzy New American gastropub Village Social, but that’s okay: The poured-concrete horseshoe-shaped bar is where it’s at, especially after 7 p.m., when the bulk of the early-to-dine families have left. A mirrored back wall abutting a wooden rack of gleaming spirits set in an airy space with wood-weathered décor makes for an energetic, urbane vibe.
Handcrafted cocktails (the coconut mojito goes down right on a hot summer evening), a variety of craft beers, and well-above-standard bar fare by innovative chef Mogan Anthony tempts you to stay as long as they’ll have you.
Exit 4 Food Hall’s bustling dining room.
Photo courtesy of Exit 4 Food Hall
Exit 4 Food Hall is another spirited dining experience in town, with communal tables made from recycled wood that support bigger group dining and/or meeting new friends. Nine food stations, each with its own blackboard menu, allow for max diversity. The beverage program is equally all-encompassing, with a rotating selection of 10 craft beers and 8 wines on tap, locally roasted specialty coffees from BPM Roasters, nitro coffee, and Jones craft soda.
If you want an elevated drinking experience to go along with solid fare, Sugar Rhum, the new Latin-fusion restaurant in the former Cafe of Love space, is an excellent choice, with its grapefruit margaritas and a wine list that focuses on sustainability. Tri-level Winston, with a Manhattan-townhouse feel sectioned into a gastropub ground floor, a more intimate second-floor dining room, and a rooftop third-floor bar, has the most serious wine offerings in Mount Kisco (the Wine Spectator-award-winning list tops 300 selections). A bottle, a friend, and some orders from the bar menu (try the spicy tuna and avocado toast) is a winning formula, especially on Wednesdays, when there’s live music.
The grapefruit margarita at Sugar Rhum.
Photo courtesy of Sugar Rhum
It’s 10:30 p.m., and you’re not ready to call it a night. Head to sexy-quiet Pour (open until midnight, later Thursday–Saturday), the antithesis of the mainstream bar, where the glow of TV sets and jukeboxes is replaced by candlelight. This serious libation specialist (Jell-O shots are nowhere to be found) set in a Victorian-style house has inventive cocktails featuring house-made infusions, a short but well-conceived wine list, absinthe in 2-oz drip-method pours, and 30-plus rare American whiskeys, including Pappy Van Winkle.
If a boisterous party scene is more your thing, Little Drunken Chef (open until 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays) is the late-night destination in town, with popsicles dunked in sangria, internationally inspired eats, and dancing (take a gander at the floating DJ cage).
