The Maker Cafe

Had dinner at the cafe (which shares most of the dinner menu with the restaurant, same kitchen). As many here say, the atmosphere is really wonderful: tasteful decor, music, dim lighting. However: - the food is underwhelming at best. The flavors are strong but not very good, the textures are all wrong, and it looked like it came out of a package - service staff need to be trained. Our cafe wait person was lovely but terribly inattentive and totally passive. Parker behind the coffee machine and complained to coworker about being bored within earshot. - there is a see through office space adjacent to the cafe; I assume the person occupying the office is a manager because he walked around the place like he owned. Seems in poor taste to walk around when there is only one table occupied in the cafe and not in any way acknowledge the customers -- a little hospitality goes a long way Unfortunately, like many spots in quaint towns of the Hudson valley, the maker doesn't make an effort to impress and retain clientele. They don't care whether or not you come back, ever.

Came here for brunch on MLK Day. We were a party of 6 so they gave us the boardroom, which was super cute with art and velvet curtains. They have a somewhat limited menu, only sandwiches and salads. The corned beef and turkey sandwiches were really good. It was a beautifully decorated space. Definitely worth a visit while in Hudson.

*This review includes the restaurant as well as the cafe, hence the three stars.* Went to the conservatory (pictured) for weekend tea, the restaurant for dinner and the cafe for lunch. No denying this place is absolutely breathtaking. The conservatory is stunning and definitely worth visiting, but beware that the price of the weekend tea experience is not worth the food you get (a collection of sandwiches, small pastries, etc.). The food is underwhelming, as is the black coffee. However, the honeybush chai tea is my new favorite (from Divinitea). Dinner was very disappointing, though the atmosphere was very pleasant and intimate (dim lights, velvet curtains, relaxing music). Service was incredibly slow, or at times non-existent, and the food was plain and below average - and SO overpriced! For those prices I get Michelin-star dinners in NYC. Ordered the duck (it was just fine) and the mushroom soup with potato gratin. It looked fancy but it tasted subpar. Sad the duck only came with basic fries I could get anywhere. Mushroom soup had an odd texture and tasted watered down. Gratin was flavorless and dry. Anyway, the cafe during daytime was very pleasant and a great respite from the outside cold. The prices were extremely reasonable and the food tasted BETTER than that of the restaurant. Got the chicken sandwich, the egg-ham-cheese brioche and their carrot soup. Once again, great tea selection. NOTE they charge *extra* to receive tea in a pot, which I was not made aware of. My biggest takeaways: skip the dinner/restaurant; do the weekend tea if you'd like to experience the stunning conservatory, but don't come w/ high expectations for the food; do the cafe if you'd like to experience some of the Maker without breaking the bank and to eat quality food.

Was in Hudson late on a rainy (pouring buckets!) Monday afternoon when almost all the restaurants are closed and found a wonderful respite in Maker Cafe: beautiful exterior with well cared for plants, terrific and inviting decor with a variety of types of tables, chairs, and sofas that beg you to lounge in them, fabulous light fixtures (I counted at least a dozen!), soothing jazz, attentive wait staff, a beautiful display of sweets and breads, and a nice menu. (We enjoyed the chickpea smash sandwich and turkey sandwich.) Maker Cafe is a great addition to Hudson and will be our destination on followup trips.