NORTHEAST | NEW YORK

SERRE Makes a Strong Case for Trusting the Kitchen

Inside The Maker Hotel’s glass conservatory, unlikely combinations turn into one of Hudson’s most memorable meals.

★★★★★

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By Dana Somerstein | July 21, 2026
Photos by Sara Wallach

AUTHOR BIO: Dana Somerstein’s passport is stamped with perfect pizza slices, delicate dumplings, and buttery baked goods. When she’s not chasing her next reservation, she practices real estate and banking law as a partner in Fort Lauderdale.

Dana Somerstein The Adventurist Correspondent

It takes confidence to serve a dish that makes me wonder if someone is playing truth or dare in the kitchen. Hay-infused cream? Beef paired with a single, entire heirloom tomato? Mackerel perched on potato dauphine? At SERRE, those pauses aren’t obstacles to overcome; they are can’t-miss invitations. Time and again, the kitchen asks you to suspend judgment for one bite. Time and again, it rewards you for doing so.

SERRE occupies a stunning glass conservatory inside The Maker Hotel in the heart of Hudson, New York. It feels remarkably at home inside the refurbished Georgian mansion. Though built for the restaurant, the conservatory feels like it always belonged to the property. It fuses indoors and outdoors with daylight, and the Hudson Valley becomes part of the dining room. By evening, the glow inside makes the restaurant feel like its own opulent world. Lush greenery becomes part of the room and reminds you that the ingredients you’re served were cultivated not far outside these windows.

Offenbach

Chef Jonas Offenbach cooks with an obvious local point of view inspired by classical French cooking, and his execution transcends novelty and into moments of mastery.

The potato dauphine with seared mackerel and horseradish was the evening’s first reminder not to judge a dish by its description. It was the equivalent of a lox and bagel that moved from the shtetl to the Upper East Side. The crisp, airy potato stood in for the bagel, while the rich mackerel delivered the satisfying depth of cured fish without imitation. The horseradish brought everything into focus with enough bite to keep the richness in check.

The buckwheat and kohlrabi continued the conversation. There was something unmistakably latke-like about the dish, served with sour cream that translated into a lighter, brighter expression. Earthy buckwheat anchored the dish while the kohlrabi added freshness and texture. It was playful and nostalgic but entirely new.

Escargot Fricassee

Serre Restaurant The Maker Hotel Hudson New York Lobster

Then came the flash-fried chicken. Resting on local mushrooms and greens beneath a hay-infused cream sauce, it sounded almost absurd when described aloud. Hay? Really? Yet it made me start to think Mr. Ed might know a thing or two around a kitchen. It became the dish I couldn’t stop thinking about. The sauce was light and aromatic with a hint of nuttiness; it wrapped around the crisp chicken and earthy mushrooms in a way that was unexpectedly luxurious. It was one of those rare plates where the strangest ingredient became the one that made perfect sense by the final bite.

Lobster tail

Alias Cocktail Lounge Serre Restaurant The Maker Hotel Hudson New York

Alias cocktail with gin, soju and pickled shallot

The wagyu with heirloom tomato completed the meal. Serving perfectly cooked beef with a single whole heirloom tomato is the kind of decision that requires absolute faith in both ingredients. The tomato wasn’t a garnish or an afterthought—it was an equal partner, bringing acidity, sweetness, and freshness that elevated the richness of the wagyu rather than competing with it.

Charlotte coupe

Despite its throwback wardrobe, SERRE doesn't try to be the effortlessly cool kid with fresh takes—it just is. Every surprising pairing has purpose, every flourish earns its place, and every course feels like a novel classic rather than longing to impress. The meal, the space, the service, the tastes will be memories that stick with me and keep me chasing that hay-infused high for years to come.