The Beekman Arms

The Beekman Arms, at 6387 Mill Street in Rhinebeck, New York in the Hudson Valley, claims with credible historical documentation to be the oldest inn in continuous operation in the United States, having welcomed guests since 1766 — before the nation that would become its home even existed as a republic. The Colonial-era tavern room that forms the heart of the restaurant retains an architectural authenticity rare in American historic buildings: exposed hand-hewn beams, a massive stone fireplace, wide-plank floors, and the kind of low-ceilinged intimacy that belongs to the eighteenth century. The tavern has served guests including several presidents, Continental Army officers during the Revolutionary War, and, more recently, the political guests attending events at the estate nearby that Franklin Delano Roosevelt used as a family home. The restaurant menu is American with a strong Hudson Valley regional character: the kitchen draws on local farms, Hudson River valley dairy, and New York State agricultural producers to compose a menu that grounds itself in the geography of the mid-Hudson region. Hudson Valley duck confit, pan-seared local striped bass, and heritage-breed charcuterie plates appear in configurations that change with the seasons. The dining room is handsome and appropriate to the setting — candlelit tables, period reproduction lighting, and a warmth that the original stone fireplace sustains through the colder months. The Beekman Arms also operates as an inn with guest rooms; the restaurant serves both guests and the public.