never a bad meal, been going there for years. We love their bread and desserts too! They make a great prime rib and you have to try their crab meat cocktail if you go there. The service is top notch as well! read more

Okay, where else can you find a restaurant with ties to Hector Boiairdi ("The" Chef-Boy-Ar-Dee)? Located on Rt 9W in Milton, NY this place is a reminder of the dining experience enjoyed 50 years ago. The Chef set up his flagship plant in Milton, PA - a plant I actually worked in for four years. Not very impressive from the road, you actually are looking at the back of the restaurant. This is the kind of place where you still see people coming to dinner dressed in something other than jeans or shorts. My wife and I fit into the informal dress code and the place was packed - remember this is in a small town north of Newburgh, NY. The menu is wonderful and it was difficult to make a choice. After enjoying a Graham Cracker Crusted Calamari appetizer (with two great dipping sauces) we settled on Diver Sea Scallops along with Veal Valdostano coupled with house salad with blue cheese. What sets the restaurant apart from the competition is the fact that you are seated in a dining room of 15 tables and two waiters. These waiters are assisted by two or three assistants and all the final prep work is done at two tables situated in the room. The wine list is extensive and prices are quite reasonable. while we did not have dessert, the menu was very tempting. The bar is cozy and nicely decorated - ship models all around. there is even a little shrine to the four founders taken on the 2nd anniversary, along with 3 cans of canned product The chances of us getting back to this area are slim, but if you are ever in the area give the Ship Lantern Inn a try. this is dining the way is was a long time ago. You will not be disappointed read more

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I had a horrible dining experience there in November for my birthday ...got it straightened out with the owner....my parents took me there for my my 16th birthday and since then it has been my favorite place ...I'm 50....the owner sent us a gift certificate...we gave it another shot for a late valentines dinner...I just don't like the crowds on holidays...and I truly believe in supporting local ...they did not disappoint ...our meal,drinks and service was impeccable just like it has been so many times ...Mary as always made a fabulous cocktail...my usual go to is a kettle cosmopolitan...I had one which was amazing but saw a spicy margarita on the cocktail menu ....best one I've ever had ...Carlos the mairte d ' was also very accommodating and very professional ...if your looking for a up scale dining experience with amazing dishes ...give them a try ....it is pricy so it's not a once a month trip but well worth that special occasion...we go 2-3 times a year ...We both had the tuna tartare ,husband loves the swordfish,and I always get the Chilean sea bass ....I'm so happy I gave them another chance after one really bad experience...I will continue to be a loyal patron at this fine establishment read more

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Part of the Hudson valley restaurant week, their menu had delicious options. Great options on wine and cocktails .

Lived up to its high rating. Outstanding service. Good variety on the menu. Brusselsprouts were charred but good & had bacon that was full thin strips. Seabass melts in your mouth. Ribeye was spot on and excellent. Good veggies. Phone didn't work so arrive early - they don't take reservations. read more

Loved this place! The decor was clearly selected with care and goes with the restaurant name. The servers were attentive and checked in on us throughout the meal. The food was mostly phenomenal. We had the barbecue bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with horseradish and the lump crab meat appetizers. Both were delicious but the shrimp is among the best food I've ever eaten. I have never had anything like it. For dinner we enjoyed the swordfish and the ribeye. The ribeye was ok, nothing really worth raving about; however the swordfish was so moist and flavorful. It was the single best swordfish I have ever had. For dessert we had the bananas foster and crème brûlée. Both were fantastic! We will absolutely return. read more

Service is always Class-A! The professionalism of waiting tables and providing excellent table service to dining customers is emphasized, from the moment you walk through the doors. The attentiveness of the staff is a consistent reassurance that your dining experience will be the top priority. The food presentation, starting with the freshly baked, warm bread loaf and small dish of butter is a great start. A side dish of the roasted pepper and tomato dip is a perfect accompany to the bread. The baked clams as an appetizer were cooked with the perfect balance of crab and stuffing. The portion size of the meals from appetizers to the main course and the dessert are just enough to leave full and satisfied, without to go containers necessary. Presentation of the main course is plated with thought and mindfulness of the texture and proper portion of the main dish and sides. As a vibe, the Ship Lantern inn is a classy, old school soul with frank sinatra radio with a glass of wine near the fireplace or a semi-relaxed, professionally dressed with an old fashioned or martini. My one critique would be a slight modern update to the flooring and an individual table seating arrangement aesthetic, rather than a grouped room feel. If you are looking to experience fine dining that is legendary local culinary cuisine that will not disappoint, look no further! read more

We ordered from the twilight dinner menu and absolutely loved the French onion soup, short rib (so soft as it was cooked for 6 hours), fish, and the profiteroles. Can't wait to go back! read more

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We are from Colorado. Called for a gift certificate to be sent to family. The person on the phone was helpful and kind. The gift was received in a matter of days. Hope to dine here when we travel to the area. Thank you for your help! read more

Came here for the reviews and awards... as soon as I walked in I knew it was a mistake. I love a historic old fashioned inn, but this place was just musty. The carpet in the entrance was stained, old and dark. Table decor was a cheap vase with a red carnations and plates they haven't changed since the 90s. The table side Cesar was not table side and barely had any dressing or flavor. $27 for plain lettuce and boxed croutons. The steak was tender and well cooked, but no flavor. The sides were plain diner looking boiled vegetables and mashed potatoes. For $45 I shouldn't need to salt and pepper my steak. Maybe this place was good 30 years ago. If you're a foodie, this was a HUGE disappointment. I'm from Long Island... maybe this is good to the people who live up here and have no real restaurants. read more

I've had two tremendous meals there lately after not going for a very long time. The crab appetizer was excellent as well as the salmon too. The deserts were really exceptional as well, usually I try not to eat too much, but this place was so good that I had to make an exception. I can't wait to go back and that's never the case with any other restaurants right now. read more

Very pretty place, attentive and knowledgeablele waitstaff, popular Sunday evening family restaurant. Elaborate and expensive menu, however the $71 lobster tails were rubbery and seemed reheated, served not with butter but buttery-flavored oil. The profiteroles were chewy, not flaky. There was a For Sale sign on the driveway on the way in, which made me lower my expectations. I would not return. read more

What an amazing staple in the community. Many a special occasion or even for no reason we go here. Such a great being waited on by real gentlemen. Fixes and all. Very rich history in this place. The food is absolutely delicious! Classy and amazing! read more

We tried this spot while vacationing. While I applaud the ambition of the dishes, they seemed to exceed the Inn's grasp. Dinner was merely okay. My onion soup was well balanced, but the beet salad was designed for baby beets and not the late-season beets it used, and the risotto was frankly claggy. My wife enjoyed her steak, and dessert was perfectly decent. The entire experience was satisfactory but nothing to write home about. read more

This is one of our favorite restaurants, the dining experience is always amazing!! Our family went there for Mothers Day eve dinner and all of us had an incredible meal. Salvatore and the staff made sure all of our needs and requests were met and exceeded. From the cocktails through appetizers (baked clams/casino) to dinner (soft shell crab-prepared as requested, scallops, duck in raspberry sauce-amazing) to chocolate lava cake for dessert-YUM, fabulous. Going to The Ship Lantern Inn for a meal shows the difference between going out for dinner and having a fine dining experience. Thank you Salvatore and staff for making our night!! read more

The weather was perfect today... after the "Walk Across The Hudson" the Ship Lantern Inn was a great find!! The Short Ribs fell off the bone and were outstanding... well everything was just perfect. I don't think anything on the Twilight Menu could have been wrong; everything was so right and the service was super outstanding. 6 stars. read more

Nice place with great food. They grow many of their own vegetables. I would recommend going early for the prix fixe. The only let down would be the salad. As you can see in my photos all of the food was well prepared and garnished. The salad that came with the prix fix menu was a small plate with some weak lettuce, a little shredded veg and a small wedge of tomatoe, tossed with house dressing. I feel with the look of everything else a little more effort could have been placed on the salad course. (I was so unimpressed I forgot to take a photo.) read more

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I thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of dining here. The service was excellent. The ambience with the wood burning fireplace on a chilly night couldn't have been better. The menu has excellent variety and our group of 4 tried all different apps and entrees none of us being disappointed. Won't hesitate to return. read more

We were invited to a surprise party here. We arrived early and from the outside it doesn't appear like anything too special. Looks are very deceiving. We loved the historical charm of this location -I wish I had more time to look around, so interesting. The food, everything we had was excellent (and we were a very large group). The service was impeccable-it was 5 star level. I cannot get over how wonderful everything was. We do not live in the immediate area, but we will define back. Thank you for a wonderful experience. I'd forgotten what a true dining experience was. read more

Really good food and service. Loved the ambiance and professional service. Great place to take time and enjoy company.

A late review - we visited Ship Lantern in Feb '20 and so glad we did. Such a cool looking interior. The bartender made the best dirty martini! Friendly and knowledgeable wait staff. Great specials. Everything we ate was delicious. Can't wait to go back! read more

Love the atmosphere the service was excellent the food was exceptional. A lovely 39th wedding anniversary dinner and valentines night. My sea bass was cooked perfectly. chuck's twin lobster tails were delicious. The cappuccino pie was heavenly. Steve is amazing very pleasant the staff are a well oiled machine. read more

I thought I would spend my evening enjoying a nice dinner out, however I ended up going back in time about 50 years and wishing I had a DeLorean to get me the heck out of there! I should have know when I turned at the neon sign at the road and my man asked me if I was bringing him to the location of dirty dancing.... I unfortunately parked and went inside. It smelled like my grandparents basement. The food however was worse than the depressing music and dark & dreary atmosphere. The bread came out (warm) and was served with some odd tasting mushy red oil ridden spread. Salad was next... I took 2 bites of the wilted iceberg lettuce slathered with some kind of tasteless dressing, my man didn't even take a bite. Next up, the main course... we ordered the sea bass and the braised beef ribs.... however it was a singular rib. Both were not good. The veggies that came with it were a joke. I literally spit the carrot in my napkin. Oh and if you're thinking maybe there is something better on the menu the manager assured us we got the most popular dishes. This place has some nerve charging the prices they do for the food they are serving. I'm sitting here now at home hungry and wishing I had my 115.00 back. read more

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My husband and I stayed at Buttermilk Falls Inn for a midweek, unstructured getaway. A friend in NJ whose two children matriculated at Marist in Poughkeepsie suggested Ship Lantern Inn over Henry's, which is on site at Buttermilk Falls. He had dined at both. This is a guy who collects wine and is a foodie.....he described Ship Lantern as an old school place with a solid meal and old-fashioned service (servers in tuxedos and bananas foster tableside). We went with his suggestion. When I called for a reservation, the first impression was very positive: Friendly without the hassle or attitude I sometimes experience with places that are full of themselves. When we drove in to Milton and passed the restaurant, the neon signage and building weren't really what I'd expected, but I was up for trying something different and trusted our friend. Plus, no restaurant we eat at has been around for 93 years.....quite a feat. A lot of history is clearly respected and maintained. Not a bad thing. We had such a great evening and meal! Salvatore immediately greeted us and impressed us with his warmth, knowledge and love of wine. He and my husband enjoyed discussing our wine and he decanted it promptly. We ordered cocktails while the wine settled in to our glasses for a bit. My husband is a Manhattan guy and absolutely loved the orange bitters Salvatore suggested and used. My Moscow Mule was refreshing and perfect. We enjoyed the caprese salad and lump crab cocktail and then split the cowboy steak special and the crab and lobster risotto. Salvatore split and plated everything in the dining room and our "custom meals" were delicious...(and mine was gluten-free). We topped it all off with a GF chocolate torte....and a few doggie bags. (The next day we had a remarkable lunch of SLI leftovers in our cottage at Buttermilk Falls, after a 'roundtrip' on the Scenic Walkway over the Hudson. I'm not so sure the walk burned off the chocolate torte the night before, but the finale to our meal was worth it, regardless.) The second night of our stay, we picked up two take out dinners from SLI to enjoy in our cottage at Buttermilk Falls. We missed the fun with Sal and Tito, but were too tired to get dressed! It's hard to find perfect service these days. Not just prompt service. Not just knowledgeable service. Not just friendly service. Salvatore provided the best service we've experienced in a long time. He is a true professional and a really nice guy, to boot. If you're a snob, you probably won't be able to see past the paneling and nautical theme of the decor and the neon lights outside. But if you respect culinary history and the dedication Ship Lantern has had to the residents of the Hudson Valley and visitors from beyond for 93 years, you'll realize this is a special place with traditions of a time past (I love a cart in a dining room, for tableside creations), and delicious food. Ours was prepared perfectly and I am still dreaming about the cowboy steak. The only suggestions I have: 1) Buy a dozen red and a dozen white larger wine glasses, for special wines to be enjoyed and appreciated. We always have them on hand at home for our guests and they are $5/each but make a world of difference. 2) Upgrade the small salad that accompanies the entrees. Doesn't have to be over the top, but it should be a little more interesting than it is now. Regulars who love the current salad could always have that, but for those of us not wed to that tradition, some variation would be a bonus and a more appropriate foreshadowing of the great entree on its way to the table! Thank you for making our visit to the Hudson Valley fun and delicious. read more

Outstanding meal tonite. Service, food, drinks and everything was perfect. Kudos to all! Will definitely be back read more

Delicious meal, perfect ambiance for intimate celebration. Will definitely go back soon!

We often spotted this on 9W while the other cars whiz by (watch out - everyone speeds on 9W it seems!), but the sign made us think it was an "olde-timey" place or a seafood place. Geez, we should have checked this out sooner! A Hudson Valley Restaurant Week made us check this out with friends, and it wasn't just for "olde-timey" people (though please don't ask me about the 4 ages at the table!) nor was it just seafood. It was sophisticated, but modern, classy yet friendly. Service was great; they even found me a sweet enough Moscato wine which was so good my husband tracked it down as a gift later. The food was high quality. Since that outing, we've had a couple take-outs during COVID and in fact are thrilled that fancier restaurants are offering this. Frankly, a lot of times we don't want to get dressed up and/or deal with humans, so it's great that we can sit at home and still eat high quality food. I wouldn't say "this is the epitome", but it is so obvious that everything offered here is made with care and quality. read more

Great food and very friendly waitstaff! We went at 2 pm so it wasn't very busy but the food is FANTASTIC and their early prefix dinner is a great deal! Would recommend for an event or date night! Didnt love the volume/music they played but other than that it was great! read more

I came here last night for my friend's birthday. We were a group of six women and have a wonderful meal at the Ship Lantern Inn. We had reserved a table outside, but the Ship Lantern was happy to accommodate us inside because of the 90 plus degree heat. Our waitress was kind and informative when it came to the menu. The chef plated our appetizers well for out group to share. We had Baked Clams, Clams Casino, and Vegetable Strudel. They were all delicious! For my main course, I had a special steak with shrimp in a Gorgonzola cream sauce. It came with mashed potatoes and broccoli and the dish was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed their main courses. Most of us got dessert as well, I recommend the Frozen Cappuccino Pie. We all felt that the service was excellent and our meals were great. It was my first of what I think will be many more visits to this restaurant. read more

We have been here twice. The first time we stumbled upon it one afternoon and took advantage of the early bird special. Even though we were underdressed , the staff made us feel as though we were VIP's and the food was just as special. Recently, the experience was disappointing. The service and food was mediocre. My risotto was the consistency of mochi. read more

Perfect date night! Food and service were amazing, risotto cooked perfectly. Everything from appetizer to dessert was exceptional. I can't wait for our next visit. read more

I highly recommend coming here again, From the food and friendly service was so incredible! I'm coming back here again, the ship lantern inn is my favorite spot. read more

This was our first place at Poughkeepsie area and the food was great! Our table was in the corner away from most, great job at spacing during pandemic. Definitely recommend the sea bass and the molten cake! read more

This place is a time warp... and not in a good way. Came in here because we were staying at Buttermilk Falls and the reviews for this place were good. I don't know why. This place needs a huge overhaul- and they should start with ripping up the carpets. Service was friendly- but it was weird when they kept taking our plates away as we had started eating the bread- my husband told me this is what is meant by continental cuisine which is what it says on their sign out front. The food was mediocre and strange- everything came deconstructed on the plate and on my plate of beef tenderloin with under seasoned mashed potatoes was a disc of scrambled egg with mushrooms? Only good part was the cappuccinos and apple crisp. If you're at Buttermilk, do yourself a favor and stay and eat at Henry's! read more

We moved to the Poughkeepsie area this past January and went online to find a "special occasion" restaurant for a birthday dinner. My wife and I saw that The Ship Lantern Inn had excellent reviews, billed itself as fine dining and as such decided to give it a try. When driving up to and then entering the restaurant, I got a very old school vibe from the nicely landscaped, colonial style building and dark wood within. In itself, I am not put off by restaurants that may do a more traditional presentation as long as the restaurant is well maintained and the food and service are good. Unfortunately, The Ship Lantern Inn disappointed on all counts. To begin, the dining room, which again featured dark wood on high and walls, has a decidedly dated feel. One could argue that it's rustic and traditional, but because the floors are slate the conversations from other tables seemed loud. Additionally, the windows were covered with drab and dated drapes, contributed to the tired feel of the room. At this point I would like to say that this restaurant is not inexpensive. Our sangrias were $15 each, our appetizers $13 each, our mains $38 each, our shared dessert $15. I'm not saying this to complain, but to emphasize my feeling that at that price a restaurant should be on point with the food, atmosphere and service. As noted, the inside of the restaurant very much could use some kind of update. Our waitress, who appeared young, was a nice woman but somewhat socially awkward and not particularly attentive. She had a soft voice, was wearing a COVID mask and maintaining social distance. This made both hearing the specials ad ordering in the cacophonius dining room a struggle. While we are all concerned about COVID, I found it note worthy that she made no effort to get any closer or speak up. At several points during the meal both the host and another waitress came over to the table to fill our water glasses and clear dishes, although it didn't appear that the restaurant was that busy. It just seemed like there was something up with our server but we never found out what that was. Most disappointing of all was our food. Overall, the presentation and quality seemed more like a banquet meal than fine dining. My appetizer was clams casino, and although they were tiny they were fresh and of good quality. Unfortunately, the other ingredients that put the "casino" in the clams were quite bland and meh. My wife had a veggie strudel, which seemed tired and again somewhat lacking in taste. It was nice to see our mains came with a salad and a side, but unfortunately these also had a banquet quality too them. The salad was nothing but chopped ice-burg lettuce, already doused with some kind of nondescript French style dressing. Each dinner came with mixed steamed vegetables, which were similarly devoid of flavor. My dinner was beef short ribs over potatoes. While the ribs were nicely cooked, they were heavily ensconced with some kind of weird molasses, based BBQ sauce that tasted burnt. Strangest of all was their presentation, where the ribs were placed over a bare beef bone atop a mound of tasteless mashed potatoes. My wife had lobster risotto, she felt her small lobster tail was okay, but the sauce and risotto were again sub-par. Our meal was concluded with an apple crumble, which my wife and I shared. It was strangely served in a crepe style pastry and was mushy and tasteless with nothing crisp or crunchy about it. I recognize that any restaurant can have a bad night, and/or we just ordered the wrong things on the menu. But over all, our dinner was sufficiently underwhelming that I'm unsure that I would give them another try. Although I keep looking back at all the positive reviews and just keep shaking my head. read more

We came here on the recommendation of the staff of where we were staying. We called to make sure we didn't need a reservation. We didn't for that day. Parking is ample. The interior is nice. They have a large steering wheel, unsure if it's a real wheel or for show. The interior is fine dining. You want to dress a little better. You don't need a tux, but you probably want to go there with a button up shirt and a nice casual dress. It was a slow night, so we got a section to ourselves. There was a couple at the beginning, but they finished and left. The salad was good. I got a chicken dish, and it was super delicious. I wish I could have finished it, but it was too much food. It had a breading that was tasty. I wanted to keep on eating a bite. the vegetables were fresh. It was really good. I got a standard pasta, it was delicious. The bar is a true bar with a very picturesque presentation. The whole restaurant felt very "ship-y." the food was excellent. Overall, if we're back in the area, we would definitely go there again. read more

I've been coming to the Ship since 1969... I recently lost my wife. My 2 children flew in from Florida to celebrate what would have been our 50th wedding anniversary. Of course they took me here. As always, the food was superb and the service spectacular. I'm so glad they took me here - wonderful memories! My kids are the best!! Thanks to the crew of the Ship as well! read more

Continues to be one of the best restaurants not only in the Hudson Valley but anywhere. Never disappoints. Courteous and friendly staff.

We have been coming to Ships Lantern for special occasions for years and have had a great experience every time. Lasts nights dinner for 4 was no exception. The escargot and Caesar salad starters were delicious. We all ordered the chateaubriand and as usual it was perfectly prepared and both sauces that go with it were fabulous. Our server was a delight. It was very busy but we were still very well taken care of. Our friends and first timers to SL really enjoyed it and want to return. read more

Delicious outstanding!!! Staff was on point . Everything was perfect from the lighting t the unbelievable beef Wellington I had . Love this place cannot wait to go back! read more