The first thing you’ll see on River & Post’s website isn’t their menu or hours—it’s a baby announcement. It tells you everything about where this Staatsburg restaurant’s heart is right now.

Tucked into a corner of Staatsburg, River & Post occupies what appears to be an historic tavern. The building suggests 1800s architecture, a mile down Old Post Road from Stanford White’s historic 79-room Mills Mansion. But this structure dates to 1965—a modern building wearing history like a costume. When I asked staff about the building’s past, they seemed mystified. “It’s always been here,” one server offered.

A Family’s Quiet Evolution

The real history belongs to the Rebraca family. From Panarella’s on Manhattan’s Upper West Side to successful, erstwhile Rhinebeck spots like Arielle and Liberty Public House, this is restaurant royalty navigating personal transitions. The patriarch, Nikola Rebraca, passed during COVID, leaving his son Sergia at the helm of the newly launched River and Post. Sergia’s approach has been confident and understated ever since. “We didn’t tell anyone when we opened,” he says, “and we were packed from our first night.”

Five years later, the parking lot fills with cars bearing plates from Manhattan and Jersey, and yet you’d never know this place existed unless someone told you. That’s part of its charm—and perhaps part of its challenge. This isn’t a destination restaurant yet, but it’s a perfect stop on a larger journey through the valley.

The Setting

The outdoor tables are the move in October. They look out over a quiet Staatsburg intersection—the fire house, small businesses, the rhythms of village life. It’s not scenic in a postcard way, but there’s something calming about watching a small town go about its evening while you work through those Brussels sprouts. Inside, the dining room feels like what it is—a 1960s building trying to be a tavern, with enough warmth to make it work.

River and Post excels at beginnings with a strong appetizer program. The crispy artichokes arrive with perfect crunch—these are notoriously easy to overcook into leather, but here they’re light, crisp, and, with a lemon aioli, worth every penny of their $14. The tuna tartare ($24) features genuinely fresh fish in generous chunks with a light sesame touch, avocado bites, bright microgreens, and perfect cucumber. Even when our server forgot the ponzu sauce, the quality of the fish carried the dish. For something refreshing, the Curly Kale salad comes with pistachios, dried black cherry, and white balsamic vinaigrette ($15). And they also serve a classic elote, Mexican street corn, with cotija cheese, crema fresca, chipotle, lime, and cilantro ($10).

But the real stars are those sweet and sour Brussels sprouts ($13). Charred nearly black, glazed with hot honey and sherry, they’re addictive. Yes, they’re spicy. Yes, you’ll keep eating them anyway. They’re that good. Pair them with a local cider or craft beer from their selection of cans, grab one of the outdoor tables, and you’ve got the perfect October afternoon.

The bar program offers seasonal cocktails and a decent wine selection—nothing fancy, just solid drinks that pair well with those stellar appetizers.

The Practical Bits

The menu changes frequently, which suggests Rebraca and his team are working with what’s fresh. There are intriguing possibilities on the menu that invite repeat visits. The ratatouille stews together October vegetables ($9). The grilled Atlantic salmon is served with the refreshing combination of pineapple salsa, coconut jasmine rice, and an orange miso sauce ($32). River and Post’s Sunday fried chicken special ($28) has a devoted following. But since this dish is not always on the menu, on a weekday, opt for the chicken tagine with preserved lemon, castelvetrano and cured olives, almonds, dried apricots, and cous cous ($34). Regulars favor the beef short rib with their horseradish mashed potatoes, string beans, and a red wine reduction ($34). Rather than deliver overly elaborate, exotic flavors, River & Post aims to provide home-cooked flavors without all the time investment required to perfect them. 

Each dessert is offered for $10. Chocolate pot-de-crème is reliably comforting if you need something sweet to finish.They also offer a choice of vanilla cheesecake with raspberry sauce, carrot cake, or a pear tarte tatin delightfully warm out of the oven.

River and Post is open Thursday-Sunday, 4:30-8pm and till 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Outdoor seating is first-come, first-served.

River and Post
57 Old Post Road, Staatsburg
(845) 773-9373

Share this post

Written by
Susan Brearly