Posh Patisserie: Banque Dishes Up European Coffee, Chocolate, Pastries, and Wine
This extravagant former Hudson bank is a cafe by day, wine bar by night, with chocolates all the time.
The historic, gritty red-brick exterior of Banque, Hudson’s newest cafe on Warren Street’s 500 block, is a stark contrast to the bright and winsome elegance within. With soaring ceilings, painted murals, white marble every which way you look, and a gasp-worthy selection of prominently displayed pastries and treats, Banque evokes European-inspired sophistication as a bakery, chocolatier, gelateria, cocktail bar, and restaurant.
“We’re something akin to a grand cafe in Europe, with different experiences offered throughout the day,” says owner Arden Fuchs, who trained as a pastry chef in Switzerland and Europe and did a stint at a chocolatier before settling in the Hudson Valley. “Come in the morning and sit with friends for coffee and pastry, try our chocolates or grab a box as a gift, pop in for afternoon tea, or enjoy an evening cocktail and meal.”
Banque—named in homage to the building’s first function as the Farmers National Bank, built in 1927—was originally conceptualized as a direct-to-consumer chocolatier. Fuchs says that finding the space inspired the idea of going all-in as a cafe and restaurant, but even more so, a gathering place that inspires communal connection.
“I found myself walking through Hudson, thinking about what I like to enjoy with my husband and friends, and wanting to create a place where people can gather for the same kind of experiences,” Fuchs says. “I think people are craving an elegant space that’s also very focused on hospitality so that you always feel welcomed.”
Banking on Elegance
To transform the building—which still had many of its original bank features but had been owned as a residential space for a little over a decade prior to Fuchs taking it on—into a bright dining room with a full bakery counter at ground level, and downstairs, a spacious kitchen and bonbon processing facility, required a full restoration. Fuchs led the charge as designer.
“The bank was built by the architects of the Empire State Building; it’s a thoughtful design, so in turning the space into what it is now, all paneling, wainscoting, and molding were a restorative effort,” she explains. “You can still see that it was a bank by the way it's laid out—and we left a few original features, like the vault which now holds wine, and some of the original flooring around it, but we did our best to respect the original space while retrofitting it to be comfortable for guests.”
The result is soft but not overly feminine; bright and spacious yet warm and enveloping. Large arched windows let in ample natural light over an expanse of marble terrazzo floors. Deep blue velvet banquette seating along one wall cozies up to pale blue marble bistro tables; a handful of additional bistro and high-top tables are spread around. The opposite wall, which had been a teller line, showcases fresh-baked pastry and a selection of bonbons on a white marble display counter. Overhead, large arched wall lighting with brushed golden arms and translucent glass globes offer soft lines that take up space to quell the vastness of massive coffered ceilings.
Although the space is designed with an open layout, toward the back you’ll find a cocktail bar with its own distinct environment. A repurposed bank deposit slip table—used as a communal seating space—acts as a divider between the main dining room and the bar, which is also made of white marble to tie together the luxe look. Pale pink bar chairs imported from Italy are cozy enough to encourage staying past aperitivo hour—when a classic martini is only $10. “We have a few great examples of repurposed antiques, since we have a family friend who works in demolition but rescues architectural details and in-tact furniture from historic buildings,” she says. “Besides the bank tables, our barback is an antique, the doors in our vestibule are from a Macy’s—it adds a level of sustainability, being less wasteful while still focusing on quality.”
One last rhapsody about the design before diving into that menu: 15-foot-tall painted murals by artist Rachel Hearn, a friend of Fuchs. Each one is of food-related florals, such as vanilla bean orchids, orange blossoms, and the like. “Each mural was painted partially off-site, then brought over to have arched framing built around it into the wall, and finished after installation,” Fuchs explains. “Seeing this process gave me so much appreciation for the effort that went into the art and the millwork. It all came together beautifully.”
A La Carte—A French-Inspired Menu
The French spelling of the name Banque aligns with the French-inspired menu options. Although Fuchs is a trained chocolatier and pastry chef, Paul Kennedy helms the kitchen. “I met Paul in Australia and he became my mentor nine years ago,” Fuchs explains. “When we talked about Banque, he was in—and he has brought it beyond what I could have envisioned.”
Kennedy adds: “When I first saw the space, it was just a shell; it was hard to imagine it being anything but a derelict building. But the design Arden developed was so impressive it put pressure on the menu—to me, the food has to be as elevated as the design. We haven’t been here too long, but because of this goal, our offerings are constantly evolving toward becoming the best version of what we can offer.”
Across the board, croissants are the most popular choice, with a variety of flavors from classics like plain or pain au chocolat to housemade pistachio praline filled with ganache. “We use very traditional techniques—even the butter in the croissants is imported; it’s the type specifically used in France,” Kennedy says. “Good flavors come from good products.”
Additional popular pastries include revolving specials like raspberry compote with vanilla custard.
For those with a preference for savory flavors, a short menu of breakfast and lunch items includes the essentials—egg sandwich, avocado toast—but made with French techniques, adding a richness to its flavor. The whipped avocado piped onto hearty, buttery housemade focaccia and topped with pickled onion is a small meal unto itself ($12). The honeynut squash soup with pepitas ($12) is a popular vegan option on chillier days.
“It’s a busy, jovial scene during the day,” Fuchs says, noting Banque’s slogan: A joyful escape. “Our evening hours are more subdued, with dimmed lighting, candles, and a bit of a respite for those who join us.”
Evening menu options, listed as bar fare, are currently an a-la-carte selection of six modern European dishes. The crispy chicken sausage, a cross between a schnitzel and a brat, made in-house, is flavored with port, onions, chives, and nutmeg ($14). The crowd-pleasing Banque burger comes with caramelized onion aioli on a house roll, with a side of crispy potato wedges ($26); or indulge in an elevated steak frites: filet mignon butchered in-house with crispy potatoes and garlic confit aioli ($42).
The bar program emphasises quality classic cocktails—martini, vesper, sazerac—and others with a modern twist, like the Smoky Cherry (mezcal, cappelletti, maraschino; $22), or the Banque Highball with tea-infused vodka, lychee, raspberry, and sparkling water ($16). A short list of wines hail mainly from South Africa and Europe ($12 and up per glass; $35 to $110 per bottle) and beer is primarily imports, as well, from Europe or Asia ($12 to $14 each).
Chocolate lovers: Do not leave without trying a bonbon (or four…or six). These delicate, ganache- and caramel-filled treats each offer its own world of flavor, texture, and color. Fill a box with options like passionfruit dark chocolate ganache coated in a fuschia-hued milk chocolate shell; the sky-blue, creamy vanilla caramel and butterscotch; the popular peanut ganache and miso caramel in a deep-blue dark chocolate shell; or the unmistakable tea-flavored Earl Grey milk chocolate ganache with a shiny black shell of dark chocolate ($4 apiece).
“Whether people want to walk in and grab a box of bonbons and coffee to-go, or sit and stay awhile, the emphasis on hospitality is constant,” Fuchs says. “You’ll be welcomed from the second the door opens, through our greeter wishing you a wonderful day.”
Banque is located at 544 Warren Street, Hudson. Open Thursday through Monday: 10am-7pm Monday, Thursday, Sunday; 10am-10pm Friday and Saturday.
