Rabbit & Turtle

Food was delicious, service great, décor stunning. First time there but will definitely return.

As a new resident of Downtown Poughkeepsie, I was aware that it is a neighborhodd in exciting transition. I was not aware of the «jewel «of a restaurant known as Rabbit and Turtle. Eclectic, warm ambiance, interesting and enthusiastic clientele, and a knowledgeable and courteous staff all add to what is a terrific culinary experience. The menu is a thoughtful mixture of traditional and innovative cuisine, and all of it is made with care and creativity. I am indisputably one of the newest champions of this very fine place, and I urge anyone who is interested in an exemplary restaurant to come to directly to Main St in Poughkeepsie, to the Rabbit and Turtle.

I’ve been into Rabbit & Turtle three times, eating at both sides of the restaurant. When I was there during the soft open period, I could tell that they were working through some kinks and anxiously preparing for their grand opening, and I was optimistic for them. Main Street can certainly use another great spot to go along with Schatzi’s, Artist’s Palate, Brasserie 292, and Queen City Bistro. However, Rabbit & Turtle doesn’t live up to expectations.
I returned most recently for their grand opening event. The food, as in the past, was remarkable. Well prepared, creative implementation, and excellent portion sizes are the norm. Service is thoughtful but slow, and they clearly seem to be understaffed, even on the fast side of the house. There is generally too much time between courses and between «check ins» from staff, and at this price point I expect servers to pour the wine rather than having to do so myself.
The hostesses are bored and lackluster, hiding behind their smartphones throughout the evening. It was tough to get their attention. When we were eating dinner, the servers were bringing drinks to an obviously intoxicated woman who was speaking very loudly as she stood next to a table, trying to engage with diners. We finally had to ask our server to ask her to leave, so that we could eat in peace. She was escorted out of the dining room, but not without a bit of a scene.
The bar attempted to add drinks to our bill that we had never ordered, and argued with us about removing them. The final straw came when we spoke to the manager/​owner, who told us we had no idea what we were talking about, and said he couldn’t be expected to keep loud, drunk patrons out of his own dining room.
And all this, at the so-​called grand opening, where there was nothing except 2 or 3 trays of passed hors d’oeuvres in the first 15 minutes to mark it as a special evening. Needless to say, I won’t return, and I don’t expect this place to survive in its current form for very long at all.
My advice: for a creative plate of food, go to Artist’s Palate instead. For phenomenal service, go to Brasserie instead and ask Landon to set you up. Either way, you’ll be happier and get more for your money.

Had a great dinner here. From the moment we walked in I was excited. Loved the décor and little touches. The description of the rabbit and turtle on the chalkboard when you enter explains the name. Bar was full. We headed back to the dining room and had the 5 course dinner. Every dish was better than the next. Presentation was really nice. Highlight was definitely the fish course — Turbot was amazing. Grabbed a beer at the bar afterwards, they have a large selection. Will be coming back to try brunch soon!

This is a terrific, inventive new restaurant and bar in the city of Poughkeepsie. We have eaten here twice, once at the bar, sharing small plates, and once at the back, enjoying the tasting menu. It is a treat to find a chef who is interested in doing new things with food and sourcing uncommon ingredients. For my appetizer on the tasting menu, I got to try crosnes, also known as the chinese artichoke, a vegetable I’ve never tried before. Other highlights have been the duck rillettes, the grilled octopus, a fish similar to swordfish that I am blanking on its name, and a surprising and tasty dessert of slow-​cooked carrots stuffed into dirt (oreos) and served in a flower pot. The owner also owns Bouchon in Cold Spring, a restaurant that serves French staples. Rabbit & Turtle takes some french dishes and preparations, but the chef definitely adds his own spin to the standards. I would highly recommend this restaurant!

For the price I expected to be wowed. Did not even come close. Their signature mixed drinks sounded good, but the balance of flavors was way off. Had the venison, my girlfriend had the duck. Both where dull. The venison was really gamey. I’m a hunter and I have never had venison that tasted like that. The presentation made it look like road kill. I have had better duck at Yummy Asian cuisine across the street at a third of the price. If both meals where $ 10 cheaper, I would have still been upset. We split the pork appetizer. It was ok, but again for the price, I should have been really impressed. It was Meh. The coffee was excellent and apple crisp was really good. OK beer selection, but nothing I have not had anywhere else. The owner would not leave us alone either. We where trying to have a nice quiet dinner after thanksgiving, but he was at our table every 5 minutes.

Bought a
gift card for them, but I also knew they were opening because they’re right next to my hair salon.
We arrived and were quickly greeted and Damon, our waiter, explained the concept.
Turtle: Slower, multi-​course sit down experience in the dining area. Four and five course menus, which looked very interesting.
Rabbit: Quick bites in a lively bar setting.
It should also be noted, you can order a la carte from the dinner menu, but only when seated in the dining area. Bar menu only while seated in the bar.
Separate entrances for each, which is convenient.
We chose the bar for our first visit.
The décor is eclectic, industrial. Love the use of reclaimed wood and french green used in the color scheme abductee open kitchen.
The stools at the bar tables were a bit odd — an uncomfortable round wooden top. After realizing that I was sitting way too low for the height of the table, hubs came around and unscrewed my stool to sit a bit higher up. The upholstered stools at the bar looked comfy though.
They have 8 or so beer selections on tap, at $ 8, which is a bit high for P’ok. Especially when you can get a pint of craft beer at MHBC for $ 6. The three wines by the glass were all $ 9.
I went with a Nero d’Avola and hubs, a pint of dark ale.
Small plates were very good. We shared rillettes, fried calamari and a falafel plate and found the portions to be very generous, a good value.
The duck rillettes $ 11, were amazing! Hard to find rillettes of any kind in this area, no less good ones, and these were better than some I’ve had in France.
Calamari was very good, perhaps a tad undercooked and a bit chewy. Chili dipping sauce was yummy. Falafel was a bit too doughy on the inside, but the kalamata olives, feta and tomato were fresh and complimented the falafel nicely.
They didn’t know how to handle our coupon, but they honored the discount by taking our drinks off the bill. If we were in a hurry, this would have presented a huge problem, but we weren’t.
Chef John came to our table to ask how everything was and to apologize about the coupon. Understandable, since it was their soft opening.
The service was attentive and friendly, but needs a bit of polish. A bit stiff and ‘hovery’, which will likely work itself out over time, especially as they get busier and have more tables to manage.
The owner bathed in an overpowering amount of cologne which is not something you want, when you’re eating. I hope he lightens up on that.
Everyone thanked us warmly when we left and the bar side was hopping by 10:00pm.
Overall, a nice new addition to Poughkeepsie’s foodie scene. Will definitely be back to check out the dinner side and for more of those duck rillettes!

Since I work at The Artist’s Palate, I’ve been eyeing this place across the street for a while and I’ve been super curious about it. I finally got to check it out the other night when I grabbed a few glasses of (really delicious) wine. For a city with so many colleges surrounding it, I think that there’s a real lack of places for the young twenties, post-​grad crowd, but I think this place might take that title. I’m a sucker for aesthetics and as soon as I walked into the bar, I was a goner. They have all these cool light fixtures hanging over their bar, big, deep dish sinks and cozy seating areas throughout the dining room.
I haven’t eaten here yet, but they’re pushing a five course menu for (I believe) $ 60 each, or you can go with a four course at $ 50 per person. The menu looks really awesome and well thought out and I found myself picking out what I’d like to eventually get (because, believe me, I will be back for their Foie Gras Terrine). In addition to that, they have a regular menu with more bar-​centric food. I didn’t order anything, but someone next to me at the bar got a burger that was HUGE and looked so good that I considered asking if I could steal a fry. I refrained, but the idea sounded better and better after a few glasses of wine!
The only things that got to me about this place is that they kicked us out pretty early and their wine list seems to really discourage you from buying by the glass. I was out with a coworker and my boyfriend last Friday and we were having a grand, old time but then chairs started getting put up around us and we were told that they were closing. I work in restaurants so I get the feeling of wanting to get out to go enjoy your weekend, but I just think it’s poor form to tell paying customers with half full drinks that, basically, they need to hurry up and leave. Also, of the eight or so red wines they have, you can only buy three by the glass, which I found a little strange. I think that they’re really trying to go for more of a restaurant, dining experience, rather than cementing themselves as a late night bar, but that just seems very limited to me — not every night can be a «split a bottle of wine» kind of night, unfortunately.
Regardless of those little bumps, the space is absolutely beautiful and drew in a young, fun crowd that wanted to spend their money, which you don’t always see in the City of Poughkeepsie. Being that it’s right across the street from my job, I can definitely see this being a regular, after-​work drink spot and I’m hopeful that they’re going to do really well!

A welcome addition to the downtown. Bar is very cool and the seating area is comfy and easy for conversation. Bar food was excellent and has a French flair. The tasting menu was amazing. The price was fair. Menu is creative with a mix of modern and old. Chef is on point with his flavored and presentation. This elevates the food scene in Poughkeepsie.