Sunset Bistro — Restaurant in Town of Harrietstown

Sunset Bistro at Ampersand Bay Resort completely changed my outlook on resort dining — this is a true hidden gem in the Adirondacks, and an absolute must if you’re in the area.

Normally, I steer away from restaurants inside resorts. I’ve had better luck with local spots in town. But Sunset Bistro? It flipped that narrative for me, in the best possible way.

We were staying at Ampersand Bay Resort (another review entirely — and also excellent), prepping for our summit hike of Mt. Marcy. After 11 hours and 40 minutes of rain, wind, mud, and scrambling to the top of New York’s highest peak, we were cold, wet, tired… and starving. Our group of five included some serious food lovers, and we had reserved Sunset Bistro for our post-hike celebratory dinner — seeking something upscale, convenient, and worthy of the occasion.

Let’s set the scene: We rolled out of bed at 4:45 AM, hit the trail by 6:30, and finished just in time to rush back to the resort and change before our 7:45 PM reservation. Thankfully, we were staying in the Saranac Suite — right above the restaurant — so all we had to do was (carefully!) hobble down the stairs.

The vibe? Perfect. Casual and inviting, but still refined — ideal for winding down after a massive day. There’s a warmth to the space: cozy yet trendy, laid-back yet worthy of a special night out. The view of Lower Saranac Lake at sunset is breathtaking. Watching the water, the boats, and the golden light dancing on the lake made the night feel magical. The open kitchen added a nice sense of energy, and the deck looked like a dream for warmer evenings.

Service? Flawless. Attentive, genuine, and elevated without being stuffy. A wine expert on staff helped guide our selections — which we appreciated even more since one of our hikers makes wine and we know a thing or two ourselves. We started with a Brunello, and later, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape — both excellent. They’ve earned a 2024 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and it’s clear why.

A huge shoutout to Brian, the resort GM, who welcomed us like old friends. It was a quiet Monday night, and we invited him to share a glass of wine with us — he was the perfect host, rounding out what already felt like a perfect night.

Now for the food — truly outstanding. Several in our group had the Duck Breast, pastrami dry-rubbed and perfectly seared, served with sweet potato mash, asparagus, and a cherry-balsamic reduction. It was elegant, flavorful, and beautifully presented. I had the evening special — Trout with Beurre Noisette, served with fingerling potatoes and asparagus. The fish was tender and moist, and the brown butter sauce tied everything together masterfully.

This isn’t just a “resort restaurant” — this is a destination in its own right. The view is stunning, yes. But unlike so many places with a great view and mediocre food, Sunset Bistro delivers across the board: thoughtful cuisine, an exceptional wine list, and warm, memorable service.

If you’re anywhere near Saranac Lake, make a reservation. Whether you’re celebrating something big or just want to enjoy a beautiful lakeside evening, this place is...

We heard so many amazing reviews about this place. So decided that this would be the perfect place to go for Mother’s Day brunch.

We arrived at 11:55 am and were seated immediately. The service was a bit slow with our drinks. But nothing to suggest how our experience would be. When we made the reservation we knew that the restaurant was featuring a prefixed menu.

The first course took approximately an hour to get to us. We were quite hungry now since it was a little past 1 pm. Luckily, I had the Bloody Mary garnishes to curb my appetite. Our poor daughter just sat there nursing a Shirley temple and wondering when food would arrive to the table. There wasn’t even any bread service or something to tie us over. We asked the server what was taking so long and she advised that there was a problem with the POS system. Even if there was a problem the restaurant wasn’t prepared. Even a Bloody Mary took some time to make because they ran out of Bloody Mary mix and had to make more. The server was also the bartender.

We could see the kitchen scrambling to make the food. The risotto appetizer was extremely salty. The flatbread was warm. Luckily my husband’s soup was perfectly hot and tasty. Then it took maybe 35 minutes for our entrees to get to the table. And my salmon was placed on top of the salty risotto that was served as an appetizer. The salmon was good. However, it was nothing spectacular. My husband had the eggs dish and our daughter had the steak option. Neither was anything worth waiting that long to eat.

So now we are at the final course-dessert. We ordered coffee and was advised by the server that would be a few minutes because the pot of coffee needed to be made. It took another 40 minutes for the desserts. It appeared that the chef was also responsible for making the desserts.

Needless to say, we do not recommend this place. We do not understand how this place could receive such favorable reviews. Our Mother’s Day Brunch started when we arrived at 11:55 am and ended with us leaving at 3:04 pm.

This was not worth the time or money. My husband wants to give it another try for dinner. I’m hesitant because the food just wasn’t good. I’ve been to restaurants that have dining experiences that have last three hours and loved the experience because the food was phenomenal. It wasn’t the amount of time that was wasted at this restaurant. It was eating the...

This Valentine’s Day did not start out well for me. The day began with random people I don’t know threat calling me (and presumably other volunteer members of the saranac lake winter carnival committee) over controversy we had no control over during the parade. Then I had to make the difficult decision to put my awesome cat out of his cancer misery right before my supportive and wonderful partner had planned to take us out to dinner.

So I showed up at Sunset Bistro for the first time since they opened with him, desperately trying not to ugly cry and ruin our whole night. I was only marginally successful, but the rest of the night was a wonderful experience that helped tip the emotional scales in the other direction quite a bit and we had as perfect an experience as I would have expected even under normal circumstances.

Despite the busyness and pressure for a recently opened restaurant, this team killed it. Delightful, engaging and attentive staff, wonderful cocktails, amazing food. Small waits for that result never bothers me, especially in this region where it is so hard to produce.

Every dish was multifaceted, interesting and cooked to perfection. Flavor, creativity, menu curation, presentation, all of it, spot on.

I’ll admit, I’m kind of uncomfortable with the open kitchen concept. It seems like I’m voyaristically intruding on someone else’s creative process. That’s my deal, not theirs. That said, Chef Vicky seems to have fostered a lovely culture of cooperation, clarity and respect. In spite of the obvious challenge of the entire dining room filing at once and never stopping on this intense holiday, no one seemed to buckle under pressure, and civility never wavered. I no longer have any tolerance for the abusive kitchens of the past and there was no obvious whiff of that here.

I’m so very impressed and will make this a priority destination whenever possible.

The perfect 180 I needed. Thank...