Nestled in the Adirondack region of upstate New York, Saranac Lake is an attractive destination in any season, with hiking, whitewater rafting, winter sports, and highly sought-after scenes of autumn colors found in the area’s stunning fall foliage. The beautiful mountains of the Adirondacks might be the last place you’d expect to find yourself feeling like you’ve been transported to a Parisian café, but for locals and visitors alike, the Left Bank Café in Saranac Lake is a treasured spot in one of New York state’s most beautiful but overlooked small towns.
With outdoor patio seating directly above a small waterway, it’s easy to pretend you’re indeed sitting along the Seine River in Paris as you sip an apéritif while nibbling at a charcuterie spread. The café’s menu boasts French classics like escargot drowned in butter and garlic, as well as beef daube provencal and duck confit cassoulet. With a wine list that’s filled with mostly French bottles and a small selection of French cocktails, the menu wouldn’t be complete without cheese and charcuterie plates served with a traditional French baguette.
The Left Bank Café also occasionally hosts live music by local artists as well as live piano playing, adding to the ambiance and charm oozing from this small-town French bistro. Online reviews of the restaurant tout its delicious food and the beautiful river view from the porch, but if you visit Saranac Lake in the winter, you’ll probably want to sit indoors while enjoying your amazing meal (but you could also be lucky enough to attend one of America’s oldest winter carnivals).
A slice of France in the shores of a New York lake
While it may seem an odd place to find an authentic French bistro, Saranac Lake, New York, is a sister city of the commune in central France known as Entrains-sur-Nohain, and has been home to the Left Bank Café since the original owner, Jack Weissberg, opened the classic French bistro after serving in WWII.
The connection to France doesn’t end at its sibling city, as Christopher Weissberg, the grandson of the restaurant’s founder, is a former member of the French Parliament, where he was a representative for hundreds of thousands of French citizens living abroad in the United States and Canada. Weissberg splits his time between Saranac Lake and France, keeping him up to date with current knowledge of French food and culture and contributing that information to the menu at Left Bank Café.
One of the most magical destinations in the Northeast for a romantic lakeside escape, Saranac Lake, New York, has much to offer visitors like museums, spring festivals, and art galleries. Only about a 2-hour drive south of Montreal, Saranac Lake is much closer to the French-speaking Canadian city than the hustle and bustle of New York City, which is located about a 5-hour drive south of the town.
