This Blu Pointe review is not based on one visit.
About two years ago, I had a brunch experience here where the service missed the mark. The waterfront setting was beautiful, the buffet looked impressive and, importantly, the food was still good. What hurt that visit was the service.
My next two visits were completely different. First, I received great service at a busy outdoor bar. Then, during my most recent Sunday dinner, the waiter was on point throughout the entire meal.
The food and drinks were good, the service was excellent, and those more recent visits reminded me why Blu Pointe has remained one of the strongest restaurants on the Newburgh waterfront.
I will be back.
Blu Pointe at a Glance
Location: Newburgh Waterfront, Newburgh, New York.
Cuisine: Seafood, raw bar, steaks and cocktails.
Visit Experiences: Brunch, outdoor-bar drinks and an early Sunday dinner.
Atmosphere: Polished waterfront dining with a lively outdoor bar.
Service: Excellent during my recent outdoor-bar and dinner visits. One brunch visit about two years ago had significant service issues.
What Stood Out: The waterfront setting, cocktails, oysters and much-improved service.
Best For: Waterfront dinners, drinks, brunch and special occasions.
Richard’s Verdict: Blu Pointe has become one of the restaurants I trust most on the Newburgh waterfront for both food and cocktails. I had one poor brunch-service experience about two years ago, but I still did not have bad food that day. My more recent outdoor-bar and dinner visits were completely different, with excellent service to match the food, drinks and Hudson River setting.
Waterfront Dining in Newburgh
Blu Pointe is one of the anchors of the Newburgh waterfront. With Billy Joe’s Ribworks on one end, Captain Jake’s in the middle, and Blu Pointe at the other, these restaurants help define this stretch of the Hudson River.
What separates Blu Pointe, in my opinion, is the food and mixology. Of the waterfront restaurants in Newburgh, I think Blu Pointe has consistently been the strongest overall in both categories, and that makes it difficult for newer restaurants to compete.
Primo Waterfront came close for me. I thought the food was very good and the cocktail program was strong, but it has since been replaced by Cibo e Vino il Fiume.
Blu Pointe has remained one of the constants. The restaurant sits directly along the Hudson River and offers seafood, sushi, steaks and a large raw-bar selection in a spacious dining room overlooking the water.
Even when the service has missed the mark, the food has remained consistent. I had a brunch visit about two years ago where the service was poor, but even then, the food was good. In all the times I have eaten at Blu Pointe, I still cannot say I have ever had a bad meal there.
That consistency is a major reason Blu Pointe continues to stand out on the waterfront.
The location is another major strength. Even during my latest visit, when the weather was rainy and gray, the Hudson River backdrop still added something to the experience. On a clear day, the outdoor bar may be one of the best places along the waterfront to enjoy the setting with a cocktail and a meal.
Blu Pointe Review: The Brunch Visit That Almost Lost Me — Two Years Ago
About two years ago, I had a brunch visit at Blu Pointe that nearly changed my opinion of the restaurant.
I had already visited several times and genuinely wanted to like it. The brunch buffet was beautifully presented and included peel-and-eat shrimp. Most of the other cold and raw-bar seafood cost extra, but the selection gave guests the option of turning brunch into a much larger seafood experience.
Unfortunately, the service during that particular visit was horrible.
About 40 minutes into the meal, the waitress asked whether I planned to order anything from the raw bar or was “just having the basic brunch.”
That was a strange question because I had already placed an order with her for more than $200 worth of raw-bar seafood.
When I asked about the order, she said, “Let me check on it.” She returned and told me they were still preparing it.
The order included raw oysters and chilled shellfish. After such a long wait, being told it was still being prepared did not make sense. If she had simply admitted that the order had been forgotten, I would have understood. Mistakes happen.
I was not looking for complimentary food. I do not like asking for free things anyway. What bothered me was the refusal to acknowledge what had obviously happened.
She was also missing for much of the meal. When I wanted another drink, I ended up ordering through members of the bussing staff because my waitress was nowhere around.
For a restaurant selling premium seafood and expensive raw-bar additions, forgetting an order that large is not a minor mistake. Combined with the attitude, lack of attention and questionable explanation, it ruined what should have been an enjoyable brunch.
The buffet was attractive, but good food and a waterfront view can only make up for so much.
A Busy Outdoor Bar With Great Service
A few weeks before dinner, I stopped at Blu Pointe’s outdoor bar on my way home from BLACKBARN.
The bar was busy. Three bartenders were making drinks for the people seated at the bar while also filling drink orders for guests dining throughout the restaurant.
Despite how much they were handling, all three did a great job.
I never felt ignored, and the service never seemed overwhelmed or disorganized. Watching them manage a busy bar so effectively made the poor service from that brunch visit two years earlier stand out even more.
That experience showed me a completely different side of Blu Pointe and convinced me to return for an early Sunday dinner.
I am glad I did.
Returning for an Early Sunday Dinner
The difference between brunch and dinner was immediate.
Our waiter was on point throughout the entire meal. He remained attentive without hovering, checked on us consistently and was there whenever we needed something.
If he was helping another table, he returned as soon as he could. He also offered useful recommendations, helping us choose oysters and appetizers instead of simply taking the order and disappearing.
After that poor brunch experience two years earlier, that level of attention mattered.
Cocktails, Oysters and Appetizers
We began with cocktails, bread and butter while looking out over the Hudson River.
The drinks were good and gave us time to consider the restaurant’s seafood and raw-bar selections.
Our waiter helped us choose a mixed selection of oysters based on what was available that day. The oysters arrived over ice with the traditional accompaniments.
Having a knowledgeable waiter is valuable when a restaurant offers several oyster varieties. Instead of leaving us to choose blindly, he helped guide the order according to our preferences.
We also ordered mussels served with bread and the Charred Octopus, prepared with potatoes, broken olives and Marcona-almond romesco.
The recommendations helped us put together a strong selection of appetizers, but what impressed me most was that the attention did not stop once the food arrived.
Our waiter continued checking on the table throughout the meal.
Berkshire Pork Chop and Hiddenfjord Salmon
For the main courses, our table ordered the Berkshire Pork Chop and Hiddenfjord Salmon.
The pork chop was accompanied by fingerling potatoes, spinach, peppers, onions and agrodolce. The salmon was served with summer succotash, fingerling potatoes, corn nage and basil chimichurri.
The food and drinks were good throughout dinner. Nothing felt like it was relying solely on the Hudson River view to justify the experience.
We finished with the Flourless Chocolate Cake, served with chocolate ice cream and cream.
It was a substantial dinner, but the pacing and attentive service kept the experience enjoyable from beginning to end.
The Service Completely Changed My Opinion
The biggest takeaway from this Blu Pointe review is how completely the service changed between visits.
At brunch, I felt ignored and spoken to dismissively. My raw-bar order was forgotten, I received an explanation that did not make sense and I had to find other employees just to order another drink.
At the busy outdoor bar, three bartenders successfully took care of the people at the bar while also making drinks for the dining room.
During dinner, our waiter was excellent. He offered useful recommendations, checked on us consistently and remained available throughout the meal.
The outdoor bar and dinner showed me the level of service Blu Pointe is capable of providing.
Blu Pointe Review: Is It Worth It?
My final Blu Pointe review comes down to one answer: yes, it was worth returning.
Blu Pointe is not an inexpensive restaurant, especially once oysters, appetizers, entrées and cocktails begin adding up. At these prices, guests should expect more than good food and a waterfront view. The service also needs to deliver.
My brunch visit about two years ago did not meet that standard.
My recent visits to the outdoor bar and dining room absolutely did.
More importantly, the food has remained consistent throughout my experiences here. Even during the brunch where the service was poor, I still cannot say I had a bad meal.
That consistency, combined with what I consider one of the strongest cocktail programs on the Newburgh waterfront, is what keeps Blu Pointe near the top for me.
The bartenders handled a busy outdoor bar extremely well. During dinner, the waiter was on point the entire time. The Hudson River setting remains one of the restaurant’s greatest strengths, but the food and drinks are strong enough that Blu Pointe does not need to rely on the view alone.
I will be back.
Completely Unnecessary. Absolutely Worth It.
Looking for more Hudson Valley dining experiences? Read my reviews of BLACKBARN Hudson Valley, Drowned Lands Brewery and Dassai Blue Omakase. You can also explore more food and drink experiences or follow me on Instagram @Richard.Jarocki.
