Restaurants

Tin Marin

Riverdale is a sleepy town. By 11pm the streets are mostly empty. But Tin Marin adds some zest and life to the neighborhood after hours, closing anywhere between 12 and 4am. The drinks menu suits a late-night date or hang-out with friends thanks to the unbeatable Daily Drink Specials: Monday mojitos, Tuesday margaritas, Wednesday Caipirinhas, and Thursday Sangrias all for 5$ all night. Live music shows on the later side (9 to 10:30pm), often featuring local musicians, are a great accompaniment to a warm meal and a cool drink.

If you go in during the day, Tin Marin promises an extensive Latin-inspired menu: tapas galore (from mofonguito de camaraones to pastelitos), with sides like yucca puree and skirt steak a la parillla fresh off the grill. If all that’s too much, though, there’s always a cheeseburger on the kids’ menu.

Moss Cafe

When it comes to cafes, Riverdale’s commercial areas are dotted with frozen yogurt shops and bagel spots, a lone Starbucks, and a persistent Subway. Moss Cafe is a welcome exception. Opened in June 2015, Moss Cafe was dreamed up by Emily Weisberg, a chef who comes from a family of farmers and restaurateurs in Wisconsin.

With its Instagramable bowls, bright-green chairs, and hip community vibe, this farm-to-table cafe and espresso bar could be a Williamsburg transplant. Featuring a constantly changing menu, Moss Cafe serves up inventive fare sourced from local farms, many of them in New York. The Hudson Valley Fresh co-op provides dairy ingredients, and the cafe’s bee pollen comes from the Natures Way Aviary. Come for the hearty tofu Reuben or the portobello burger on a weekday, or indulge in a gravlax tartine for a Sunday brunch. Drinks include the wine, Stumptown coffee, tea, and even “tej,” an Ethiopian honey mead.