You’re driving down Clove Road, and if you aren’t paying attention, you might miss it. It’s tucked away. Most people in Staten Island know it as "that place with the weddings," but The Stone House at Clove Lakes Staten Island NY is actually a weirdly perfect intersection of public park history and high-end dining. It sits right on the edge of the water. Literally. If you’re sitting on the patio, you’re basically hovering over Brooks Lake.
It's beautiful.
But here’s the thing: most people don't realize the building itself isn't some ancient relic from the 1700s, even though it looks like it could be. It has that rugged, fieldstone aesthetic that makes you think of colonial New York, but its story is much more tied to the development of the Staten Island park system in the 20th century. It’s a survivor. While other landmarks on the island have been torn down for condos or strip malls, this place stays put.
The Actual History of the Stone House
Let’s clear something up. People get confused about the "Stone House." It’s located within Clove Lakes Park, which is about 190 odd acres of protected green space. The building we see today serves as a restaurant and event space, but it was originally built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) during the Great Depression. This was part of a massive push to turn the "Cloves"—which were basically just marshy valleys—into a usable park for the growing borough.
It was a fieldstone powerhouse.
Back in the 1930s, the goal was utility. They needed a place for park maintenance and public facilities. Over the decades, it evolved. It went from a functional park building to a snack bar, and eventually, into the upscale venue it is now. Peter Botros, the current owner and a well-known name in the Staten Island culinary scene, took over the lease years ago and dumped a massive amount of energy into making it a destination.
He didn't just paint the walls. He leaned into the stone. The interior has these exposed beams and massive windows that make you feel like you're in a lodge in Vermont rather than ten minutes away from the Verrazzano Bridge.
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Why the location is a bit of a miracle
If you look at a map of Staten Island, Clove Lakes is this green lung in the middle of a very dense residential area. The "Lakes" aren't actually natural; they’re man-made ponds created by damming the Brook’s Creek. Because of this, The Stone House at Clove Lakes Staten Island NY sits in a flood zone. Keeping a stone structure of that size stable and dry on the edge of an artificial lake is a constant battle against physics.
When Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012, the park took a beating. The restaurant had to deal with the reality of being a waterfront property in a storm. They stayed. They rebuilt.
What It's Actually Like to Eat There
Let’s be honest: Staten Island is the land of Italian food. You can’t throw a rock without hitting a bowl of penne alla vodka. The Stone House tries to do something slightly different. It’s "New American," which is a fancy way of saying they take classics and mess with them a little bit.
One thing they do that actually works? The Chef’s Loft. It’s a separate, more intimate experience within the building. It’s not for everyone—it’s expensive and meant for people who want to watch a 10-course meal happen in front of them—but it’s one of the few places on the island doing "experimental" dining.
The Menu Staples
- The Seafood Tower: It’s a flex. If you’re there for a Friday night date, you see these everywhere.
- Steaks: They lean heavily into dry-aged cuts. It’s what you expect from a place with "Stone" in the name.
- The Patio: This is the real draw. In the summer, sitting outside at the "Lakefront Bar" is the closest you can get to feeling like you're on vacation without leaving the 10301 zip code.
You’ve got the ducks swimming by. You’ve got people rowing boats (you can actually rent those nearby). It’s quiet. On an island known for traffic noise and sirens, that silence is worth the price of the appetizer.
Common Misconceptions About the Park and House
There are a few things people get wrong about this spot.
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1. "It’s only for weddings."
Nope. While they make their money on the Saturday night "I do's," the restaurant is a fully functioning public eatery. You can go there on a Tuesday for a burger. It’s weirdly casual during the week, then becomes a black-tie gala on the weekends.
2. "The water is gross."
People love to complain about NYC park water. Is it the Caribbean? No. But the NYC Parks Department actually monitors Clove Lakes pretty closely because it’s a vital ecosystem for migrating birds. You’ll see egrets, herons, and more turtles than you can count. The Stone House basically acts as a giant bird-watching blind if you have a window seat.
3. "It’s impossible to park."
Okay, this one is kinda true. If there’s a 200-person wedding and you’re just trying to grab dinner, the tiny lot fills up fast. Pro tip: park on Clove Road or one of the side streets like Victory Blvd and walk in. The walk through the park is better than circling the lot for twenty minutes.
Why Local Experts Care About This Place
Urban planners and local historians look at The Stone House at Clove Lakes Staten Island NY as a success story of "adaptive reuse." Instead of letting a WPA-era building crumble into a ruin—which has happened to plenty of other structures in the city—it was privatized in a way that benefits the park.
The revenue from these types of concessions often flows back into the maintenance of the surrounding greenery. Without the restaurant, the path around the lake might not be as well-lit. The benches might be more broken. It’s a symbiotic relationship between a private business and public land.
The Ecological Context
The park is home to some of the oldest trees in New York. There’s a tulip tree nearby that’s over 300 years old. When you’re sitting at the bar at the Stone House, you’re in a "forever wild" zone. That means the restaurant has strict limits on what they can do to the exterior or the surrounding land. They can’t just expand the patio because they want more tables; they have to respect the root systems of the trees that were here long before the building was.
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Actionable Tips for Visiting
If you're planning to head over, don't just wing it.
First, check the wedding schedule. If you want a quiet dinner, call and ask if there’s a massive event that night. The music from the ballroom can definitely bleed into the dining room.
Second, do the "Loop" first. Clove Lakes has a fantastic trail that goes all the way around the water. It’s about 3 miles if you hit all the paths. Work up an appetite, then hit the house.
Third, look for the 10th-anniversary specials. Since Botros took over, they’ve been very active with seasonal menus. The fall menu is usually the best because the foliage in Clove Lakes is arguably the best on Staten Island. The maples turn bright red and reflect off the lake right into the restaurant windows.
Fourth, don't sleep on brunch. Everyone thinks of this as a dinner spot, but their Sunday brunch is actually more relaxed and easier on the wallet. Plus, the lighting in the morning hits the stone walls in a way that makes for great photos, if you're into that.
Finally, remember that you’re in a public park. Once you pay the bill, you can walk ten feet and be back on a trail. It’s one of the few places in the five boroughs where "fine dining" and "getting mud on your boots" happen in the same square block.
Summary of the Essentials
- Location: 1150 Clove Rd, Staten Island, NY 10301.
- Vibe: Rustic, upscale, but surprisingly welcoming to hikers.
- Best time to go: Sunset, specifically in October or May.
- Key takeaway: It’s a WPA building turned culinary landmark that anchors one of the city's most underrated parks.
If you’re looking for a place that feels like it has a soul—and isn’t just another glass-and-steel box—this is it. It’s a piece of Staten Island history that you can actually sit inside and have a drink in. That’s a rarity these days.
Next Steps for Your Visit:
- Check the weather: The Stone House experience is 50% about the view. Go on a clear day.
- Make a reservation: Specifically request a "Lake View" table. They have several tables that are right up against the glass.
- Explore the "Valley of the Clove": After your meal, walk toward the Martling Avenue side of the park to see the smaller, more secluded ponds that most tourists never find.