Our Story

“The profound realization that each random passerby, each stranger, is living a life as unique and complex as your own”. Every defeat, every success, every heartbreak, love, joy, and victory; we are all living beautifully layered lives. This is what Sonder means, and this very ideal embodies who we are as a restaurant. The sense that you can be living a profoundly beautiful life, and so can the person at the table next to you, the person you share that glass of pet nat with, the person cooking your food. All of it, complex and beautiful.

So we set out to create a beautiful space to enjoy living some of those moments. Whether its a brief stop in for a glass of wine and a snack after work, a first date, Upstate sauntering from the city, or anything in between- we hope to be a part of those complex lives one bite and sip at a time.

After 3 years in Hudson New York, we’ve made a forever move to Kingston New York, where we believe our existence is a truly good thing. The vibe, people, and the energy of Kingston really emulate what we try to be. Sonder is a restaurant and natural wine bar. The catchphrases may be cliche’ but we truly mean them. Natural wine, seasonal, as local as possible, and with a dedication towards reducing or eliminating waste in the food industry.

Chef & Owner Dan Bagnall Spent the first seven years of his culinary education working in fine dining restaurants in central and northern California (Cass House + Atelier Crenn and more). After then going to The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park for a bachelors in Hospitality Management- he then worked in some of the top New York City restaurants (such as Eleven Madison Park and Le Bernardin to name a few) and then running a few amazing restaurants himself- he found himself burnt out and tired. The Pandemic led to the perfect opportunity to create a more casual place to safely foster a sense of community and hospitality that fit his personality.