Feast Your Eyes on the 2018 Hamptons Holiday Dining Guide

There are so many holiday dining options on the South Fork these days it may be hard to choose where to breakfast, brunch, lunch, dine and cap the night. Here’s a suggestion: grab a dart, print this page, post it on a wall, close your eyes and throw! Where the dart lands, so do you. You can’t miss.

1 North Steakhouse (1northsteakhouse.com, 631-594-3419, Steak & Seafood) in Hampton Bays serves lunch and dinner, with daily specials including the popular Wednesday “Date Night,” which offers two entrées and a bottle of wine. Check out their Nice Buns food truck parked outside the restaurant at lunchtime—with delicious on-bun sliders.

1770 House (1770house.com, 631-324-1770, American) in East Hampton specializes in elegant American fare and it has a more casual menu in the downstairs tavern.

The American Hotel (theamericanhotel.com, 631-725-3535, American/French), which has long been popular with Billy Joel and just about anyone else who graces Sag Harbor’s shores, expertly marries American and French dishes. The luxurious dining room is set inside the charming historic hotel, which was built in 1846.

The restaurant at Baron’s Cove (baronscove.com, 631-725-2101, American), the Sag Harbor resort, offers classic, all-American dining including surf and turf, burgers and fresh seafood prepared by Jay Lippin, one of the East End’s acclaimed chefs.

Also in Hampton Bays, Centro Restaurant (centrohamptons.com, 631-594-5744) is open at 336 Montauk Highway and promises “a new world of possibility.”

The story of the Citarella (citarella.com) we know and love today began in 1983 when Joe Gurrera bought a beloved neighborhood seafood shop on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, also called Citarella, around since 1912. Today, Gurrera owns a seafood wholesale company, a seafood supplying business, an online seafood store that ships nationwide and multiple Citarella markets across New York City, the Hamptons and Greenwich, Connecticut.

Claude’s Restaurant at Southampton Inn (southamptoninn.com, 631-283-6500) continues to offer their “best of the best” breakfast year round! Classic breakfast specials include Eggs Any Style, which features two farm fresh eggs to order, omelets and more. Other favorites on the breakfast menu are eggs Benedict, blueberry pancakes, Jobs Lane French toast and the smoked salmon platter. For an extra boost of vitamin C, try the freshly squeezed orange juice as an accompaniment to your freshly brewed Colombian coffee or choice of Fine Tea.

The Clubhouse in East Hampton (ehitclubhouse.com, 631-537-2695) supplies both food and fun for the whole family, with bowling and arcade games seven days a week!

With views overlooking the Shinnecock Canal, Hampton Bays’ Cowfish (cowfishrestaurant.com, 631-594-3868, American) offers small plates, brunch, dinner and sushi.

Edgewater (edgewaterrestaurant.com, 631-723-2323, Italian) in Hampton Bays serves up large portions of unique Italian dishes and spectacular views of Shinnecock Bay.

Popular Greek restaurant Elaia Estiatorio, (elaiaestiatorio.com, 631-613-6469) on Bridgehampton’s School Street serves food that “is uncomplicated, healthy, and pairs beautifully with our selection of Greek wines.” Opa!

The Golden Pear Café (goldenpearcafe.com, 631-283-8900, Café) chainlet has become a Hamptons classic known for their coffee and artful panini.

Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa (scarpettarestaurants.com, gurneysmontauk.com, 631-668-2345), the resort and seawater spa, has several dining options in season. LDV Hospitality and Gurney’s present Scarpetta Beach, a sister restaurant to the Italian eatery in the Meatpacking District. Tillie’s, a casual dining spot, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus brunch on Sundays. An Italian-style coffee bar, Corso Coffee, is open in the Gurney’s lobby. In warmer weather, the Beach Club at Gurney’s, right on the resort’s private beach, serves appetizers, sandwiches and salads.

Jean-Georges at Topping Rose House (toppingrosehouse.com, 631-537-0870, American) is a casually elegant restaurant that celebrates the seasons, presenting farm-to-table cuisine using ingredients grown in the property’s one-acre garden and sourced from the area fishermen and farmers. The restaurant offers sensible fare paired with a contemporary Hamptons vibe, making it a welcoming restaurant for all ages, whether you’re looking to enjoy a simple bite or a polished dinner.

Bringing some French food to the old whaling village, Lulu Kitchen & Bar (lulusagharbor.com, 925-609-9090) offers a warm, friendly bar and restaurant on Sag Harbor’s Main Street.

The Maidstone Hotel (themaidstone.com, 631-324-5006, American) consistently offers a boutique hospitality experience with cocktails by the fire, weekend brunches and dinner seven nights a week, all year.

Matsulin (matsulin.com, 631-728-8838, Asian) in Hampton Bays specializes in Pan Asian cuisine, which includes Chinese, Malaysian, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese flavors.

Dining options at the Montauk Yacht Club (montaukyachtclub.com, 631-668-3100) celebrate the community and history of the East End through the use of local ingredients, many of which come from the sea before they make their way to your plate.

East Hampton’s Nick & Toni’s (nickandtonis.com, 631-324-3550, Italian/Mediterranean) serves fetching plates, which rotate seasonally. A special feature of the Tuscan-style room is a wood-burning oven covered in mosaics.

North Sea Tavern & Raw Bar (northseatavern.com, 631-353-3322, Seafood) provides a comfortable atmosphere with multiple weekly activities including karaoke, live music, DJs and sports viewing events along with daily specials and specialty parties. The menu offers everything from raw seafood items to tavern classics as it rotates throughout the year, seasonally.

The takeout items at Out of the Blue Seafood (ootbseafood.com, 631-728-3474, Seafood) in Hampton Bays include an amazing sushi and oyster bar, premium fresh and frozen seafood, plus home-smoked specialties, live lobsters and much more.

Pierre’s (pierresbridgehampton.com, 631-537-5110) in Bridgehampton is named for chef and owner Pierre Weber, whose seafood-focused menu offers French cuisine with a modern twist. The space is both cozy and romantic providing the ultimate Parisian experience.

Under the deft guidance of Chef Doug Gulija, The Plaza Café (plazacaferestaurant.com, 631-283-9323, Seafood/American) in Southampton specializes in the freshest seafood, prepared to perfection. Check out their prix fixe and small-bites bar menu, as well.

On the list of Southampton’s Italian favorites is Ristorante Sant Ambroeus (santambroeus.com, 631-283-1233, Italian), which opened its original location in Milan, Italy. The front area showcases mouthwatering pastries, gelato and an espresso bar. An elegant breakfast, lunch and dinner menu is offered in the back dining room.

Rumba (rumbahamptonbays.com, 631-594-3544, Seafood/Caribbean) in Hampton Bays serves eclectic, inspired island cuisine, as it harnesses the casual fun of the Caribbean. Come for the food, stay for the rum bar.

Saaz (saazsouthampton.com, 631-259-2222) Enjoy casual Indian cuisine in Southampton. The menu offers traditional Indian plates including curries, soups and kebabs and smoothies.

With multiple locations from Manhattan to the East End, Serafina (serafinarestaurant.com,
631-267-3500) serves traditional Italian cuisine served in a hip trattoria with a welcoming atmosphere.

Located in the heart of Montauk, Shagwong Tavern (shagwongtavern.com, 631-668-3050, American) is a historic and legendary tavern serving fresh seafood and American comfort fare plus cocktails.

Shippy’s (shippyspumpernickels.com, 631-283-0007, Steak & Seafood) claims to offer some of the best sizzling steaks in the Hamptons, king crab legs, authentic wiener schnitzel, fresh fish and surf and turf.

A lunchtime favorite in Southampton, Silver’s (631-283-6443, Eclectic) is known for its white tablecloth service and a delectable, eclectic menu, where the lobster roll and BLT sandwich are two of the most popular items.

For authentic southwest cooking, barbecue, and comfort foods, check out Smokin’ Wolf BBQ and More! (smokinwolfbbq.com, 631-604-6470, Barbecue) in East Hampton.

The Springs Tavern (thespringstavern.com, 631-527-7800, American) is a gastro pub featuring live music in East Hampton.

Suki Zuki (631-726-4600, Japanese) is a true Water Mill gem, as the crowds indicate. The excellent sushi bar is sure to delight, with the “Tuna Fish Sandwich” being a local favorite.

Tutto Il Giorno (tuttoilgiorno.com, 631-377-3611, Italian) in Southampton and Sag Harbor is known for its innovative Italian dishes and  boasts a cozy interior space.

For updated Mexican dishes served in rustic-chic quarters with a patio and a well-stocked tequila bar, head over to Union Cantina (unioncantina.net, 631-377-3500) in Southampton.

Wölffer Kitchen (wolfferkitchen.com, 631-725-0101/631-267-2764, American), with locations in Sag Harbor and Amagansett, is a light, bright neighborhood restaurant with a distinct local, seasonal food ethic, serving locally made artisanal wines, beers and spirits. Owned and operated by Wölffer Estate Vineyard co-owners, siblings Marc and Joey Wölffer, Wölffer Kitchen is the first winery-owned restaurant in the Hamptons. Wölffer Estate winemaker and partner Roman Roth advises on the wine list.

For more on these restaurants and the best dining ion the South Fork, visit DansBOTB.com.