95 Best Restaurants in Long Island, New York

Once a fisherman's haunt, this unpretentious yet stylish bistro at the Montauk fishing docks is known for offering the freshest seafood, including the signature cioppino, in addition to creative steak and vegetarian dishes. Indoor seating is in a small, candlelit room or a cozy adjoining bar; outdoor seating is on a deck next to the harbor. For dessert, try the famous "Chocolate Bag."

This is a popular spot, but they'll take same-day reservations—call after 4:15.

In a region popular for seafood, this place is all about the meat. The most popular dish here is a 24-oz bone-in ribeye, and you can also get handcrafted pub standards such as shepherd's pie and fish-and-chips. A cool local hangout spot, the pub hosts live music on Friday and Saturday and has a selection of more than 100 beers. A children's menu is available and brunch is served every Sunday.

This is as real as Montauk gets: a weathered old sea captain having lunch at the bar, fishermen stopping in for an afternoon pint or quick bite, and locals sharing a laugh with friends any time of the day. Here, tucked away on a side street close to Gosman's Dock yet a world apart, the beer is cold and the food is good and as down to earth as the folks who hang out here. Weird and wacky tchotchkes and seafaring-related antiques festoon the rustic wood walls and ceiling.

Outsiders are welcomed but should be aware of the "list," including: no checks, no cell phones, no strollers or screaming kids, no whining, wimps, or chickenhawks. Stick with these rules, and you'll be just fine.

People stop in at this upscale, yet casual and lively, waterfront restaurant on their way home from the beach just across the road or after kayaking or paddleboarding right off their dock. Appetizers include sushi and sashimi appetizer, duck egg roll, lobster mac-and-cheese; aged steak, clambake platter, or lobster are always popular entrees. The large deck overlooking the bay has good sunset views. At night the bar scene attracts a mixed crowd, with three bars, outdoor living-room areas with lots of comfortable seating, and live music several nights a week throughout the summer.

On the first warm day of the season, locals flock to the umbrella-shaded patio tables of this casual spot next to the American Legion Hall. Have a bowl of steamers and watch the boats head into the marina. Traditional seafood favorites such as seared scallops and fried oysters share the menu with paella and chicken pot pie. Inside are two simple dining rooms and a small bar.

The eponymous burger—smothered with a variety of cheeses, sauteed onion, and secret sauce—has quickly made this relative newcomer to Sayville's Main Street a part of the landscape and a favorite among locals looking for good, unfussy fare in a lively environment. Outdoor dining is available, and live music is offered several nights a week year-round. Selections include a half-rack of babyback ribs and classic mac and cheese. Even if you're not vegetarian or a health nut, try the delicious veggie burger, packed with spinach and sweet potato.

Locals treasure this as their secret spot—a simple roadside restaurant housed in a little red house that serves good breakfasts and lunch, as well as fresh, creative American dinner fare. People rave about the blueberry pancakes and chorizo hash. Crab cakes and chicken quesadillas are popular with the lunch crowd, and vegetables and salads couldn't get any fresher—they come from their own garden out back. A three-course prix-fixe dinner is offered for $29. If you want to make a reservation, call between 2 and 3:30.

Steamers, mussels, and fresh fish are the mainstays at this casual, nautical-theme restaurant overlooking the bay, and the big waterside deck, shaded by a tent canopy, is a great spot on a sunny day. Steaks, chops, and chicken are also on the menu, joined by salads and panini at lunchtime. The wine list features local and international selections, with 25 available by the glass. Great for family dining, there is always a lively bar and live music scene as well.

With dark-wood furniture, wood beam ceilings, and Yankees memorabilia on almost every wall, this one of the few true old-school neighborhood sports-themed bar and grills you'll find hereabouts. It's all very un-Hamptons. Established in 1980, it probably hasn't changed much since then, and the locals like it that way. There's no cocktail menu, no local wines, and if you ask what type of beer they have, they'll simply says "cold." But if you like steak, you'll love the 16-oz porterhouse marinated in Budweiser and ketchup; corn fritters are served with a zesty, creamy horseradish sauce; and if you just want a chili dog, you can get one here. The prices are also very un-Hamptons, and it's open year-round.

Part restaurant, part postwork social pub, Finn's has the feel of an Irish tavern, with lots of wood and a noise level that rises as the evening wears on. In addition to a large selection of domestic and imported beers, the pub serves hearty homemade stews and sandwiches.

This modern restaurant is a little piece of Manhattan in Greenport. North Fork sophisticates come for the small, lively bar and contemporary fare, such as Oysters Friskafella with garlic-scented spinach and chipotle. Diners can splurge on the $48, 45-day dry-aged rib-eye steak frites. It's also a popular spot for unique cocktails made with premium liquor. The restaurant does not accommodate children younger than 6.

Make your way to the counter of this small, often crowded café, and then sit at a table and watch Southampton's scene from the large windows while you wait to be served. For breakfast, try scrambled eggs on a croissant with a side of fruit. Good lunch choices include chili, vegetable lasagna, and the interesting combo sandwiches. The coffee is delicious at any time of day.

Entrées are inspired by Tuscan, Sardinian, and Sicilian cooking, and the wine list is similarly inclusive. Try the branzini (Mediterranean sea bass), which is roasted whole and then filleted at your table. You can dine on the porch overlooking the village, or sit at a candlelit table inside, where you'll be surrounded by photographs of Europe and serenaded by live jazz bands on Tuesday through Sunday nights.

The smell of coffee roasting is enough to entice you inside, but there's more: homemade nachos and salsa; breakfast to go or eat in the bright dining area, and a good range of lunch choices. Beer-battered fish and chips are a favorite, and the Mexican entrees like chicken enchiladas à la Mexicana and huevos rancheros with chorizo, avocado, and queso blanco will get your heart going. There are many low-fat, vegetarian, and gluten-free options too, including salads, sandwiches, wraps, and entrees. Bring home a pound of the fresh-roasted, estate-grown coffee.

The glass-enclosed dining room of this cozy restaurant affords stunning views of sunsets on Fort Pond, and the menu is inspired by local fresh seafood and homegrown produce. You might start with calamari salad with red pepper vinaigrette, then try the swordfish picatta with sautéed spinach, capers, olives, and cherry tomatoes, or the pork tenderloin with apricot-apple chutney with watercress pine-nut salad and Spanish prosciutto. With family-style service and often a buzzing crowd of return customers, there's a nice vibe about the place—and entrées are huge.

Ask a local about the best places to eat in Ocean Beach, and more than likely this casual waterside eatery will be on the list, and the views are spectacular, whether you eat on the deck or inside. The food, predominently seafood, is American with contemporary touches. Baked monkfish is prepared with thick-cut bacon and fingerling potatoes; paella is packed with fresh fish, shrimp, clams, and mussels; and mussels with frites comes in so many flavors it's hard to decide. The menu also includes duck, pan-roasted chicken, and a 16-oz porterhouse steak. The earlier you come, the more mellow the crowd.

Chianti bottles hang from the ceiling over tables draped in red-and-white-check cloths in the three rooms of this cozy and slightly kitschy family-friendly restaurant. Consistently good cooking and service make it a year-round favorite. Don't miss the garlic knots and the ravioli, made in-house.

The scenery surrounding the waterside tables at the Inlet Café and sushi bar is so mesmerizing that you may forget to bite into the sushi or succulent local lobster on your plate. There are four Gosman's eating establishments on the dock; this one serves fresh seafood right off the boat.

There is much debate over where you can get the best Rocket Fuel (a Fire Island specialty–piña colada with amaretto and a 151 rum floater), but many say it's here. You can also get fresh seafood, steaks, and some really good meatballs while dining bayside (the clam bake is tasty and a good value, but nothing to write home about). Serving the community for about a quarter-century, this place is an institution. There's a fun bar crowd at night.

Upscale yet reasonably priced, Jewel, by Long Island's renowned chef-restaurateur

Tom Schaudel, is sophisticated with a touch of whimsy, with its multitude of glass-ball chandeliers. The service is attentive and professional. The beet salad impresses and is a perfect starter to the millionaire's pizza with black truffle, fontina cheese, and fried egg. The salmon with thick "forbidden" coconut rice with mango vinaigrette is a stunner.

Great steaks are the draw at this elegantly upbeat restaurant, and though a meal here doesn't come cheap, fans return for the perfectly prepared food and impeccable service, starting with valet parking that rivals that of New York City's best steakhouse. Favorite main dishes include Black Angus rib eye paired with sautéed spinach and a potato pancake, and Lobster Jimmy (pan-sautéed lobster with lemon, butter, and garlic). For poultry fans, the Tuscan chicken is a flavorful choice. Dessert options include chocolate mousse, peach melba, or crème brûlée. The restaurant is about a five-minute drive from Long Beach.

If you plan to share, be prepared for an $8 sharing charge.

This year-round neighborhood joint serves delicious pancakes and creative omelets all day, along with hearty homemade soups and chowders, thick burgers, shakes, and spicy chicken-salad wraps. The fried ice cream is famous. Come at off-hours especially on weekends, because there's usually a line. Early risers can get breakfast from 6 am, and it's open every day except Christmas.

Waiters in tuxedos serve simple dishes such as broiled fish at this seafood restaurant with fireplaces and paintings of old Roslyn. Children get their own menu.

This casual spot serves good coffee, salads, rejuvenating fresh-squeezed juices and smoothies, daily breakfast and lunch specials, and exotic wraps such as the Thai Me Up, with gingered tofu or chicken with veggies in peanut sauce, or the Slum Burger Millionaire, an Indian-style tuna burger. Eat at the outdoor picnic tables or bring your meal to the beach or hotel. The place is popular for a quick bite, but there's usually a line at the counter and a bit of a wait.

A harpist plays on Monday evenings at this elegant French restaurant a few miles east of Great Neck. Try the duck à l'orange or rack of lamb with a mustard-and-bread-crumb crust, paired with one of the more than 150 selections from the wine list. A prix-fixe dinner for $39 is offered on Sunday. Reservations are essential on Saturday.

For four decades this has been the place to go for its classic Italian "red-sauce" and pizza Italian menu, huge, family-style portions, and reasonable prices. Spaghetti celestino (with tomato-cream sauce) and prosciutto with tomato and basil are favorites. Be prepared for a wait on summer weekends. Take-out and deliveries are available.

From the outside it doesn't look like much—a few tables on an outdoor porch across from the ferry terminal with a nice bay view—but inside, it's all beachy chic, with turquoise and sand-colored glass tile accents and Fire Island–themed artwork. The food is contemporary and eclectic. Duck lettuce wraps with cranberry aioli have a barbecue zing with an Asian flair, and the sushi gets high marks. The chef really gets creative with the daily specials, like Thai curry mussels and conch fritters—and that's just the appetizers. A hand-crafted cocktail is a perfect accompaniment, like Skinny Acai Lemonade with fresh-queezed lemon or blueberry mojito with perfectly muddled mint. Breakfast includes signature french toast with caramelized walnuts and fruit and a frittata with eggwhites, goat cheese, and tomato.

A warm, welcoming, busy little bistro, Le Chef serves mainly French food. Standouts include baby rack of lamb and noisettes of veal; specials on their pink restaurant board change weekly. Attracting an upscale "early bird" crowd, prix-fixe menus are available Thursday through Sunday before 6:45 pm, and brunch is offered on Sunday. This nice place, albeit a bit dated, offers a nice alternative to the twentysomething Hamptons "scene."

Set along the no-man's-land between Amagansett and Montauk, this local institution (affectionately known as "Lunch") is the proverbial shanty by the sea, with recognizable red, white, and blue awning. Attracting customers from far and wide, its booths and outdoor picnic tables are filled with people coming and going from the beach. Kids are often seen running around its grounds while carefree vacationers take in a quintessential summertime experience. They come for the fresh lobster rolls, both the classic and now also a hot variety; fish-and-chips; puffers (blowfish); and mouth-watering grilled tuna and swordfish.

So much more than breakfast, this bagel store offers a mind-boggling array of out-of-the-ordinary salads including Thai chicken salad, Buffalo chicken, taco chicken, balsamic or honey-mustard tuna, egg salad with caramelized onion and mushroom, as well as cream cheese flavors like sundried tomato–jalapeño, chocolate chip, and apple-walnut-raisin. Be prepared to wait on a long line, especially on weekends.