95 Best Restaurants in Long Island, New York

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.

This rustic, wood-paneled seafood restaurant with high ceilings, moldings, and brass railings at the wooden bar affords views of the harbor. Try the classic fish-and-chips or the salmon fillet with a soy-ginger glaze, asparagus, and black olives.

Enjoy creative, contemporary cuisine and sample local wines in a waterside setting at this restaurant owned by acclaimed chef Tom Schaudel and restaurateur Adam Lovett, with chef-partner Jeff Yguil at the helm in the kitchen. Deep-toned wood and a stone fireplace create a warm indoor environment, and there's seating out on the deck too. Fresh seafood is the draw here, including macadamia-crusted flounder with lime beurre blanc, four sizes of lobster, grilled calamari, Thai curry mussels, and fish tacos, but they also do a mean flatiron steak. Prices are surprisingly reasonable, and there is live music three days a week in season.

In the center of town, with outdoor seating out front, this casual restaurant attracts visitors and locals of all ages, lured by the aroma of sizzing fajitas wafting in the air and the sight of diners enjoying colorful pint-sized cocktails with fresh fruit (which are more expensive than most of the mains). While you may have to wait a bit for the server to take your order—the place gets pretty packed—you can munch on the complimentary chips with fresh salsa, and know that once your order is placed, the food will likely be out quickly. It's not gourmet dining, but the carnitas are quite tasty, the guacamole delicious, and with lots of affordable options, your wallet won't take a hit.

Anyone who has driven Main Road in Aqueboque at night, driving back from the wineries or heading home from Greenport, has most definitely noticed the Las Vegas–like sign illuminating this otherwise sleepy strip. At this unpretentious family-owned café, beloved by locals and out-of-towners alike, you'll find comfort food at its best, including Long Island duck, roast loin of pork with sauerkraut, softshell crabs, and home-baked strawberry-rhubarb and lemon-meringue pies. They do take-out too.

One of the few places in the Hamptons where you can get a glass of wine or cocktail for $10 or less, dine in a Japanese-style booth with your shoes off, or keep them on while you sit at the restful central sushi bar. The typical Japanese fare served here includes sukiyaki and tempura dishes as well as such classic sushi and sashimi as sweet-water shrimp, fluke, and sea urchin. The food is consistently good and the service is very attentive.

Standing the test of time, this rustic, homey family-run restaurant has been serving local folks and visitors for almost four decades. Bright colors, rustic wood, and lots of windows create a down-home Southwestern atmosphere. Try the mesquite-smoked barbecued brisket, served with Texas pinto beans and corn on the cob, or the juicy and tasty jerk chicken. A children's menu and coloring page and crayons are offered for the little ones. Homemade desserts like the banana cream pie are best sellers. Daily specials include $25 prix-fixe, $5 margaritas, and Sunday brunch. There's a cute outdoor seating area, but the locals seem to prefer to gather inside and enjoy the warm and relaxed vibe, even on a beautiful evening.

Locals love chef Noah Schwartz's restaurant. A Long Island native who began his career in California's wine country, Schwartz has created a menu based on farm-to-table produce, fresh and locally-sourced seafood, and artfully presented small-plate dishes. A carefully selected wine list provides for perfect pairings. The most popular dishes here are seared tuna tartare with avocado, jalapeño, and cucumber, with seaweed salad and soy vinaigrette; local seafood bouillabaisse in saffron fennel broth; and filet mignon sliders on toasted brioche with creamed spinach and truffle hollandaise. Oysters are a specialty, too. Brunch is served on weekends.

It's the unmatched marina views and an open-air bar that attract crowds in summer. Although the menu varies, the emphasis is on shrimp, lobster, and local fish. The crabcake with sweet-and-sour corn-mango chutney is a favorite. This is also a popular spot to have a cocktail while watching the sunset. There is a full schedule of live music Friday to Sunday.

Behind the plainly marked door, you will find a restaurant dressed in red and gold. You have more than 26 house specialties to choose from, including such favorites as the spicy and sweet orange beef and the Grand Marnier shrimp. Paintings of birds and a dramatic mirrored ceiling adorn the space.

This cool, casual, yet simply elegant spot on Main Street is made even cooler by having its own aquaponic garden. Hamptons veteran executive chef James Carpenter highlights fresh ingredients in his signature dishes like the sheep's ricotta gnudi with lamb meatballs and elevates a simple burger with a brioche bun and hand-cut fries; seafood proliferates on the creative, seasonal menu. The Back Page Patio Café offers casual dining and late-night bites.

Operating here since 1980, The Palm is classic Manhattan meets East Hampton. Its old-fashioned style fits perfectly with the building, parts of which were constructed in 1699. Usually crowded, the restaurant is well known for its aged prime beef, veal, fish, lobster, and high prices. Side dishes are served family style. Service is generally attentive and professional, however it can get quite busy in the summer, so for the best experience, try going in the off-season. For the Palm experience without the Palm prices, look for promotions and deals like half-price Prime Bites at primetime (5–7 pm Sunday–Friday). Desserts include a bag of warm doughnuts.

With its vaulted ceiling, exposed-wood beams, stained-glass window, and oak floors, this spacious restaurant, a branch of the famous Brooklyn steak house, resembles an English Tudor beer hall. In addition to first-rate steaks, you can order a grilled lobster with drawn butter.

This sweet little main street storefront with sidewalk tables under the awning always seems to be bustling. Take your appetite on a mini-vacation to Paris, where diners eat close to one another in true Parisian style. Try the roasted free-range chicken or a scrumptious plat du jour, which might include Sardines grillées Eschbèche or BouillabaisseMarseillaise. Desserts such as crepe au chocolat chaudare are too good to share, so be sure to get your own. For those who really want to splurge, play chef for a day and help prepare your favorite meal for a group of your friends. An adjacent gourmet market tantalilizes with prepared foods, hot and cold beverages, gelato, and baked goods, including the popular mini flourless chocolate cake.

This cozy German restaurant at the edge of Northport village is known for its sauerbraten and seafood. Candles and fresh flowers adorn the dining room, and there's often live music on the weekends.

Candle sconces flank the wonderful wraparound windows at this popular American restaurant. Fried calamari, grilled salmon with local corn, filet mignon, and Long Island duck are all good choices. Part of the space, which has bentwood chairs and white-clothed tables, is devoted to the bar. The social scene is lively here on summer nights.

In a market where restaurants come and go, this quirky spot has been around since before Prohibition. Outside, two 12-foot-tall fencing musketeers stand guard over the driveway. Inside, staff and longtime patrons are happy to show you "Nixon's booth," and share stories of former regulars Ringo Starr, Burt Lancaster, and Joe DiMaggio—in it's heyday, this was a real hotspot; check out the old newspaper clippings in a small vestibule. Today the interior is dated but cozy, the carpet is old and worn, but the food—a mix of northern and southern Italian pasta, seafood, veal, and steak—is prepared with care, and you get the kind of warm and attentive service that's all but lost in the modern world. The $25 prix-fixe menu is a great deal. Enjoy swinging lounge music on weekends.

Half a dozen kinds of fresh fish are served daily at this elegant restaurant with white tablecloths. The veal chops à la Bevanda, stuffed with cheese and prosciutto and sautéed in shallots and white wine, are a good choice for landlubbers. Reservations are essential on Friday and Saturday.

This spot is popular for Mexican takeout. With only a handful of stools and counters lining the perimeter and a busy galley kitchen, Salsa Salsa is tiny, so it's best to time your arrival to beat the lunch and dinner crushes. All the expected fare is done well, but it's truly the salsa that is memorable.

Converted out of a vacant boatyard, this fun and vibrant spot on picturesque Chase Creek was the brainchild of two Shelter Island "summer kids," Keith Bavaro and Alison Bevilacqua. The nautical-themed restaurant utilizes the most local, freshest seafood available for its raw bar, delicious fish tacos, and some Hawaiian-influenced dishes. Out back, locals and tourists mix it up at the Shipwreck Bar (Thursday–Monday), a converted 1928 scalloping ship on land. In summer it's an outdoor party with fresh cocktails—try the Whale Killer, made with local Sag Harbor Rum—lawn games, and live music. Boaters can dock at the Island Boatyard and walk up to the restaurant and bar; day passes are also available for non-boaters for use of the pool, lounge area, and shower facilities.

An attractive, black-clad staff serves sushi and other Japanese dishes to the hip crowd that frequents this place. Sashimi and rolls of all varieties are available; teriyaki dishes, vegetable, noodle, and fresh-fish dishes round out the menu, which includes an extensive sake list. Try the steamed pork buns.

Ceiling fans whir above white linen–cloaked tables and terra-cotta floors at this Italian restaurant, which specializes in brick-oven pizza and homemade pastas, like shrimp-and-porcini tortellini and farfalle with salmon.

Don't expect high-end dining; the place is pretty much your local neighborhood dive, but the food is well liked and well prepared. The specials change daily, but are good, straightforward dishes such as cedar-planked salmon, beer-battered fish-and-chips, and chicken saltimbocca. There are always cool people here, so the bar scene makes the wait for a table on weekends bearable.

Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this retro luncheonette serves the usual casual fare: burgers, sandwiches, omelets, salads, and homemade ice cream.

This good ole' family BBQ offers an alternative to the East Hampton scene. Barbecued ribs and chicken are the big draw, but the quesedillas, wraps, and salads are also quite popular. Enjoy a beer or scoop of Hershey's ice cream at the outdoor picnic table seating or dine indoors year-round at this family-friendly spot. It's outside the village with its own lot, so parking is easy here. Catering is available for events and house parties, and you can call ahead for take-out.

The food here is OK, but the beer is great, and it's a fun place to come with family and friends. Acclaimed microbrews and flavored ales go well with its burgers, wings, clam fritters, beer-battered shrimp, crab cakes, steak sandwiches, and pastas. Enjoy a Double White, Montauk Light, or seasonal beer like the Summer Blonde, and take in a televised sporting event on a Sunday afternoon. Brunch happens here on weekends as well. Grab a beer and expect a wait, even if you have reservations.

The dining room of this sophisticated see-and-be-seen restaurant has artwork, white linens, large windows, and simple wooden chairs. The New American fare featuring prime steaks and local seafood is just as attractive. The menu changes daily, and each dish, though it's on the expensive side, is unforgettable. Start with lobster bisque, followed, perhaps, by laquered Half Crescent Farm duckling or pan-seared dolphin. Diners with heartier appetites can opt for the grilled Kobe flatiron steak. There's open-air dining on the patio, which has a waterfall. A $35 prix-fixe menu is available, as well as specials like Monday night's all-you-can-eat lobster bake.

Bringing a fun, Key West vibe to Fire Island, this restaurant and bar hosts live music and weekly events like tacos and trivia, Italian night, lobster bash, and an occasional clam shucking contest, wine festival, or drag show. The menu consists of some simple favorites like burgers, lobster rolls and wings, pasta, and fresh salads, and there's also a sushi menu and raw bar for more adventurous eaters.

There's a definite West Coast vibe to this café. Head to the counter to order chicken salad, a wrap, carrot-ginger soup, or one of the satisfying home-cooked vegetarian selections, then settle into a big comfortable chair or couch in the rear (adults only here). Occasionally there's live music on weekend afternoons. The place is open only until 5 pm.

True, the tuna sashimi appetizer is $23, but what else could you expect for romantic high-end dining in paradise—and with live music and a drag-queen bartender, this swanky place is anything but boring. It's one of the more upscale places on Fire Island, with a history dating back to its inception in the 1970s as the Island Queen. Dishes might include seared scallops with raisin gartique, Lobster pot pie, or the bistro burger. You can dine inside or out at this harborside eatery.