Hamptons Waterfront Dining Thrives After Labor Day
By Joe Mollica
Reports on the death of summer have been greatly exaggerated. Technically speaking, the summer solstice doesn’t officially end till September 23, and with the weather still gorgeous, there’s truly no need to pack away your summer clothes just yet. There’s plenty of fun in the sun, and waterfront dining, left to have out east.
If you’re one of those, like us, who like to ride the wave of good weather into the fall, we salute you! And why not still enjoy dining on the water? We encourage you to squeeze the last juice from the lemon that is summer 2023 and support local restaurants that aren’t scared off by September.
Here’s to the handful of local waterfront dining spots that don’t throw in the towel when school starts back up. And a big cheers to enjoying a summer of food and drink on the water well beyond Tumbleweed Tuesday.
Without further adieu, a selection of local waterfront eateries you can count on to be there when everyone else has cleared out.
Hamptons Waterfront Dining After Labor Day
Executive Chef and New York City-native Melissa O’Donnell, a former winner of the Michelin Bib Gourmand prize, is garnering rave reviews for this seafood-forward eatery with a couple of interesting tricks up its sleeve. Overlooking the docks on Bay Street in Sag Harbor, dine in the kitchen or on the deck well into the fall at this terrific debut located in the American Legion building, in the former home of the popular Dockside.
26 Bay Street, Sag Harbor. sagharbor.kitchen
Drew Hiatt, the former executive chef at Topping Rose House, is building something special at Manna at Lobster Inn in Southampton Town. With an enormous lobster tank and creative seafood dishes sourced from the waters of the Shinnecock Inlet, this waterfront eatery is planning to stay open year-round and promises bigger and better surprises to come.
5 Inlet Road West, Tuckahoe. mannarestaurant.com
Surrounded by water and docks, this popular (and kid-friendly) waterfront eatery in Hampton Bays offers one of the more picturesque dining experiences on the East End. With a menu filled with unique twists on classic dishes from both land and sea, Cowfish is known for its attention to detail and stunning New American cuisine all in a year-round setting with panoramic water views.
258 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays. cowfishrestaurant.com
Inlet Seafood
Open till Columbus Day, and locally-owned by commercial fishermen since 2006, Inlet Seafood is noted for its super-fresh seafood offerings, breathtaking sunsets, and panoramic views of Block Island Sound. Dine here for pull-no-punches real “local” seafood that’s fresh off the boat.
541 East Lake Drive, Montauk. inletseafood.com
Sag Harbor restaurant the Bell & Anchor offers pristine waterfront dining, a fantastic new American menu sourced regionally, and a maritime theme year-round. Inspired by the rich and deep history of Sag Harbor, Noyac and Peconic, this is a great place for local seafood, steak, beer, vegetables and wine any time of year.
3253 Noyac Road, Sag Harbor. bellandanchor.com
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