10 Best Restaurants in Southampton, Long Island

Celebrity mom Dina Lohan (mother of Lindsay) was spotted celebrating Memorial Day here; so was actor and funny guy Jonah Hill, and on any given day you can see supermodels, sports stars, and an assortment of other A-listers hanging out here. With internationally acclaimed chef Walter Hinds at the helm, the menu offers well-prepared classic dishes like Caesar salad, penne primavera, and grilled salmon. The evening specials bring more of an international flair, perhaps moules frites in red curry and Tuscan pot roast. There's a weekend brunch as well as a menu for kids. The bar gets busy after 11 on Friday and Saturday nights thanks to a DJ and a crowd that likes to dance. Reservations are recommended.

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.

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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

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.