In the Eye of the Beholder

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but most of us can agree on the basic ingredients. Whether it’s a beautiful view, beautiful accents, or a simply beautiful setting, the Hamptons has some of the most objectively beautiful restaurants around.
All the way at the end of Long Island, in Montauk, you’ll find Scarpetta Beach, the ode to Italian food that just happens to boast one of the best locations on the Fork. Massive windows facing the roiling Atlantic Ocean — a hallmark of Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, in which the restaurant is located — provide an inimitable view. The space is open and airy, with a design that embraces natural elements. Eating at Scarpetta Beach is like eating with your toes in the sand. The beach is that close.
Of course, a restaurant need not have a water view to be beautiful. Take the Topping Rose House, in Bridgehampton, for example. The charming Colonial building, with its historic touches and warm dining room, is swathed in a different brand of beauty. Jean-Georges Vongerichten, the famous French-American chef responsible for New York City’s Jean-Georges, adds to the experience a menu of beautiful, irresistible food.
In East Hampton, Nick & Toni’s, a dominant force on the East End for three decades, offers a bright, warm dining room that is only made better and more beautiful by its curated collection of art. Throughout the restaurant, diners will see original pieces of art hanging, many of which rotate from season to season, or year to year. The regular art installations are the brainchildren of Sagaponack-based artist and Nick & Toni’s co-owner Toni Ross. Dining at Nick & Toni’s can feel like eating at a very delicious art gallery.

Also in East Hampton, The Palm serves up perfect steaks in a cozy, atmospheric space that is, by all accounts, its own brand of beautiful. Dark wood runs throughout the historic restaurant, and white tablecloths add a touch of elegance. This is a restaurant dedicated to rustic beauty. Sag Harbor’s Wölffer Kitchen, on the other hand, embraces bright, playful beauty, with its mirrored columns and florally festooned host stand. Diners can sit on the slip of patio overlooking Sag Harbor’s Main Street, where part of the inherent beauty is watching the passersby.
Southampton has its share of beautiful restaurants, too. Tutto il Giorno, an Italian restaurant, is marked by a beautifully subtle interior, full of neutral tones and candlelight. Perhaps the most beautiful part of the restaurant, though, is its outdoor patio, a tiny, private area in the restaurant’s rear, made more lovely by plants, privet, and strung lights.
No matter which hamlet or restaurant you choose, the Hamptons is full of lovely restaurants that are sure to provide you with a memorable dining experience. Eat at one or eat at them all; either way, your beauty fix is a sure thing.