Let There Be Light

The Best Bright and Airy Dining Rooms on the East End for Spring.

The weather outside is no longer frightful. So where should you head for your next meal? In honor of the changing season, we’re looking toward dining rooms that are bright, airy, and full of the warm weather vibe. From Hampton Bays to Amagansett, here are some of our favorite places to grab breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The vibe is clean and crisp, the food is on point, and the table is just waiting for you. Make your plans now. 

Part of Canoe Place Inn & Cottages in Hampton Bays, Good Ground Tavern is a lovely place to while away an evening. The restaurant’s white wood-slat ceiling provides a warm atmosphere and design details like patterned tile and beadboard make this restaurant one of the brightest and most welcoming on the East End. Grab a dozen Peeko oysters on the half shell (served with a finger lime mignonette); a plate of the compelling jumbo lump crab dip; and your favorite book, read without interruption in one of the best spots on the East End. This is a place for a long and leisurely spring evening. 

Sleek, airy, and full of springtime appeal, the Pantigo Road outpost of Carissa’s Bakery is a bright and airy place to spend a morning, afternoon, or evening. The bakery-cum-restaurant serves breakfast until 11 a.m. (think breakfast tacos wrapped in heirloom corn tortillas; a smoked whitefish tartine; or a warm grain porridge, topped with dates and maple syrup), as well as sandwiches and bowls all day. The jamon beurre, a take on the French classic sandwich of ham, butter, and cornichons served on baguette, is made better with the bakery’s fresh-baked bread. A crisp white interior, accented by flowers and modern touches (carafes, carefully curated grab-and-go items) makes this stalwart a favorite in the warmer months. 

Amagansett’s Meeting House has gone through several incarnations, but the newest version is a delightful space that brings the outside in. Stained glass windows and graphic modern artwork offer a touch of modern design while herringbone floors — wood — keep the space warm, open, and alive. A regularly changing menu leans into seasonal offerings, but those looking to take advantage of the spring season are sure to enjoy the restaurant’s signature chopped salad, which comes with a delicate Dijon-lemon dressing. An American bistro that feels just right for spring? Count us in. 

Year-rounders will tell you that there is never a bad time to catch a meal at Pierre’s, Bridgehampton’s signature French restaurant. The onion soup? As delicious in spring as it is in fall. Skinny and immaculately salted pommes frites? De rigueur. And, as far as dining rooms on the East End go, Pierre’s is about as fresh and airy as it gets. Decorated in a clean white palette that reflects a bit of the south of France, the restaurant is the epitome of bright and airy. Come for the atmosphere, stay for the decadent French food, and catch up with an old friend or colleague while people-watching out the Main Street-facing windows in Bridge. Yes, please.