Savoring Summer

Ready! Set! Go! Memorial Day signals the start of the summer season in the Hamptons. Rentals begin. Visitors arrive. Restaurants re-open. And don’t even mention the traffic!

From Memorial Day to Labor Day, there will be non-stop parties, galas, fundraisers, visits to vineyards and farm stands, boating, surfing, kayaking, fishing, paddleboarding, tennis, golf, pickleball, shopping, sunbathing, and eating, eating, eating. And the biggest Hamptons sport of all: seeing and being seen.

All of this takes place against the backdrop of ocean breezes, spectacular sunsets, and exciting celebrity sightings. Ironically, considering that the Hamptons is one of the most beautiful, exclusive, and happening coastal resorts on the planet, a number of the venues can’t resist comparing their vibes to those of St. Tropez or the Amalfi Coast.

The first big social event of the season is Dan’s Rosé Soiree Memorial Day Weekend at the Southampton Arts Center featuring 20 wines from around the world in addition to local favorites from Wölffer Estate and Channing Daughters. Next up is EHP Resort & Marina and Dan’s Light up the Night on July 11, a lively Bastille Day celebration in its fifth year.

The U.S. Open Golf Championship June 18-21 at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club will attract throngs. The Hamptons Fine Arts Fair July 9-12 at the Southampton Fairgrounds was named one of only 12 art fairs worth travelling the globe for by Forbes and attracts major collectors as well as home decorators.

All of this activity is fueled by restaurants galore. Every year there are some splashy newcomers, reliable re-openings of places that were closed in the winter, and the mainstays that have sustained the area year round for decades.

Jean’s, a buzzy fashion outpost in the city, is taking over the Old Stove Pub in Sagaponack and is making headlines even though it won’t be fully operational until 2027. Expect some dinners this summer. The iconic Greek Steakhouse was purchased by famed restaurateur Jeffrey Chodorow, and it will be run by his son Max Chodorow and Jean’s partner Ashwin Deshmukh.

Another Manhattan satellite Maison Close, a Parisian style cabaret restaurant, will open in the Capri Hotel In Southampton.

Michael Nolan, the owner of Fresno in East Hampton, will open Miracle on Main Street in Sag Harbor in the former Vin Sur Vingt space. Chef Jesus Gonzales of Fresno will also lead the modern American menu at Miracle.

John and Kelly Piccinnini, who own the Clam Bar and Sett Coffee in Amagansett, are taking over The Corner, a beloved institution in Sag Harbor, and keeping the original name as well as its signature burger and fish and chips but expect more updated comfort food. Babe’s Diner, a “finer diner”, opens on Division Street. An outpost of the Doubles in Amagansett opens in Sag Harbor. Sag Harbor Tavern is back for the season.

Springs Tavern & Grill Owner Alex Rossi will open Lion’s Nook in the Parish Mews space in East Hampton that previously housed Rowdy Hall. There’s no king of the jungle here. The name references Lion Gardiner, an early East Hampton English settler. The American restaurant will spotlight local fish and produce.

After successful seasonal popups in East Hampton last summer, both Camp Rubirosa and Wayan and Ma-De intend to become permanent fixtures. Camp Rubirosa indulges nostalgia for summer camp and serves Italian classics as well as its signature red, white, and green pizza. Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten’s Wayan and Ma-De offer French Indonesian fare in the former Sunset Harbor Space overlooking Three Mile Harbor at EHP Resort & Marina. Crazy Pizza tosses pies into its second season. Fans of celebrated chef  Rocco DiSpirito flock to Pop-up by Rocco in Southampton.

In East Hampton, Bostwick’s on the Harbor will reopen as will SiSi at the EHP Resort & Marina offering up sensational sunset views along with plenty of local seafood. Sunsets are also a big draw at The Beacon in Sag Harbor. 

Montauk will get into full swing for the season with numerous spots right on the water from fine dining at Montauk Yacht Club helmed by chef Jared McCarroll to the more casual, ever popular Duryea’s to right on the beach Marram and Navy Beach and the Surf Club to Sole East with a new dining spot called Seasalt. Ruschmeyer’s is back with summer grill favorites. Palm Beach satellite Mary Lou’s is also back. Shuck Truck from the Clam Bar will offer catering. There’s live music and a vibrant party scene at many of the Montauk spots. GiGi’s will have its first full summer season this year at Gurney’s. Bagatelle Montauk now brings French Mediterranean cuisine and joie de vivre vibes to Gosman’s Dock.  Also a new Lobster House and Clam Bar replaces the more casual Inlet Café at Gosman’s Dock and the Topside Bar returns.

And there’s so much more that’s not dependent on the water views. There’s pasta and pizza everywhere and plenty of burgers and brew. Goldberg’s has the entire area schmeared with bagels and cream cheese. Farm to table menus celebrate the bounty from local farms. Local fish and shellfish swim from lobster rolls to extravagant seafood towers. You can be a little bit fancy or French at Feniks or La Goulue sur Mer in Southampton or Pierre’s orJean-Georges at Topping Rose House in Bridgehampton or Sag Harbor’s Le Bilboquet touting St. Tropez vibes with up close views of the mega yachts. There’s delectable Mexican at El Verano in Southampton, Spanish at R.Aire in Hampton Bays, Greek at Elaia Estiatorio in Bridgehampton. Italian takes center stage at Il Buco al Mare in Amagansett, Sant Ambroeus in Southampton and East Hampton, and the Dopo Group’s spots in Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, and Southampton, and Limoncello Ristorante in Southampton. In Westhampton Beach, Sushi by Bou rolls into a second season and Suki Zuki from Water Mill opens a second location. The Rooted Hospitality Group has Hampton Bays and Westhampton Beach covered with Cowfish, Rhumba, Flora, andFauna.

More new hotel rooms will cater to people without summer rentals or house guest invitations. Faraway Sag Harbor, a 67-room boutique hotel, reimagines Baron’s Cove Inn and features a flagship restaurant called Zagara serving cuisine inspired by the Amalfi coast. In Montauk, LDV Hospitality, which also operates LDV at the Maidstone in East Hampton is opening Barlume Beach, a 19-room hotel and all-day dining beach club with 19 marina slips on 40,000 square feet of grounds overlooking Montauk harbor. LDV stands for La Dolce Vita evoking the Italian appreciation for the good life. Cheers with an Aperol spritz! Designed by Studio Tre, the club’s turquoise reflects the sea while shades of yellow are meant to reference the rising and setting sun. Chef Francesco Battisti prepares a Mediterranean inspired menu highlighting coastal seafood. Also in Montauk, 29-room Hotel Corduroy (formerly Sunset Montauk) focuses on surfing culture. These are in addition to such established hostelries as Canoe Place Inn, Topping Rose House, Gurney’s, EHP Resort and Marina, Surf Club, Sole East, Montauk Yacht Club, Southampton Inn with its restaurant Claude’s, and the refreshed Hedges Inn with Swifty’s restaurant.

New is always news but let’s have a round of applause for all the mainstays that feed the Hamptons winter and summer year after year after year: Nick and Toni’s, Almond, Bobby Van’s, American Hotel, Rowdy Hall, Townline BBQ, 75 Main, and many more.

And let’s not forget there are also some cultural things to do: the Parish Art Museum, Longhouse Reserve, The Bay Street Theater, Hampton Theater Company, Guild Hall.

Finally, there’s the grand finale The Hampton Classic horse show in Bridgehampton, the biggest social bash of all. Here’s to a fun-filled summer ahead!

Beverly Stephen writes about food, travel, design, and lifestyle. She is co-owner of Flavor Forays, a culinary travel company.