From waterfront fine dining to DJ-fuelled pizza joints, New York’s top names are heating up the Hamptons with bold new openings this summer
by KAT ODELL
WELCOME to the unofficial start of the Hamptons summertime dining season.
It will be as busy as ever out on the East End. There’s been brisk demand for houses among well-heeled buyers, according to a first-quarter report from Douglas Elliman. Earlier this year, average home price sales topped US$2 million (RM8.6 million), a new high.
It remains to be seen what the impact on the local food scene will be and whether containers of lobster salad will top the US$100 per lbs mark.
But what you will see is more New York City restaurateurs bringing concepts to the beach — especially pizza, which continues to dominate the scene. It started two years ago, when Williamsburg’s hip Fini Pizza moved into the old Astro’s Pizza space in Amagansett and the lines haven’t subsided by much.
This summer, two new pie spots arrive in the South Fork. One is the beloved Nolita thin-crust specialist Rubirosa, which will be staging an East Hampton residency through mid-September. The other is the Monaco export Crazy Pizza, known for its party vibe and dough-spinning chefs.
In other general Hamptons hospitality news, Scott Sartiano won’t be returning to East Hampton’s The Hedges with his namesake Italian restaurant this year; it quietly closed last fall after pushback from the community. (His attempt to launch an outpost of his members-only club Zero Bond was also shut down by the village.) But that doesn’t mean the party is over. Bagatelle, the global, high-energy French Riviera-inspired restaurant brand, will open in a dockside Montauk perch with all the rosé.
Also coming to the East End is the retro-themed lounge Mary Lou’s; the Palm Beach staple is opening at an undisclosed Montauk location. It will reportedly be joined by one of its famous South Florida neighbours. Swifty’s, the long-standing, now-shuttered Upper East Side restaurant beloved by New York’s elite and revived in Palm Beach is also allegedly coming to town.
And there’s more. Here are the nine new spots you’ll want to know out east, as we get ready to start the summer.
Rubirosa brings its signature tie-dye pizza to a summer pop-up near the East Hampton train station
Namiro Sushi, Southampton
A group of music industry veterans has teamed up with former Bamboo chef Raul Cruz to launch Namiro. The 3,000 sq ft, 47-seat indoor-outdoor modern Asian fusion spot will be decked out in mahogany with stone accents and a ceiling adorned in vibrant silk lanterns. On the small plate menu highlights, there’s a focus on local seafood and a wide assortment of creative maki rolls and classic nigiri, alongside a watermelon and tuna tartare and Korean-style double-fried chicken. At the 16-seat bar, there’s bottles from nearby wineries Bedell Cellars and Wölffer Estate Vineyard and Japanese-leaning drinks such as a cherry-blossom-infused Negroni. Slated to open: May 21.
Sea Salt, Montauk
The team behind the popular daytime party place Solé East Resort has flipped its indoor-outdoor poolside restaurant The Backyard into Sea Salt. The whitewashed space has been redesigned, with giant floor-to-ceiling windows and new wicker chairs draped with Scandi-style fur throws. Former Duryea’s Chef Melissa O’Donnell, who was Sole East’s opening chef nearly 20 years ago, is now in charge and she’s featuring a Medi- terranean-inspired menu with fava-purée-accented octopus confit and a rich bouillabaisse stocked with the local catch of the day; entrée prices will range from US$35 to US$50.
Cocktails from the redesigned, relocated bar (it now faces the backyard pool) are light, bright and fruit-forward, like the Hot Tauk with jalapeño-macerated tequila, watermelon, lime and agave. Slated to open: May 22.
Camp Rubirosa, East Hampton
Home to the famed pesto-drizzled tie-dye pizza, the acclaimed and perpetually packed Nolita institution Rubirosa is exporting its oversize pies and red sauce menu to the Hamptons with a summer-camp-themed pop-up running through October. Owner Maria Pappalardo and entrepreneur Brian Bedol have taken over the former Buttero space and its sizable alfresco patio on Race Lane, near the train station. The 130-seat space’s decor will include vintage water skis and wooden tennis rackets; servers will even wear camp-inspired uniforms. Expect a greatest-hits menu starring the brand’s thin-crust pies alongside pastas such as sausage and broccoli rabe cavatelli and linguine vongole. The drinks will skew Italian from wine to classic cocktails, including plenty of spritzes. Slated to open: May 23 through Oct 15.
Pomodoro pasta and Bufalina pizza are among the signature dishes at Crazy Pizza’s East Hampton location
Crazy Pizza, East Hampton
DJ-fuelled, Monaco-based Crazy Pizza is bringing its hand-spun dough theatrics to the Hamptons, specifically 47 Montauk Highway, in the former Bamboo space. It’s the brand’s second US outpost, following its SoHo debut, the 22nd globally and the first with New York’s Altamarea Group. The 2,500 sq ft restaurant will seat 100 guests (70 indoors, 30 outdoors), anchored by a 10-seat bar, where the specialty is light, spritzy cocktails, including the prosecco and grapefruit-fuelled Crazy Spritz. Like its international siblings, the East Hampton location features a retro-glam aesthetic with high-gloss red millwork, striped red chairs and outdoor seating hung with string lights.
Executive Chef Simone Cavalagli, who oversees all the locations, specialises in thin-crust pies finished with luxe toppings from house-cured ibérico to fresh black truffles. Tiramisu will be made tableside. Slated to open: early June.
Bagatelle, Montauk
Last fall, Gosman’s Dock, the nearly 80-year-old, lakeside Montauk institution that includes an ice cream shop, waterfront restaurant, cafe, clam shack and fish market was sold to Black Diamond Capital Manage- ment founder Stephen Deckoff and his son, Stephen E Deckoff. The younger Deckoff has brought on the Bagatelle Group, the global hospitality brand known for its French Riviera-styled restaurants where the brunches are bottomless, to take over the dock’s food and beverage operations. The former Gosman’s Restaurant space will be transformed into a 274-seat indoor and outdoor Bagatelle, featuring a rosé and champagne-rich wine list and Mediterranean menu from Daniel Boulud-trained Executive Chef Rémi Chevallier.
He’ll source local seafood through the dock’s market to build bespoke dishes and also offer a number of Bagatelle signatures such as an avocado-cream-topped tuna tartare with an espelette pepper vinaigrette. Slated to open: Late June.
Gigi’s Montauk, Montauk
The century-old beachfront retreat Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa unveils two new dining concepts this season. Gigi’s Montauk, which replaces Scarpetta Beach is a 2,500 sq ft space with room for 330 diners: 110 in the outdoor patio, which will continue as a day and evening gathering spot and 120 in the dining room, now with a vaulted, open-beam ceiling, textured linen accents, navy blue and gold accented seats. Former French Laundry Chef Justin Lee’s menu is conducive to sharing, with family-style dishes inspired by the resort’s seaside plot, like a giant green-garlic-accented shrimp scampi and sriracha-laced lobster. Cocktails include a spicy passion fruit margarita, which matches the colour of the sunset from the patio. Off the resort’s lobby, Dune Cafe & Lounge will serve as a coffee bar by day and a raw bar and cocktail den by night with drinks like a smoked old-fashioned. Slated to open: June 16.
Fēniks, Southampton
After running the staple seafood spot Plaza Cafe for nearly three decades, Chef Douglas Gulija and his cousin Skip Norsic are launching a new restaurant in another former Southampton institution, the old Le Chef space at 75 Jobs Lane. Fēniks, the Croatian spelling of “phoenix,” is a nod to the pair’s shared heritage and a symbol of rebirth. The modern, neutral-toned space — done in taupe, cream and char- coal, features a glass-railing-en-closed mezzanine overlooking the dining room. Between the two floors, Gulija will offer three dining experiences, each with its own New American, seafood-centred menu.
On the ground floor there’s à la carte options such as local black sea bass served over udon noodles. Toward the back, at the six-seat chef’s counter, the eight-course tasting menus starts at US$250, with plates like local corn panna cotta with basil gelée and roasted corn salsa. The lounge-like mezza-nine, outfitted with low-slung sofas and small tables, will serve drinks like the gin and yellow Chartreuse-spiked Shiso Sunbeam, plus small plates such as Montauk-sourced tuna poke with wonton chips and avocado-wasabi mash. Slated to open: Mid June.
New Looks for Summer 2025 Wayan and Ma•dé
Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten are returning to East Hampton this summer with their chic, Nolita-based French-Indonesian restaurants, Wayan and Ma•dé. They have moved the residency to EHP Resort & Marina on Three Mile Harbor, where they will take over last season’s Sunset Harbor space; it’s just steps from the dock, with indoor dining and outdoor seat- ing on the deck and in the grass. From 4pm to 6pm, the vibe is casual with smaller bites, before they move into full dinner service with dishes such as basil-accented fluke sashimi in calamansi dressing and soy-tamarind-glazed pork ribs. Slated to open: May 22 through Aug 31.
Artie’s in the Hamptons
Chef Joe Isidori is importing his New York City burger concept Artie’s Backroom to his old-school Bridgehampton red sauce spot Arthur & Sons. The Artie’s in the Hamptons menu features double smash burgers loaded with ingredients like provolone, cherry peppers and a chipotle-laced special sauce, alongside a bevy of flavoured margaritas, from strawberry to spicy watermelon. Now open. — Bloomberg
- This article first appeared in The Malaysian Reserve weekly print edition
The post Hamptons’ summer dining hit list appeared first on The Malaysian Reserve.
