11 Best New York Restaurants On Long Island Worth Visiting This Year
Salt hangs in the air, tables fill up fast, and the view does half the talking before the food even arrives. Long Island has no shortage of places to eat, but the right restaurant changes the whole pace of the day.
New York feels different out here, a little more open, a little more relaxed, and built for lingering longer than planned.
Some spots lean into the water, others tuck into busy village streets, but each one earns its reputation the same way. Consistent food, a setting that pulls you in, and just enough buzz to make it feel like you picked well.
Weekends can get busy, and for good reason. Pick your moment carefully, settle in, and you’ll see exactly why these restaurants keep drawing people back year after year.
1. Nick & Toni’s
Few restaurants on Long Island carry the kind of reputation that Nick and Toni’s has built over more than three decades in East Hampton. The place opened in 1988 and quickly became the go-to spot for anyone who wanted seriously good Italian-Mediterranean food without the stuffiness of a formal dining room.
The wood-burning oven is the heart of this kitchen and you can taste it in every dish.
Located at 136 North Main Street in East Hampton, the restaurant draws from local farms and the surrounding land to build a menu that changes with the seasons. That means what you eat in July is going to taste completely different from what lands on your table in October, and both versions will knock your socks off.
The roasted chicken from that wood-fired oven is practically legendary.
The crowd here is a mix of Hamptons regulars, celebrities, and food lovers who made the trip specifically for this meal. The room feels warm and grounded, not showy, which is honestly a rare thing out east.
If you are planning a special dinner on the East End, this is the reservation you want to lock down first. Book early because tables go fast.
2. Harvest On Fort Pond
Sitting right on the edge of Fort Pond in Montauk, Harvest on Fort Pond gives you one of the most genuinely beautiful dining settings on all of Long Island. The views alone could justify the trip, but the food makes sure you never forget why you actually sat down.
Fresh, local, and beautifully prepared are the three words that come to mind every single time.
The restaurant is located at 11 South Emery Street in Montauk, and the outdoor deck is the kind of spot you want to live on during a Long Island summer. The menu leans heavily on what the local waters and farms are producing at any given moment, so you will find incredibly fresh fish, vegetables, and herbs that taste like they were pulled from the ground that morning.
Because they probably were.
The pasta dishes here are crafted with real care and the seafood preparations never feel overdone or too complicated. Everything has a clean, honest quality that lets the ingredients speak for themselves.
Locals know this place well, which is always a good sign. If you can snag a table on the deck during golden hour, you will spend the rest of the summer telling everyone you know about this meal.
That is just how it goes.
3. Lobster Roll Restaurant
Known to locals simply as LUNCH because of the giant sign out front, the Lobster Roll Restaurant on Montauk Highway is one of those places that has been feeding Long Islanders and Hamptons visitors since 1965. That kind of staying power does not happen by accident.
When a seafood shack survives sixty years on a stretch of road full of competition, the food must be doing something very right.
You will find this beloved spot at 1980 Montauk Highway in Amagansett, and the lobster roll itself is the undisputed star of the menu. Packed with fresh, chilled lobster meat and served on a toasted split-top bun with just enough mayo to hold things together, it is the kind of sandwich that makes you want to eat it standing up in the parking lot before you even get back to your car.
No judgment here.
The menu goes well beyond lobster rolls though, with clam chowder, fried seafood platters, and other classic New England-style dishes that hit every single time. The setting is casual and unpretentious, which is exactly what great seafood deserves.
Lines can get long during peak summer weekends, so arriving a little early is always a smart move. A little patience earns you one of the best bites on the entire island.
4. Joanina
Portuguese cuisine does not always get the spotlight it deserves on Long Island, and Joanina in Mineola is here to fix that. The restaurant brings bold, soulful flavors from the Portuguese tradition to Nassau County and does it with a level of care and technique that puts it firmly in the conversation for best dining experience on the island.
The food here tastes like someone actually loves what they are cooking.
Joanina is located at 35a Gerard St, Huntington, NY 11743, and the menu is built around dishes that are deeply rooted in Portuguese culinary tradition while still feeling fresh and relevant. The bacalhau, which is salt cod prepared in various ways, is a must-try for anyone curious about the cuisine.
The seafood in general is handled with real skill and the flavors are layered in a way that keeps you thinking about each bite long after you have finished.
The room is intimate and thoughtfully decorated, giving the whole experience a personal, almost homey quality that you do not always find at restaurants operating at this level. Service is attentive and genuinely warm, which makes a big difference when you are trying something new.
For Long Islanders looking to branch out from the usual Italian and American options, Joanina is the kind of discovery that feels like a genuine gift. Go hungry and go curious.
5. Verona Ristorante
Port Washington has a gem hiding in plain sight and its name is Verona Ristorante. The restaurant delivers classic Italian cooking with a level of consistency and heart that keeps regulars coming back week after week.
Good Italian food on Long Island is not hard to find, but great Italian food with this kind of atmosphere is a different story entirely.
Verona is located at 1255 Melville Rd, Farmingdale, NY 11735, and the menu covers the full range of Italian classics done properly. The handmade pasta is a genuine highlight, with textures and flavors that remind you why pasta made by hand is in a completely different league from anything that comes out of a box.
The sauces are rich without being heavy, balanced and deeply satisfying in every way.
The room itself has that warm, candle-lit quality that makes Italian restaurants feel like the best idea anyone ever had. The staff knows their regulars by name, and first-timers get treated just as well.
Portions are generous without being excessive, which means you can actually make it to dessert, and you absolutely should. The tiramisu alone is worth building your evening around.
If you are in Nassau County and you want a proper Italian dinner that feels like a real occasion, Verona is the answer you have been looking for.
6. ITA Kitchen
Garden City’s ITA Kitchen is the kind of Italian restaurant that feels current without trying too hard. The menu is rooted in Italian tradition but approached with a modern sensibility that keeps things exciting and fresh.
You are not going to find red-checked tablecloths here, but you are going to find some seriously good food that earns every bit of the buzz around it.
The restaurant is located at 9 Nassau Blvd, Garden City South, NY 11530, and the open kitchen concept lets you watch the team at work, which adds a nice energy to the whole experience. The wood-fired pizzas are exceptional, with a crust that has just the right amount of char and chew.
The pasta program is equally strong, with house-made options that show real craftsmanship and a genuine understanding of Italian cooking technique.
What sets ITA Kitchen apart from the crowd is the balance between quality and accessibility. The food is polished but the vibe never feels stiff or overly formal, making it a great choice for everything from a casual weeknight dinner to a celebratory meal with people you actually want to impress.
The staff is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu, which always makes ordering more fun. First-timers should absolutely ask for recommendations because the team here knows exactly what they are most proud of serving.
7. Jerry & The Mermaid
Long Beach already has a lot going for it as a destination, and Jerry and the Mermaid makes the food scene there even harder to ignore. The restaurant has built a loyal following by serving up fresh, well-executed seafood in a setting that feels genuinely relaxed and fun.
The name alone should tell you that the people running this place have a sense of humor, and the food backs that personality up completely.
You can find Jerry and the Mermaid at 469 E Main St, Riverhead, NY 11901, right in the heart of a neighborhood that loves its local spots. The menu is anchored by seafood but offers enough variety that non-seafood eaters in your group will not feel left out.
The fish tacos have developed a real following, and the raw bar selections are always fresh and well-sourced. The kitchen keeps things clean and unfussy, letting the quality of the ingredients do the heavy lifting.
The atmosphere is casual and social, the kind of place where you end up staying longer than you planned because you are having too good a time to leave. Families, couples, and groups of friends all seem equally at home here.
The service moves at a pace that feels comfortable rather than rushed. Long Beach locals treat this place like their own personal treasure, and honestly, after one visit, you will completely understand why they feel so protective of it.
8. Bigelow’s New England Fried Clams
Some places do not need a fancy concept or a celebrity chef to be absolutely essential. Bigelow’s New England Fried Clams in Rockville Centre has been doing one thing extraordinarily well since 1939 and that thing is fried clams.
When a place has been frying clams for over eighty years and still has a line out the door, you know you are dealing with something special.
The address is 79 North Long Beach Road in Rockville Centre, and the setup is about as no-frills as it gets. You order at the counter, you grab your food, and you enjoy one of the crunchiest, most satisfying fried seafood experiences on the entire East Coast.
The whole clams are the move here, not the strips, and the batter is light and crisp in a way that somehow never feels greasy. That is a harder trick to pull off than it sounds.
The onion rings and clam chowder are both worth ordering alongside your main event, and the prices remain genuinely reasonable for what you get. Cash is preferred so come prepared.
The spot has an old-school charm that feels completely authentic rather than manufactured, which is refreshing in an era where every restaurant seems to be performing nostalgia. Bigelow’s is the real thing.
If you have never been, you owe yourself the trip. If you have been, you already know exactly what we are talking about.
9. All American Hamburger Drive-In
There is something deeply satisfying about a burger place that has refused to change for over sixty years. All American Hamburger Drive-In in Massapequa has been serving its famous burgers since 1963 and the menu has stayed almost exactly the same the whole time.
That kind of commitment to a formula is not stubbornness. It is confidence born from knowing you got it right the first time.
Located at 4286 Merrick Road in Massapequa, the drive-in operates on a simple premise: make a great burger, keep the prices fair, and treat the people who show up with respect. The burgers are thin-patty style, cooked on a flat top, and served with a satisfying snap and sizzle that you can smell from the parking lot.
The crinkle-cut fries are the kind that crisp up on the outside while staying fluffy inside, which is exactly how fries are supposed to work.
Long Island natives have been bringing their kids here for generations, which means there are adults in their forties and fifties who grew up eating these burgers as children and still make the trip regularly. That kind of multigenerational loyalty is not something you can manufacture with a good marketing budget.
The menu is short, the execution is consistent, and the whole experience feels like a genuine slice of Long Island history. Go once and you will be planning your return before you finish your last fry.
10. Maureen’s Kitchen
Breakfast culture on Long Island is serious business and Maureen’s Kitchen in Smithtown sits at the very top of that conversation. The place has earned a devoted following through years of serving breakfast and brunch that genuinely tastes like someone made it with care and good intentions.
The kind of breakfast that makes you feel like everything is going to be okay today.
You will find Maureen’s Kitchen at 108 Terry Rd, Smithtown, NY 11787, and the lines on weekend mornings are a reliable sign that the locals have long since figured out what is going on here. The menu is packed with creative, satisfying options that go well beyond the standard diner fare.
The stuffed French toast is frequently cited as a life-changing experience by people who are not typically prone to hyperbole. The pancakes are thick, golden, and genuinely fluffy in a way that feels almost unfair.
The space itself is cozy and full of character, with a warmth that makes you feel like you have been coming here for years even on your first visit. The staff keeps things moving efficiently without ever making you feel rushed, which is a real skill during a busy brunch service.
Portions are generous and the coffee is kept topped off without you having to ask. Maureen’s Kitchen is the kind of breakfast spot that ruins all other breakfast spots for you in the best possible way.
11. Love Lane Kitchen
The North Fork of Long Island has been quietly building one of the most exciting food cultures in the entire state and Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck is one of the best arguments for making the drive out there. The restaurant operates with a farm-to-table philosophy that is not just a marketing phrase here.
The ingredients genuinely come from the surrounding North Fork farms and the difference is completely obvious on the plate.
Located at 240 Love Lane in Mattituck, the restaurant sits on one of the most charming little streets on the entire island, which already puts you in a great mood before you even sit down. The menu changes regularly to reflect what is fresh and available locally, so each visit has the potential to feel like a completely new experience.
The breakfast and brunch offerings are particularly celebrated, with egg dishes and baked goods that showcase locally sourced ingredients in the most delicious ways possible.
The vibe is relaxed and genuinely welcoming, the kind of place where you linger over your meal because there is no reason to rush and every reason to stay. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable about the sourcing behind the menu, which adds an extra layer of appreciation to what you are eating.
Love Lane Kitchen captures everything that makes the North Fork special and puts it directly on your fork. That is a very good place to be.