Dock and Dine

Dock and Dine at These East End Waterfront Restaurants

by E.J. KELLEY

With original menus and A+ ambiance, these boat-friendly Hamptons and North Fork eateries offer a more elevated culinary experience than your run-of-the-mill fish fry.

Whether it’s the sun, the salt air, or from downing too much Summer in a Bottle on the bowrider, there’s just something about a day out on the water that makes it easy to work up an appetite. That's hardly the worst thing in a boater’s paradise like the East End, where countless eateries welcome you to quite literally float right in. Here are some of our favorite boat-friendly dining options on both forks. As with most things out here during peak season, reservations are strongly encouraged—and to avoid potential dockblocks, we strongly encourage confirming mooring/slip availability with each restaurant prior to your arrival.

Greenport — Claudio’s Waterfront

No waterfront dining round-up would be complete without Claudio’s, which until its 2018 sale enjoyed ownership by the same family for an astonishing 148 seasons. While the main restaurant has changed some over the years, the boisterous old wharf remains what it always was: a giant party all summer long with some of the freshest seafood to be found anywhere. On weekends, expect a soundtrack of live music and the gurgling revs of Cigarette racers that muscle across the Sound from Connecticut. If you’re in a hurry, the Claudio’s coterie of restaurants—we can’t forget Crabby Jerry’s, on the neighboring pier—recently added a pizza joint, perfect for grab-and-go slices and hero sandwiches (are they “subs,” if eaten al mare?) to bring back aboard the boat.

Hampton Bays — Cowfish

Set at the south end of the Shinnecock Canal, it’s no surprise this sprawling marina restaurant, with its ample slips, swoon-worthy views, and lively outdoor bar, is a magnet for boaters. Unlike at many seasonal eateries with enviable settings, and because it’s run by one of the hottest restaurant groups in the area, the food at Cowfish is also incredibly good. Expect an innovative menu sourced from land and sea—starter musts are the jalapeño skillet cornbread and lobster-stuffed mushrooms, and the pan-seared jumbo diver scallops are plump as advertised. Afterwards, hop the RumBarge to sister spot Rumba for a round of their famed rum punch mason jars. The marina is magically-lit by night, and you’ll be able to watch feeding fish, crabs and more while you wait with your drink at the dock.

Montauk — Navy Beach

The tradeoff with beachside dining is that there isn’t often dockage. While Navy Beach is no exception, their abundance of moorings, paired with the calm waters of Fort Pond Bay, offer the next best solution to this first-world problem. If you’re dining Friday through Sunday, the restaurant offers a seasonal shuttle service via their BRIG torpedo tender, which’ll whisk you James Bond-style right onto the sand without getting those linen pants wet. It’s open to reserved guests only, and like most Hamptons restaurants, you’d be wise to call ahead to confirm.

Orient — Duryea’s

For its second location, the Montauk favorite brought its same menu, glammed-up Aegean aesthetic, and order-with-a-golf-pencil format, but the Orient outpost of Duryea’s draws an entirely different scene—you’ll spot more transoms badged with Watch Hill and Lyme bobbing around the marina than double magnums of rosé in ice buckets. And unlike the tighter confines of the original, there’s substantially more dockage here, along with a swanky beach bar on Gardiner’s Bay serving oysters, seafood towers, and ice cream out of a restored vintage fifth wheel. Want to arrive by boat, but don’t have one? The Cross Sound Ferry to and from New London, CT, stops right next door.

Riverhead — Tweed’s

The North Fork is a place where plenty of deer (but no antelope) play, but few realize it’s also where the buffalo roam. Riverhead is home to Long Island’s only bison herd, which graze 240 acres north of town. Roughly two miles down the road, you’ll find various preparations of these lumbering bovines on the menu at Tweed’s. Dating to 1896, this Main Street staple is undoubtedly among the East End’s most unique eateries—and thanks to free municipal docking, you can tie up on the Peconic River right behind the parking lot. Grab kebabs, a bison reuben, or burgers to go, or eat in the throwback dining room for the leanest and most flavorful hanger steak of your life.

Sag Harbor — The Beacon

Sag Harbor has had its share of water-adjacent restaurants over the years, a scene that can at times feel like a revolving door. But The Beacon, located on the other side of the bridge from the Long Wharf ruckus, is the one locals consistently keep coming back to. Overlooking the village marina from a second-story deck, it’s more relaxed than Le Bilboquet and more singular than Baron’s Cove—but the taste level, not to mention the view, is every bit up to snuff. The menu is varied but masterfully-executed, making it a pleaser for all palates: there’s a baked halibut, a local pan-roasted blackfish served with fiddlehead ferns, one of those roasted chicken entrees you’ll actually be tempted to order from the description, and even a sans-pasta vegan lasagna. No wonder it’s been going strong since 1999.

Shelter Island — Ram’s Head Inn

Set on four acres at the far east reaches of Shelter Island, the Ram’s Head Inn feels like a world unto itself, a time jump to an alternate dimension where “Old Hamptons” hospitality still thrives and timeless cuisine is plated by—and far exceeding—today’s expectations. The hotel's well-regarded restaurant is fashionably unfussy, with indoor and patio seating, a cozy bar, and flaweless seasonal menus highlighting the local bounty with refreshing originality—the duck breast, from Crescent Farm in Aquebogue, is served over forbidden black rice. The Coecles Harbor landmark recently added eight additional moorings, making it easier than ever to arrive by sea (as many guests do). There’s water taxi service, if you’re dining on site, and they’ll also prepare gourmet picnic hampers to stock your galley.

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