5 Long Island restaurants where you should eat at the bar

Eating at the bar is a taste of freedom. You can walk into a restaurant on the spur of the moment, gesture toward the bar and, before you know it, you’re in. No reservation, no fuss, no big deal. Suddenly, that weight you didn’t know was there slips off your shoulders, and you are ready for the perfect little meal with a friend—or maybe just some reading you’ve been meaning to catch up on. No matter what, your perch is an advantageous one, whether you desire quick service, social interaction or entrée into the hottest spot in town. So pull up a stool—here’s where to get started.

Schout Bay Tavern

118 Plandome Rd., Manhasset

There is more to Manhasset dining than the upscale spots in the Americana mall and the Italian trattorias that lie west on Northern Boulevard. Turn down Plandome Road and you’ll find Schout Bay Tavern, the very essence of a low-key local hangout. At Schout (pronounced “scout”) Bay, which opened in 2015, two large TVs anchor the long bar, where regulars occupy the far end, nodding to the bartender and requesting “the usual” rather than specials featured on the blackboard overhead. Chef Shawn Patrick goes beyond the usual pub fare with market fish tacos that change regularly, for instance, and Shrimpcargot — garlicky shrimp cooked in an escargot dish — simple and easy when paired with a glass of white wine or blond ale. A burger topped with smoked Vermont Cheddar, bacon and pickled green tomatoes ($15) also hits the spot. Something green, you say? Go for Kung Pao broccoli with peanuts ($9) or wok-fried spinach with mushrooms and shallots ($9). And the kettle-cooked chips with caramelized onion dip will be a winner with whatever you’re drinking. Which, before you know it, will be your usual. More info: 516-627-2190, schoutbaytavern.com

Sweet Jane

64 E. Main St., Bay Shore

This swanky Bay Shore spot, from the Tartaglia brothers (Verde Kitchen & Cocktails, Brightwaters Inn) and named after a Lou Reed song, hits all the right notes on style and substance, and it’s a prime place to settle in for elevated bar food. At lunch, think about a deviled egg tartine with a bacon-onion jam ($14) or a curried chicken sando. Or slide into evening with the help of raw bar offerings, a charcuterie board, lamb meatballs, a burger ($23) or pork Milanese ($24).

The bartenders are approachable connoisseurs who might figure you as a classic Manhattan type or (could it be the black leather pants?) suggest a cocktail such as The Living Dangerously 2.0—a silky, semisweet amalgam of mezcal, roasted pineapple, coffee-infused agave, coconut water and lime ($16). Aperitivo hour happens daily from noon to 3 p.m. with $10 drink specials, including the floral-forward Hugo Spritz (St.-Germain elderflower liqueur, prosecco, sparkling water and mint), created along the Italian-Austrian border in 2005. More info: sweetjanebayshore.com

Ixchel

130 Old Town Rd., East Setauket

While there’s a beautiful dining room at Ixchel, an East Setauket Mexican restaurant specializing in the delicacies of the Mayan people, it’s the sunken front room that begs you to take a seat. This is bar dining at its loveliest. Rock on one of the wooden swings while you ogle the backlit display of agave-based spirits, then start with a cocktail such as The Balam (“Jaguar”), made from mezcal, fresh blood orange juice, mint leaves and citrus ($15). (There are also bourbon barrel — and wine barrel–aged tequilas — something we’ve never seen outside of Mexico — as well as Mexican wines.) What better to go with your agave than tacos? Except, perhaps, sopecitos ($17), three large disks piled high with grilled steak, chicken and crumbly chorizo; a tuna tostada ($20); or a beautiful pyramid of rice and seafood ($39). Owners Daphnee and Juan Munar explained that Ixchel (“EE-shell”) is the Mayan goddess linked to the moon, rainfall, harvest times, fertility and medicine. Is this food medicinal? Yes. More info: 631-526-2004, ixchelmexicancuisine.com

Cafe Testarossa

499 Jericho Tpke., Syosset

Cafe Testarossa in Syosset was an instant hit as soon as it opened in 1988. It was the epitome of bar dining on Long Island and, more than 35 years later, both it and chef-owner Billy Sansone are still firing on all 12 cylinders. Hop up the steps to the right of the main dining room, and you’ll find yourself in the bustling bar, where customers of all ages and walks of life chat over copious amounts of Italian wine, limoncello spritzes, espresso martinis and seasonal, forthright dishes such as a poached pear and beet salad or a farro bowl with marinated artichoke hearts, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes ($18).

Housemade mozzarella gets together with roasted peppers and tomatoes and basil-infused olive oil, and the pillow-soft veal meatball sliders ($16) are irresistible. There are pizzas, too, as well as plentiful pastas—although all you might need is a bowl of light yet not insubstantial gnocchi ($19) or orecchiette with hot sausage and broccoli rabe in garlic and oil ($28). And if you’re single, stick around and sip slowly. You never know who you might meet when dining solo at this bar. More info: 516-364-8877, cafetestarossa.com

Hendrick's Tavern

1305 Old Northern Blvd., Roslyn

You may have to wait a beat for a seat at the buzzy U-shaped bar here, for this is Roslyn Village’s prime spot for a martini and a rare steak, for instance, or perhaps just a dozen littlenecks and a glass of a crisp white. But service is usually meticulous, and the serious bartenders don’t rush guests should they linger. Whether you sit next to a businessman in town for a conference, a suburban couple sneaking away for an hour or singles looking for conversation, the tavern’s low-beam ceiling and dim lighting provide the corresponding vibes. The food is on point, too: the crabmeat and shrimp cocktails ($27 and $25, respectively) are always ample and fresh; salads include a double wedge with applewood bacon ($19) to kale with mint, hazelnuts and truffled pecorino. Hendrick’s is part of the Poll brothers’ restaurant group, which counts Bryant & Cooper among its own, so it knows its way around meat. Yes, there is steak tartare, roasted bone marrow with shallot marmalade ($26), sliders or steak frites ($39), even surf and turf (MP), but the Kobe beef hot dog wrapped in puff pastry ($23) sure is tempting. More info: 516-621-1200, hendrickstavern.com

By Marie Elena Martinez

marieelena.martinez@newsday.com@mariesworlds

A global freelancer who has checked her suitcase to raise her young daughter on her native Long Island, Marie Elena will always make time for good mezcal, even better tacos and killer conversation. Preferably, in a corner bar seat. She can be found on Instagram at @mariesworldeats.