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50 best restaurants on Long Island

NewsdayTV's Jasmine Anderson sat down with Newsday's FeedMe team to talk about the top 50 restaurants project. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp

NewsdayTV's Jasmine Anderson sat down with Newsday's FeedMe team to talk about the top 50 restaurants project. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp

Wait, top 50 restaurants? That’s right — FeedMe’s annual list of Long Island’s best restaurants has gotten shorter. Yet, the dining scene is better than ever. Food critics Andi Berlin, Erica Marcus, Marie Elena Martinez and Scott Vogel have been so invigorated that they were inspired to winnow 100 great restaurants to 50 extraordinary ones.

Choices reflect Long Island’s diversity of geography and cuisines, price points and formality. From the grandest steakhouse to the humblest noodle shop, the best restaurants not only serve great food but deliver personality, style and charm.

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Bigelow's

This South Shore institution known for its Ipswich clams from New England celebrates its 85th anniversary this year.

Bird & Bao

The buns, paired with spices that make them sing, have only gotten more extraordinary over the years.

Blackbird Kitchen & Cocktails

This 8-year-old eatery has become a standard-bearer for modern dining on Long Island.

Bryant & Cooper

Meat-lovers know a classic steak house when they see it — don't miss the creamed spinach.

Edoardo's Trattoria

The cozy ambience of Italian destinations is evoked in in a prime corner of Huntington village.

El Verano

Though it means “summer” in Spanish, the Hamptons' El Verano is open year-round.

Ephesus

Find excellent Mediterranean food in a setting that feels like you are a guest in the chef-owner’s home.

Foster

With minimal signage and a clubby atmosphere, this spot is almost too contemporary for the picturesque village of Sea Cliff.

Four

Four is a splurge-worthy Friday and Saturday night only affair.

Ginza

Sit at the sushi bar while the chef prepares, explains and serves the day’s most exciting offerings.

Hermanas

You won’t find authentic regional Mexican cuisine here, but dishes have an internal logic that renders them delicious.

Kababjees

A carnivore’s paradise, this restaurant devotes about half the menu to Pakistani-style kebabs.

Korean Grill

This eatery takes Korean barbecue up a notch, with live coals that give meat a crunchy char.

Kyma

This beach party of a Greek seafood restaurant is the closest you’ll get to Santorini on Long Island.

La Mesa

Who knew that Filipino and Salvadoran cuisine have so much in common?

Léon 1909

There are more spectacular settings for dinner on Shelter Island, but once you’re here, you’ll forget you’re dining at a former bank.

Lido Kosher Deli

Meals at this family-owned gem have started with coleslaw and a pickle since 1986.

Little Gull Cafe

The decor in this decommissioned train station mixes vintage furniture and railroad paraphernalia with a painting of Vegas-era Elvis Presley.

Lola

The hummus is a standout here, whether naked or topped with roasted mushrooms or chicken shawarma.

Lost & Found/Lost at Sea

This pair of impossibly small bistros feels like a small-plate party at the chef’s house.

Luca

It's a modern Italian American restaurant with bold flavors and high elegance.

Mala Madre Taqueria

Focused on south-of-the-border specialities, this taqueria stands out for its cochinita pibil and chorizo tacos.

Mithaas

This Hicksville strip mall spot stands out for its savory street snacks and colorful Indian sweets.

New Fu Run

This swanky establishment brings the cuisine of Dongbei, China to Long Island.

Nick & Toni's

The dishes change seasonally at this East End eatery, which augments its menu with an on-site garden.

North Fork Table & Inn

There’s no better exemplar of "rustic elegance" on Long Island.

O Mandarin

The refined yet authentic dishes and fine-dining prices are worlds away from takeout.

Orient Garden

Is there anything more Long Island than a banquet-style Cantonese restaurant operating in an old diner?

Osteria Umbra

Italian restaurants namechecking Tuscany are a dime a dozen, but you don’t often encounter ones that declare their allegiance to Umbria.

Peter Luger

Nothing has changed since this stalwart, throwback steakhouse opened in 1960.

Pio Pio

The huge, high-ceilinged, light-filled space is divided into a chic bar and a bohemian dining room.

Ravagh Persian Grill

Kebabs rule at this proud exemplar of Persian cooking.

Salumi/Plancha

The sister restaurants are relaxed spots serving exceptional cheeses and cured meats, plus Spanish-style tapas.

Sichuan Garden

Everyone may be hopping on the Sichuan bandwagon, but this spot is operating at a level above the pack.

Small Batch

The Roosevelt Field eatery is a standout bistro that focuses on local ingredients.

Splendid Noodle

This is the rare Long Island spot serving fresh hand-pulled noodles.

Sripraphai

One visit is not enough to tackle the encyclopedic menu.

Stellina Ristorante

The menu is enormous and sprawls all over Italy and beyond.

Stone Creek Inn

This is one of Long Island’s most dependable fine-dining restaurants.

Taka Sushi

Settle in at the sushi counter and ask for the omakase, or chef’s choice.

Tellers: An American Chophouse

Celebratory meals loom large at this storied former bank, now a luxe steakhouse.

The Onion Tree

Here, you'll find a fierce combination of Indian-inspired pizza toppings piled atop an assertively puffy crust.

The Plaza Cafe

For more than 25 years, it's been swimming against the current in the Hamptons, where every season seems to bring a shuffle of new spots.

The State Room

The small-plates eatery is a standout for its creative takes on seasonal fare.

The Trattoria

This go-to spot at the back end of a hidden strip mall packs a quiet, intimate meal.

Tiga

Rolls are playful and creative at sushi spot with a rock-and-roll vibe.

Tonnam Thai

This hidden gem serves flawlessly executed Bangkok street food.

TownLine BBQ

This roadside barbecue spot overachieves in the art of smoked meat, and whiskey, too.

Yamaguchi

When it opened in 1988, Yamaguchi was one of very few sushi bars on Long Island; now it's one of several within a three-block radius.

Youta Ramen

Two old friends have created a shrine to their shared love of the savory Japanese kitchen and tonkotsu ramen in particular.

ABOUT THIS SERIES

Newsday restaurant critics strive to dine anonymously while reviewing and pay their own way. Editorial decisions are made independent of any advertising and marketing relationships eateries may have with the company; the only thing restaurants could do to get on this list was to blow us away. In this year’s expanded write-ups, we’ve given a sense of every establishment’s history, vibe and ambitions. Menus and prices change frequently — if you are looking for a specific dish or have a firm price ceiling, call ahead.

Credits

Reported by: Andi Berlin, Erica Marcus, Marie Elena Martinez and Scott Vogel

Editors: Shawna VanNess, Jane Lear

Interactive Editor: Meghan Giannotta

Design: Jen Brown and James Stewart

Development: Seming Lin, Mark Levitas, Peter Sekesan, Christopher McLeod, and TC McCarthy

QA: Daryl Becker and Sumeet Kaur

Copy Editor: Estelle Lander

Photo Editor: David Rosenberg

Video Editor: Susan Yale

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