New Long Island restaurants to try

Umami, Albertson

You can sit at the brightly lit sushi bar and work your way through a 13-course omakase dinner or enjoy a looser meal in one of the many wood paneled dining nooks or the circular booths at the front. This upscale sushi spot has something of everything: specialty rolls, ramen, kushiyaki skewers, as well as sushi and sashimi, albeit at slightly higher prices. Other delights from the menu include a perfectly rendered fillet of miso black cod, a small plate of shima aji, and lean strips of striped jack. There's also a selection of sake.

Southdown Coffee, Point Lookout

Coffee snobs no longer have to trek to the North Shore or Patchogue when they want a fancy pour over. The Huntington establishment quietly opened its seventh location in Point Lookout this May, and the crowds have been steadily building. The small space that previously housed The Food Mill now has the characteristic bright and clean look that put Southdown on the map, along with some stunning sea foam green tile work. The space is currently serving an abridged food menu as well as a few pastries like their fabulous polenta olive oil cake. 

d’eCaffe, Long Beach

After several years in San Diego, Francesco Manfredi returned to Long Island with a chic Italian cafe-bakery on the main drag in Long Beach, on Park Avenue. Classically trained at the Etoille Institute of Venezia in San Diego, he's appeared on the Food Network and previously led the pastry program at Leonetti Pastry Shop in Greenvale. His wife, Mea, works the counter, serving up espresso drinks as well as gorgeous cakes and croissants dipped in chocolate and pistachio. The lobster tails are also fantastic, with flaky shell dough that gives way to a fat layer of custard.

Dim Sum Bloom, Rockville Centre

Dim Sum Bloom is an expanding group of fast-casual dumpling spots that started on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The dumplings are often prepared at the Manhattan location by a team of Cantonese chefs and reheated at the various takeout locations. The restaurant also serves claypot rice dishes with traditional toppings like fish fillet and cordyceps flower, a stringy fungus used in Chinese cooking. You'll also find stir-fry robot machines that prepare classic American-Chinese dishes like kung pao chicken, lo mein and fried rice.

43 Green, Huntington

When Sandra Finley and her late husband, John, established Finley’s of Green Street in 1992, the establishment consisted of two buildings. For 32 years, the storefront has remained a casual pub, but the house has hosted a series of restaurant concepts. In June, Sandra launched what she hopes will be its final iteration: 43 Green. Diners can expect a New American menu of seafood selections, a raw bar, a 43 burger (topped with balsamic onions, Gruyère, sriracha aioli and arugula), a New York strip steak and “naked chicken,” half a bird, pan roasted with wild mushrooms and fava beans. Heading into more French territory are mussels and rack of lamb with ratatouille and duck à l’orange. 

Pookaberry Cafe, Mattituck

This quirky pop art cafe is located in a two-story building just opposite the Mattituck LIRR station. Its menu is overwhelming: it starts with Filipino standards, then comes more arcane Filipino dishes and Asian fare; Japanese tempura and ramen, Korean kimchi. Then there’s no stopping the menu: gazpacho, pierogies, falafel, burgers, churros, peanut butter brownies, tiramisu and the elaborate Filipino parfait halo halo. There are dozens of teas, coffees, international sodas and juices. The full bar has everything you’d expect — plus a deep bench of aperitifs and digestifs. The co-owner, Peter, who is an artist, wants Pookaberry to be a showcase not only for his creations, but for local artists, poets and musicians.

Shands General, Patchogue

When the State Room opened last summer in Patchogue, the 30-seat restaurant was the thin edge of a wedge with broad culinary ambitions. Now the same team opens Shands General on the first floor of the same historic building. The menu here relies on local ingredients; starters include clams and oysters on the half shell and tahini Caesar salad. There are homemade pastas such as garganelli with summer herb pesto and linguine with clams and sea beans. Among mains are pork shoulder steak frites, fried chicken with seasonal pickles and broiled cod with Long Island grits.

Dosenbo Sushi and Hibachi, Long Beach

The barrier island's culinary heart is the West End, which hasn't welcomed many new restaurants in the past few months. But you will find a new storefront selling casual Japanese dishes and takeout sushi. Formerly China Wok, Dosenbo has a reliable menu that includes Japanese rice bowls, ramen dishes and varieties of teriyaki. The sushi selection is also substantial for such a tiny place, but since there are only a couple tables you'll probably want to just grab some takeout and head to the beach (a block away). The sushi lunch special is a good deal as it comes with five nigiri, a California roll and miso soup for $13, cheaper than supermarket sushi and better, too.

Reynolds and Vine, Point Lookout

It helps to make a reservation for this new bistro in Point Lookout, because the restaurant has been busy since it opened in late March. The space has been given a refresh from its days as The Point Bar & Grill. The new interior has an “Old Man and the Sea” look to it, with navy blues and a low ceiling that makes you feel like you're in a boat. The approachable menu includes wings, burgers and a few entrees in the $30 range. 

Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, Uniondale

With more than 50 shops across the country, Long Island's first Van Leeuwen Ice Cream location is at Roosevelt Field. Its French-style ice cream is made with double the number of egg yolks as standard ice cream, producing a custard-like treat that’s richer than your run of the mill scoop. Their vegan ice cream, made with oat milk, cashew milk and coconut cream, is equally smooth. Opening flavors include a snappy honeycomb, pistachio, marionberry cheesecake, sour cherry creamsicle, praline butter cake and Earl Grey tea, plus vegan flavors including churros and fudge, peanut butter brownie honeycomb and strawberry shortcake.

The Ketch, Westhampton

This new eatery replaces Buoy One seafood restaurant, which closed in February after 13 years. The new owners, a husband-and-wife team, gave the rustic, whitewashed restaurant a gentle refresh but left alone the layout: a large dining room, a bar that seats 24 people and, outside on the patio, another bar and more tables. The menu leans hard on fish: Starters include clams or oysters on the half shell, mussels, fried calamari and seafood poutine; entrees are flounder Milanese, linguine in clam sauce, sea scallops with herb risotto, grilled swordfis and homemade lobster ravioli. There's also non-seafood items, like braised pork belly, fish tacos and flatiron steak.

Sag Harbor Tavern, Sag Harbor

If you know about the Red Hook Tavern burger — a hit in Brooklyn, the stuff of cheeseburger legend — you’re in luck; a sister restaurant has opened Sag Harbor Tavern, and yes, that burger is on the menu. Located in the American Legion hall near the marina, this tavern offers a nod to local fluke, steamers and three varieties of North Fork oysters. There’s also squid ink tagliatelle, mussels, fish and chips, a branzino, pasta and steak.

Venchi, Uniondale

In this new shop, a rainbow of Wonka-esque chocolate bars and shiny, wrapped candies in flavors like crème brûlée, strawberry and stracciatella adorn the walls. Choose from lavishly packaged gift boxes featuring high-quality ingredients like Piedmont hazelnut, green pistachio, almond and certified cocoa or select by the half-pound for a mixed stash. Venchi chocolates are gluten-free; some are vegan. Venchi's gelato is not to be missed — it's made daily in 24 flavors, from pistachio to caramel to cappuccino. You can coat your cup or cone with a customized rim of Venchi’s hazelnut and chocolate spread. There are also Italian coffees, hot chocolate and crepes.

Just Salad, Hauppauge

NYC-based Just Salad reached a milestone on Long Island with the opening of its fifth store in Hauppauge. Diners choose a lettuce, wrap or grain bowl base, then pile on veggies, proteins, crunchy toppings and housemade dressing. The same instructions apply to wraps and bowls with warm ingredients ranging from sweet potatoes to brown rice to quinoa. There’s also avocado toast and soups. Smoothies round out the offerings and cater to diets ranging from vegan to keto, paleo and gluten free.

Twisted Greek, East Northport

Three childhood friends took over the former D.J.’s Clam Shack space and turned it into this fast-casual Greek spot that offers fried “bites” including zucchini croquettes, pillowy, creamy nuggets dipped in tzatziki — or halloumi fingers, a chewier counterpart to mozzarella sticks. There's also a combo of Greek dips served with pita triangles. For main courses, chicken, shrimp and pork souvlaki “stix” of meat are sold in boxes of 6, 12, or 18, while traditional gyro and souvlaki pitas and plates, which include a Greek salad, include a choice of fries or rice, and pita. There's vegetarian-friendly falafel, salads, lentil and avgolemono soups, too.

Fyr & Salt, Cutchogue

This new cafe and market at 8 Hands Farm in Cutchogue has a menu that features sandwiches such as eggs with house-smoked pastrami, Gruyere and pickled onion; house-cured ham with Havarti, pickles and mustard. All sandwiches are on homemade bread. There are must-be-eaten-to-be-believed soft-boiled “Turkish” eggs with yogurt, fresh herbs and chili crunch, za'atar lamb meatballs with cucumber and feta salad, English-style hand pies, soups and more. End your meal with a frozen custard, made with the farm’s own eggs, Ronnybrook cream, organic sugar and little else. At the market, customers will find 8 Hands Farm’s fresh meat and charcuterie, chicken liver mousse and pork rillettes. There’s a terrific selection of pickles, cheeses, beans, pasta, condiments and other dry goods made outside Cutchogue.

Otherside Wine Bar, Glen Cove

The coolest place in Glen Cove just got even cooler: Mark Boccard, whose Southdown Coffee has occupied the eastern half of this historic saltbox since 2020, has opened Otherside Wine Bar in the building’s other side. The menu, which will change often, includes roasted olives with garlic and fennel pollen, charcuterie and cheese plates, cold asparagus with salmon roe, slow-roasted carrots with ricotta and Calabrian chili and Spanish-style grilled jumbo shrimp. There's also pasta, burgers and nine wines by the glass plus craft beers, ciders and nonalcoholic beer, kombucha, sparkling apple juice and more.

Arthur & Sons, Bridgehampton

Michelin-star chef Joe Isidori brings his New York City red sauce joint to Bridgehampton, where his menu of parms, penne, calamari and fried mozzarella are all served in shareable portions – most piled high, with pillows of fluffy Parmesan on top. A word of caution: Do not miss the cannoli.

LB Bistro, Long Beach

Chef Matt Hisiger had been thinking about his next project for a while. He had opened LB Social in 2016 and was now an established part of the Long Beach dining scene, but knew the city’s demographics were changing. He opened this bistro with a menu of classics: onion soup, seafood plateaux, steak tartare, foie gras, tuna Nicoise, moules marinière, steaks and more. And there are a few twists too: small bites of croque monsieur, roasted bone marrow, a burger with bacon and Gouda. 

Homemade Kitchen Roti Shop, Valley Stream

This shop feels like a slice of Little Guyana in Nassau County. Valley Stream residents and owners, Seerita Karim and her husband Shazam, who hail from Guyana, hired three workers to help prepare the roti from scratch every day, using paddles to smack the wheat flour dough into flaky disks. Most customers will probably take theirs to-go, folded up alongside one of the shop's flavorful meat and veggie curries. But if you're willing to set up on one of the few bar stools at the small front counter, the move is to get a “roti wrap” with the curry: goat, beef, shrimp or chicken still on the bone.

Kismet Coffee Co., Ocean Beach

Located on Bayberry Walk, the Kismet Coffee Company has opened within the Ocean Beach Trading market, which closed after the 2023 season. Besides coffee, smoothies and BECs, the refreshed space features a custom salad bar, made-to-order sandwiches, barbecued meats and other packaged foods.

The Green Fork, Long Beach

The Green Fork, which was one of the first make-your-own salad bars to open on Long Island, has expanded to the beachside community of Long Beach. The airy space offers a selection of avocado toasts, salads and grain bowls with quinoa or wild rice. The store boasts a wide selection of fresh produce from local farms.

Symi, Northport

It wasn’t so long ago that Long Island entrees broke the $40 threshold, but you get your money’s worth at Symi, the chic new Greek restaurant in Northport co-owned by Irena Angeliades, whose father is a founding partner at Kyma in Roslyn. The $40 fagri (Mediterranean pink snapper) is masterfully grilled then showered with capers and served with good olive oil and a halved lemon. The menu features five whole fish, Greek salads, saganaki, keftedes (meatballs) lamb chops, fried paper-thin slices of eggplant and zucchini and more classics. 

Motorino Pizzeria Napoletana, the Hamptons

Brooklyn-based Motorino Pizzeria Napoletana expanded to the Hamptons with a new custom-built wood-fired pizza trailer that's ready to service parties. The mobile pizza crew sets up an on-site pizza station, prepares pies, and then cooks and serves them straight out of the oven. It features Neapolitan-style pizzas topped with seasonal ingredients; classic Margherita; Soppressata Piccante with spicy sopressata and Calabrian chilis; Brussels Sprout pizza with fior di latte, smoked pancetta, garlic and pecorino; and Cherrystone Clam pie with freshly shucked bay clams, Oreganata butter and a lemon wedge. 

The James, Babylon

From the owners of Arlo Kitchen and Bar in Northport comes The James, which opened after a complete overhaul of the historic Babylon Carriage House restaurant that closed in 2023 after nearly 20 years in the heart of the village. The James delivers fine dining with a little bit of theater. The kitchen features caviar bumps, a raw bar, fresh pastas like paccheri with short rib ragu and fusilli with mushrooms, plus wild-caught seafood and dry-aged steaks. There's a beautifully cooked duck, but if you feel like being unfussy, the bar offers a great perch to settle in for a burger and a martini.

Lâu Vietnamese Pho, St. James

The centerpiece of the menu here is a list of nine phos, rice noodles in broth, and the undisputed star is the xe lua, a “special bowl” of light-but-flavorful beef broth inundated with brisket, eye round, tendon, shank, meatball and “omosa,” the Vietnamese word for tripe. Other greatest hits include banh mi, bun and starters such as spring and summer rolls, crispy seasoned tofu, green papaya salad and caramelized pork ribs.

 Burger Village , Deer Park

“Burgers for everyone” — that’s how Nick Yadav describes the ethos of the growing Burger Village franchise that he owns with his brothers. Now there are burgers for shoppers with the brand’s latest outpost, open at Deer Park’s Tanger Outlets. The brothers offer not only classic beef burgers, but bison, turkey, elk, lamb and boar burgers. Salmon, ostrich and grilled chicken patties round out the offerings. Non-burger items include hot dogs, grilled cheese and BLTs, among others.

China Pavilion, Island Park

China Pavilion is owned by Jimmy Lin, who also operates a casual sushi spot, Himawari, in Long Beach. His newest sit-down restaurant's menu features a smart mix of Sichuan dishes (Chengdu steamed clams), Asian fusion stalwarts such as lettuce wraps and miso salmon, as well as a few old-school Cantonese dishes. There's also “lobster any style," Peking duck and a selection of dim sum.

Vern, West Babylon

This eclectic eatery recently replaced the more casual Seagull Restaurant with a lunch menu that focuses on crowd-pleasers — clams and oysters on the half shell, sauteed mussels and baked clams, lobster roll, lobster mac & cheese, grilled chicken-avocado club, Caesar and Santa Fe salads. At dinner, there's pan-seared duck with chili-cream sauce, grilled lamb chops with rosemary, thyme and Vern sauce, Caribbean pasta in a spicy cream sauce with tricolor peppers. 

We-Desi, Deer Park

We-Desi not only shares an outdoor patio with Chipotle at the Tanger Outlets Deer Park, the eatery also shares a commitment to freshly made, takeout-friendly food that combines proteins, legumes and starches in myriad combinations. But there’s one big difference: We-Desi is devoted to homestyle Indian cooking.

Forno Fritto, Farmingdale

This pizzeria is only doing three things: make-your-own pasta, upside-down Sicilian-style pizza and “fritto bombs” (addictive fried dough balls stuffed with meat and cheese). The shop serves mostly as a take-out joint with a couple of seats onsite.

Spring Shabu-Shabu, Westbury

The new Spring Shabu-Shabu is just the latest example in the all-you-can-eat hot pot trend. What's the draw? Maybe it's the price: a cool $22.95 a person without any extra meat add-ons. This is about $10 cheaper than other barbecue/hot pot venues. The selection here is less than traditional, with everything from hand-torn Korean dough noodles to a whole wall of Chinese fish cakes.

Blowin' Smoke BBQ, Woodbury

Family-owned Prime Time Butcher is an old-time shop that changes with the times. Now, it's launched Blowin’ Smoke barbecue, a takeout concept focused on house-smoked meat. All the classics are here: Ribs, both baby back and St. Louis, are smoked and then slathered with either sweet-savory or pineapple-bourbon sauce. Platters include a half rack with two sides. There are also platters of barbecued chicken, pulled chicken or pulled pork and sandwiches piled high with either pulled meat, coleslaw and pickled red onion.

Hampton Eats, East Hampton

The Hamptons’ first multi-vendor eatery, launched last fall, offers breakfast, lunch and dinner from local food businesses. The light, bright space just off Main Street stocks signature items from nearby Villa Italian Specialties and Beach Bakery & Grand Café in Westhampton' Stuart’s Seafood in Amagansett, Paul’s Pizza in Southampton, as well as Hampton Coffee and Manhattan-based Eli’s Breads. A self-serve frozen yogurt station with a buffet of toppings, plus bubble tea, smoothies and juices satisfies sweet teeth. Coming later this summer: a new Mediterranean menu and refreshed burger menu.

Village Bistro, East Hampton

Setting up shop in the iconic location formerly occupied by Rowdy Hall, Village Bistro's classic menu hits notes from French onion soup to oysters and crab cakes, as well as upscale plates like foie gras mousse and steak tartare. Entrees include a requisite burger to steak frites, herbed chicken, fish and chips, as well as an ever-changing list of daily specials. The cozy spot — now outfitted with teal leather banquettes, globe sconces and spare greige walls — leaves no trace of its previous occupant, but does offers the same shady alleyway seating for those that prefer to dine al fresco.