Dining downtown in Locust Valley, Babylon and Cold Spring Harbor

A hike in the woods is all well and good but a downtown stroll provides more dining options — and no chance of ticks. Here are three walkable downtowns, along with a few restaurant recommendations for each.

Locust Valley

The ultimate Gold Coast village, Locust Valley has a distinctive Golden Age movie glamour (think "Sabrina") that’s even more glamorous as summer gives way to fall. It’s been 15 years since Kent Monkan opened The Brass Rail (107 Forest Ave., 516-723-9103, thebrassraillocustvalley.com) and it remains a classic. The antique bar was constructed in Manhattan in the 1880s and moved to Locust Valley in 1979, when this space was occupied by Marbles. Monkan’s menu is classic too, everything from fried oysters and onion soup to club sandwiches, fish & chips, roast chicken, steak au poivre and rack of lamb. Last year, the 45-year-old Locust Valley Inn was transformed into a stylish modern Italian restaurant, Two25 (225 Birch Hill Rd., 516-676-5377, two25restaurant.com) where you’ll find everything from Neapolitan pizza to regional pastas (alla Norma from Sicily, orecchiette from Puglia, cacio e pepe from Rome) to seared duck breast and roasted branzino. Make sure to get to Stuey’s Smokehouse BBQ (50 Birch Hill Rd., 516-277-2202) before they run out of some of LI’s best baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage and terrific sides. Or call first and preorder so you can relax while you stroll. For a shot of nature, Bailey Arboretum, with its world famous collection of Dawn Redwoods, is less than two miles away.

Babylon

At the northern end of Babylon’s bustling downtown, NoaMar (238 Deer Park Ave., 631-482-1667, noamarmarkets.com) is the place to nosh on tapas, grab a bocadillo (sandwich), explore the marvelous cured meats and cheeses of Spain or have a full-fledged paella at an intimate market-cafe that has been singing the praises of Spanish food and wine since 2018. At The Brixton (238 Deer Park Ave., 631-482-1667, thebrixtonbabylon.com), groove on the New American small plates — from mini beef Wellingtons to shrimp pad thai — with a roster of creative cocktails that can be savored in the dining room or the lively bar. For dessert, why not grab a cookie, brownie, cupcake or pastry at Torta Fina (80 Deer Park Ave., 631-669-0824, tortafina.com) and take a stroll around they village’s picturesque Argyle Lake Park? See FeedMe's full guide to Babylon restaurants here.

Cold Spring Harbor

One of Long Island’s most charming villages, Cold Spring Harbor boasts enough antique shops and chic boutiques for an afternoon of shopping — or, at least, browsing. If you’re a music fan, try to time your visit to allow you to dine at Grasso’s (134 Main St., 631-367-6060, grassosrestaurant.com), which has live music every evening and a jazz brunch every Sunday. The menu has something for everyone: pasta, steaks and chops, lobster rolls and even empanadas. Hushed and elegant, Sandbar (55 Main St., 631-498-6188, sandbarcoldspringharbor.com) serves a global menu — from chickpea fries with sriracha aioli and a full raw bar to grilled swordfish Basquaise and Cajun chicken breast — now executed by chef Julius Miranda, formerly of Meritage in Glen Cove. Kids in tow? Take them to the Whaling Museum and, before or after, breakfast or lunch at The Gourmet Whaler (111 Main St., 631-659-2977, gourmetwhalerny.com) for French toast, fish tacos, quesadillas, Philly cheesesteaks, burgers and more. Don’t miss chef-owner Denise Chin’s delectable baked goods or, now that it’s cooling down a bit, her hot chocolate.