If you’re searching for special deals, you’ve found the wrong list. This is for date night on Long Island, prime time, nights to get gussied up, to wine and dine.
We’re talking white tablecloths, olive oil, oysters, water views, quaint villages, downtowns and extensive wine lists. Scroll down to start planning.
Avino’s Italian Table
BELLPORT VILLAGE
In the heart of this historic seaside village you’ll find Avino’s Italian Table, which has taken up residence in an 1856 farmhouse worthy of a Currier and Ives painting. Our favorite time to visit is the fall and winter, when the Avino family keeps three fireplaces burning through dinner service.
And we all know there’s nothing like that fiery reflection in a wine glass to get date night started.
Within their southern Italian menu you’ll find an array of antipasti options, salads, and pasta, fish and chicken dishes. But we say it’s a special night, so go for the Filetto, grass-fed angus tenderloin with mushroom reduction, whipped potato, vegetable and crispy onions, and add the gorgonzola crust.
We also suggest starting with Salumi e Formaggi, the chef’s selection of artisan cheeses and Italian cured meats, olives, mushrooms, artichokes and roasted red peppers. Pair all that with a half-dozen refreshing Long Island oysters. Now you’re really having fun by the fire.
After dinner, step into the village for an evening stroll, arm-in-arm in your pea coats. The perfect nightcap.
The Oar
PATCHOGUE RIVER
Here’s a tip for maximum romantic enjoyment at The Oar, which was built on a sprawling property along the banks of Patchogue River: Get there for sunset, if the season is right for it. But even if it’s not, there’s no spot in this restaurant lacking of water views. Oh, and those wonderful bay breezes outside in summer.
So nice, that The Oar was nationally ranked in 2015 by Open Table as among the Top 100 Al Fresco Dining Restaurants in America, with numerous Diners’ Choice awards that followed from Open Table, including Best Scenic View. So you can understand why we suggested sunset.
This is a place where Long Island couples often get engaged, right there on the docks.
We can recommend anything here involving seafood, and always start with the PEI Sautéed Mussels. Their prowess for steak and seafood entrées, even pasta, along with the cocktails and the buzz at the bar makes The Oar an easy choice for which to book a babysitter as soon as possible. Click here for their menus. Click here if you’re looking to enjoy some live music on your night out.
Sandbar
COLD SPRING HARBOR
Right in the middle of one of the prettiest little Main Streets on Long Island, is Sandbar.
Once inside, you’ll be immediately immersed in a coastal casual ambiance — providing the sleekest of backdrops for an elaborate American dining experience from both land and sea. Also a great setting for a very memorable date night with your person.
The menu was created by none other than six-time James Beard semifinalist Guy Reuge, who combines local fare, tavern favorites and seafood specialties into everyday elegance. Your camera will indeed eat first, as the kids say. This means the dish presentations are an absolute art form, so you’ll want to snap some photos to show off this special night to friends and followers.
If you really want to show off, spring for the Seafood Tower, followed by the Duck Two Ways and the Scottish Salmon. We would finish the night with creme brûlée, the mixed berries, sorbet and an after dinner drink, maybe a Coquito or Brandy Alexander, as the cocktails at Sandbar are consistently, perfectly executed.
Lessing’s, the ownership group, describes Sandbar as a spot where “modern opulence collides with classic comfort foods.” The handhelds and more casual options — such as the Sandbar Cheeseburger or Cajun Chicken Sandwich — are as tasty as the entrées. But this is date night, after all; let’s stick to the forks and knives.
The Farm Italy
HUNTINGTON
The Farm Italy Restaurant & Bar, which opened to immediate fanfare in February of 2023, brings the simplicity, artistry and seasonal freshness of local Italian dining to the heart of downtown Huntington.
Here, delicious food is served alongside a collection of alluring cocktails in a transportive yet welcoming space with impressive art lining the walls. It’s elegant yet comfortable, romantic yet welcoming, bright yet perfectly lit in the evenings.
This is truly a space for every occasion.
Stunningly sophisticated in its simplicity — and known for using only the freshest ingredients — The Farm Italy creates dishes that ignite the palate, warm the heart and create moments you and your special someone will both taste and see.
The idea is simple in its execution: offer food you want to eat every day with simplicity and freshness, bold flavors and a warm and spirited ambiance. It’s not about not being fussy; it’s about being where you want to be and eating food you want to eat.
Here’s a pro tip: Make reservations now, as this spot is in very high demand.
PrimI Italian Steakhouse
WEST ISLIP
Primi Italian Steakhouse was already one of Long Island’s most romantic restaurants, ever since it opened back in 2016.
Then in 2023, ownership shut the place down for an entire summer for extensive renovations, with absolutely jaw-dropping results. We’ll let the above photos speak for themselves.
Primi’s menu is diverse, offering everything from gnocci with vodka sauce or bolognese cavatelli, to beef Wellington or a 28-day, dry-aged porterhouse steak for two. We’d start light, with the tuna crudo or clams oreganata, because t’s going to be a long and cozy night — capped off with some crisp crème brûlée.
Mix in a little brandy with that jazz trio that performs every evening and you might never leave.
Plans are also in motion to renovate the outside patio for al fresco dining by candlelight.
Chops Steakhouse
PATCHOGUE VILLAGE
Chops is a luxe, dimly lit downtown steakhouse with a Prohibition-era feel, all designed to keep the wine and cocktails flowing as the night gets better and better.
It’s an intimate space that was built for romance and awash in red — from the linen, to the seating, to the velvet drapes and wallpaper, highlighted with rustic wood and exposed brick.
And the food!
We would first go surf-and-turf off the appetizer menu by ordering either the Beef Carpaccio and Oysters Rockefeller or Steak Tartare and Lump Crab Cakes. Either way your endorphins will be flowing at this point, especially after that first smoked Old Fashioned arrives to the table.
Dinner options are plentiful, with traditional steakhouse selections as small an 8-ounce Petit Filet and as large as a 40-ounce, dry-aged Tomahawk Ribeye.
Then there’s the array of sides like you’d find at any NYC steakhouse, such as creamed spinach, along ones unique to Chops, such as the Hot Honey and Bacon Brussels Sprouts, along with a menu of sauces to choose from — though we always opt for the Creamy Horseradish. There’s there’s the chicken, fish and pork options, and a complete raw bar.
On the service end, Chops is all about experience, with a front-of-the-house team that treats everyone like a celebrity. This is where you go to make some great memories on Main Street.
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