Sag Harbor has become the Hamptons hamlet where everybody wants to be, hustling and bustling pretty much year-round. Consider this your guide to good food, unique shopping and creative entertainment in this old whaling village.
EAT
The aptly named Estia’s Little Kitchen (1615 Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike, 631-725-1045) serves on a first come, first served basis and fills up fast for its crowd-pleasing Mexican-American fare for both breakfast and lunch six days a week, and dinner on Friday and Saturday. If you do get stuck waiting, grab a mimosa: Freshly squeezed OJ and super dry bubbles served in a goblet. The best in town.
Family owned and operated, the Cove Delicatessen (283 Main St., 631-430-6708) sits just past Otter Pond on your way into town. For decades, they’ve featured homemade German-style deli fare and a Boar’s Head-centric slew of specialty sandwiches available for both breakfast and lunch. Check out the el pastor tacos (available 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. only). Game-changing.
Just beyond the fork on Madison Street is Il Cappuccino restaurant (30 Madison St., 631-725-2747). Chianti bottles hang from the ceiling while Dean Martin plays in the background. It’s warm, it’s welcoming, it’s old-school classic Italian comfort food. Don’t refuse the bread basket— those house-made garlic knots are the star of the show.
Page at 63 Main (63 Main St., 631-725-1810) serves refreshed classics as well as uniquely modern dishes daily for lunch and dinner. This local favorite has a bustling bar and a unique aquaponic atrium in the back. Order the crispy fried calamari with a glass of Sancerre, sit back and people watch.
Open for lunch and dinner, the wood-fired grill at the center of Mediterranean-chic Lulu Kitchen and Bar (126 Main St., 631-725-0900) elevates the usual culinary suspects, but the flame show isn’t for meat only. Lulu also offers plenty of vegetarian options.
K Pasa (2 Main St., 631-800-8226) delivers solid taqueria-meets-tapas-style fare from breakfast to dinner, offering specialty tacos for $6 each, as well as salads, rice bowls, chips and dips, birria and ceviche. The spicy snap of their margarita is delightful — it’s made with jalapeño-infused tequila and a homemade togarashi rim — as is their ample list of sustainable tequilas, mezcals, beer and wine.
Chef and restaurateur Laurent Tourondel’s pair of Main Street eateries sit almost directly across the street from each other. Sag Pizza (103 Main St., 631-725-3167) serves Neapolitan-style personal pizzas cooked in a wood-fired oven, featuring fresh ingredients with a near perfect ratio of sauce and cheese. El Tacobar (62 Main St., 631-899-4646) is Tourondel’s turn at authentic, handmade Mexican recipes. Be sure to order their chips and guacamole served on a half-sheet tray and piled high with a more than generous portion of crispy tortilla chips and a duo of salsas.
PLAY
Smack dab in the middle of town is Sag Harbor Cinema (90 Main St., 631-725-0010). Illuminated by the restored, iconic neon red “Sag Harbor” sign on the front of the building, everything from new blockbuster releases to old Hollywood classics and independent films grace its silver screens. Ticketholders can pop upstairs to the theater’s Green Room, a lively rooftop bar and outdoor deck.
For over 30 years now, Bay Street Theater (1 Bay St., 631-725-9500) has presented concerts, benefits, comedy shows, dramatic plays and dance performances year-round. Seating nearly 300, the theater doubles as a community cultural center, offering beginner salsa instruction, classes in acting, improv and voiceover and weekly summer-long workshops for kids.
Formerly a Methodist house of worship, nonprofit arts center The Church (48 Madison St., 631-919-5342) is the brainchild of local artists and residents Eric Fischl and April Gornick. Exhibitions at this haven for local writers, artists, musicians and dancers change often, while workshops, concerts, dances and performances are offered during and in-between. Entry is open to the public and typically free.
Inside the old train depot behind Main Street is Kidd Squid Brewing Company (11 Spring St., 631-500-0533), a tiny but mighty brewery that carries 18 beers on tap, plus a slew of seasonal selections. Owners Rory McEvoy and Grainne Coen’s pink pastel-hued tasting room is perfect for a lounge and a pint. During the warmer months there’s a beer garden created in conjunction with the neighboring Sag Harbor Garden Center.
SHOP
Exclusively offering women-owned brands and products, Matriark (133 Main St., 631-919-5577) has everything from clothing and accessories to beauty products and furniture, and they donate $5 of each purchase to i-tri, an East End organization that supports and empowers adolescent girls through youth distance triathlon training.
Sylvester & Co. Modern General (103 Main St., 631-725-5012) gives HomeGoods a run for its money with an excellent selection of sundry gifts for the home and host. Need a little pick-me-up while out shopping? Sylvester’s own Dreamy Coffee cold brew is available at the café located inside.
Half a block away are Kites of the Harbor and the Wharf Shop (75 Main St., 631-725-9063; 69A Main St., 631-725-0420), two Main Street staples, the latter of which has operated for over 50 years. Find ultra-unique toys, games, gag gifts, plenty of fun stuff for the kiddies and, you guessed it, kites.
Next door is Flashbacks (69 Main St., 631-808-3055), a clothing store offering affordable basics, including jackets, sunglasses, yoga pants, flowy maxi dresses and T-shirts. Need a quick yet thoughtful gift? Flashbacks also sells scented candles, great purses and bags, witty birthday cards, handmade soaps and just about every kind of penny candy you remember from childhood.
Romany Kramoris Gallery (41 Main St., 631-725-2499) is another Main Street mainstay, and although it is in fact an art gallery, the myriad items for sale don’t necessarily have to hang on the wall. Antiques, beautifully bound journals, intricate ornaments and glassware, books, calendars, fragrances and ceramics are all sold here. Usually open until well after dark, it’s a perfect spot for after-dinner browsing.
At the end of Main Street lies Sag Harbor’s Long Wharf, where the mega yachts park from Memorial Day to Labor Day and where locals and visitors alike can catch a killer sunset over the Sag Harbor Bridge. Hit up Ava’s & Around Again (1 Long Wharf St., 631-725-4067) in the Long Wharf Promenade for a dynamite thrifting experience.
STAY
The swanky, historic American Hotel (45 Main St., 631-725-3535) has just under a dozen unique rooms, decked out in turn-of-the-century elegance. The Hotel (as it’s colloquially known) also houses a four-dining-room restaurant serving French-style cuisine and a wine list that’s a yearly recipient of Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence.
Contemporary meets classic at Sage and Madison (31 Madison St., 631-530-0977) a boutique hotel built in the late 1700s. Guests enjoy Ralph Lauren bedding, Italian toiletries, Shifman luxury mattresses and other thoughtfully curated amenities. Behind the main building, in a small antique barn, is Sage and Madison Boutique, where handmade jewelry, stylish home decor, and bath and body products can be found. Coffee and tea are served at the boutique all day long.
