Easter comes early this year. Often — but not always — in April, the holiday falls on March 31 this year. If your stove is still hot from a corned beef and cabbage feast, you may not have the energy to cook another (never mind that we’re only about three months removed from Christmas).
Consider booking a table at one of these Hamptons restaurants. From Riverhead to Montauk and even Shelter Island, South Fork restaurants are serving up brunches and dinners that leave wiggle room for any applicable morning egg hunts and church services. Pro tip: Leave some space in your belly for sweet treats that beat chocolate bunnies. Move meal-making off your plate and hop on over to one of these Hamptons restaurants serving Easter brunch or dinner in 2024.
Calissa Hamptons, 1020 Montauk Hwy., Water Mill, 631-500-9292
No need to choose between brunch and dinner at Calissa Hamptons — you can do both if you fancy. The airy Greek restaurant in Water Mill will serve a Bottomless Rosé & Bubbles Brunch. Toast with rosé, mimosas, bellinis or bubbles straight up. Prefer to skip the boozy bubbles? That’s fine, too. An a la carte brunch with Mediterranean favorites like mezze with all the fixings, grilled octopus and decadent olive oil pancakes with whipped lemon honey butter is also available. The leg of lamb will be offered on the brunch and dinner menus. Brunch is from 11 to 5 p.m., and dinner seatings begin at 5 p.m. Naturally, Calissa Hamptons will host the same feast again on Greek Easter (May 5).
Long Island Aquarium, 431 E Main St., Riverhead, 631-208-9200
The Long Island Aquarium is loved for its array of seafaring creatures (and warm butterfly room). But the clown fish, sea lions and penguins will have a special visitor on Easter — the one and only big bunny. Little ones can wave hello and also keep busy with crafts or embark on a penguin egg hunt (free with admission and also happening on Saturday, March 30). Speaking of free, a ticket to visit with the Aquarium’s usual residents is included with the brunch fee ($77.57 for people 13 and up, $41.39 for ages 3-12 and $10.35 for ages 2 and under). The brunch will have classic fare like bagels, made-to-order omelet stations, and a carving station with traditional ham. Dessert is also on the table — think puddings and baked goods.
The Birchwood of Polish Town, 512 Pulaski St., Riverhead, 631-727-4449
This unfussy 1920s tavern with a tin roof and dark wooden furnishings will host Easter brunch and dinner buffets. It’s a for-all-ages affair. Carving stations include a sweet pineapple-glazed ham, lamb and a tender turkey that promises to be moist. Eggs and French toast are among the more traditional breakfast items. A kids’ station with chicken fingers, fries and meatballs will appeal to even the pickiest little ones. Seats are 90 minutes and offered from 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Nick & Tonis, 136 N. Main St., East Hampton, 631-324-3550
Brunch (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and dinner (begins at 5 p.m.) are in the works at this famed East Hampton restaurant. Kids menus will be available for both. People of all ages can delight in for-the-table brunch starters like pastries. Other offerings include Harry’s Strawberries (whipped sweet ricotta, garden mint, and toast) or hearty yet light Lioni burrata (chipped sweet pea soup and crispy prosciutto). Lamb is also on the brunch and dinner menus. Speaking of dinner, dishes include two types of lasagna (one vegetarian), free-range chicken and a prime New York strip steak cooked to perfection are options. A generous dessert menu includes pistachio gelato and a caramel almond cake zabaglione.
Vine Street Café. 41 S Ferry Road, Shelter Island, 631-749-3210
The idyllic surroundings in Shelter Island are what draws people to hop on the ferry and feel a world away from the hustle and bustle and everyday life. Vine Street Café’s cottage-style digs and amiable service set the table for just that. Loved for its fresh seafood, vino and farm-to-table dinner menus and always excellent service, Vine Street Café is opening its doors early for an Easter brunch. Seafaring fare will be on the menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — as will an eggs Benedict served with hash browns with just the right amount of crisp and salt.
Cove Hollow Tavern, 85 Montauk Hwy., East Hampton, 631-527-7131
A favorite East End spot for happy hours and French-Mediterranean fare, Cove Hollow Tavern will also host a brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Easter. Like its sister restaurant Vine Street Café, Cove Hallow Tavern will serve seafood classics and brunch grub, such as eggs Benedict. It’ll all be served in an approachable, elegant space, where white-washed walls juxtapose perfectly beside dark wooden tables and chairs.
Ram’s Head Inn, 108 S Ram Island Dr, Shelter Island, 631-749-0811
With some workplaces and schools closed from Holy Thursday through Easter, Ram’s Head Inn is holding extended dinner hours from Thursday to Friday (5 p.m. to 9 p.m. — an hour later than usual). It’ll also hold a weekend brunch during the usual spring hours from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Regarding the latter, coffee, brunch cocktails, burgers and French toast are some of the many options. An Easter bunny visit may also be on the itinerary — and don’t forget to say hi to the live-in sheep that now roam the grounds. For dinner, consider savory favorites – it’s barely spring, after all. Creamy chicken pot pie doused in gravy and topped with a flaky pouf pastry and a vegan Bolognese with mushrooms are soul-warming.
Lulu Kitchen & Bar, 126 Main St., Sag Harbor, 631-725-0900
Lulu Kitchen & Bar’s woodburning oven and grill serves as a centerpiece to its open-kitchen concept and makes some of the best pizza in town. On Easter, lamb will be taking up real estate in the grill. The aptly named “Wood-Fired Lamb Feast” serves two and will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. The feast also includes a fresh mint-merguez stuffing that exudes spring vibes and so-seasonal wood-fired grilled asparagus. While the gamey, smokey lamb will likely be delicious enough to devour for one, a two-person minimum is required. Solo diners (or people who’d prefer a la carte) can do so.
Sydney’s “Taylor” Made, 32 Mill Road, Westhampton Beach, 631-288-4722
Sydney’s is bringing back brunch in a big Easter way. Easter Sunday, come on in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for fluffy banana pancakes with — hello! — decadent caramel sauce, their signature Eggs Finley: poached eggs draped over filet mignon with perfect Hollandaise sauce all atop an English muffin, scrambled eggs with gruyere, grilled ham and toasted filone bread, among the multitude of offerings, along with the grown-up Easter treat: a personal Mimosa bar. Reservations are strongly suggested for a seat under the covered porch or inside if you’re not ready to gamble on spring’s up and down weather.
Bistro 72, 1830 W Main St., Riverhead, 631-369-3325
We’re not far off from the days of lounging by the pool while listening to live tunes and enjoying happy hour beside a fire pit at Hotel Indigo. In the meantime, its stylish farm-to-table Bistro 72 restaurant is serving a special a la carte Easter brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Quintessential dishes include pancakes with fresh berries or chocolate chips and steak and eggs. Sweet tooths will adore the twist on French Toast — the almond-crusted dish consists of a thick-cut brioche, vanilla and warm maple syrup. For lighter fare, opt for a yogurt parfait or melon and burrata salad that toes the line between breakfast and lunch (so, it’s brunch epitomized).
Baron’s Cove, 31 W. Water St, Sag Harbor, 844-227-6672
Baron’s Cove has been closed for a refresh this winter. Come Easter, guests can see the new-look digs while digging into brunch or dinner. Starters, like deviled eggs and French onion soup, are the same on both menus. However, mains are more traditional. For brunch, opt for a more breakfast-style French toast or chicken and waffles or a lunch-ready Berkshire double-cut pork chop served with sweet-yet-smoky charred apricot and sweet potato au gratin. A festive bunny Mary puts an Easter twist on the classic brunch cocktail swapping carrot juice for the usual tomato with vodka. Dinner also includes traditional rack of lamb and grilled monkfish.
Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa, 290 Old Montauk Hwy., Montauk 631-668-2345
The End’s lauded luxury resort rarely skips out on a holiday, and Easter will be no exception. A brunch is planned for the waterfront Scarpetta Beach dining room. A carving station with North Fork sea-salt herb-crusted prime rib will pair perfectly with Atlantic Ocean vistas. Guests can also delight in a Bloody Mary bar with all the fixings.
