Amagansett Square is a full-circle exploration of bespoke shopping and dining.
South of Montauk Highway, in the heart of downtown Amagansett, sits Amagansett Square, a grassy parcel of land with over a dozen different boutique businesses perched around the perimeter. Dotted with park benches and brick paths between storefronts, The Square’s thriving shopping center is filled with businesses ranging from cheese shops to hair salons, all in full swing during the summer months. If stimulating the economy isn’t on your agenda, it also serves as a village green, offering a chill gathering space and respite from the hustle and bustle of Route 27 — no permit required.
Here are some of our favorite places to check out.
Doubles 12 Amagansett Square, 631-557-3031
Tucked in the cherished former Hampton Chutney building and open for a little over three years, Doubles specializes in Caribbean-inspired fare that’s user-friendly yet unique. Offered in a casual dining space — inside, a wood-topped luncheonette-style counter faces the open kitchen and there are about half a dozen picnic tables with bright yellow umbrellas outside — menu items consist of breakfast roti, myriad curried vegetables and proteins, and doubles (aka baras), a street food of Indo-Trinidadian origin. A kids menu, simple salad, fried chicken sandwich and smash burger round out the dining options. Don’t forget to hit up the Van Leeuwen ice cream outpost around the corner from the resto’s entrance.
From eateries, like Caribbean-inspired Doubles (left), to caffeine hub Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee (right) the Square has something for everyone. (Photos by Doug Young)
Meeting House 4 Amagansett Square, 631-267-2764
A once longstanding anchor for The Square, the owners of nearby sister property, Reform Club, brought back Meeting House last year, seven years after its first iteration shuttered. Helmed by chef Tim Bando (who was chef at the original resto), Meeting House serves an eclectic mix of steakhouse staples, thoughtful takes on classic comfort foods, raw-bar items and crowd-pleasing Southeast Asian dishes.
Pink Chicken 14 Amagansett Square, 631-267-5340
Vintage and timeless, with a strong beachy-meets-boho vibe, Pink Chicken, an elevated mommy & me clothing boutique, was founded in 2006 by former corporate fashion designer Stacey Fraser. She started Pink Chicken while summering in the Hamptons with her two young daughters, for whom she had been sewing summer clothes. Now, with about a dozen locations across the country, the brand remains lauded for its bright and bold print-powered clothing for women, children and babies, while also offering chic, easy-breezy but fashionable maternity wear and accessories.
Jack’s Stir Brew Coffee 146 Montauk Highway, 631-267-5555
The third of his signature coffee shops, owner Jack Mazzola’s buzzy haunt has been serving a carefully curated lineup of caffeinated concoctions since opening at The Square in 2010. It’s here that Mazzola launched the Happy Jack clothing line, as well as the company’s marketplace concept. Your friendly neighborhood coffeehouse, Jack’s also helps start (or complete, depending on how you look at it and what you order) an action-packed day of shopping.
Above, French Presse offers high-end, bespoke linens while Vinnie & Nick’s Barber Shop, a nearly five decade East End institution, offers traditional shave and haircuts. (Photos by Doug Young)
Jenni Kayne 10 Amagansett Square, 631-557-4644
California comes to the Hamptons at this luxe lifestyle locale, renowned for polished yet comfortable clothing and thoughtful, quality housewares. Boasting the brand’s first-ever design bar, where customers can meet with a team of interior designers, the Amagansett location also features a full line of furniture, candles, pillows, throw blankets and other bespoke, luxurious little things to help make your house a home.
French Presse 160 Main St., 631-604-1455
Embedded in bedding since the beginning, French Presse was originally founded over a decade ago as a mobile linen laundering and pressing service by the late Sarah de Havenon-Fowler. Her son, Dylan Fowler, now carries on her legacy of offering high-end, environmentally friendly bedding and table linens from Portugal, handmade Mongolian cashmere throws, Italian ceramics and dinnerware, and sustainably made clothing and home goods from across the globe.
Vinnie & Nick’s Barber Shop 4 Amagansett Square, 631-267-3398
Located within the same building as Meeting House, this father-and-son owned barber shop (Vinnie’s the father, Nick’s the son) has been an Amagansett institution for 45 years. Old-school and steeped in nostalgia, traditional shaves, beard trims and haircuts are expertly executed from two barber chairs. The joint opens early (at 6:30 a.m.) and is cash-only, so don’t forget to hit the ATM before taking a seat.
