Since the early 1970s, La Goulue has been a restaurant mainstay in New York City, renowned for providing the masses with inspired bistro fare. In 2020, a second location opened in Palm Beach and, with the opening of La Goulue Sur Mer in Southampton Village this past July, the bistro now has a Hamptons home.
Set at 210 Hampton Road, within the space that formerly housed Red Bar for two decades and in more recent years, Enchanté, La Goulue is named for the infamous Moulin Rouge can-can dancer known as La Goulue — French for “the glutton” or “the one who loves to indulge.” Boasting a menu that includes timeless Parisian-inspired fare in an intentionally breezy, coastal chic ambiance, the layout is both refreshed and reminding of its predecessor.
La Goulue Sur Mer opened July 2 on Hampton Road in Southampton Village. (Photos by Eric Striffler)
“La Goulue has always been about charm, the finer things, and joie de vivre,” says co-owner Anthony Punnett, former partner at Le Colonial in Los Angelese, where he workd alongside Jean Denoyer, founder of the original La Goulue. “This version just happens to have sand nearby.”
A bright red neon “BAR” sign (the same one from the Red Bar days) marks the resto’s entrance, where guests are immediately welcomed into the tiny but tidy bar area. Tucked away beyond that is a small lounge, decked out with a red leather banquette, velvet couches, cheetah printed pillows and art deco-inspired accents.
To the left of the main entrance, across from the bar, is the dining room, adorned with mustard-hued walls and about two dozen white cloth-clad tables. A wall of windows line both sides of the room, dotted with warmly lit chandeliers and wall sconces. A rustic wooden table sits in the center, flanked by buckets containing chilled bottles of Champagne, pitchers of water and a few neatly arranged marking trays of silverware. Towards the front is the breezy outdoor dining area, a neatly packed cluster of a dozen more tables or so, armed with heat lamp towers ablaze.
Menu items include familiar bistro favorites. (Photos by Megan Toy)
Menu items include familiar bistro/brasserie fare, relying heavily on classically trained French techniques and methods. Offerings include poached asparagus with hollandaise sauce, French onion soup, escargot, endive salad with walnuts and Roquefort, duck confit with potatoes sarladaise, seared filet mignon with pomme puree, profiteroles and a KitKat inspired chocolate-based dessert bar. To take a peek at the menu, click here. Beverages include a curated list of French wines as well as those with an international bent, craft cocktails and aperitifs.
Co-owned by lifelong friend and fellow veteran restaurateur Joseph DeCristofaro, the concept for the restaurant was born with the goal of opening a dining spot in Southampton where, according to a press statement from the eatery, the pair met many years ago while Punnett was summering there with his parents.
With an intimate yet buzzy-meets-breezy atmosphere, La Goulue Sur Mer offers something for diners, drinkers, and late-night lounge goers. (Photos by Eric Striffler)
“We wanted to create something timeless and personal,” says DeCristofaro, a Southampton native and resident who also owns Old Stove Pub in Sagaponack. “La Goulue Sur Mer is a love letter to the place we grew up and the classic restaurants we’ve always admired.”
Open for dinner year-round Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m., La Goulue Sur Mer will also offer late-night dining on Fridays and Saturdays until 11 p.m. in the lounge. For reservations call 631-259-2360 or click here.
