Many Long Island neighborhoods have their own culture and community, focusing on beaches, bagels and expensive estates. When scouting for dining options outside of New York City, you’ll find that the peninsula is overwhelmed by restaurants, bistros and bars to choose from for meals, drinks and desserts. Try one of these five delicious dining options featured on our list of tried and true favorites for some of the best bites in the area, from authentic Mexican to classic Italian and fresh seafood aplenty.
Long Island Restaurants
Besito Mexican Restaurant
Put on your Pantalones and head to Besito Mexican Restaurant for a culinary love story. Restaurateur John Tunney opened the cozy Mexican restaurant to highlight the culture, cuisine and spirit of Mexico after years of travel there. The three locations on Long Island are regularly busy with locals and new diners sipping on margaritas and digging into fresh tacos and guacamole on the patio. Drinkers can select from a list of over 75 different tequilas from Mexico or try a few as a flight. Regular diners praise the authentic Mexican seafood dishes and homestyle plates, including Pescado Veracruzano with olives and roasted tomatoes, Shrimp Jalisco with a tequila chipotle glaze and the Enchiladas Mixtas with shrimp, chicken and chorizo, as favorites. Besito partners with Feed the Hungry San Miguel to give back to the culture that they draw inspiration from by helping to alleviate hunger and poverty in the community.
Limani Roslyn
Dive into delicious seafood and traditional Greek specialties at Limani Roslyn. With floor-to-ceiling windows and an open-air fish market display, Limani brings the outside into the restaurant space and dining room, while a glass wine cave and mirrored bar add a touch of elegance. The upscale Mediterranean restaurant focuses on simple preparations to put the focus on their high quality and imported ingredients. Come in for a three-course pre-fixe menu of classic Greek dishes, or time your visit for dinnertime for a spread of seafood specialties. Diners can choose from a daily market display of whole fish and fresh cuts, including mild Loup de Mer, delicate Royal Dorado and meaty Fagri from Mediterranean waters. Sweet langoustines and lobster are available for those looking to splurge, as well as USDA Prime steaks for those who wish to dine from the land.
Luigi’s Restaurant and Bar
Open for over thirty years, Luigi’s Restaurant and Bar is a neighborhood staple. From the charming patio out front to the handsome bar inside, the space is packed with families and diners, heeding an urge to fill up on Italian comfort food. Start by selecting from their award-winning wine collection before confronting the massive menu of family-style staples. The thin-cut zucchini chips fried to perfection and the house-made mozzarella with accompaniments both make great appetizers to share (or not!). The real challenge is deciding whether to order one of their thin-crust pizza pies from the woodfire grill or an order of their fresh, handmade pastas. If you go with a group, you won’t have to choose! Be sure to leave time and space in your stomach to close out the meal with coffee or tea service and one of their signature desserts.
Prime 1024
For a steakhouse with off-the-charts food and a neighborhood feel, make a reservation at Prime 1024. Nearly everything on the menu features a literal special touch from the kitchen team, with their focus on handmade pastas, hand-tossed pizzas and perfectly-seared steaks. The beautiful space is visually stunning, with skylights overhead to let in natural light, dazzling chandeliers in every corner and a custom wine wall with recessed lighting. This special occasion destination has a menu to match, with a raw bar menu of fresh oysters and shrimp cocktails, along with Prime Tomahawk and Porterhouse steaks sized for sharing. If you’re not looking for a formal dinner date, their entire menu is available for lunch, along with an unbeatable three-course pre-fixe option.
Méloré Restaurant
Cozy and casual Méloré Restaurant is the spot to go for Chef MeAne Distefano’s fresh and produce-forward food. The restaurant has a variety of menus for weekday breakfast and lunch or weekend dinner and brunch, with some overlap of customer favorites. Vegetarians will be happy with the wide selection of dishes available to them, while carnivores can dig into satisfying seafood options. Menu staples here include the Sweet Maine Lobster Roll served with house-made chips, Beet Salad with goat cheese and arugula, fresh Fish Tacos and Pan-Seared Scallops with parsnip puree. Be sure to stop by their bakery display on the way out to get cakes, pastries and pies to take home with you, too.
