Oyster Bay is one of the more interesting dining towns on Long Island’s North Shore. It is small, but the concentration of chef-driven and upscale restaurants is hard to match for a town this size. Spots like 2 Spring and the Chef’s Counter at Four sit alongside longtime neighborhood favorites and local institutions that have been around for generations.
Most restaurants in Oyster Bay are clustered around Audrey Avenue and South Street, making it easy to walk between a few stops over the course of an afternoon or evening. You will find everything from tasting menus and Italian trattorias to casual bistros and a hot dog stand that has been serving locals since 1897.
It is the kind of place where the more time you spend exploring, the more you find worth coming back to.
My Top Restaurant Picks in Oyster Bay
If you’re not sure where to start, these are my top picks in Oyster Bay. Each one highlights a different part of the Oyster Bay dining scene, whether you’re looking for an upscale dinner, a casual brunch, or a more unique dining experience.
BEST OVERALL DINNER
2 Spring
A polished, seafood-forward restaurant with a strong cocktail program and the most complete dining experience in Oyster Bay.
BEST LUNCH
Wild Honey
A versatile bistro-style spot with a wide-ranging menu, great brunch, and the kind of place you find yourself coming back to regularly.
BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Stellina Ristorante
One of the top Italian restaurants on the North Shore, known for its homemade pasta, intimate atmosphere, and a menu that is hard to find fault with.
BEST FINE DINING
The Chef's Counter at Four
A 10-seat chef’s counter serving a 12 to 15 course tasting menu at $275 per person. One of the most distinctive dining experiences on Long Island and worth planning ahead for.
The Best Restaurants in Oyster Bay, NY
2 Spring
The dining scene in Oyster Bay took a step forward in 2018 when Chef Jesse Schenker partnered with Claudia Taglich to open 2 Spring. Taglich had come across an empty two-story building in town and saw the potential, and together they turned it into one of the better fine dining destinations on the North Shore of Long Island.
Schenker already had a strong reputation before arriving. Prior to opening 2 Spring he had built a name for himself in New York City with his West Village restaurant Recette, earning two James Beard nominations and a win on Iron Chef America. That experience shows in the food.
The menu is upscale but not stiff, with a strong cocktail program and a well-curated wine list to match. Seafood drives most of the menu, with refined seasonal dishes that might include caviar service, creative seafood plates, or dry-aged duck breast depending on the time of year. Brunch follows the same approach. Rather than standard breakfast fare, expect oysters, duck confit hash, and seafood-driven entrees.
Portions are not especially large and prices reflect the quality. But for the best overall dining experience in Oyster Bay, 2 Spring is the easy answer.
DATE NIGHT | UPSCALE | SEAFOOD | COCKTAILS
The Chef's Counter at Four
The Chef’s Counter at Four is the most unique dining experience in Oyster Bay, NY and one of the more distinctive dining experiences on Long Island. Rather than a traditional restaurant setup, guests are seated around a 10-seat chef’s counter for a front-row view of the kitchen as each course is prepared and plated in real time.
The format is a multi-course tasting menu of 12 to 15 courses that changes with the seasons, overseen by Chef Jesse Schenker, who also runs 2 Spring down the street. The two restaurants share a commitment to quality but feel completely different. This one is more intimate, more focused, and more of a full experience.
Seating is extremely limited, reservations are essential, and the restaurant is only open Thursday through Saturday. The tasting menu is currently $275 per person, so this is not a casual weeknight option. But for a genuinely memorable meal in Oyster Bay, New York, few things in the area come close.
FINE DINING | TASTING MENU | SPECIAL OCCASION | INTIMATE
Wild Honey
Wild Honey is set in a restored corner building in Oyster Bay, NY, but the vibe is more relaxed than the town’s finer dining options. The cozy dining room, with exposed brick walls and a small bar, has a casual bistro feel that works just as well for a weekday lunch as it does for dinner.
The menu covers a wide range and leans creative. On any given visit you might find kielbasa skewers, vegan pad Thai, or crispy Maine lobster spring rolls alongside more familiar seafood and pasta entrees. It is the kind of place that rewards repeat visits.
Lunch is where Wild Honey really shines and it is my favorite lunch spot in Oyster Bay. The burger with tomato jam, gruyere, and caramelized onions is a standout. The iron skillet roasted mussels are just as worth ordering, either as a shared starter or a full meal, and are one of the better values on the menu.
For almost any occasion, from a casual work lunch to a date night in Oyster Bay, New York, Wild Honey is one of the spots I visit frequently.
LUNCH | CASUAL | NEW AMERICAN
Stellina Ristorante
When a longtime Oyster Bay favorite closed in 2021 after struggling through the pandemic, it left a gap in town that regulars Adriana and Tom Milana decided to fill themselves. They partnered with Chef Fabrizio Facchini, with whom they also co-own Cardinali Bakery, and within a year Stellina Ristorante opened in its place. It quickly became one of the top Italian restaurants in Oyster Bay.
The restaurant seats just 40 people, which gives it the feel of dining in a small neighborhood spot in Italy rather than a traditional Long Island restaurant. Reservations are strongly recommended and tables can move quickly on busy nights, so plan accordingly.
The menu balances classic Italian with a few elevated touches. The homemade pastas are the main draw, and the bucatini all’Amatriciana made with San Marzano tomatoes, guanciale, aged pecorino, and Calabrian chili is one of the standouts. For something more substantial, the veal chop Parmigiana and lamb chops are both worth the visit on their own.
For the best Italian food in Oyster Bay, NY, Stellina is the answer.
ITALIAN | PASTA | COZY
Gioia
Gioia is the most approachable of the three Jesse Schenker restaurants in Oyster Bay, NY, designed to sit comfortably between the fine dining of 2 Spring and a casual night out. Most of the menu stays under $30, which makes it an easier choice for a weeknight dinner without sacrificing quality.
The focus is on the cuisine of Emilia-Romagna, the northern Italian region known for handmade pasta, cured meats, and aged cheeses. Fresh pasta is made in the restaurant all day, prosciutto is cut on a hand-cranked slicer, and mozzarella is pulled to order. A traveling cheese trolley and tableside Caesar salad add to the trattoria feel. The space itself is exposed brick, marble tabletops, and candlelight.
If you have already been to 2 Spring or the Chef’s Counter, Gioia offers a different side of the same kitchen. If you are new to the Oyster Bay dining scene, it is one of the better introductions the town has to offer.
ITALIAN | WINE | UPSCALE
The Audrey
The Audrey opened in the space previously occupied by The Wine Line on Audrey Avenue and has settled in as one of the more versatile spots in Oyster Bay, NY. It operates as an all-day concept, running from morning coffee and breakfast through lunch, happy hour, and late-night drinks, which makes it a good spot for almost any time of day.
The evening menu focuses on shareable plates and flatbreads rather than traditional entrees. Standouts that come up consistently include the meatball flatbread, ricotta and honey toast, truffle mac and cheese, and oysters. The cocktail and wine list gets as much attention as the food, and happy hour runs daily from 4 to 6pm with $5 beers, $7 house wine, and $1 wings.
It is part of the Stellina hospitality group, which shows in the attention to detail. More casual than Stellina but a step above a typical bar, it fills a useful spot in the middle of the Oyster Bay, New York dining scene.
WINE BAR | COCKTAILS | HAPPY HOUR | SHAREABLE PLATES
Bonanza Stand of Oyster Bay
Bonanza Stand has been on Shore Avenue in Oyster Bay, NY since 1897, making it the oldest continuous business in the hamlet. It was founded by Italian immigrants John and Emma Bonanza, who started by pushing a cart to local ball games selling hot dogs and homemade Italian ices. Four generations later the family is still running the same stand in the same spot.
The Italian ices are the main draw, with over 100 flavors made on site ranging from classic lemon and cherry to more creative options. The hot dogs have their own following too. It is mainly a warm weather stop if you plan on eating there. But it’s the kind of stop that generations of Oyster Bay families have built into their summers without giving it much thought.
Not a restaurant in the traditional sense, but if you are spending time in Oyster Bay, New York, stopping at Bonanza is as much a part of the experience as any sit-down meal in town.
HOT DOGS | QUICK BITES | TAKE OUT | LOCAL FAVORITE
The Homestead
The Homestead is one of the more casual spots in Oyster Bay, NY and has been a local staple for years. The space covers more ground than it looks from the outside, with a lively tavern area up front, a quieter dining room with a fireplace, and a backyard courtyard with outdoor seating and live music when the weather is right.
The menu is straightforward American comfort food. Burgers, sandwiches, calamari, and pasta cover most of the bases, with decent portions and prices that match the setting. It is not trying to compete with the finer dining spots in town, and it does not need to.
For a low-key dinner, watching a game at the bar, or a casual night out in Oyster Bay, New York, The Homestead is a reliable neighborhood option that fits almost any occasion.
AMERICAN | BAR SCENE | COMFORT FOOD | OUTDOOR SEATING
Oyster Bay stands out on Long Island’s North Shore for how much it packs into a small area. The mix of chef-driven restaurants, Italian spots, and longtime local favorites gives it more depth than most towns of this size. From a full tasting menu at the Chef’s Counter to a quick stop at Bonanza Stand, there is a wide range of options depending on how you want to spend your time.
If you are exploring more of Long Island, check out my guides to the best restaurants in Huntington, NY and the best restaurants in Northport, NY for more spots worth the trip.
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