Northport Village sits on Long Island’s North Shore, within the town of Huntington, and it’s one of those places that somehow still feels like a well-kept secret despite how good it is. The Victorian-era village center, the harbor views, the boutique shops and art galleries, and restaurants along Main Street — it all adds up to somewhere worth making a trip for, not just passing through.
The dining scene here punches well above its size. Whether you’re looking for a waterfront dinner near Northport Harbor, a casual night out in the village, or a special occasion spot, there’s more variety than most people expect from a town this small. In the summer especially, the restaurants in Northport NY fill up fast — locals and day-trippers compete for the same tables, and the pre-theater crowd heading to the John W. Engeman Theater adds another layer of competition.
For years it was primarily a day trip destination, but that changed when the Northport Hotel opened in 2023, giving people a reason to stay for a night or two and actually dig into what the village has to offer. From a celebrity-magnet Italian spot to the only vineyard in the area, the options here cover a lot of ground. Here’s my guide to the best restaurants in Northport, NY.
Top Picks for the Best Restaurants in Northport, NY
Before diving into the full list, here are my top picks for the best restaurants in Northport NY across a few different categories. Whether you’re planning a special night out, looking for a casual bar with great happy hour deals, or want to experience something truly unique to the village, these are the spots I’d point anyone to first.
BEST WINERY
Del Vino Vineyards
The closest vineyard to New York City on Long Island’s North Shore and a four-time OpenTable Top 100 restaurant, Del Vino is the go-to alternative for anyone who doesn’t want to make the drive out to the North Fork. Reservations are strongly recommended in season.
BEST UPSCALE DINING
Northport Hotel
The restaurant inside the Northport Hotel draws both hotel guests and locals for its creative menu and stylish atmosphere. The pre-theater prix fixe is worth asking about if you’re heading to the Engeman.
BEST ITALIAN RESTAURANT
Robkes
A family-run institution that’s been around for decades, Robkes is as much about the atmosphere as the food. Cash only, no reservations, and the espresso martinis are excellent.
SPECIAL OCCASION
Maroni
Maroni made its name with a century-old meatball recipe and a Food Network win over Bobby Flay. The all-inclusive tasting menu runs $175 to $195 per person and covers food, wine, beer, dessert, and gratuity.
Best Restaurants in Northport NY
The restaurants below are the real deal. These are not neighborhood spots that happen to have decent food. They are destinations that people drive from across Long Island, and sometimes further, to visit. Most are on the pricier side, which reflects both the quality and the draw they have built over the years. Birdie Bar is the exception, sitting more in upscale bar territory, but it earns its place on this list just the same.
The Northport Hotel
In 2006, Kevin O’Neill and his wife Patti took the first steps toward turning Northport into a destination when they bought a shuttered movie theater on Main Street. They transformed it into a live performance venue, renaming it the John W. Engeman Theater in honor of Patti’s brother, who was killed in Iraq. It’s now one of the most acclaimed community theaters on Long Island, drawing actors from the Broadway talent pool.
Nearly two decades later, they opened the Northport Hotel directly across the street, giving people from outside the village a reason to stay for a night or two rather than heading home after the show.
The restaurant inside the hotel is one of the better dining rooms in Northport NY, and it draws well beyond the hotel guests and pre-theater crowd. The atmosphere is stylish without being stuffy, and the menu has some genuinely interesting options. Appetizers include crab and sea urchin pancakes, shrimp and pork meatballs in a Thai peanut sauce, and a crab bisque. For mains, the grilled lamb chops and lobster risotto are both worth ordering. It’s also worth asking about the pre-theater prix fixe, which isn’t always listed on the website but is frequently available.
UPSCALE RESTAURANT | HOTEL RESTAURANT | PRE-THEATER
Del Vino Vineyards
When Huntington native Fred Giachetti bought an old farmhouse and former apple orchard in 2012, he had plans to turn it into a vineyard and winery. It took over two years to get the necessary approvals and permits, and then millions of dollars in renovations. Del Vino Vineyards finally opened in 2018, and it was worth the wait.
The white wines, including Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling, are grown on the 11-acre property. The reds are made from grapes sourced primarily from Napa. Each wine has its own name rather than being labeled by varietal, which adds a nice personal touch.
White Wines
- Alto: Chardonnay
- Ventola: Sauvingon Blanc
- Bobina: Pinot Grigio
Red Wines
- Suprema: Red Blend
- Ultimo: Cabernet Blend
- Grande: Super Tuscan
The experience here feels more like a restaurant than a traditional tasting room. Most people come for wine by the glass or bottle over a full meal rather than flights, though flights are available. The menu leans toward tapas-style small plates, and the setting, with vineyard views from the patio, makes it easy to linger.
Del Vino has been named to OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants in America four consecutive years, noted as the only Long Island restaurant on the list. That kind of recognition has turned it into a genuine destination, and for anyone coming from the city it’s a much closer alternative to the North Fork wine trail. I was lucky enough to live within walking distance for a while. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on weekends, though the bar is open for walk-ins.
WINERY | VINEYARD | OUTDOOR SEATING | RESERVATIONS RECOMMENDED
Robkes
Robkes isn’t just one of the best restaurants in Northport, it’s probably the most beloved. It’s been family owned for decades, and when you visit, the environment makes it feel like the owners, staff, and long-time regulars are all in on something together. It’s been around long enough that the owner’s son, Louie Selvaggio, now runs the day-to-day operations.
As an Italian restaurant, the menu covers pasta, seafood, and various house specialties. The Pork Chop Martini is perhaps their most famous dish, but I always love the simple Penne Shrimp Oreganata. Just as popular as the dining room menu are the rotating half-tray specials, which are a go-to for locals who want to bring a proper Italian dinner home to the family.
It gets busy most nights and Sunday afternoons, and Robkes doesn’t take reservations, so the bar fills up fast with people waiting for tables alongside those happy to eat there. That’s generally where we end up, and Janice is convinced they make the best espresso martinis on Long Island. They add Bailey’s to make them creamy, and it’s hard to argue with her.
What’s made Robkes a name that people across Long Island recognize, even if they’ve never been, is Louie’s presence on Instagram. He’s built a real following and has attracted a steady stream of celebrities and athletes over the years. Some people call it overrated, which tends to happen when a restaurant gets this much buzz. Others say it’s one of the best Italian restaurants on Long Island. It’s also cash only, so come prepared.
Go and decide for yourself. It’s one of our favorite places to eat in Northport.
ITALIAN RESTAURANT | CASH ONLY | FAMILY OWNED | NO RESERVATIONS
Maroni Cuisine
Grandma’s meatballs are behind the success of Maroni Cuisine, and that’s not a marketing line. It’s genuinely how the story goes.
Maria and Michael Maroni met in the 1990s when she was a waitress and he was a young private catering chef. They married and opened a French restaurant together in Glen Head, but Michael eventually wanted to move away from fine dining. They found a small spot near the Northport waterfront and opened Maroni Cuisine in 2001, built around a century-old family meatball recipe passed down from Michael’s grandmother and served in a signature red crock.
In 2007, Michael beat Bobby Flay in a Food Network Throwdown, and the restaurant’s reputation spread well beyond Long Island. To keep things creative, he eventually ditched the printed menu entirely and moved to an ever-changing tasting format. Michael passed away in 2019, but the restaurant has carried on his vision, and those meatballs remain arguably the most famous on Long Island.
Dine-in is tasting menu only, and it isn’t cheap. The early bird option runs $140 per person for a 4pm seating with an out-by-5:30 policy. Wed and Thu are $175, and Fri and Sat are $195. The price is all-inclusive, covering food, wine, beer, dessert, espresso, tax, and gratuity, so it’s easier to justify than it looks on paper. It’s also cash only with no tipping, so come prepared.
What many people don’t know is that Maroni also does a very popular takeout, with a separate menu from the dine-in experience. The spaghetti and meatballs come packed in a red bucket that you bring back on your next order. It’s become something of a signature in itself, and for anyone not ready to commit to the tasting menu, it’s a great way to try the food that started it all.
ITALIAN RESTAURANT | TASTING MENU | SPECIAL OCCASIONS | CASH ONLY | TAKEOUT
Arlo Kitchen & Bar
Arlo Kitchen and Bar is a collaboration between El Salvador-born chef Walter Huezo and the Standard Hospitality Group, the team behind Mission Taco in Huntington and several other restaurants and catering venues in the area. The result is one of the more upscale dining experiences you’ll find in Northport NY, with a menu that takes classic dishes in interesting directions. Think chicken parmigiana and lobster pappardelle alongside a fresh raw bar and wild-caught seafood.
The setting is genuinely unique for a Long Island restaurant. Arlo sits on a hilltop tucked into a forest, with two levels of dining, a bar on each floor, and outdoor seating in the summer. Thursday nights have a live pianist and Sunday offers a jazz brunch, which makes it a solid option beyond just dinner.
UPSCALE DINING | RAW BAR | SEAFOOD | JAZZ BRUNCH |Â
Symi Restaurant
Symi is a modern Greek restaurant in Northport owned by Irena Angeliades and her husband Mike. They are affiliated with Kyma, the popular upscale Greek restaurant with locations in Roslyn and Manhattan. The restaurant is named for the Greek island where the Angeliades family has roots, and that connection to serious Greek dining shows in the food.
The menu leans heavily into fresh seafood, with fish flown in daily from the Mediterranean. Standout dishes that come up consistently in reviews include the grilled octopus, lamb chops, sesame crusted feta with fig and walnut, and whole fish preparations like fagri, a Mediterranean pink snapper. The interior has a bright, white Greek island aesthetic that carries through the whole dining room.
Symi also has happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4pm to 6pm, and Saturday nights feature a DJ, which gives it a different energy later in the evening than the other upscale options on this list.
GREEK RESTAURANT | UPSCALE DINING | FRESH SEAFOOD | HAPPY HOUR
Birdie Bar
The success of the family-owned Robkes inspired siblings Louis and Mia Selvaggio to team up and open their own place in Northport. Birdie Bar opened in 2023, with a golf theme on the second floor dining room as a tribute to their brother Paul, a golf pro at Westchester Country Club. The bar and additional dining tables are on the ground floor.
The food menu covers a lot of ground, from bar staples like wings, nachos, and burgers to slightly more elevated options like tuna tartare and a Tomahawk pork chop. The French dip, made with caramelized onions, Gruyere, and jalapenos, is probably their most popular item and worth ordering if you’re hungry.
That said, it’s really the cocktails and happy hour that keep pulling me back. The Early Birdie menu runs until 6pm daily with discounted small plates and $10 cocktails, and the bar fills up fast after opening at 4pm. If you’re looking for the best happy hour in Northport NY, this is the spot.
ELEVATED BAR | COCKTAILS | HAPPY HOUR | GOLF THEMED
Bistro 44
Bistro 44 is one of the best restaurants on Main Street in Northport, sitting steps from the Engeman Theater and a short walk from the harbor. It’s not trying to be a destination restaurant in the way that Maroni or Arlo are, but it doesn’t need to be. The menu mixes New American dishes across seafood, pasta, and rotating specials, and in my experience the kitchen executes consistently across the board. I’ve never had a bad meal here.
The gulf shrimp appetizer with pineapple asparagus salsa is worth ordering, and the rotating specials are always worth asking about. The back patio is one of the nicer outdoor dining spots in the village when the weather cooperates. If you’re looking for a reliable dinner on Main Street in Northport without the price tag or planning that some of the top tier spots require, Bistro 44 is a solid choice.
MAIN STREET | OUTDOOR SEATING | NEW AMERICAN
Casual Spots and Quick Bites in Northport, NY
Copenhagen Bakery + Cafe
Flemming Hansen opened Copenhagen Bakery and Cafe in 1998, bringing a career that started as a teenager in Denmark and continued at a Danish bakery in Solvang, California, a Scandinavian-themed town on the Central Coast. When he brought that expertise to Northport, the village was better for it.
The bakery is known for freshly baked breads, pastries, and cakes, but it has expanded well beyond that over the years. Breakfast and lunch options are now part of the menu, including grab-and-go breakfast sandwiches for anyone passing through in the morning. There are also prepared foods to take home, including quiche and chicken pot pies, which have built their own following among locals.
BAKERY | BREAKFAST | CAFE | GRAB AND GO
Country Hot Bagels
New York City gets most of the bagel glory, but Long Island also has some pretty good bagel shops. And that brings me to Country Hot Bagels, a spot that makes some of the best bagels on Long Island.
Employees and customers have a lot of great things to say about the owner Neil, also owns the beer store next door. Between beer and bagels, it seems he has a good thing going.
BAGELS | BREAKFAT | GRAB AND GO ONLY
Northport Shipwreck Diner
The Shipwreck Diner has one of the better origin stories on Main Street. The building is a former dining car from an active trolley that was literally rolled down Main Street to its current spot in 1924, having made the trip from Worcester, Massachusetts by way of the Northport Long Island Rail Road station. The wooden interior gives it a warmth that makes it easy to miss the history if you don’t know to look for it.
It earns its spot on this list for a straightforward reason. Northport is an expensive town, and sometimes you just want a solid breakfast at a reasonable price. It is the only diner in the village, and locals know it well, which is why it gets busy, particularly on weekend mornings. The menu is exactly what you’d want from a diner, well-priced breakfast and lunch fare that does the job without any pretension.
If you are visiting Northport for the day and want to start with an affordable breakfast before working your way through the village, this is the spot.
DINER | BREAKFAST | VALUE
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