Main Beach East Hampton

The Hamptons Travel Guide: Best Towns, Beaches & Restaurants

The Hamptons is one of the most iconic seaside resorts in the world. Visiting The Hamptons is one of the best summer breaks from New York City, but planning a trip to The Hamptons can be a little confusing for first time visitors. I’ve put together this Hamptons Travel Guide to help you plan your first trip to The Hamptons, including a run down of the best towns in The Hamptons, the best beaches, restaurants & things to do in The Hamptons.

Famous for the wide, deep sandy beaches, leafy backstreets, first class lifestyle and multi-million dollar mansions, The Hamptons feels a world away from New York City. Except of course, for the fact it’s full of New Yorkers in the summer. Escaping to The Hamptons is one of the best things to do in New York City to dodge the summer heat (or in fact, enjoy it!) and it’s easy to see why it’s New York City’s beach break of choice.

Coopers Beach Southampton The Hamptons
Coopers Beach, South Hampton

When we lived in New York City, we took a summer weekend out in The Hamptons, and it really did live up to the hype. I spent more time on the North Fork of Long Island, compared to The Hamptons’ south fork, but I’d definitely return to The Hamptons again in the summer. Especially if you live in New York, The Hamptons is a blissful escape from the heat, the pace and honestly, the hot garbage aroma, of New York City in the summer.

Where is The Hamptons?

The Hamptons is made up of two towns, Southampton and East Hampton, which are on the East End of Long Island. The Hamptons include the villages and hamlets like Bridgehampton, Amangansett, Quogue, Montauk, Water Mill, Westhampton and Sag Harbour. Montauk is the easternmost village of The Hamptons, so far east that it’s often referred to as “the end of the world.” The Hamptons are on the South Fork of the East End, across the bay, you’ll find the wineries and farmland of the North Fork. 

The Hamptons is approximately a 2 hour drive from New York City (depending on traffic).

How to get to the Hamptons

There are a few ways to get to the Hamptons. Driving is preferable, but The Hamptons Jitney (bus) is also pretty easy. 

Drive 

It should take less than 2 hours to get to the Hamptons from New York City, but summer traffic makes it notoriously slow once you get onto the South Fork, past Riverhead.

The Hampton Jitney (Bus) 

The best way to get to The Hamptons and the North Fork without a car is the Hampton Jitney. Pre-book your jitney ticket online & board in Midtown Manhattan. There are lots of buses running every day, and you’ll save money if you book & pay in advance. Get to the bus early, because it’s packed in peak season. I used to take the jitney to & from the North Fork several times a week, when I was working for JF Restaurants, when we were opening North Fork Table & Inn.

Long Island Rail Road (Train) 

I haven’t taken this option, because you have to change trains in Jamaica, Queens, which just sounds like more hassle to me than getting a single jitney. 

Getting around The Hamptons

Having a car in The Hamptons is a great idea, but if you don’t, Ubers are widely available. You can also catch the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) between towns in The Hamptons, but you’ll spend a bit of time walking to and from the station into each village.

East Hampton

The Best Towns in the Hamptons

Southampton

The liveliest of the towns & villages in The Hamptons, Southampton has the prettiest main streets and the most options for drinking and dining. Coopers Beach & Cryders Beach are absolutely gorgeous, too. The best restaurants here are Tutti il Giorno & St Ambroeus.

Southampton village, The Hamptons New York USA

East Hampton

East Hampton is a little quieter, and more spread out than Southampton. It has a beautiful main street, and Main Beach is gorgeous. 

Bridgehampton

A village of Southampton, Bridgehampton has a very charming main street with a handful of restaurants, including Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, Almond and further afield, Topping Rose House.

Others villages in the Hamptons include Montauk, Sag Harbor, Water Mill, Amagansett and Quogue.

Bridgehampton
Bridehampton
Bridgehampton

The Best Things to Do in The Hamptons

Hit the beach

The Hamptons is one of the most famous seaside resorts in the USA, thanks to its beautiful sandy beaches. There are dozens of beaches in The Hamptons, but the best ones are Coopers Beach and Main Beach. Go early to avoid peak crowds.

Stroll the leafy backstreets

The Hamptons is remarkable in the way that you can walk just one block back from the beach, and feel like you’ve been transported to the countryside. The wide, leafy backstreets are peaceful, and lined with towering hedges and some of the most impressive real estate in the country.

East Hampton

Wolffer Estate Vineyard

Wolffer Estate is best known for their rosé wine – if there’s a better place than the Hamptons (outside Provence!) to drink rosé all day, I’d like to know about it. Make sure to reserve your spot at the tasting room in advance – we tried to book only the day before visiting, and couldn’t get a spot. If you’re set on visiting a winery but can’t get into Wolffer, consider hopping across to the North Fork and checking out one of the many wineries there!

Celebrate 4 July

The Hamptons is at its absolute peak on 4th July, and there aren’t many better places to celebrate. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the summer holiday, but be prepared to part with some serious cash, as everyone else wants to spend the Fourth in the Hamptons too!

The Best Beaches in the Hamptons

The best beach in The Hamptons is Coopers Beach in Southampton, but there are several beaches to choose from in Southampton, East Hampton and Montauk.

Coopers Beach

Coopers Beach in Southampton is considered one of the Top 10 Beaches in America, and is the best beach in The Hamptons. This wide, sandy beach is gorgeous, and has some amenities like a cafe, toilets, beach chairs for hire, and a lifeguard. Be warned, parking for non-locals here is expensive  at $40 per day.

Coopers beach southampton

Cryders Beach

Cryders Beach is an unprotected ocean beach in Southampton. It’s much quieter than Coopers Beach, and is perfect for a relaxing stroll on the beach or relaxing on the sand. I’d prefer to swim at a patrolled beach, like Coopers Beach.

Main Beach (East Hampton)

Main Beach in East Hampton is one of the most beautiful beaches in The Hamptons, with fine quartz sand and clear water. Like Coopers Beach, Main Beach has restroom facilities. It’s one of the most popular beaches in The Hamptons.

The Best Restaurants & Cafes in the Hamptons

St Ambroeus 

A Southampton mainstay since opening in the 1990s, St Ambroeus is a stylish Milanese restaurant, with outposts in East Hampton and in New York City in SoHo & the Upper East Side as well. We had dinner here when we were in The Hamptons, and it was perfect for a Hamptons weekend.

Bobby Van’s Steakhouse

Bobby Van’s Steakhouse in Bridgehampton is a classic Hamptons restaurant, founded in 1969. It was a popular literary hangout in the 60s and 70s, and it’s rumoured that Truman Capote finished his true crime novel, In Cold Blood, at the original Bobby Vans location. Today, it’s a moody, clubby steakhouse, with excellent oysters, martinis and a piano in the corner.

Bostwick’s Chowder House

For casual, classic East Coast seafood, look no further than Bostwick’s Chowder House in East Hampton. Bostwick’s is super casual, which can be a breath of fresh air in The Hamptons! Try the Manhattan Clam Chowder, Lobster Bisque, Little Neck Clams, Steamers or the Crab Cakes to get a true Hamptons summer dining experience.

East Hampton

The Golden Pear 

For casual, healthy food visit the Golden Pear, which has locations all over the Hamptons. It’s a super popular cafe, with a range of fresh sandwiches, soups and salads.

East Hampton Main Beach
Main Beach, East Hampton

Side Trips from The Hamptons

Montauk

The end of the world! Or at least, the east end of New York State. Montauk is getting just as popular, and expensive as the Hamptons these days, and isn’t any longer the sleepy, working class fishing village it once was. However, it’s still supposed to be very lovely, not to mention a great party spot in the summer.

The North Fork

The North Fork is an alternate universe to the Hamptons. Also on the east end, but on the opposite fork of Long Island, the North Fork is all farms, wineries and fisherman. It has a lovely, down to earth vibe, and the best restaurant on Long Island – North Fork Table & Inn, by Chef John Fraser. The best way to get to the North Fork is to take the ferry via Shelter Island, or see if there’s a boat you can take directly across from the south fork to the north fork, rather than driving the long way around.

the north fork

Shelter Island

Take the ferry from Sag Harbor to Shelter Island, a peaceful spot where you can rent bikes or kick back at the famous Sunset Beach Hotel. We ran out of time & didn’t make it to Shelter Island, but so many friends & locals have recommended it to me.

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