Diners can smell the aroma of live-fire cooking before they even walk through the door at this spot opened by the Mnuchin family last year.   Standouts include flatbread made in the wood-burning oven, topped with mashed fava, carrot, mustard greens, pistachio, and nigella; strozzapreti with roasted tomato and pecorino Romano; slow-roasted half-chicken; and grilled pork chop.

When the summer crowds are gone, Montauk can feel like it used to before it became a party town,  and you can experience the fishing village vibe at the updated Yacht Club’s waterfront restaurant overlooking the marina. Cacio e pepe pizza or curried mussels are flavorful launches, while tuna steak with sesame, ginger, and coconut rice; or cod with turnips and smoked trout roe, are fresh from the nearby docks.

In summer, you have to battle Sarah Jessica Parker, Keith Richards, and Calvin Klein for tables at this 50-seat boîte across from the bay in Sag Harbor, but come fall they are an easier score, and the European-style patio is comfortably heated. It’s also more of a bargain, with a prix-fixe, three-course menu featuring seasonal specials, along with year-round favorites like garganelli with chile crab; poached branzino and New York strip with red wine reduction.

Get a sweeping view of the bay and Sag Harbor marina from a perch on the second floor of one of the area’s chicest hotels, while munching on starters of crispy artichoke or housemate burrata with fig balsamic glaze.  Move on to roasted chicken with grilled shishitos; mussels with white wine and saffron tomato broth; or stuffed red peppers with quinoa, blistered tomatoes, spinach, and mushrooms.  On weekends, live music ups the ambiance.

The favorite East End cafe, with branches in Southampton, East Hampton, and Bridgehampton, expands its repertoire of soups - try Hungarian mushroom, butternut squash, kale and white bean or corn chowder - in the chillier months.  Chilis including turkey, vegetarian and mac’n’ cheese are also on the menu, along with warm paninis, including turkey and beef, tomato and mozzarella with balsamic glaze. 

Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s restaurant within this historic Georgian home, helmed by chef Paul Eschbach, is produce-focused, so look for local root vegetables in such dishes as honeynut squash and spicy soppressata pizza; mushroom-crusted salmon with local bok choy and a miso mustard emulsion; local black sea bass with potatoes and a chile vinaigrette; and peppercorn-crusted tenderloin with gnocchi and Brussels sprouts. Drinks are served by outdoor fire pits and in the lounge area with its toasty fireplace.

Engaging lectures from artists and writers are on offer Mondays and Tuesdays, along with a three-course, family-style $59 prix-fixe dinner at this longtime favorite on Bridgehampton’s Main Street. The menu includes plats du jour like barbecue, rack of lamb, or pork Milanese, and such cooler weather comfort dishes as roast chicken with smashed garlic potatoes; and macaroni and cheese with prosciutto.

Many places have reduced hours after the summer season, but this popular Greek spot, along with its expansive patio, remains open every night except Monday, and offers live music and DJs on weekends. In addition to classics like saganaki with sesame seeds and honey or whole branzino for two, the fall menu brings warming butternut squash soup and braised lamb shank with orzo.

Whether you want an Angus burger, scallops in Champagne sauce, or a tofu stir fry, you can find it on the eclectic menu of this dining room within the Southampton Inn, a mini resort just steps from the center of town. Breakfast – smoked salmon scramble, brioche French toast, or waffles with whipped cream and berries – is also worth checking out, and it’s still warm enough to dine in the garden area overlooking the lawn and pool.

Herbs used in the kitchen are grown in the back garden, fish is purchased from local dayboats, and produce comes from farmers markets at this new American bistro in Westhampton. Calamari and mushrooms are both served tempura style as openers, while Arctic char with sunchoke puree; lamb burger with coffee mint rub; and roasted lion’s mane mushroom with fairytale eggplant are all entree options.