Vogue's Guide to East Hampton, America's Most Luxurious Beach Town

Vogue

13-06-2025

East Hampton is arguably the most famous—and inarguably the most luxurious—beach town in America. It's where a Gucci sits on Main Street while beach fires with s'mores happen every evening on Sag Main Beach; where gray shingled homes belonging to Ina Garten and Robert Downey Jr. co-exist with famous artist studios; and where the best place to grocery shop is always the farm stand.
Below, Vogue's guide to East Hampton.
Where to Stay
EAST HAMPTON, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Sarah and Andrew Wetenhall with East Hampton Mayor Jerry Larsen, Carrie Doyle, and Marcos Balderone at the Official Ribbon Cutting of The Hedges Inn May 16, 2025 in East Hampton, NY. (Photo by Gregfor Sanders)
Photo: Greg Kessler
The owners of The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach have refreshed The Hedges Inn, a beloved landmark right on the cusp of East Hampton town. While a full renovation will come later next year, already they have instituted a full service concierge, a beach butler buggy that comes stocked with chairs, towels, and coolers, and added a buzzy new restaurant. (More on that later).
'The decor, courtesy of Unionworks designer Poonam Khanna, was largely inspired by the natural Hamptons landscape: earthy hues of sand, green, blue, and peach. The guest rooms are marked by plush beds made with Frette Linens and clawfoot tubs in the bathroom; cottages boast quaint living areas and private gardens. Tata Harper skincare fills the gift shop, alongside a selection of Giulivia Heritage pieces,' Vogue editor Leah Faye Cooper wrote in her first hand account of staying at The Maidstone, which last summer, was glamorously revamped by LDV Hospitality group. Plus, its in-town location means guests are walkable to the town's famous restaurants and shops.
EHP is spread across five waterfront acres on Three Mile Harbor, the north of the highway marina where Hamptonites regularly dock their boats—or yachts. You don't need either to stay in one of their light and airy cottages, which feel more like quaint homes than hotel rooms.
They also have plenty of amenities: there's a swimming pool, tennis and pickleball courts, as well as bikes, kayaks, and paddle-boards. A gift shop, meanwhile, carries beachy homewares and designer dresses. Si Si, their restaurant, is the perfect place to catch the sunset while drinking rosé. This year, buzzy French-Indonesian restaurant Wayan is also popping up on the hotel grounds.
Where to Eat
Sant Ambroeus in East Hampton.
Photo: Courtesy of Sant Ambroeus
Spend your afternoon shopping on Main and Newton Streets then have a leisurely, spritz-filled lunch at Sant Ambroeus, the Milanese café that also has locations in New York and Aspen. We're partial to their penne arrabbiata, branzino, or chicchirichi panini, but you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. It's also open for breakfast.
Inside The Hedges Inn is Swifty's, a reincarnation of Upper East Side restaurant that served a dedicated and well-heeled group of uptown New Yorkers until it closed in 2016. (Its owner, Robert Caravaggi, was also maître d' of the beloved Mortimer's.) Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Swifty's offers everything from jumbo Lump Maryland crab cakes, chilled lobster salad, and meatloaf, many dishes made with ingredients from local farms.
Nick & Toni's has been an East Hampton staple for over 37 years; go there for a classic Tuscan meal—think wood-fired pizzas, lumache with ramp pesto, and pan seared halibut—as well as excellent people watching. (It's known to be one of the most popular celebrity haunts out east.)
East Hampton Grill, with its dark wood and green interiors, feels like a tavern or country club grill room. Depending on your mood, that's a good thing—as there's no better place to drink a martini and a medium rare steak in town. Run by the cult favorite Hillstone Group, patrons will notice the same beloved menu items as offered at their own restaurants like the prime French dip, the kale and rotisserie salad, and crispy chicken sandwich.
For a more casual, grab and go meal, go to Carissa's on Newton Lane. (Although casual doesn't come at the expense of quality: Carissa was a 2025 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery.) Get their Jambon Beurre sandwich or raisin snail—as well as a box of breakfast pastries to go for the next morning.
New York's critically acclaimed pizza joint opened Camp Rubirosa, a seasonal pop-up at 31 Race Lane in East Hampton. Enjoy thin-crust tie-dye pizza and house-made pastas served in a summer camp-inspired setting.
The gourmet farm stand offers some of the freshest produce in the Hamptons, and then some: people love their prepared foods, which include chicken salad, warm berry muffins, salmon salads, and sandwiches. (Oh, and more hearty fare like fish tacos, poke bowls, and bao buns.)
Where to Shop