What We Loved Out East This Summer
As we close the books on another East End summer, it’s easy to see why this season was one for the books. Here’s a list of 10 things that made Summer 2025 memorable across the Hamptons and the North Fork.
The reborn Sagaponack General Store.
Who says you can’t have a glow-up at 150 years old? 2025 was the summer Sagaponack’s singular store turned pretty, emerging from its five-year closure with a new look that TikTok ate up faster than its biscuit, egg, and cheese. More than a place to shop fancy condiments or drop the mail (yes, it’s also home to the Post Office), the reimagined mercantile gave this storied south-of-the-highway stretch the third place it didn’t know it needed, bringing people together over a shared love of Hamptons life — and frozen Greek yogurt with croissant crumbles.
New, old places to spend a rainy day at the movies.
A community theater renaissance has taken the South Fork by storm — and made getting through those occasional stormy beach days a little easier. This year saw the return of not one but two historic Hamptons movie houses. In Southampton, the longtime United Artists on Hill Street reopened as the Southampton Playhouse, bringing four screens, and the East End’s only IMAX theater, to the heart of the village. And in Westhampton Beach, the old Hamptons Art Cinema has been recast as the Sunset Theater, replete with two lavish screening halls, an upstairs cocktail lounge, and an alfresco garden bar.
The Old Mill Inn in Mattituck.
Sometimes all that’s old really is new again. Mattituck‘s legendary Old Mill Inn re-emerged in May, helping fill a local void for nostalgic dock-and-dine establishments as a new shingle hung on Claudio’s for the first time since 1870. With its outstanding menu, calming woods-and-water views, and hand-hewn beams signed by patrons past, the c.1821 grist mill-turned-gin mill brought a vibe that reminded us how the East End is closer to New England than to New York City, bringing together the best from both places. Favorites: The crab and artichoke dip, grilled Point Judith squid, and fried oyster sliders, paired with a tap cocktail, local craft draft, or Old Sound wine. (We’re still waiting for them to bottle that beet cocktail sauce.)
Corn ice cream.
Sure, we all love corn from Balsam Farms, but what about corn for dessert? Try before you deny. Turns out those sweet, bicolor kernels taste just as good cold and creamy as they do buttered-and-skewed at the dinner table. A growing number of local creameries have mastered the art of sweet corn ice cream, which consistently hits the board at Harbes, and the marquee at Magic Fountain, as the season peaks by late-July. North Spoon Creamery, out of Cutchogue, blends theirs with local blueberries for an added twist.
A late-night Resy at Sag Harbor Tavern.
You’re craving the burger from Red Hook Tavern, but you just got off the Cannonball. You set “notify” for Sag Harbor Tavern, admitting that while you still miss Dockside, the Brooklyn joint was a worthy successor this time. Just as you’ve given up hope, moving to the next glass of the flight at Wölffer Wine Stand expecting a last-minute run to Town Line BBQ, the divine glow of a push notification heralds the availability of a 9:00 two-top outside — oui! You’re seated at dusk, marveling as the Cayman Navy twinkles in uplighting like a distant skyline, and after all that end up ordering the branzino after seeing it go to the neighboring table. You finish the last crumbs of your rainbow cookies by 10:30, comforted in the knowledge that Big Olaf is still open if you want to take dessert asynchronously a la mode.
The Restoration Hardware outdoor store.
RH is no outsider to East Hampton, having chosen the village for one of its initial gallery concepts a decade ago. This summer, it returned for another milestone: its first brick-and-mortar location dedicated entirely to outside furniture. Opened in June, RH Outdoor showcases two floors of inspired design for elevated exterior living — pieces for the balcony or terrace, patio or poolside. Strolling the soaring, skylit space on Main Street was an urge too hard to resist, with new and existing collections offering plenty to look at.
Seeing headliners in Hampton Bays.
The Canoe Place Inn — “CPI,” in local parlance — has certainly welcomed its share of notable notables since 1656, both as guests and to its stage. Thanks to a recent partnership with Brooklyn-based arts organization Murmrr, the ballroom of America’s oldest inn is a venue once more, drawing some of the best talent to venture out east all season. From Rufus Wainwright to David Cross to the Gipsy Kings, the lineup brought continuity to the treasured Hampton Bays landmark that along its centuries-long timeline had moments as a jazz-age speakeasy and Kardashian-hosting nightclub.
Mary Lou’s arriving in Montauk.
More often, you hear of New York places opening in Florida, not the other way around (though we’re still eagerly awaiting a Clay Conley restaurant). But true to form, Mary Lou’s broke the mold, branching out from West Palm Beach to West Lake Drive within months of its sensational Sunshine State debut. The scene-y cocktail den, known for its maximalist aesthetic, live DJs, and pricey memberships, eased right into its new beginnings on “The End,” bringing a relaxed-but-polished vibe that made it a vibrant addition to Montauk‘s nightlife. Prophecy might also be at play: the carousel-shaped building that’s home to the original Mary Lou’s was formerly a bait-and-tackle, making its journey to the South Fork’s famed fishing village all too fitting.
The Coco Cloud at Westhampton’s One Trick Pony.
Step aside, $12 matcha. This was the summer of the Coco Cloud: a pillowy dollop of house-made espresso whipped cream on a column of coconut water, served over ice. If the viral coffee drink felt more mocktail than morning, consider that One Trick Pony, the drop-dead-gorgeous corner café by Goldberg’s and Brunetti, flips to full-on mixology service by night, with some of the best cocktails to be enjoyed anywhere ending in “-hampton.”
Tumbleweed Tuesday.
Sure, it’s after Labor Day, but it marks the start of what many consider the best time of year — when the crowds are gone and it’s still summer. No more traffic (except the trade parade, of course). No more fighting for tables or a good spot in the sand. Just good weather and good times by the beach. How great to be a local out east.
