shelter island yacht club restaurant

Shelter Island Yacht Club

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12 Chequit Ave

Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965

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Place is absolutely gorgeous!! In love with Shelter Islamd they only trouble is you need to take a ferry or private boat here.. Other then that its amazing!!

Before departing for Shelter Island, we referenced our copy of the 2017 Register of American Yacht Clubs Reciprocity Guide, confirming that both our club and the Shelter Island Yacht Club were listed and that SIYC offered reciprocity. Upon arriving at SIYC, we inquired with the staff at the desk, one of whom we believe was the manager. This 'gentleman' representing SIYC proceeded to lie - yes... *lie* - to us, stating that our club was not listed in the book, and that we could not be granted access to his club. My husband sits on our yacht club's board of directors. He was puzzled as to how this situation could arise since he personally wrote the 2017 membership check to the Yachting Club of America. He was sure that our club was listed in the membership guide. When we returned from our trip, we again verified that Shelter Island Yacht Club indeed was listed as a reciprocal club, along with our club, in the 2017 Register. It is outrageous that our yacht club paid a $500 membership fee so that its members could enjoy reciprocal privileges, yet my husband and I were blatantly lied to and turned away. We are a couple in our 50s, highly educated, polite, and well-dressed. The manager's actions were unwarranted. We quietly walked away from SIYC, disappointed and offended by the deplorable behavior of its management and representatives.

We have sailed here for decades. Reciprocal privileges. Great showers , ice, and launch. I love this YC. Bring a collared shirt! Stand for Colors! Dog friendly. They have a nice menu. Spectacular views of the mooring field with its Herrshoff 12.5 fleet . Close to wonderful restaurants within walking distance. A Hardware store has marine supplies and a little of everything else. Ice cream, a small market and a toy store will entertain kids. Fuel, bike rentals nearby. Walk to the island ferry and head over to Greenport too. Great staff.

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10 Shelter Island Restaurants To Try During Your Stay

There is no shortage of wonderful Shelter Island restaurants. From lowkey eateries to upscale establishments offering the freshest local fare found on the East End, Shelter Island’s culinary offerings are diverse and always delicious, but which ones to try totally depends on your mood, palette and cravings. Whether you’re in the mood for a hearty breakfast, a light, beach-friendly lunch or an opulent, decadent dinner, Shelter Island has something for everyone .

Nestled between the North and South Forks of Long Island, Shelter Island is surrounded on three sides by the Shelter Island Sound and on the fourth side by Gardiner’s Bay – meaning that it’s in proximity to some of the best farms for local produce as well as fishermen serving up the freshest catch of the day. The restaurants embody the spirit of Shelter Island. There’s no velvet rope, over-the-top Hamptons scene or elaborate, black-tie dress code. It’s come as you are and prepared to be dazzled.

So if you make the trip out to Shelter Island, you’ll likely want to enjoy some of the best food and culinary experiences the restaurant has to offer. In this story, we’re rounding out the top 10 restaurants on Shelter Island so that you know exactly where you want to go once you arrive. 

Shelter Island’s most popular restaurants are the ones that are locally-owned and operated so that the relaxed, laidback feeling of Shelter Island is maintained throughout the experience. Some people might enjoy fresh fish best enjoyed by a marina, or a Parisian-style croissant in town. There’s everything from high end specialties down to cozy cafes, and it’s all delicious. 

*All photography in this article is by Doug Young .

Here are the 10 Shelter Island Restaurants to Try During Your Stay 

Breakfast/Coffee/Brunch 

• Marie Eiffel Market & Cafe 
• Stars Café 
• The Shelter Island Pharmacy

Lunch: 

• Salt Restaurant Bar & Grill 
• Sunset Beach
• The Flying Goat 

Dinner: 

• Vine Street Cafe 
• 18 Bay 
• Isola 
• Commander Cody’s 

1. Marie Eiffel Market & Cafe: For top tier French-inspired breakfasts and baked goods, look no further than this must-stop cafe in the middle of town. You’ll find everyone from locals tourists to weekenders clamoring for warm baguettes, pain au chocolat or tart tatin. The care also makes wonderful sandwiches and fresh market fare for your beach picnic. We love its freshly roasted vegetables and salads.

184 North Ferry Road

Shelter Island, NY 11965

https://marieeiffelmarket.com/

For special orders text: 212-945-8492

2. Stars Café: Each morning you can walk into town and pop in for breakfast  at this 15-year old local favorite , family-owned cafe by Pepe and Lydia Martinez. It hails one of the most filling selections in our list of Shelter Island restaurants with stellar coffee, to boot. Our choice? A fresh omelet filled with our favorite ingredients. But if lunch is more your thing, enjoy homemade soups, salads and smoothies made at its very own smoothie bar.

17 Grand Avenue

Shelter Island Heights, NY 110965

https://www.starscafeshelterisland.com/

631-749-5345

3. The Shelter Island Pharmacy: Want old school service offering up gigantic breakfasts? You sure do. Hit up this local haunt for the freshest pancakes, eggs, home fries and bacon. You’ll be glad you did. Lunch and takeaway dinner before 4pm is also a great option. Seeing as it’s an actual pharmacy, the town center spot also boasts a selection of personal care items and services so you can get your shopping done and enjoy a meal, too.

19 Grand Avenue

 Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965

https://shelterislandpharmacy.com/

631-276-4596

1. Salt Restaurant Bar & Grill: We love this Shelter Island standby at the boatyard marina. It’s got great outdoor seating right on the water with views of the comings and goings of larger and smaller boats. The lobster roll is great, and the burger is out of this world. It also makes the perfect pit stop when you’re exploring the island on bike. Stop in early in the evening and catch some live music across the boatyard at the Shipwreck bar.

63 South Menantic Rd

Shelter Island, NY 11964

saltshelterisland.com

631-749-5535

2. Sunset Beach: Located directly on Crescent Beach, this is the scene-and-be seen Shelter Island restaurant on the island where the rosé is popping from lunch through dinner and beyond. Based at the Sunset Beach hote, the restaurant sports a trendy clientele but the food – specifically the salads and entrees – are great, too. Rock your best caftans and linen shirts and join the party. As its name suggests, it’s the perfect sunset drink spot, where you can watch all the yachts come in to catch a glimpse of the Shelter Island sun. And, if you’re a fan of the eclectic Italian label, Marni, you might find a similar collaboration like last summer, where the brand took over the hotspot with multicolored chaises and floral print sofas. 

35 Shore Road

Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965

https://sunsetbeach.fun/

631-749-2001

3. The Flying Goat: This epic 120 year old casual restaurant is perched atop the highest point on Shelter Island, located at historic Shelter Island Country Club. It offers delicious, hearty dining options and a lively bar area that’s perfect for watching the game. We love sipping on a cool drink while taking in the panoramic views from this perfect point on Shelter Island.

26 Sunnyside Avenue

f lyinggoatrestaurant.com

631-749-5404

1. Vine Street Cafe: Arguably one of the top restaurants in all of the Hamptons, this high quality, super local Shelter Island restaurant is always packed and for good reason. It’s serving up some of the most delicious fare, from steaks to fish, to pasta, to the to-die-for french fries. Vine Street Cafe never disappoints. You might even spot a few celebrities and famous chefs in the dining room. 

41 South Ferry Road

vinestreetcafe.com

631-749-3210

2. 18 Bay: This farm-to-table restaurant is a husband and wife operation by Chefs Elizabeth Ronzetti and Adam Kopels that earned them a James Beard nomination. The highly sought-after eatery features a revolving menu that changes weekly, so check the websites for updates and make a reservation in advance. Pro-tip – if you can order off the ala carte menu if you’re lucky enough to score a seat at the bar. 

11 Stearns Point Road

http://18bayrestaurant.com/

631-749-0053

3. Isola: Opened in June, 2017, this upbeat, lively Italian-by-way-of-American restaurant is serving up delicious fare like fresh pizzas, pastas and chicken. Come for the yummy dinner, stay for the live music. Score a seat on the outdoor perch and you’ll have the perfect lookout point in the historic Shelter Island Heights district.

15 Grand Avenue

631-749-9036

4. Commander Cody’s: Blink and you just might miss this locals-favorite haunt, where you’ll find the best Southern style fried chicken north of Mississippi, and certainly as a Shelter Island restaurant. Commander Cody’s has been owned and operated by the same family for years, so it’s got major Shelter Island street credit. Other must-haves include fresh peel-at-eat shrimp, oysters shucked to order, and the freshest white fish you can find. Our move is to pack it all up and head to the beach at sunset for a delicious, lowky dinner.   

41 Smith Street

631-749-1851

If you travel to Shelter Island, you’ll want to soak up the sun, the surf and the most beautiful expanses of nature on the East End, but the good news is you won’t have to sacrifice on food. Unlike other spots in the Hamptons, Shelter Island’s incredible restaurants are low-key and delicious minus the velvet rope, who’s-who scene and dress code. Come as you are to Shelter Island and you won’t be disappointed. We hope you try some of the restaurants outlined in our list of top Shelter Island restaurants to try. 

347.326.3259 Email Us

7 Stearns Point Rd, Shelter Island Heights, NY 11965

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Isle of Plenty: Avenue 's Guide to Shelter Island

Every summer the hamlets of Long Island’s East End swell to almost four times their winter size as New Yorkers seek out their pristine beaches, gray-shingle mansions, verdant lawns, and the shimmering, silver light. And so lines form, traffic slows, and the mania of Manhattan takes over. And yet, one of its most beautiful corners, Shelter Island, remains barely touched by the gilded seasonal migration. Instead this sedate summer colony, a ten-minute ferry ride from Sag Harbor, resounds to not much more than birdsong and the odd thwack of a tennis ball, while its bucolic lanes and sandy shores remain, even in August, largely empty.

In attitude and aspect, Shelter Island is decidedly — and strategically — not the Hamptons. Accessible only by ferry, seaplane, or private boat (unless you count the odd twin engine plane that lands on the unpaved, privately owned airstrip), it has no train stations or Jitney stops, no traffic lights, no traffic jams or limousines disgorging day-trippers. “The world gets very small on Shelter Island,” says Aandrea Carter, owner of the iconic Ram’s Head Inn, which has its own harbormaster for guests who prefer to arrive by boat. “To come to Shelter Island is an expedition. That mentality of ‘We’re going on a journey’ sets the stage for a different attitude.”

But Shelter Island is not all languishing in hammocks and raising ensigns. This summer sees the reopening of a trifecta of century-old grande dame hotels after years-long renovations, properties that have historically been among the East End’s greatest destinations. With the return of the Pridwin, with its signature white exterior and window casements painted hunter green, the legendary Chequit, in Shelter Island Heights, and the beautiful Ram’s Head Inn on Ram Island, New Yorkers more used to the tony environs of the Hamptons are beginning to switch allegiance. As one Southampton resident who will be renting out his home this summer to stay on Shelter Island tells Avenue , “I’m looking forward to leaving as few times as I have to.”

RAM’S HEAD INN

“Guests tell me all the time, ‘This is just like the family resort in Dirty Dancing ,’” quips Aandrea Carter, who took over as the owner of the Ram’s Head Inn last year. “It’s like a movie, with a number of different scenes going on at any one time.” The four-and-a-half acre Colonial-style property with its wraparound porch and wide lawn with magnificent views across Coecles Harbor was built in the 1920s by Joan Covey of Great Neck, who ran it as an inn for a smart Gold Coast set, and possibly as a speakeasy. Since Carter bought the inn, she has overseen a careful refurbishment — “I wanted to keep the antique iconic feel; I didn’t want to lose the charisma of this iconic old lady,” she explains — with the restaurant and bar area, along with the 17 guest rooms, restored to their former glory, while the newly built organic garden supplies many of the dishes created by chef Joe Smith and the cocktails of mixologist Krista Porreca. Wellness is also on the menu, with innovations such as the “Retox to Detox” program led by wellness guru Troy Mills, with weekly classes of meditation and movement and three-day retreats. There is only one road in, along a narrow spit of land that can connects Shelter to Ram Island. An even more scenic route is to arrive by boat, radioing to Captain Graham, the inn’s English harbormaster, who will help you moor and take you to shore by launch.

THE PRIDWIN HOTEL

“Time stands still here. It’s where people come to escape,” says Glenn Petry of The Pridwin Hotel, the property he grew up in and which is reopening on July 15 on its 95th anniversary after a total rehaul. Everybody knows the Pridwin, which occupies one of the most beautiful settings on Shelter Island, stretching across seven acres overlooking Peconic Bay. The Petrys have owned and run the 30-room, four-floor hotel and its 16 cottages for six decades; now it has undergone a two-year renovation with the help of Cape Resorts, and the family is operating and running it in partnership with the investment and management company. “Every bit of plumbing and every electrical wire has been replaced,” says Petry. “It’s been an epic journey.”

But if everything is now state-of-the-art and super-high-end it remains very much the Pridwin in attitude and spirit. “It hasn’t turned into something else,” says Petry, whose grandfather bought the property in 1961 after vacationing there with his family repeatedly. A lot of previous material has been salvaged and repurposed including the original wainscoting, three chandeliers from the 1920s dining room, and the original wicker furniture and china, while the original hotel fireplace is now surrounded by books and vintage ship models rescued from a former estate on Shelter. Meanwhile the restaurant will serve fresh, locally caught fish and shellfish, locally farmed organic produce, and wines from East End vineyards.

“It was something about the water everywhere which reminded us of the Riviera,” says Valerie Mnuchin of why she and her father, the banker-turned-art-dealer Robert Mnuchin, chose Shelter to launch their new restaurant, Léon 1909. Named after Valerie’s Belgian paternal grandfather, and inspired by her father’s travels in Europe, the farm-to-table restaurant is, says Valerie, “a little bit of French Riviera, a little bit of Italy,” with a chic and cozy interior and a central wood-burning open hearth which they built in homage to La Chaumière in France. The unfussy menu features the freshest local ingredients and one of the best burgers on the East End.

A favorite place for casual dining, Salt is a waterfront seafood restaurant converted from a vacant boatyard. The Shipwreck Bar, which sits on a converted 1928 scalloping ship, is a fiesta with live music and games. The restaurant is accessible by boat, with dock slips available on a first come, first served basis, and a ship-to-shore service available for yachties who wish to drop anchor and be motored in for lunch or dinner.

THE CHEQUIT

Built in 1872 as a Methodist retreat that by 1909 had turned into an inn, The Chequit is a landmark of Shelter Island Heights and one of the first sights you see as you drive off the ferry from the North Fork. This summer, which marks its 150th anniversary, the iconic hotel, which once played host to Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller, as well as members of the Kennedy clan when they sailed down from Massachusetts, reopens after a two-year restoration. It now has 19 guest rooms, a further 16 in two additional buildings, and three new restaurants run by Noah Schwartz — Weakfish Sushi & Noodle, including a sushi bar; Heights Cafe and Wine Bar, with a morning coffee shop; and The Tavern, with a farm-to-table menu created by the chef.

SUNSET BEACH HOTEL

When Sunset Beach opened in 2014, it was greeted with hand-wringing from the old guard summer residents, who worried that the owner, Mercer Hotel founder André Balazs, would spoil the Shelter Island vibe. It’s true it’s now a destination restaurant for socials and celebrities, but that may not be a bad thing. The scene is lively, the food is great, the view is sublime, and if you want to show off, you can arrive by seaplane and walk straight onto the beach and up to the bar, where your martini will be waiting, shaken, not stirred.

VINE STREET CAFÉ

Fine dining enthusiasts on both the North and South Forks regularly beat a path to the doorway of Vine Street, such is the deliciousness of the food and rustic coziness of the atmosphere. The husband and wife team of chef Terry Harwood and pastry chef Lisa Murphy-Harwood, owners since 2003, use local farmers, fishermen, and winemakers to create a menu that includes bouillabaisse, steak frites, and an incredible strawberry cheesecake. Happily, it is open throughout the winter months, when the beams and classic wood bar bring to mind a Hornblower novel and locals such as Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan can be spotted having dinner à deux. There is also a little shop, VSC Market, where you can buy edibles like a pint of chilled asparagus soup, herb vinaigrette, and country fried chicken.

MARIE EIFFEL MARKET

The organic market and restaurant owned and run by the beloved Marie Eiffel, formerly of Paris, is a social hub for the the East End’s French diaspora and anyone who appreciates good conversation and the perfect croque monsieur in the morning. People motor over from Orient and Greenport to enjoy breakfast at the tables over-looking Dering Harbor.

MASHOMACK PRESERVE

Known as the “jewel of the Peconic,” Shelter Island’s cherished nature preserve is a 2,300-acre Eden of tidal creeks, salt marshes, meadows, pine swamps, mature oak and beech forests, rare plants, and coastal birds including ospreys and, since two summers ago, a pair of bald eagles. The preserve, which was first home to the Manhansett people (Mashomack means “where they go by water”), has had many owners and incarnations: like the island’s 17th-century Sylvester Manor and farmland, now run as a nonprofit educational farm, it was at one time owned by Nathaniel Sylvester, a sugar merchant from Barbados. Mashomack has been farmed, fished, used as a hunting lodge, and has twice come within a hairbreadth of being turned into a housing development. In 1979, in a triumph of foresight and fundraising, the Nature Conservancy purchased the site, and today Mashomack has one of the most diverse habitats in the Northeast.

In the boating universe, the custom yachts that come out of the boat building workshop CH Marine and the adjoining Coecles Harbor Boatyard are legendary. The handcrafted boats have the refined beauty of traditional yachts (think Jack and Jackie sailing in Hyannis Port), but are built for speed. Billy Joel famously commissioned the prototype Shelter Island Runabout here, a 38-footer built by CH Marine’s Peter Needham, a former spacecraft engineer, and designed by naval architect Doug Zurn. (The singer had stipulated that he wanted a “Newport-for-lunch” boat.) Be prepared to wait: CH Marine’s team of craftsmen produce about one boat a year.

SHELTER ISLAND YACHT CLUB

Located in Dering Harbor, the SIYC, founded in 1886, is among the dozen oldest members-only clubs in America, and stepping into its elegant rooms has a time-bending quality; every day at sunset the naval tradition of evening colors is observed with the ringing of a bell. A member of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, it has a world-class junior sailing program, while some of the most beautiful yachts known to man — Hinckleys — as well as racing sloops and keelboats, can be seen here. An invitation to dine on the deck should be accepted immediately; the food deserves its reputation, and you will enjoy one of the prettiest harbor views of anywhere on the New England coast.

• Visitors Guide
• Weather & Tides

Shelter Island Yacht Club members can get takeout starting Friday from the club restaurant. And, launch service may resume, too, with safety measures in place for social distancing.

But given the restrictions due to the novel coronavirus, many SIYC events will likely have to be cancelled or modified, says the new commodore, Bruce Brewer, a retired doctor and resident of Shelter Island Heights.

The club commissioning, usually celebrated with a dinner dance, was to be held May 23, he said. Instead of a party where members catch up as they resume their summer sailing, the club will host a membership Zoom meeting.

“It’s certainly not a normal year,” Dr. Brewer told the Gazette, noting that as a non-essential business the club cannot open for its usual operations.

“Safety is number one,” Dr. Brewer said. “We are going by the guidelines of the local government and state as to when and what we can provide to members this year.”

Meantime, racing is scheduled to begin Saturday, June 27, subject to change as needed. And the popular Junior Sailing program may yet take place, he said.

“We hope to start the season with a limited program June 20,” he said. “Most likely the groups will be smaller and we’ll possibly staggered drop-offs.”

Typically, the clubhouse offers bar and restaurant services on weekends in the early season, mid-May to mid-June. The club plans to follow that pattern starting May 15. But meals will be for takeout only with dinners on Thursday and Friday and lunch and dinner Saturday and Sunday.

Mariana Koehler, the club food and beverage manager, says the club’s chowder and burger, along with other long-standing menu favorites will be available along with a la carte and family meals.

“The wine list and traditional rum punch and commodore’s margarita will also be available to go,” Koehler said, but not carbonated beverages or cocktails. Ordering is noon to 3PM for pickup between 5 and 8PM.

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