A Room at the Beach is a hidden oasis in Bridgehampton.
How many times have you uttered the words I want to go the beach? Too many to count? Same. Lucy Swift Weber and Charles Lemonides turned that wish into a hotel: A Room At The Beach, which quietly opened last year in Bridgehampton.
“It’s been so much fun getting to know the guests,” says Weber, who lovingly decorated each of the 10 rooms in the hotel. Weber drew inspiration from the hues of both the Hamptons ocean and bay beaches to decorate the rooms. Each one has its own outdoor shower which guests can enter their room through—ideal for after a day at the beach. Room 10 is particularly special with an amazing bath that overlooks the garden.
Not only does the 1.5 acre property feature a pool and sauna, but some of the dreamiest interiors on the East End.
Previously owned by Martha Stewart and Donna Karan, the 1.5 acre property not only features a pool and sauna but also plenty of outdoor spaces including a fruit and vegetable garden, and a dreamy lounge area surrounded by 100-foot tall redwood trees. Beehives on the property help give the whole property a cozy honey smell, as well.
We recently caught up with Weber to find our where on the East End she and Charles love to dine when they’ve managed to tear themselves away from their magical hotel.
A Room at the Beach owners Lucy Swift Weber and Charles Lemonides
Almond
Our favorite dinner spot, Almond specializes in seasonal, locally sourced food and they do what they do exceptionally well. The menu offers something for everyone, the room is beautiful, the drinks are divine. Friday night at Almond is legendary. We would rave about Almond even if we didn’t happen to love Eric Lemonides and Jason Weiner and even if Eric didn’t happen to be the little brother of one of us.
Charles always orders the curried mussels and we love their hanger steak and their perfect burgers, but because their locally sourced menu is so specifically seasonal, it’s hard to nail down other dishes we always order. At the moment, the artichoke salad is one of my faves!
Topping Rose House
Jean-Georges at Topping Rose is one of our favorite spots and is a wonderful choice for an elegant breakfast, lunch, or dinner. We love to enjoy a leisurely dinner with friends in the formal dining room and on nights when we are in the mood for something a little more casual, we like to pop by the bar to chat with the fabulous bartender, Michael, and to snack on crispy salmon sushi and truffle pizza, (while drinking perfect dirty martinis). Juanes, the maitre D’, makes every dining experience an utter joy and the food at Topping Rose is truly excellent. Recent favorites have included an extraordinarily good veal chop and a lovely black sea bass.
Yama Q
When we are craving great sushi, it’s hard to beat the bar at Yama Q. The sushi chef is a true master of tuna and he loves to surprise us with a perfect assortment of masterfully prepared fish. Yama Q isn’t big on the frills, but their toro and uni are magnificently good and they have a lovely sake selection. The age dash tofu is also entirely crave worthy.
Estia’s Little Kitchen
This tiny, well-loved establishment, on the road between Bridgehampton and Sag Harbor, is often packed, particularly around breakfast time, but the food is totally worth the wait and we quite enjoy getting the chance to lallygag around in their beautiful garden and drink coffee from the adorable coffee cart in the back. (The young man who runs the coffee cart always has a fresh trivia question to stump us with and although we have yet to get one right, those who are better at such things will be rewarded with a free cup of coffee).
My favorite breakfast order of late is the JB Special, which involves scrambled eggs with chorizo, feta, avocado, beans, rice, and fresh tortillas. Charles has been loving the vegan breakfast, which consists mainly of gorgeous veggies from the Estia garden—and Charles orders his with two eggs over-easy on top. If I’m visiting Estia’s a little later in the day, I tend to go for a cup of the outstanding tortilla soup and the light and bright Valencia salad. They also make a mean margarita, made with fresh agave.
Coche Comedor
This fabulous restaurant on the edge of Amagansett just opened this season and it has already become one of our faves. The latest creation of the people responsible for La Fondita—(which is right next door)—and Nick & Tony’s, Coche Comedor serves delicious, creative Mexican fare in a convivial environment. We love the colorful tables, featuring the art of our friend Almond Zigmund, and other local artists and Coche Comedor makes a particularly good smoky margarita. We plan to visit enough to try everything on the menu, but for now, our faves include the Pork Carnitas and the refreshing ceviche.
I feel guilty for leaving out Dockside (their warm lobster roll is the best!) in Sag Harbor, Nick & Toni’s, Sen, and Elaia Estiatorio. We love those places, too!
