You don’t need to go far for some of the best restaurants around
Roslyn’s myriad eateries provide plenty of international options. From Mexican to Japanese, Greek and Mediterranean to Italian and American, each of these restaurants offers a total immersion experience into different cultures through its atmosphere and exquisite cuisine. Whether you’re heading out for a quiet evening or a special celebration, these local restaurants offer the world right on the Gold Coast of Long Island.
Hendrick’s Tavern
Housed in the restored estate of Hendrick Onderdonk, which was built in 1740, Hendrick’s Tavern offers a unique blend of history and modernity and is known for its structure, design and New American comfort food. With interesting appetizers such as grilled octopus and roasted bone marrow, traditional dishes like salads, steaks and seafood, and a few specialty entrées that include pasta, ribs and chicken, this tavern is sure to appeal to everyone’s taste buds. In addition to lunch and dinner, Hendrick’s Tavern also offers brunch on the weekends, which includes even more menu options, including burgers, sandwiches, eggs and pancakes. The space is also available for parties with two bars, three private dining rooms, a VIP bar for cocktails and a ballroom for catering events. So, whether you’re a picky eater, hungry for breakfast or need a large venue to host a party, this restaurant offers it all.
Hendrick’s Tavern is located at 1305 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.pollrestaurants.com/restaurants/hendricks; 516-621-1200.
Besito
Besito may be located in Roslyn, but as soon as you walk into its large yet cozy interior, filled with rustic, glowing lights and hanging lanterns, pictures of wild and windblown horses on the gold walls, and dark furniture contrasting its white tablecloths, you are instantly transported to the deserts of Mexico. Embodying the spirit and culture of our southern neighbors in its atmosphere and food, the menu offers tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, salads, fish and meat main dishes, sides like plantains, rice and beans, and a plethora of tequila and other drinks, including margaritas. Be sure to order the guacamole, which is made table side and presented in a large granite-like bowl. This expertly made dip is some of the best around. After the meal, diners are presented with a bag of warm cinnamon-encrusted churros with their check. What a sweet end to a spicy and flavorful cultural experience.
Besito is located at 1516 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.besitomexican.com; 516-484-3001.
Bryant & Cooper
Known as one of the great steakhouses on Long Island, Bryant & Cooper offers exactly what diners want and expect from a high-quality steakhouse in both atmosphere and food. With dark paneling, warm lighting and bottles of wine for decoration—and drinking—this restaurant is perfect for business meetings, family dinners or get-togethers with friends. Like any traditional steakhouse, the menu offers excellent cuts of meat, an extensive assortment of wine, an array of vegetables made for two, including various kinds of potatoes, seafood and chicken options as well as simple but delicious desserts, such as chocolate cake, key lime pie and cheesecake. If you love Bryant & Cooper’s steak and want to cook it at home, the website offers a selection of mail order steak, including porterhouse, boneless sirloin, filet mignon and bone-in rib eye, guaranteed to be delivered fresh and overnight to your doorstep.
Bryant & Cooper is located at 2 Middle Neck Road in Roslyn; www.pollrestaurants.com/restaurants/bryant-cooper; 516-627-7270.
Trattoria Diane
A family-run Italian restaurant, guests will feel like they’re in Italy when looking at Trattoria Diane’s traditional Roman menu of verdure (vegetables), fritti (fried foods) including a zucchini blossom and arancini balls, anti pasta (appetizers) such as soups and salads, primi (pastas) and secondi (chicken and meat) including dishes like Chicken Under a Brick, roasted duck and Tuscan pot roast. Also offered are a prix fixe menu for Sunday supper and several different rooms, including an upstairs, that can accommodate private parties. After a delicious, well-cooked Italian meal, diners can go next door to Diane’s Bakery for dessert, where freshly baked muffins, cookies, pies and tarts are all made from scratch every day. Attached to the bakery is a Panini Café, which offers an array of salads, panini, wraps and pasta for those looking for a lighter or quicker lunch or dinner. With a full restaurant, bakery and café, Trattoria Diane offers so many different dining options for any time of day.
Trattoria Diane is located at 21 Bryant Avenue in Roslyn; www.trattoriadiane.com; 516-621-2591.
Limani
Limani offers an exclusive trip to the Mediterranean that’s conveniently located right on Northern Boulevard. Offering a seasonal raw bar with fresh seafood imported both domestically and from the Mediterranean, using ingredients from Peloponnese, the town of Kozani and the island of Santorini, Limani prepares its food to provide a palate-pleasing authentic Greek experience.
In addition to serving seafood and USDA prime meat, the menu includes Greek specialties such as spanakopita, hummus, soups and traditional desserts like loukoumades, which are delicious
fried dough puffs made with honey, walnuts and cinnamon. In addition to dinner, Limani offers an extensive Sunday brunch, prix fixe lunch, early dinner and dessert menus, as well as a substantial wine list. Two private rooms can be used for intimate parties or corporate functions and the whole restaurant can be reserved for a private event that’s sure to be a classy and elegant affair.
Limani is located at 1043 Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.limani.com; 516-869-8989.
Kotobuki
Established as a single restaurant in 1987 but since expanded to three locations, including in Roslyn, Kotobuki offers traditional and contemporary Japanese cuisine in a simple room with a sushi bar, wooden chairs and small tables. In contrast to its simply decorated interior, the sushi and sashimi are beautifully arranged, brightly colored and placed perfectly on each plate. The offerings include an extensive sushi roll list, in addition to a full menu of sashimi, Japanese soups, salads, noodles, teriyaki, tempura, desserts and much more. A super special section on the menu includes unique and delicious items such as spicy tuna pizza, prepared from crunchy rice and a nori crust that’s topped with layers of spicy tuna and shredded crab salad with tobiko, soy-mayo and scallions. Whether you’re in the mood for a traditional and simple experience or want to be daring and try something new and interesting, Kotobuki offers a total Japanese experience for your taste buds.
Kotobuki is located at 1530 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.kotobukinewyork.com; 516-621-5312.
Kyma
Winner of OpenTable’s Diners’ Choice in 2015, Kyma is as highly recommended as they come through ratings and reviews from happy diners online. It makes sense—their devotion to cooking Greek food in the right way is evident in their use of the most basic and essential ingredient of all Greek food: extra-virgin olive oil. Offering appetizers like Kyma chips, which are paper-thin zucchini and eggplant chips with tzatziki sauce, to classic Greek salads filled with olives, peppers, onions and feta, and then onto whole fish dishes, moussaka, pasta and lamb chops, Kyma’s menu runs the gamut on Greek food and culture. One signature dish on the menu is the Plateau, which includes a small mountain of chilled oysters, shrimp, clams, Maine lobster and lump crab. Kyma also offers a prix fixe lunch menu that includes a variety of the food offered on the dinner menu, including desserts like baklava and sorbet.
Kyma is located at 1446 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.kyma-roslyn.com; 516-621-3700.
Il Mulino
An international restaurant with locations in Tokyo, Puerto Rico, Las Vegas, Atlantic City, New York City and Long Island, Il Mulino brings the elegance of the city and its take on classic Italian food to Roslyn. In a warm and elegant atmosphere, you’ll read a menu written in delicate script that details the many dishes offered, including appetizers, salads, soups and several pasta, chicken, veal, shrimp, steak and side options. Unique and delectable selections on the special menu include octopus salad and escargot as well as New York City favorites like ossobuco, which is veal shank in a mushroom sauce, and langostino, which are jumbo prawns over risotto or sautéed spinach. With restaurants around the world, Il Mulino offers international flavor in lovely Roslyn.
Il Mulino is located at 1042 Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.ilmulino.com/long-island; 516-621-1870.
MP Taverna
When entering MP Taverna, guests quickly realize that although its design is a unique conglomeration of both a tavern and a diner with wood floors, comfy booths and marble bar, the food presented on its plates announce that this is a high-quality Greek restaurant. And no wonder—Michael Psilakis, the award-winning chef known in the food industry for his classic Greek cooking, is owner and executive chef of this modern eatery. Offering yogurt, chickpea, eggplant or a combination of all three dips with warm pita bread and cucumber slices, beef and lamb burgers, sandwiches, salads and entrées like dumplings and Greek paella, the eatery serves great food in a chic but comfortable atmosphere. Going to MP Taverna for a special occasion?
You can celebrate Greek-style by reserving a whole roasted animal for you and your companions to enjoy, with your choice of a lamb, kid goat, suckling pig, shank of veal, rack of rib steak, pork butt or whole fish—but be sure to order it at least five days in advance. In addition to serving lunch and dinner, which you can eat in or take-out, there’s also a prix fixe lunch menu of three courses and brunch on weekends to satisfy all of your Greek food cravings. As the weather warms up, check out the roof-top seating.
MP Taverna is located at 1363 Old Northern Boulevard in Roslyn; www.michaelpsilakis.com/mp-taverna; 516-686-6486.
