Calissa Hamptons - WATER MILL

It’s the best. If you want seafood food cooked simply this is the place. Really good

Great for large groups and celebrations with a Fun vibe. Lots of gluten free options even the zucchini chips (fab) Dietary restrictions: Great for gluten free!

Season after season this place gets it right every time, and honestly, I’ve never had an evening here that didn’t feel absolutely awesome! It’s literally the best place in the Hamptons––gorgeous food, drinks, ambience, people, and staff. The space has flow down to an art form. You pull in off Montauk highway, drop your keys with a valet, walk in to hear great music pumping (often curated/DJ-ed by owner James), are greeted by the awesome host staff (perhaps awesome co-partner Tonya), grab a life-changing drink from the perfectly designed circular bar with the friendliest bartender around, walk through a beautifully designed dining room, and make your way out the back door to a classic Hamptons patio and open sky garden. It can get busy in the summer high season of July and August, but with so much space they somehow manage to avoid the stuffy, cramped experience you have at so many other local places. By contrast, here it feels like the more the merrier–this is a high energy place, and people are there to live the good life. I’m often impressed at the fact that they seem to draw a crowd that’s seventeen to seventies, and everybody seems to be having fun. In addition to the regular lunches and family dinners I’ve had here, this place attracts incredible talent, and I’ve heard the Gipsy Kings play here, and on August 1 they’ve got Wyclef Jean! I was lucky enough to get invited to their Summer Soiree which was a super elegant evening. I got to meet the partners James and Tonya, some of the staff Micah(sp) and Jordan, the high energy chef, and the bartender. It’s always a good sign when the people who work at restaurants love spending time at the place….and it turns out James (a partner) is also a superb DJ!!! As for the food, I’ve had nearly everything on the menu, and it’s all delicious….I could literally throw a dart at the menu and love what shows up at the table. That said, their oysters are sublime, the watermelon salad is always perfection, and the Saganaki is like crack in cheese form…I’m addicted! Calissa isn’t inexpensive, but to my mind in the Hamptons where everything is pricey, it’s a great value for the money. Their attention to food, drinks, service, ambience, and attitude make it well worth the sticker price. I recently found out that these partners also own Amali and Juniper in the city, so after summer season closes, I’m looking forward to exploring those places.

The food was fantastic and the ambiance was great! We had a gluten-free guest in a group and the waitstaff was very knowledgeable about what she could and could not eat. Unfortunately we missed out on the late night DJ, but we messed up the times with that. Would certainly recommend! There were a lot of large groups when we were there so if you have a large group definitely get a reservation as soon as you can.

Always great ambiance. Food quality wasn't as good as usual. Drinks weren't either. We were rushed out by our server even though the outside was half empty on an $800 bill.