JULY 2019 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 67
FIRE ISLAND’S TOP-BILLING PLAYGROUND
Deer are not afraid of people on Fire Island (Getty Images)
spot; you know, the kind of place
where people “in the know” kick
back. In Ocean Beach, that esoteric
place is Matthew’s Seafood House
(935 Bay Walk, 631-583-8016, matthewsseafood.
com), a small restaurant,
fish market and waterfront bar
where you can lay low and sip a few
on the deck to properly start off the
evening. Wednesdays are Wine &
Tapas Night, Thursday offers latenight
Margarita Madness and Happy
Hour Fridays feature drink specials
and live music.
Although Coleridge’s infamous Ancient
Mariner wasn’t a fan, don’t leave
Ocean Beach before hanging around
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
for a spell at Albatross (320 Bay
Walk, 631-583-5697, dontswingthelights.
com), where it’s all about mood
lighting. Take note of the lanterns
above the bar; they start to spin as the
night progresses, and it’s not because
you’ve had too many! The food is also
first-rate and the bar serves drinks
until 4 a.m., in case you’re in for the
long haul.
And if you do find yourself staying after
the last ferry and closing down the
town, you can’t go wrong by wrapping
things up at Maguire’s Bay Front
Restaurant (1 Bungalow Walk, 631-
583-8800, maguiresbayfrontrestaurant.
com), which is a storied Fire
Island last-call meetup spot. Scores
pack the place by day for the killer
grub, but nighttime is all about the
party, beginning with its Countdown
to Sunset Happy Hour, held Monday to
Friday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
RETAIL THERAPY
When you eventually rise the next
day from your post-bar-crawl slumber,
it’s always fun to spend the
daylight hours shopping at some of
Ocean Beach’s fine shops, boutiques
and souvenir stands. For starters,
Fire Island visitors of the female
persuasion frequently rave about
Bambootique (318 Bay Walk, 631-583-
5180, fireislandapparel.com), primarily
a women’s clothing, footwear and
accessories shop. The kiddie clothing
here is also a big hit.
Fire Island’s women also love the
Ocean Beach installment of Ooh la
la Boutiques (621 Bayberry Walk,
631-583-8590, oohlalaboutiques.com),
WHERE TO STAY
Blue Waters Hotel
642 Bayberry Walk, 631-583-8295,
bluewatershoteloceanbeachfireisland.
com
Clegg’s Hotel
478 Bayberry Walk, 631-583-9292,
cleggshotel.com
Housers Hotel on the Bay
785 Evergreen Walk, 631-583-8900,
housershotel.com
The Palms Hotel Fire Island
168 Cottage Walk, 631-583-8870,
palmshotelfireisland.com
Seasons Bed and Breakfast
468 Dehnhoff Walk, 631-583-8295,
bluewatershoteloceanbeachfireisland.
com
which prides itself on helping its clients
develop their own one-of-a-kind
look. To achieve this, shoppers can
mix and match from a range of items
and styles, from vintage to modern,
dressy to casual, sexy to feminine
and modern to classic. There’s truly
something for all here, so don’t be shy
about asking.
If your fashion tastes range more toward
the tropical, pop in at Hanalei
& Kula’s (472 Dehnoff Walk, 516-220-
1903, hanaleiandkulas.com), where
“Hawaii meets Fire Island.” There’s
everything from island-themed tops,
bottoms and dresses to wellness products
and perfume oils, sure to move
you — or your significant other —
into a happy place. Mahalo.
In some families, it’s a cardinal sin to
leave a vacation destination without
souvenirs, and customized apparel
is always a sound choice. To this end,
Ocean Beach visitors of both sexes
can find some quality threads at Fire
Island Outfitters (637 Ocean Breeze
Walk, 631-583-0146, fireislandapparel.
com), especially if you’re in the
market for souvenir Fire Island hats,
hoodies, T-shirts and sweats. There’s
also a solid selection of beachwear,
and the end-of-season closeout sales
are not to be missed. Fill up a bag,
head to the ferry, and dream of your
next Ocean Beach visit.
WHERE TO DINE
Albatross
320 Bay Walk, 631-583-5697,
dontswingthelights.com
Bocce Beach
927 Evergreen Walk, 631-583-8100,
boccebeach.com
CJ’s Restaurant & Bar
479 Bay View Walk, 631-583-9890,
cjsfireisland.com
Castaway Bar & Grill
310 Cottage Walk, 631-583-0330,
castawaybarandgrill.com
Housers Bar
785 Bay View Walk, 631-583-7805,
housershotel.com
Hideaway Restaurant
785 Evegrgreen Walk, 631-583-5929.
The Island Mermaid
780 Bay Walk, 631-583-8088,
islandmermaid.com
The Landing at Ocean Beach
620 Bayberry Walk, 631-583-5800.
Maguire’s Bay Front Restaurant
1 Bay Walk, 631-583-8800,
maguiresbayfrontrestaurant.com
Matthew’s Seafood House
935 Bay Walk, 631-583-8016,
matthewsseafood.com
Rachel’s Bakery and Restaurant
325 Bay Walk, 631-583-9552,
rachelsfireisland.com
With no cars on Fire Island, wagons
are a common sight, as are
kids selling trinkets and painted
seashells on the streets. (Getty
Images)
/dontswingthelights.com
/fireislandapparel.com
/oohlalaboutiques.com
/cleggshotel.com
/housershotel.com
/housershotel.com
/palmshotelfireisland.com
/hanaleiandkulas.com
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
/boccebeach.com
/cjsfireisland.com
/castawaybarandgrill.com
/islandmermaid.com
/maguiresbayfrontrestaurant.com
/matthewsseafood.com
/rachelsfireisland.com
