Boasting a vista of Peconic Bay and a reputation as one of LI's strongest seafood contenders, Seafood Barge is far from your average flavor-of-the-month. The place's simple, functional decor boasts a few elegant touches, like white linens and, of course, the view. Decadent mains include seafood bouillabaise, grilled salmon nicoise, roasted Atlantic halibut, and steamed North Atlantic lobster (the house specialty). Steak and chicken plates are available for landlubbers. Reservations are encouraged.

Step inside this Front Street eatery, and you'll think you've been whisked away to some trendy Manhattan hotspot. Indeed, it's where local sophisticates gather, donning their hippest threads and looking the part in the gallery-like setting. The menu keeps pace with the mod decor, thanks to duck breast with Moroccan spices, grilled red snapper with mussels and lemon-basil jam, and seared scallops with confetti tomatoes and dandelion greens. Rounding out the experience are topnotch wines and delectable desserts – how does vanilla bean custard topped with fresh raspberry sauce sound? Reservations are a must.

Dave's negates any stereotype about dockside dining by cultivating a bit of panache with white linens, black and white photos, and terrific views of Montauk Harbor. Indeed, it's one of the area's most popular seafood places, thanks to Dave's Cioppino (fresh fish, lobster, scallops, clams, shrimp, mussels, and calamari in tomato broth), onion and potato-crusted flounder, and two-pound steamed lobsters. Outdoor seating is available during warm months. Same-day reservations are accepted, but be ready to wait for a table anyway.

Friendly service and great food: most restaurants claim these as their own, but only a select few perennially deliver. Those who frequent this Freeport fav make no bones about it – Nautilus Cafe is what all the pretenders aspire to be. Located on the Nautical Mile and keenly dressed to play the part of roadside seafooder, the Cafe wows patrons with fresh offerings of broiled marinated scallops, Maryland jumbo lump crab cakes, pecan-crusted orange roughy with tangerine beurre blanc, and sautéed brook trout with roasted pinoli nuts. Landlubbers will find a few things to tickle their fancies as well thanks to superbly done entrees of prime rib and Long Island duck with port wine-raspberry sauce.