The American Hotel
Historic Sag Harbor dining room with a Wine Spectator Grand Award cellar — one of the deepest restaurant wine lists in the United States.
Inside the 1846 American Hotel on Sag Harbor's Main Street, the dining room serves continental classics — Dover sole, steak Diana, soufflés — paired with a wine cellar that has held the Wine Spectator Grand Award since the 1980s. The wine list itself is roughly the size of a small book, with deep verticals of Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne plus a serious Long Island section. A natural pairing with a North Fork wine day via the Shelter Island ferries. Jacket preferred at dinner; reservations essential year-round.
Wine Spectator Grand Award cellar, historic dining room
Dress code and hours
The American Hotel enforces a collared-shirt dress code and asks guests not to wear hats, T-shirts, tank tops or gym and beach attire; the dining room is open 8:00am–10:00pm year-round 1. Groups larger than 14 are seated from a set menu rather than the à la carte list, arranged through the hotel's events coordinator 1.
Menu access
The current à la carte menu is published only as an interactive page on the hotel's own site rather than a static price sheet, so dish-by-dish pricing should be confirmed directly with the restaurant or on arrival 1 — this listing does not include a pricing table for that reason.
Location
The hotel sits at 45–49 Main Street, within walking distance of Sag Harbor's shops, galleries, the gymnasium and the harbor front and bay beach 1.
Booking
Reservations are taken by phone rather than through an online booking platform; the hotel notes its staff will help arrange dinner or luncheon plans for groups directly 1.
History of the building
The American Hotel occupies a site with roots in the pre-Revolutionary James Howell Inn, where British officers were billeted before being captured in a 1778 raid led by Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs. 2 Cabinetmaker Nathan Tinker began building the current brick structure in 1824, and in 1876 whaler and ferry owner Captain William Freeman and Bridgehampton farmer Addison M. Youngs bought the building, added a porch, installed a bar and dining room, and named it The American Hotel. 2
Cuisine and the wine cellar
The restaurant describes its food as "American-French," with menus grounded in French classical technique and drawing on French, Italian, American and Asian influences, changing seasonally around local and imported ingredients such as foie gras, oysters, caviar, lobster and Long Island duckling. 3 The hotel's wine cellar has received Wine Spectator's Grand Award for one of the world's greatest wine lists every year since the award's 1981 inception, one of only 87 restaurants worldwide and the only one on Long Island to hold it; the cellar has been built since 1972 by owner Ted Conklin and by 2001 ran to roughly 1,700 selections across an 85-page list. 4
Sources
Frequently asked questions
- How do I make a reservation at The American Hotel?
- The American Hotel accepts reservations on OpenTable. Use the “Reserve on OpenTable” button on this page to check live availability, or call (631) 725-3535. Weekends fill up first, especially in the summer wine-tasting season.
- Where is The American Hotel located?
- The American Hotel is at 49 Main Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963, on the South Fork of Long Island.
- What kind of food does The American Hotel serve?
- The American Hotel serves Continental · Fine dining. It is a fine-dining and special-occasion restaurant ($$ · $40–80 entrées). Known for wine spectator grand award cellar, historic dining room.
- Which Long Island wineries are near The American Hotel?
- Channing Daughters Winery are all within an easy drive of The American Hotel, making it a natural lunch or dinner stop on a South Fork wine-tasting day.
- Where can I stay near The American Hotel?
- Hotels within easy reach of The American Hotel include The American Hotel and Baron's Cove. Booking a room nearby lets you enjoy the wine list without driving back.
- Is The American Hotel good for dietary restrictions?
- The American Hotel can typically accommodate common dietary restrictions — vegetarian, gluten-free, and shellfish allergies — with advance notice. Note them in your OpenTable reservation or call (631) 725-3535 so the kitchen can plan around them, especially on busy weekend services.
- When are the busiest times at The American Hotel?
- Friday and Saturday dinner service (6–8:30 pm) is the busiest window at The American Hotel, along with Sunday lunch during the South Fork wine-tasting season (May–November). Weeknight dinners and early seatings are the easiest tables to get and usually a calmer experience.