Sant Ambroeus East Hampton — Restaurant in Town of East Hampton

Came here unexpectedly when my beloved Serafina was closed and was beyond pleasantly surprised. We love the Sant Ambroeus in Southampton, but this has a totally different feel. More bistro and perhaps a little more casual "vibe". The staff could not be friendlier unlike other restaurants in East Hampton, they make you feel warmed and welcomed. The first time we came and sat at the bar. An excellent bartender served us one of the best bellinis I've had in recent years. Perfectly chilled with just the right amount of peach juice and bubbly and not too small unlike sometimes when you order one and it feels more like a shot drink then a real cocktail. We shared the tuna salad which was easily shared between three, it's that huge. Delightfully salty hunks of Italian tuna paired marvelously with fresh greens, dark-rich olives, sun dried tomatoes and beautifully-briny sardines. Dressed with just the right amount of a light olive oil dressing it was the perfect salad and dolce vita moment (sorry for the overused cliche there;). Also, definitely not to be missed is their bread basket. Heaping with warm slices of pumpkin seed bread that I felt tempted to wrap up and bring home in my purse. Baked fresh daily onsite when dipped in their house olive oil is like a meal unto itself. The second time we came was for brunch. We all had the eggs benedict which were cooked to perfection and served with a huge size of heaping fries salted just enough. Who knew Sant Ambroeus served fries? These are the kind that would cure any hangover or make you reconsider your diet of no carbs. However, on this day the piece de resistance was when I casually asked the waiter to bring a "big piece" of their famous principessa cake for dessert because it was my dog's birthday. Not only did he oblige and bring us a huge-generous slice, but he was also sweet and kind enough to add a candle. The photos, smiles and joy on our faces (and our darling-one-year old-pups) was a moment and memory we will remember forever. Seriously great food backed by the infamous Sant Ambroeus name with wondrous staff and excellent service. Will continue to return again and again and I suggest you do...

This location has been in business for 3 months now, but sadly still does not live up to the Sant Ambroeus name, which is known for excellent, but also expensive, Italian food (we go to BPC and Southampton locations quite often). We have been now 3 times. 2 out of the 3 times we got seated 20+ minutes after our reservation time. The third time it took another 15 minutes to be able to place our order and the food arrived 70+ minutes after our reservation time. The food quality met Sant Ambrose standards at our first visit, but not during our 2 other visits. The portions are very small (seems smaller than at other locations), particularly considering the price ($39 for pasta bolognese). The place is quite small and they maximized the space by cramming in as many seats as possible at the expense of comfort and privacy. Service is uneven - ranging from friendly and welcoming (hostess, most of the wait staff) to at best just professional (one of the two managers). One last detail - the toilet was out of TP, which is not acceptable for a restaurant of that level. I have not lost hope, but for now we will probably just go to the Southampton location and limit our visits at the East Hampton location to breakfast and then try again in a few months. I am sure the team will have made the necessary...

I would love to be able to review the food here. Unfortunately I cannot because it never arrived. My friend and I were a party of two - I am a black man. We waited an hour for our lunch to be served - including salad appetizers and entrees. We made several inquiries to the waiter, the hostess, and the manager, to no avail - we finally had to get up and leave — unserved and hungry. We were told there was a slight service delay, however we had arrived for an early 12:30p reservation - the restaurant was nearly empty, and we watched numerous tables around us fill up with parties of two, three and more — all arrived and were seated after us, ordered after us, were served and finished eating, and their leftovers were packaged and delivered to their tables, and they departed — all while we sat waiting for service of any kind. I inquired of one departing party — their reservation was in fact later than ours. I never pull the race card - I have a fantastic life and socialize in broad circles. I’m a homeowner in East Hampton and I love this city. However I have no choice but to call this out. If I could give Saint Ambroeus negative...