The 1770 House Restaurant & Inn

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A House With a Story Three Centuries in the Making

The structure at 143 Main Street in East Hampton has been standing since 1770, when a young colonist named Matthias Burnett built it on land first purchased by William Fithian in 1650. What began as a private homestead became a general store, a Civil War surgeon's residence, and eventually a gathering place for some of the most recognizable names of the twentieth century — Clark Gable, Bette Davis, John Steinbeck, and Yoko Ono among them. The Rolling Stones are said to have made their way from Montauk to drink in the downstairs Tavern. Today, The 1770 House operates as a boutique inn and restaurant, and that long, layered history is present in every room.

Chef Michael Rozzi and the Kitchen's Philosophy

Since January 2013, Executive Chef Michael Rozzi has shaped the culinary identity of the house. His approach is straightforward: seasonal menus built around Long Island's farms and fishermen, with premium ingredients handled through precise, unfussy technique. The fluke tartare has become a signature, and the kitchen's daily-changing specialties reflect what the East End is producing at any given moment. This is refined American cuisine that earns its adjective — not through elaborate construction, but through the quality of what's sourced and the care with which it's prepared.

Three Spaces, One Address

Dining at The 1770 House means choosing your setting as much as your meal. The candlelit main dining room suits a special occasion without demanding one. The Tavern — a downstairs colonial space anchored by one of New York State's last remaining beehive ovens — offers the same kitchen in a more intimate, speakeasy-like atmosphere, and is where the house's legendary meatloaf, made famous by Ina Garten, and a custom-blend burger have become fixtures. When the weather allows, the garden patio draws guests to tables set around a fountain beneath lantern lights and flowering crepe myrtles, with a firepit nearby.

The Wine Program

Beverage Director Michael Cohen has overseen the wine list for nearly two decades, earning an invitation to the James Beard House on three separate occasions. The list spans East End vintners and storied European producers, and has held the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence continuously since 2007 — a consistent measure of its range and quality. Cohen's own description of his approach says it plainly: "I paint the picture, I describe the bottle, and if I have a story about it, I'll take them there."

The Inn and the Larger Experience

Seven individually named guest rooms — from the Georgica to the Carriage House — sit above and around the restaurant, making it possible to stay entirely within the property's colonial-era walls. General Manager Carol Covell has guided both the restaurant and inn for more than twenty years, and the consistency guests find here — in service, atmosphere, and food — is largely a reflection of her tenure. The 1770 House is, as Discover Long Island put it, "without question one of the most charming spots in the Hamptons to dine or stay."