Southampton

EAT & DRINK

Sant Ambroeus 30 Main St (631-283-1233, santambroeus.com). At this offshoot of a Milan café with outposts in the West Village and the Upper East Side, you can carbo-load on rich risottos and pastas, string bikini be damned. But since its origins are in pastry, your best bet is sticking to sweets like the creamy “bavarese” or flaky mille-feuille ($9.50 each). Chow down amid the frosted glass dividers in the back room, hidden from view. See? No one has to know you broke your summer diet.

Blue Duck Bakery Café 30 Hampton Rd (631-204-1701, blueduckbakerycafe.com). Sure, the cakes, pies and ganaches all look mighty tempting, but it’s the Blue Duck’s bread you should be after. Case in point: In one summer week, the bakery hand-forms 40,000 loaves, including their world-class baguettes, ficelles and boules.

Pink Elephant 281 County Rd 39A (631-287-9888, pinkelephantclub.com). Trust-fund babies flock to the East End location of the Chelsea club, where they can bump and grind to a rotating roster of big-name DJs. The 6,000-square-foot backyard space, replete with 250,000 pounds of sand trucked in to recreate a beach scene, is where socialites can lounge on white daybeds in climate-controlled cabanas and never break a sweat before the cameras. And fog machines? Try a scent machine that pumps aphrodisiacs into the air, although we’re thinking neither that nor the oysters and caviar are necessary to get people checking out one another’s tans here.

Southampton Publick House 40 Bowden Sq (631-283-2800, publick.com). Kick back with a cold one at this tucked-away microbrewery, where you can sample a flight of 4-ounce house suds, including the crisp Double White Ale, spiced with coriander and orange peel. The bar hosts live bands every Saturday, and on Monday nights you can get $5 burgers and $4 pints in the taproom.

WHERE TO STAY

The Easterner Motel 639 E Montauk Hwy (631-283-9292, easternermotel.hamptons.com). From $250 per night. This one’s for you procrastinators: Book a two-night weekend stay on Thursday evening or later and you’ll get a hefty discount at this eight-room motel that gets the trick done with clean facilities, a pool and tennis courts. It’s not exactly glamorous, but for the glitz, just head into town; Main Street is five miles away.

Southampton Inn 91 Hill St (631-283-6500, southamptoninn.com). $189–$489 per night. Sprawled out over five acres, the 90 uniquely laid out rooms at this Tudor-style inn are quaint and comfortable. There’s a game room, pool and tennis court to keep yourself occupied, but it’s all about the prime location near the town’s chic shops. A complimentary shuttle makes the two-minute drive to and from Cooper’s Beach during the summer months.

WHAT TO DO

Cooper’s Beach 268 Meadow Ln (631-283-0247). The main beach in town, Cooper’s bustles with families, so watch out for sand castles, lest you make some young kid cry. That feat’s easier said than done, what with all the distracting historic mansions (including Calvin Klein’s) in the distance, dotting the opposite shore.

BookHampton 91 Main St (631-283-0270, bookhampton.typepad.com). Stock up on summer beach reads at this beloved indie book store, which regularly hosts readings and author events. Even if you’re not sure what you’re looking for, the knowledgeable staff can help you navigate the well-organized shelves.

The Elegant Setting 31 Main St (631-283-4747, theelegantsetting.com). Channel your inner Martha Stewart by heading down to this high-end home-accessories emporium for everything you need to be the consummate hostess. Since the store moved two doors down to bigger, tonier digs, there’s an even more robust supply of Hermès linens, Raynaud porcelain and William Yeoward crystal. And should the urge to have your initials emblazoned on towels, totes or throws strike you, know that they specialize in that craft here, offering more than 200 monogram styles and fonts—the shop’s even earned the nod of approval from Oprah, who’s a fan of their colorful set of six linen embroidered cocktail napkins ($80).