Restaurants in Glen Cove

Mill Creek Tavern’s nautically themed dining room excites the eyes with model ships, wood crackling in a stone fireplace, and the restaurant’s logo of crossed canoe paddles. Meanwhile, the aroma of freshly caught seafood and juicy steaks on the grill signals the feast to come, much like the smell of cigar smoke signals a spritz of Winston Churchill cologne. A part of the Mim’s family of restaurants, Mill Creek Tavern has been a Bayville staple for more than a quarter century. One of the tavern’s owners is always onsite holding the entrees to a consistently lofty standard, inspiring a rave review from Joanne Starkey of The New York Times, who recommended “the fall-from-the-bones-tender baby-back ribs, a perfectly grilled fillet of lemon sole, and a rousing rendition of chicken scarpariello with meat on the bone and lots of garlic, sausage, and potatoes.”

The team of chefs at Soundview of Glen Cove—who between themselves have garnered nearly 100 years of experience—crafts creative dishes that mix American favorites and international flavors. Diners take in stunning seaside views of the Long Island Sound from the dining room or patio, gazing at the source of much of the menu's fresh-caught sea-meat. These stunning views have earned the establishment a nomination for Long Island Press's Best of Long Island 2012 contest, in the categories of Restaurant with a Water View and Places Where Having Eyes Is Neat.

In warmer weather, shady green umbrellas form a canopy over the elegant patio, shielding diners from the penetrating gaze of seagulls, and dining rooms are festooned with historic images of Glen Cove's most gorgeous family estates. Soundview shares its grounds—donated to the city in 1972 by the Geddes Family—with an 18-hole golf course and public park, which boasts a playground for little ones and tennis and basketball courts for slightly larger ones.

Sian Rose grew up in Sheffield, Jamaica, watching her father prepare traditional Caribbean dishes from her spot on the kitchen counter. Today, chef Sian captains her own kitchen, folding Caribbean-imported seasonings, herbs, and spices into a variety of authentic breads, cakes, and specialties—from fish cooked in creamy coconut milk to spicy jerk pork. The skilled chef also extends her culinary expertise to custom catering and personal-chef services.

Chef Lisan slashes a checkmark of sauce on a bistro plate. The sushi bar radiates with purple neon. Red walls stand stark against black lacquered tables, where bamboo mats tell Lisan's story—an upbringing in Tokyo and 20 years in New York dreaming of a restaurant just like Ginban Asian Bistro. An ever-evolving Omakase menu mingles Japanese, Malaysian, and Southeast Asian influences and presents everything from fresh sashimi to saucy filet mignon. After splashing soy on a slice of just-rolled sushi, patrons can retreat to the outdoor patio for a cocktail. The restaurant also caters parties of up to 200 people, or occasionally up to 201 people if the outlier can stay quiet beneath a friend's trench coat.

Owner and chef Alain Bennouna uses traditional Moroccan spices and cooking techniques to create a menu of bold cuisine, which Westchester Magazine described as "incredible, hauntingly spiced food" when placing Zitoune on its The Year's 10 Best Restaurants list in 2008. Entrees of braised lamb and grilled chicken flood the senses with comforting aromas of saffron, honey, and ginger—ingredients that Alain regularly savored while growing up in Marrakesh.

Although Alain draws inspiration from French and American recipes, Moroccan influences definitely take the lead. In addition to serving slow-cooked meat and lentil stews in clay tagine pots, Chef Bennouna embraces the family-style aspect of his childhood cuisine by cooking entire 18- to 20-pound lambs for larger parties if given five days advance notice. The New York Times praised the chef's commitment to these homestyle touches in 2007, claiming, "Mr. Bennouna is in love with his native cuisine, and he wants you to love it too."

The food's vibrant eclecticism echoes the dining room's highly sensory decor. Copper-topped tables, arabesque tiles, and handcrafted textiles from Marrakesh marketplaces fill the sunset-orange space. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the restaurant invites belly dancers to perform, allowing them to sweep throughout the dining room and enthrall diners with their ability to recite the Gettysburg Address backwards.

Chef Jorge Adriazola's imaginative dinner menu of small plates and entrees puts an exciting spin on Latin classics and earned Cienega recognition as one of Westchester's Best New Restaurants. Beginning with one of four types of ceviche—which splash fruity or Asian flavors over morsels of cold seafood—diners move on to pass shareable plates inspired by Mexican street food or classic Colombian dishes. Full entrees, meanwhile, mingle traditional Latin recipes with innovative garnishes such as tomatillo-parsley gastrique, or spiked tomato sauce, each of which can accompany sides that the New York Times says are "stars in their own right." During brunch, locally sourced eggs beget coconut-crusted french toast and chorizo-laden benedicts to reinvent morning meals better than the recent inception of unsliced bread. With its lofty ceilings, slick dark wood, and twinkly hanging lights, Cienega's contemporary interior offers the ideal ambiance for a first date or last supper before tomorrow's breakfast. Diners can drop in Sundays for meals accompanied by the sweet jazz serenades of a quartet of international musicians.