Restaurants in Westbury

A tightly written but well-balanced menu of classic steak, seafood, and pasta dishes emphasize simple recipes and virtuosic preparation. Blue Lagoon's chefs craft familiar dishes—including grilled Atlantic salmon and filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes—that let guests relish the experience of upscale dining. A wine list longer than the dinner menu further heightens the meal as servers recommend bottles and glasses of sparkling whites, pinot noirs, merlots, and other sips to pair with entrees. The chefs also cater events—weddings, birthday parties, and pet-rock-adoption anniversaries—and the staff frequently hosts buffets, music, and special events at the restaurant.

Chefs at Paninis and Bikinis press panini sandwiches in the kitchen, grilling ingredients such as oven roasted turkey, cranberry chutney, and brie cheese between slices of sourdough bread. In addition to the specialty sandwiches, they also toss crisp salads customized with sliced almonds, sundried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese and pour glasses of wine or fresh-brewed tea.

Behind the sleek, white counter at Tasty Grill, cooks dice, skewer, and stuff ingredients into platefuls of Greek and American fare. Glass doors open onto a breezy patio, and free WiFi access keeps solo diners entertained without merry-go-round rides aboard the gyro spit.

The chalkboard that wraps around the top of Vinoco's bar welcomes guests in five languages, no doubt a nod to its menu, which boasts tapas dishes and entrees representing Spanish, Italian, Greek, Pan-Asian, and Latin American flavors. The New York Times awarded the intimate eatery its top rating, raving that the selections are "head and shoulders above the usual tapas-bar clichés." Chef Carlos Roman—originally from Peru, according to the New York Times —prepares complexly flavored dishes such as rock-shrimp quesadillas with paprika, mango salsa, and monterey cheese. Taking cues from its food-bearing counterpart, the wine list culls nearly 50 varietals imported from Europe, Australia, and South America that can be purchased by the bottle, poured into glasses, or broken over an attractive guest's head to christen them as your new friend.

The chefs at Bellissimo Ristorante Italiano craft traditional Tuscan and Sicilian dishes as well as their own idiosyncratic takes on classic Italian recipes. While digging into a half chicken breast in sage butter sauce, diners can admire the eatery’s wrought-iron chandeliers and walls painted to resemble an Italian villa. Tromp l’oeil arched pillars frame murals of pastoral Tuscan landscapes, depicting mountains, vineyards, and groups of tourists asking for directions.

With sweeping views of Bethpage State Park Golf Course, the idyllic setting of the 2009 U.S. Golf Open Championship, Taste 99 at Carlyle on the Green matches its majestic surrounds with an ornate interior and a versatile menu of upscale American eats. Chef Phil Abshire updates classic steakhouse fare with exotic flavors and creative fish dishes, taking care to balance his tasty innovations with reverence to simple, expertly seared steaks. His culinary feats are enjoyed in a grandiose dining space marked by cream-colored walls, ceiling beams, and a portrait of the inventor of golf, Tiger Woods. When the sun decides to smile upon earth creatures, diners can plop into outdoor patio seating and sip a glass of wine from the restaurant’s extensive list.