Welcome to the Plaza Cafe

Experience the best of Southampton’s vibrant seafood scene at The Plaza Cafe, now located at 61 Hill Street. Award-winning hometown Chef Doug Goulija transforms locally-sourced ingredients into an unforgettable Prix Fixe menu that changes with the seasons to capture the freshest flavors found onshore. Consistently recognized as an essential dining stop in Long Island Newsday’s ‘Top Ten Seafood Restaurants,’ The Plaza Cafe continues to be a pillar of excellence amidst the region’s bustling food scene for over 20 years.
You’ll love visiting this hidden gem, bursting with flavors and impeccable service.

Press/Awards

December  1997  The Plaza Café served its first Meal

July 1998:  Three Stars/Excellent from Long Island Newsday

August 1998:  Three Stars/ Excellent from The New York Times

April 2000:  James Beard House Luncheon

June 2001:  Ten Best East End Eateries by New York Magazine

Since 2002:  Zagat Surveys America’s Top Restaurants`

June 2002:  News 12 Feature on Chefs and Champagne

July 2002:  James Beard House Chefs and Champagne Honoring Chef Daniele Boluld

July 2006:  James Beard House Chefs and Champagne Honoring Chef Thomas Keller

May 2010:  Food Network:  Great American Seafood Cook Off Support Victims of Hurricane Katrina

August 2, 2013:  Top Seafood Restaurant on Long Island from L.I. Newsday

May 2012:  ‘My Favorite restaurant’ Social Life Magazine

Our Story

Doug Gulija and his wife Andi opened The Plaza Café in 1997 with the goal of creating a casual, New American Restaurant that focused on fresh, sustainable seafood creations. ‘We opened in the dead of winter to get the kinks out’ and by the summer of 1998 The Plaza Café had garnered an ‘Excellent’ Three Star Review from the New York Times and an ‘Excellent’ Three Star Review from Long Island Newsday as well as being listed in the Zagat Survey’s Top Restaurants in America.

The menu not only changes with the seasons but may change a little bit each day in order to take advantage of the freshest seafood available both locally and in the markets. Sustainability is a very key factor in the daily selections. The presentations are fresh and simple and supported by seasonal produce with the star of the plate being the fish. Rarely is a dish comprised of more than three complementing flavor profiles and the vegetable accompaniments always make for an interesting vegetarian option on their own. There are always at least a few ‘land’ alternatives and they are always either grass fed, organic and/or free range

The wine list is eclectic with most of the list being devoted to small production wineries. ‘I am not a sommelier in any way shape or form, but I look for balanced wines that speak of a time and place.’ And almost every wine on the list has a ‘story’ as to why it was selected, be it because it was from one of the local wineries that The Plaza Café has supported from the outset or because of a Vintner Dinner that was hosted with a particular winery, or just because a friendship was made during a casual tasting.

The service is ‘fine dining’ but not pretentious and the dining room is airy with a beachy feel. The service credo is to provide guests with what they need before they have to ask for it. ‘We want our guests to be relaxed, forget their problems and enjoy their dining experience with us without even realizing they are being served.’

As The Plaza Café enters twenty plus years, it has come full circle in many ways.

After the passing of his wife in 2010, Doug took a hard look as to what he thought Andi would have wanted him to do, and he came to the conclusion that she would want him to continue what they started, but maybe with a more casual approach, just as they had originally planned.

Today The Plaza Café is ‘recharged’ and was quoted as being ‘the best Seafood House on Long Island’ in Mr. Peter Gianotti’s follow up three and half star review. The decision to take a lighter approach seems to have paid off. “With the loss of my wife I have a totally new outlook on life and I am now really focused on what is truly important. I guess you can say it is kind of a Return to Cooking in a way where all that matters is taking care of my guests, my team and my purveyors….everything else is secondary and will take care of itself . ‘When you come to The Plaza Café,

"You are coming to my Home and you are a guest at my Table where I hope to not only provide you with a memorable dining experience but allow you to forget all your worries if even for just a few hours. Zivili!”