Beaumarchais Opening Dinner: A Look Inside

Rather than directly transplanting New York's hottest boozy brunch spot in the center of East Hampton, Beaumarchais has carefully tailored their menu and vibe to settle in perfectly on Three Mile Harbor Road, literally next door to SL East. Reminiscent of a Saint Tropez restaurant, the space is warm and open, with ample bar space.

With such close proximity to a go-to club, this is the place to start off the night, although the Beaumarchais late night DJ might prevent you from moving on to your next location. But then again, so might the cocktails -- I'd probably order the Beaumarchais Limonade by the case if I could. The combination of pureed cucumbers, lemons and a sprinkling of mint was the perfect toast to the beginning of the summer.

The small menu focuses mainly on fish plates, pieces that are so fresh they act as a reminder of how close you are to the ocean. Of course there are also a handful of meat and pasta dishes for those who would prefer them.

For appetizers, our adorable French-accented waitress recommended the crab cakes (out of control) and the tuna tartar (amazing), and I'd urge you to do the same. And since we started on a fish trend, we finished out the night on the same theme. The scallops resting on a pea purée was so flavorful, and the local fluke filet must have been caught hours before. All of the dishes had a rich flavor, but without the heaviness that usually accompanies these decadent dishes.

Then came my personal favorite, dessert, or as I like to call it, the chocolate course. Obviously the chocolate lava cake with pistachio ice cream had to be ordered, as did the profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce. Next time, I'm going for the mega sundae, which feeds about 6 people, and comes with sparklers. And I'm not sharing it with anyone.

Beaumarchais offers an outstanding dinner, draws a well heeled crowd and proved that they could make a serious cocktail. Hopefully this is a winning combination to allow the restaurant to dig in their heels and stay at the previously-troubled Three Mile Harbor location. Maybe their brunches will add to that appeal as well, we'll just have to see for ourselves!