The house on the hill
Sagamore Hill was Theodore Roosevelt's home for over thirty years, and it is the reason most first-time visitors come to Oyster Bay at all. The house, the museum and the grounds sit in Cove Neck, a few minutes east of the village, and a proper visit takes the better part of a morning or an afternoon.
What the historic site does not have is lunch. Which is where the village comes in.
Five minutes, one turn
The drive from Sagamore Hill back into Oyster Bay village is about five minutes. You come down Cove Neck Road, follow the harbor, and you are on the village streets before you have finished deciding what you want to eat.
We are at 30 Audrey Avenue, in the middle of it. There is street parking on Audrey Avenue and the surrounding blocks, and the municipal lots are a short walk.
Time your meal to the visit
The useful thing about an all-day restaurant is that it does not care which order you do things in.
Before the house. Coffee and something small. We open the room at 11:30 AM, and the espresso machine works from the first minute. Tours run better on caffeine.
After the house. This is most people. Lunch runs through the afternoon with no gap, so a tour that runs long does not cost you the meal. Sandwiches, salads, our Roman-style pizza by the slab, and the raw bar if the day calls for oysters in the town that named itself after them.
Making an evening of it. Dinner and cocktails run into the night. If you are staying nearby, book a table and let the day land properly. Reservations are easiest through our site; walk-ins are always welcome at the bar.
Oysters, obviously
You are in Oyster Bay. The raw bar carries a rotating selection: Long Island bays when they are at their best, Cape Cod and Wellfleet in season. Lemon, mignonette and house cocktail sauce on every plate. It would be strange to come all this way and not.
Worth knowing
- Sagamore Hill is run by the National Park Service. House tours are limited and can sell out, so check the park's site for times and tickets before you drive out.
- The grounds and trails are a real walk. Bring the appetite back with you.
- If you are exploring further, the village rewards it: our guide pages cover getting here from Locust Valley and Glen Cove too.
Come hungry. The house is history; lunch is ours.
