Sunset Beach

The restaurant, on the very edge of Crescent Beach on Shelter Island with an unimpeded water view, is built on three, stepped rooftops. It looks as if it has been scooped up by a tornado from the South of France or the West Indies. The first rooftop is a bar, which is always open late, usually to 4 a.m. on weekends. The next step is a dining room with a roof but no sides, and the last step, literally in the treetops, is a deck topped only by strings of lanterns. The menu tends toward the South of France, with bouillabaisse, grilled lobster, filet mignon au poive, and moules frites. The place is expensive: strip steak is $48, and a side of haricots verts sets you back $10.