Zero Bond owner Scott Sartiano has abandoned his fight to bring the exclusive SoHo members-only club to the Hamptons this summer, opting instead to open a branch of celebrity-favorite restaurant Sartiano’s, Side Dish has learned.
The nightlife impresario plans to open his popular SoHo restaurant in East Hampton’s storied Hedges Inn, which was set to become a Zero Bond venue until local officials voted to require all “food and drink establishments” to close by 11 p.m., thwarting Sartiano’s plans.
Noise-hating locals were outraged when Sartiano first announced plans to open a branch of Zero Bond, a favorite of Mayor Eric Adams and A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Elon Musk and Kim Kardashian, in a quiet residential area of East Hampton Village.
“I don’t have any plans to open a private club in the Hamptons this summer, but who knows what the future holds. We’ll just have to wait and watch,” Sartiano told Side Dish in an exclusive interview.
“I hope to be treated like everyone else by the authorities. My only concerns this summer are Sartiano’s and staying at Hedges Inn for a long time.”
Sartiano’s will open to the public on July 18 at Hedges Inn, a 13-room luxury bed and breakfast founded in 1873.
The Inn is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but the restaurant is open Thursday and Friday from 5 pm to 10 pm and Saturday from 1 pm to 10 pm, with last entry at 8 pm.
Sartiano stressed through Resy that the restaurant is “reservations only” and will not accept walk-ins.
The 80-seat restaurant at 74 James Lane overlooking the pond will have about 3,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with covered and uncovered patios, as well as an outdoor seating area with a fire pit and bocce ball.
As in the city, Sartiano’s menu will be designed by Top Chef Aldred Portale, Executive Chef of Bond Hospitality, of Gotham Bar & Grill fame, and prepared by world-class Executive Chef Chris Lewnes.
Appetizers include house-made focaccia for $14 and a seafood salad with chilled lobster, scallops, octopus, shrimp and avocado for $30.
Other menu items include the $58 bucatini with Maine lobster, roasted tomatoes and Calabrian chile butter, and the $36 lasagna with wild mushrooms, Parmesan espuma and black truffle.
Other dishes include whole roasted sea bass for $90, grilled local swordfish for $42 and a 40-ounce, 30-day dry-aged tomahawk rib-eye steak for $235.
Signature cocktails and appetizers will be available throughout the day, according to sources, and Sartiano’s Bond Hospitality will also be managing the inn’s food and beverage program this season.
“I am passionate about its rich history and vital role. [Hedges Inn] “This band has been performing in the East Hampton Village community for the past 150 years,” Sartiano said.
“No matter what I do or how long I’m involved with this land, I intend to maintain that place in the community.”
An invitation-only pre-opening dinner with Sartiano’s summer partner, American Express Centurion, is scheduled for July 13, and the restaurant’s members will have priority access to the dinner this summer.
“The Hamptons is a popular summer destination for Centurion members and reservations are hard to come by. We’re excited to partner with Sartiano’s to give Centurion members access to one of their favorite New York spots in East Hampton this summer,” said Beth Spas, senior vice president, U.S. Premium Products and Member Benefits, American Express.
The deal with Sartiano is the only partnership of its kind for AmEx in the Hamptons this summer, she added.
