Here's The Dish: Manna At Lobster Inn Is An Instant Classic

Manna at Lobster Inn debuts in Southampton with a welcome take on the way we consume seafood.

The Lobster Inn Splat with lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp, snow crab, andouille,corn and potatoes

The newest seafood concept to make landfall out East is serving up fresh fish—sans the guilt. Famed waterfront dining destination The Lobster Inn, which recently reopened under new ownership and management, has been reimagined as Manna at Lobster Inn with a focus on showcasing sustainable seafood—seafood that is caught or farmed with minimal environmental and social impacts.

The restaurant is the brainchild of local offshore aquaculture pioneer Donna Lanzetta and Sag Harbor restaurateur Ryunosuke Jesse Matsuoka (Sen and K Pasa), who met in 2015 and discovered that they “passionately shared a vision to feed the world sustainably grown and sourced seafood,” Lanzetta says. After The Lobster Inn shuttered in 2016, the Town of Southampton purchased the marina, while Manna Fish Farms—led by CEO and founder Lanzetta—purchased the restaurant and the land across the street for sustainable fish farming, selling the farmland development rights back to the town and successfully preventing a 26-unit townhouse development from wiping out the iconic landmark forever. “It was the first time that the Community Preservation Fund was used for fish farming!” Lanzetta shares.

Now, with Matsuoka as its restaurant partner and former LT Burger chef Thomas Bogia behind the eclectic menu, Manna at Lobster Inn is on a mission to bring sustainable seafood to diners’ plates—especially local and underutilized species, Lanzetta says. Don’t miss Bogia’s signature dish, the Lobster Inn Splat—a decadent offering of lobster, mussels, clams, shrimp, snow crab, andouille, corn and potatoes—and the lobster bisque ramen with a soft poached egg and chili tofu. There’s also surf and turf as well as appetizers like double-infused shrimp scampi.

While the restaurant’s waterfront location remains, much has changed to the interior thanks to Sag Harbor-based design consultant Alden Fenwick, whose previous clients include Wölffer Kitchen Amagansett, Duryea’s and Lulu Kitchen & Bar. Whether guests choose to dine indoors or out, mingle at the full bar or relax in the lounge area, they’ll be greeted with water views at every turn—the perfect setting for a meal that’s straight from the sea and as responsible as it gets. 5 Inlet Road West, Southampton, 631.728.5555