"Frederic Kieffer's oyster bar on the Inn at Longshore lawn — Copps Island oysters, a $29 lobster roll. Book a sunset first date."
About La Plage
The lawn between the Inn at Longshore and Long Island Sound works as the dining room's fourth wall: Adirondack chairs, gin and tonics, kids cartwheeling past the raw bar. La Plage opened here in August 2021, and Frederic Kieffer's kitchen has owned the property's best hours ever since. Oysters are shucked to order, the hot buttered Connecticut lobster roll runs $29, and pinsas come out blistered while the sun drops over the Saugatuck. Westport waited a decade for a waterfront room this unforced, and it books accordingly.
The Kitchen
Kieffer is the French-born chef who has cooked Connecticut's Gold Coast waterfront for two decades; for La Plage he formed Longshore Beach Ventures with restaurateurs Michael Ryan and Hicham Amaaou and Greenwich Hospitality founder Charles Mallory. The raw bar leads with Copps Island oysters pulled from Norwalk beds twenty minutes west, East Beach Blondes brought down from Rhode Island, and pink Florida shrimp served peel-and-eat by the half pound.
The $29 lobster roll is the test order: hot, buttered, Connecticut-style, no mayonnaise apology. Hand-pressed Roman pinsas cover the table's non-seafood flank, Faroe Island salmon anchors the dinner list, and a short run of French desserts closes things out. Expect $50 to $100 a head before wine. The operation is strictly seasonal — the room closes around the first of September and reopens for summer, so the calendar is part of the menu. A year-round sibling, La Plage Mystic, carries the same playbook up the coast, and The Whelk in Saugatuck holds Westport's off-season seafood duty.
The Room
Early seatings are conversation-easy; by sunset the porch hits a steady hum and stays there. Light comes off the water until dusk, then drops to low and golden. Tables run generous on the porch, tighter inside, and the lawn seating is first-come. Dress is Westport summer: linen, sandals, no rules. The view does the decorating — Saugatuck River traffic to one side, the Sound dead ahead.
Best for a First Date
Book this room for a first date because the format removes every common failure point: a raw bar gives you something to share and talk about, the sunset does the atmospheric work, and a $50-a-head exit is possible if the conversation stalls. Time the reservation 45 minutes before sundown, start with a dozen Copps Islands, and let the lawn handle the rest. More candidates on our first-date restaurant guide, and the Westport dining guide maps the after-drink options.
Not for
Skip it from September through May — La Plage closes for the season, and the lawn is the point. Winter diners should book The Whelk in Saugatuck instead.
Frequently Asked
Is La Plage Westport worth it?
Yes for the setting and the raw bar, with one caveat: you are paying waterfront prices, and portions reflect it. The Copps Island oysters and the $29 hot buttered lobster roll are the strongest orders, and a sunset table on the porch is among the best seats in Fairfield County. Diners chasing value over view will do better in town — see the full Westport dining guide for alternatives.
How hard is it to book La Plage in summer?
Plan two weeks ahead for Friday and Saturday sunset slots, less for weeknights. Reservations run through OpenTable, and the porch tables disappear first. Walk-ins can usually find lawn seating with drinks and oysters even when the dining room is committed. September through spring the restaurant is closed entirely, so there is nothing to book — the season itself is the scarcity.
What should I order at La Plage?
Start with a dozen Copps Island oysters — they come from Norwalk beds twenty minutes west and rarely travel this short a distance anywhere else. The $29 lobster roll, served hot and buttered in the Connecticut style, is the signature. Pinsas, the hand-pressed Roman flatbreads, handle anyone avoiding seafood, and Faroe Island salmon is the reliable main. Skip dessert only if you are walking the beach after.
When is La Plage Westport open?
Roughly Memorial Day through the first of September, dinner and weekend lunch, with the exact dates announced by the restaurant each spring. It is a deliberately seasonal operation tied to the Inn at Longshore's beach calendar. The same owners run La Plage Mystic year-round, which keeps the oyster program alive through the cold months.
Is La Plage good for a first date?
It is one of the best first-date rooms in Connecticut between June and August. The raw bar gives structure, the sunset gives atmosphere, and the price lets either party pick up the cheque without a wince. Aim for a table 45 minutes before sundown. For more rooms built around conversation, see our first-date restaurant ranking.
Reserve a Table
Reserve at La Plage
Seasonal: open late spring through 1 September. Sunset tables go first; book two weeks out for summer weekends.
Affiliate disclosure: Restaurants for Kings may earn a commission when you book through our reservation links, at no cost to you. Our scores are editorial and never paid for.
Practical Information
Address260 Compo Road South, Westport, CT 06880
NeighbourhoodLongshore
CuisineCoastal Seafood
Price$50–$100 pp; lobster roll $29
Dress CodeNo dress code — summer linen
SeatingDining room, porch & lawn
ReservationOpenTable; seasonal
