Dune 18 - Ship Bottom

Food is excellent here and is owned by a really nice family. The price fix menu is a great option here. My parents come here almost every week and said the steak and ravioli are delicious. I got the cod rigatoni, it was delicious but I couldn’t finish the meal, and Mark the owner tried to comp the meal for us (thinking I didn’t enjoy it). We paid for the meal because it truly was delicious. Highly recommend!

I have eaten here many times with family and friends in the past couple years. I have never had one bad experience. I just had their new fall prefixed menu and the fried burrata and hanger steak were excellent. The options on their normal menu are excellent and have good variety, so I wasn't surprised that they did a good job with their new menu. The owners Marc and Virginia always go out of their way to make it a good dining experience. I mean I know their names. How often do you actually meet a restaurant owner directly involved in the customer service?Dietary restrictions: They can make some items gluten free per request if it has gluten in them.

Food was so good. We were there on 9/30. My friend and I both had the halibut over risotto. The chef used to be the chef at Bisque, and the lobster sauce on this dish is like slightly sweeter, thicker version of their eponymous lobster bisque. it also had jumbo shrimp, a big sea scallop, a split lobster tail and was encircled around the edge of the dish by mussels and clams. I may never try anything else. Had the leftovers for lunch a day later and still fantastic. OMG.My sister had the seared Ahi Tuna with bok choy and wasabi whipped potatoes. She loved it. She started with a Caesar salad. I started with the scallops wrapped in bacon which had a nice sweet sauce on bottom. Absolutely going back here. So glad we tried it.

Owner of the restaurant responded to a review stating “only left a 10% tip”. The bill was $485. The tip that was left was $97. If the owner were to do basic math that adds up to be a 20% tip. SMH……….

I was hesitant to write a review as I was afraid once word got out, we wouldn't be able to score a reservation at this gem of a restaurant, which became our fave dining venue on LBI from our first visit. When we are on the island, dining out is part of the fun and we've consistently fit Dune 18 in twice each week we've visited (May, July Labor Day week). There are many elements that contribute to my 5 star rating, but let's start with the little stuff and work up to the most important, the food.The owners of Dune 18 are very much hands on in running the place. Mark works the room, mingling with guests and proudly answering questions about the place, the food, how he and his wife came to establish it. His wife typically handles reservations and check in's at the hostess station. You do need a reservation here getting a table via walk in is unlikely and you should book in advance, which is an easy process via Resy.On to the space. The dining room isn't very large, so some of the tables for smaller parties are a bit close together for my liking, but not moreso than any other popular eatery on the island. If you have a large party, try to score one of the round tables near the front windows as those feel a bit more private. If the weather is nice, there is outdoor seating along the side of the restaurant. We've eaten in all the areas at this point and have had enjoyable experiences regardless of location. The interior design is understated and the place is lit by Edison bulbs, which lend the space a nice glow and feel like a nod to the hip eateries in Brooklyn.The service is solid, with some servers being more experienced and sophisticated than others. We've been lucky to have had Kayla taking care of us all but two visits. I can't rave enough about her she is professional (clearly very experienced in fine dining), friendly and knows the menu like the back of her hand. One of our nephews has celiac, his system cannot tolerate any cross contamination. He was with us on two visits. The first time, we had Kayla tending to us and she knew exactly which dishes would work for him as well as those that could be slightly modified to accommodate him. The second time, we had a younger, less experienced server who wasn't super familiar with the ingredients in the dishes and didn't seem to understand the whole gluten free thing. I located Kayla and though she was slammed with a full outdoor area of tables, she came in and helped our nephew with his selection. She is that good. On to the food. I rate a place based on whether the food is crave worthy and Dune 18 has hit the mark every time. We've brought a handful of family members with us on a couple of our visits and they loved the food as much as we do. For me and my husband, Gables used to be the place to beat in terms of food, but Dune 18 is at the same level, and that's really saying something. Everything we have tried has been delicious, but the absolute stand out dish if seafood is your jam is the Atlantic Halibut entree. At $58, it's a pricey dish by our standards, so I was hesitant to order it the first time around, but it is worth the splurge (you're going to pay nearly as much for the seafood combo at Howard's which, while tasty and the tops for what it is, isn't particularly inspired). The dish is comprised of a good size piece of perfectly cooked halibut atop a delicious risotto with lobster cream sauce. The halibut is surround by mussels and clams and tucked under it are scallops. It's All The Things in one dish and it is absolutely crave worthy. The star appetizer, in my opinion, are the crab cakes. A completely different preparation than our other fave crab cakes on the island (the jumbo lump ones at the group of restos owned by the Black Whale people), but just as satisfying. These are lightly fried and come with a delicious smear of remoulade. There are three of them, so definitely large enough for two people to share. As you can see from my photos, we've