Whoever said Shelter Island goes to sleep after Labor Day clearly hasn’t been to Isola. This gem of a restaurant is alive with energy, laughter, and the kind of warm Italian hospitality that keeps you lingering long after your plate is clean.
The atmosphere is electric—live saxophone sets the mood, and just when you think it can’t get cooler, Brad, the ever-attentive owner, jumps in with his harmonica to jam a tune or two. The bar scene is buzzing, the crowd is happy, and every table feels like part of the family.
As for the food? Absolutely top-notch. I had the seared sesame-crusted tuna special, and it was nothing short of phenomenal—perfectly cooked with a flavor that rivals any fine-dining spot on the East End. Other standouts include the classic chicken parmigiana, melt-in-your-mouth Norwegian salmon, hearty homemade pastas, and, of course, their brick oven pizza that makes you rethink what great pizza should be.
Isola is more than a restaurant; it’s an experience. Whether you’re local or just visiting, the short five-minute ferry ride is worth it. Shelter Island’s best-kept secret? Not anymore.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hank LeMieux
Food great; definitely will go back. Kitchen was excruciatingly slow. Ex_cruciating_. Hopefully that was a one-time mess up.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Eric Schwartz
Nice italian restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Deborah Brown-Volkman
Loved this restaurant. From the moment we walked in, we loved the place. Pre-dinner they brought out bread and olives. Delicious. You could see they put love into it. I had a salad with meatballs. Yum. My husband had the burger. Also yum. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christopher Staab
We started with the arancini balls, which came out frozen in the middle—a clear sign they were not properly cooked. That set the tone for the rest of the meal.
I ordered a steak medium rare, but it was served well done. To her credit, the waitress noticed the issue before I even said anything and had the kitchen remake it, which I appreciated. The second attempt came out correctly.
However, the bigger issue was the salt. Every entrée at the table—from the steaks to the salmon—was overwhelmingly salty to the point of being inedible. It wasn’t just a preference thing; it was an across-the-board problem for everyone in our party.
Service was attentive, but the kitchen needs serious attention. Between the poorly prepared appetizers and excessive salt, it was a disappointing experience.
Stay away, far away, so many better restaurants on the island.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Joseph Messing
Classic Italian food with excellent service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Anon Ymous
Authentic and delicious Italian food! Alberto, Daphnie, Melanie were so welcoming and friendly! Highly recommend Isola… :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anna Cecilia Benzel
Have been coming here since they opened and my family and I were in disbelief last night after our meal. We waited 2 hours for some of the worst Italian food I’ve had. We had to send the Penne Vodka back because it genuinely tasted like water. I went to see reviews afterwards and none of our dishes looked how they were supposed to. It was also extremely loud inside. Despite everything, the waitress was very very kind, but unfortunately I will not be going back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Anna Benzel
Have been coming here since they opened and my family and I were in disbelief last night after our meal. We waited 2 hours for some of the worst Italian food I’ve had. We had to send the Penne Vodka back because it genuinely tasted like water. I went to see reviews afterwards and none of our dishes looked how they were supposed to. It was also extremely loud inside. Despite everything, the waitress was very very kind, but unfortunately I will not be going back.
Owner thinks he’s big man and walks up to me multiple times while drunk at the bar and harasses me and tries to fight me. Disgrace of an establishment and owner is an absolute moron. Learn to treat your customers properly instead of trying to drunk fight them for no reason.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
susan scott
Absolutely awful. Items described on menu came completely different. Mussels in white wine came in a tomato base. The eggplant was thick and previously frozen. No sauce on the eggplant “Parmesan “ sliced cheese was flopped on it and not even fully melted.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Charlie Tiedemann
My favorite spot on the island! Cozy, welcoming atmosphere with kind and enthusiastic staff. Kat was my bartender. She’s the best! Ordered the orecchiette and it was delightful. Going to Isola is like getting a warm hug! Gonna become a regular!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olives and Flatbread, Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta Bolognese
Z K
Great live band, lovely ambience inside. The carbonara is delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zoe V
Great live band, lovely ambience inside. The carbonara is delicious!
Terrific food! Service was outstanding.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Whoever said Shelter Island goes to sleep after Labor Day clearly hasn’t been to Isola. This gem of a restaurant is alive with energy, laughter, and the kind of warm Italian hospitality that keeps you lingering long after your plate is clean.
The atmosphere is electric—live saxophone sets the mood, and just when you think it can’t get cooler, Brad, the ever-attentive owner, jumps in with his harmonica to jam a tune or two. The bar scene is buzzing, the crowd is happy, and every table feels like part of the family.
As for the food? Absolutely top-notch. I had the seared sesame-crusted tuna special, and it was nothing short of phenomenal—perfectly cooked with a flavor that rivals any fine-dining spot on the East End. Other standouts include the classic chicken parmigiana, melt-in-your-mouth Norwegian salmon, hearty homemade pastas, and, of course, their brick oven pizza that makes you rethink what great pizza should be.
Isola is more than a restaurant; it’s an experience. Whether you’re local or just visiting, the short five-minute ferry ride is worth it. Shelter Island’s best-kept secret? Not anymore.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food great; definitely will go back. Kitchen was excruciatingly slow. Ex_cruciating_. Hopefully that was a one-time mess up.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Nice italian restaurant.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved this restaurant. From the moment we walked in, we loved the place. Pre-dinner they brought out bread and olives. Delicious. You could see they put love into it. I had a salad with meatballs. Yum. My husband had the burger. Also yum. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We started with the arancini balls, which came out frozen in the middle—a clear sign they were not properly cooked. That set the tone for the rest of the meal.
I ordered a steak medium rare, but it was served well done. To her credit, the waitress noticed the issue before I even said anything and had the kitchen remake it, which I appreciated. The second attempt came out correctly.
However, the bigger issue was the salt. Every entrée at the table—from the steaks to the salmon—was overwhelmingly salty to the point of being inedible. It wasn’t just a preference thing; it was an across-the-board problem for everyone in our party.
Service was attentive, but the kitchen needs serious attention. Between the poorly prepared appetizers and excessive salt, it was a disappointing experience.
Stay away, far away, so many better restaurants on the island.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Classic Italian food with excellent service.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Authentic and delicious Italian food! Alberto, Daphnie, Melanie were so welcoming and friendly! Highly recommend Isola… :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Have been coming here since they opened and my family and I were in disbelief last night after our meal. We waited 2 hours for some of the worst Italian food I’ve had. We had to send the Penne Vodka back because it genuinely tasted like water. I went to see reviews afterwards and none of our dishes looked how they were supposed to. It was also extremely loud inside. Despite everything, the waitress was very very kind, but unfortunately I will not be going back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Have been coming here since they opened and my family and I were in disbelief last night after our meal. We waited 2 hours for some of the worst Italian food I’ve had. We had to send the Penne Vodka back because it genuinely tasted like water. I went to see reviews afterwards and none of our dishes looked how they were supposed to. It was also extremely loud inside. Despite everything, the waitress was very very kind, but unfortunately I will not be going back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Owner thinks he’s big man and walks up to me multiple times while drunk at the bar and harasses me and tries to fight me. Disgrace of an establishment and owner is an absolute moron. Learn to treat your customers properly instead of trying to drunk fight them for no reason.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Absolutely awful. Items described on menu came completely different. Mussels in white wine came in a tomato base. The eggplant was thick and previously frozen. No sauce on the eggplant “Parmesan “ sliced cheese was flopped on it and not even fully melted.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
My favorite spot on the island! Cozy, welcoming atmosphere with kind and enthusiastic staff. Kat was my bartender. She’s the best! Ordered the orecchiette and it was delightful. Going to Isola is like getting a warm hug! Gonna become a regular!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Olives and Flatbread, Chicken Parmigiana, Pasta Bolognese
Great live band, lovely ambience inside. The carbonara is delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great live band, lovely ambience inside. The carbonara is delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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