Roots Bistro Gourmand

West Islip, United States

4

Open now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 631-587-2844
Website:
www.rootsli.com
Address:
399 Montauk Hwy, West Islip, NY, 11795
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.6 miBabylon
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Trendy
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Open now
Local time (West Islip) 14:38 Friday, 30 May 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Wednesday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Thursday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Saturday 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Rooted in the bistronomic revolution of French cuisine, Roots Bistro Gourmand pays homage to the simplicity of the modest bistro while infusing gastronomic techniques. Our love for cooking is inspired by fresh, close to home ingredients brought to life with global flavors. We believe the art starts with the respect for the process, the ingredients, and the people.

Nearby

Near this location:
100
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20 reviews of Roots Bistro Gourmand

No registration required
Place rating: 5
North Babylon, NY
Creative, delicious, unpretentious
Wanted to try this restaurant for some time, didn’t know they served brunch on Sunday and was happily surprised!
I had the lobster bacon eggs Benedict. Bloody Mary was perfect as was the Bellini made with passion fruit. For the charcuterie and fromage plate — we chose house made chicken liver pâté (delicious) and 2 cheeses– difficult time choosing among the selection offered but 3 was ample for 2 people since brunch followed. I will be back for dinner for the chef tasting!
Place rating: 5
Babylon, NY
Roots is one of my favorite places to eat in our area, the décor is elegant the wait staff is attentive and friendly. They use molecular gastronomy techniques in the kitchen to create intense flavors that are always balanced and work well together. The star dish for me is the octopus and the duck breast, these two proteins are difficult to cook correctly, the chef is Michelin rated and knows how to properly prepare octopus until it literally melts in your mouth super soft on the inside but still crispy on the outside. The duck breast is also amazing because the cook has to be a perfect medium rare and the fat has to be rendered and crispy and he delivers using an immersion circulator to create a super tender and juicy cut. They also offer a tasting menu paired with a unique chef crafted cocktail or depending on the dish he may bring wine or beer to enhance the overall flavor of the plate. Every time I’ve been there there’s always change in preparation and selection since he’s always using the freshest and best ingredients, I highly recommend this place it truly is a hidden gem.
Place rating: 5
West Islip, NY
Took my girlfriend here for Valentines day. It’s a bit small, but cozy, and the food is unbelievable. The drinks are excellent as well and the service was great.
Place rating: 4
Suffolk, NY
Did the the 4 course tasting menu. The salmon dish came out first and was perhaps the best dish of the night. Raw salmon spiraled with herbs and cheese. Delicious. Next up was a pasta dish with brisket. There were droplets of brown mustard on the edge of the dish that when mixed in gave it a nice taste. The brisket was a little over salted for my liking but once mixed it was good. Next up was the pork belly, which was really good with two different sauces on the plate and flash fried brussel sprouts. Last up was cornish game hen. Good, but I think the other dishes stood out more. Great spot, takes a little long to get another round of drinks. Not sure if it is the server or the bar but at one point we were waiting 30 minutes for a new round.
Place rating: 5
Bronx, NY
Food is to die for! So flavorful and the presentation is amazing. It can get a little pricey but is worth a visit for an occasion.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
This is a must try! The food and drinks were amazing. The staff are friendly and welcoming. Definitely my new favorite restaurant on Long Island. Have to taste for yourself
Place rating: 5
Floral Park, NY
What an amazing experience. Had the 4 course chef’s tasting menu. Each course was a surprise. From the seared scallops, to the slow cooked salon and short ribs. Delicious, incredible presentation. Impeccable service also. Great atmosphere. I highly recommend Roots. I will definitely be going back soon.
Place rating: 2
East Rockaway, NY
Been to roots a number of times. I must say this is 1 inconsistent restaurant! Some times great, other times totally lacking. Last night it was on the lacking side for sure. The bread was AWFUL! It was soooo hard & had an old, funky flavor. We ordered the chicken wings which were absolutely flavorless. There was more blue cheese dip on the plate than there was meat on the wings. The duck meatball was tasty, however not for the cost…1 ball for $ 18? Come on! Mussels were nice & fresh, but my husband steak was off. 1 piece was enjoyable & had nice flavor, while the other piece had the flavor of an old shoe! For the cost, just VERY inconsistent as I mentioned. I really wish this restaurant would use all of their skills & potential to be 100% on the ball. Making Roots a consistently and enjoyable dining experience for Long Island.
Place rating: 5
Hicksville, NY
We went to this amazing restaurant for both the Christmas Eve menu and New Years menu. Every single item that was served was masterful. The presentation, the wine pairings and the service are exemplary. Our waiter Ted was so much fun and extremely knowledgable about the menus. His personality and his professionalism are incredibly impressive for a young man his age. I look forward to trying their daily menu on my next visit. Thank you for a memorable holiday season.
Place rating: 3
West Babylon, NY
Very nice looking place went here for the first time this week. I ordered the risotto lollipops which where deep fried a little too long and a very heavy hand on the truffle oil, I then ordered the grilled cheese which again I thing the fried in truffle oil. They need to learn that a little bit of truffle oil goes a long way. Overall a nice place but some many other options near by in Babylon like Horace & Sylvia’s or the Villager where you can get great food that’s not going to cost you an arm and a leg and they won’t drown your food with truffle oil.
Place rating: 5
Northport, NY
Like a little piece of Paris right here on Long Island, it felt like Le Fumoir near Le Louvre. From the old school tile flooring to the noise level to the high quality food, it is an authentic French joint. An unexpected surprise that compensated for the completely crowded parking lot that resulted in us parking on the street, and the 20 minute waiting past our 7:30PM reservation to be seated. It even made up for the fact we were told, on a Saturday night, that the tasting menu was not available because the Chef was «overwhelmed». The cocktails were amazing — I had the Beets the Heat and Brigitte Bardot — and the food to die for. I had the poached duck egg and the scallops, which were formidable and scrumptious. My only complaint would be the deliberate use of salt. Food was rather salty. The dessert was a bit underwhelming, I had the white chocolate dessert that was milk chocolate instead and overwhelmingly tasted like pumpkin, but after such surprisingly large portions I probably should not have ordered any. The service was friendly, genuinely French and authentic. The bathrooms were clean, private, and locked properly. Their food and drinks were made to order and made with high quality ingredients. Overall this was a great discovery. Will be back, even if just for a drink.
Place rating: 5
Lindenhurst, NY
This place is amazing! It is definitely a must try, no matter where you live.
I have been meaning to try this place ever since we moved out here and I am glad I did. It has a cozy vibe almost like you’re eating in your Uncles château in France all while having plenty of room so you don’t feel cramped. The staff is amazing and everyone is friendly, right down to the busser. The have a great drink selection as well as an amazing wine and beer selection. I actually had a French Red Ale that was the best damn beer I’ve ever had! They also source all of their ingredients from New York suppliers which is very cool.
They have a great regular menu offering some really creative dishes but the real star of this place is when you opt for the chefs tasting menu. This is what we did and I wish I could tell you in detail what we had but I was determined to enjoy my meal and didn’t even take any pics. Trust me though when I tell you that we enjoyed every single bite!
This is a spot you have to try. It works great for a special occasion place or just your every day spot.
Place rating: 1
Norwalk, CT
We came there all the way from norwalk CT to eat at this place.
1.We made a reservation at this place for 8.30 and were running late. We called and asked them if they could reserve a table for 9 pm. (We couldn’t wait longer because we had time constraints) the receptionist said yes. We reached the destination by 850 and we were made to sit by 9.40 pm!
2. We went there for a special occasion but the place is so so soooo loud that we had to shout to hear each other. Super cramped seating
3. By mistake, we choose to try the chef’s tasting menu. We had constraints of the ingredients and i mentioned that i will eat only vegetarian, chicken and seafood. Each course came in a gap of 45 min and i got duck entrée despite telling them the specifics!
So by the time they served the third course it was 11.40 and we lost interest in the food and were already running late So we asked the dessert to be given as takeout leaving the third course untouched all for a whooping bill and an extremely disappointing birthday celebration :(
Place rating: 3
Huntington, NY
Food was excellent. We had the bone marrow, merguez sausage, lobster roll, clams and chorizo and heirloom salad. All were full of flavor albeit some too rich. The heirloom salad had large heirloom tomato chunks with a dried olive «dust», very unique. Lobster pieces were meaty but sauce too creamy, less would be more in this case. Bone marrow was standard and could have done with out the butter on the accompanying bread. Let the marrow be the flavor.
Service was amateur and disappointing. We waited close to a half an hour for our salad, that’s unacceptable. Our waitress was inattentive but her replacement waiter was far friendlier and attentive.
If mediocre service doesn’t bother you, then eat here. The food is the real star.
Place rating: 2
Babylon, NY
Inconsistent. Been to roots a number of times and have had some very good meals. We went on a Friday night out and tried the tasting menu. We were sadly disappointed with the quality of food, presentation and waiting staff. The fIrst course was fried sea urchin which was okay but the best course of the night. The next dish was a lobster, pumpkin and squash presented on an oversized dish so it looked like something was missing. It lacked flavor and the squash gave it a mushy consistency on the pallet. The third course was fried duck spring rolls that were unbelievably greasy. The fourth course was a ribeye that was bland and fatty. The dessert, which was a fried apple fritter with vanilla ice cream was the type that be served at a buffet.
As happens so often it appears roots had been a victim of its own success. The bar was crowded and the restaurant has become very popular. With becoming so popular the quality of the food has suffered.
Place rating: 4
Islip, NY
Came for lunch and was happy with the choice. Although a little pricy, the food is well-​thought out and eco conscious when possible.
Atmosphere– French farm house vibe– wood planks, unique place settings, dishrag napkins, but ungainly large utensils.
Food– not too many gluten-​free options, though they cater to vegetarians and vegans if requested. Risotto lollipops– more like rice balls speared with thin sticks. Nonetheless they were bursting with flavor and topped with a nice cream sauce. The arugula salad– great salad topped with crunchy caramelized mixed nuts.
Place rating: 3
Bellmore, NY
After seeing Roots on Restaurant Hunter on fios channel 1, I knew I had to check it out. A unique French restaurant on Long Island is a rare find. Luckily, Roots was also participating in Long Island Restaurant Week.
The décor inside is definitely unique. Very rustic. As an amuse-​bouche, we were served a delicious coconut and butternut squash soup. We were also given warm bread with truffle butter.
The special menu offered both traditional dishes and their «bistronomic» dishes. You could choose an appetizer, entrée, and dessert from either section.
I had:
Risotto lollipops (traditional)
Mussels (traditional)
Chartreuse tiramisu (bistronomic)
Everything was good and presentation was beautiful but it just didn’t hit the mark. The truffle flavor in the lollipops was divine, however, there was a lot more of the «fried» part than risotto. The mussel portion was large and tasty. The dessert was not a tiramisu at all but rather a cookie with a cream topping.
I think the reason we didn’t have the full bistronomic experience is because our waitress didn’t give an explanation of the menu items. As we were eating, we heard other waiters giving their tables a full explanation of bistronomic.
I had high hopes but unfortunately we won’t be returning.
Place rating: 4
Lindenhurst, NY
What an amazing little gem in West Islip. I have passed by this restaurant so many times and have been wanting to try it for a long time. Well tonight my bf and I went and it is hands down our new favorite restaurant on all of LI! I started off with a Kale salad and he with a winter veg soup which were both deelish; for entrees he had gnocchi which were so yummy and I had the octopus. This was the most delicious ‘pus I’ve had in my life. I have never had octopus that was so tender — didn’t even need a knife to cut through it, it was fork tender and had amazing flavor! Huge kudos to the chef for whatever method is used to prep and cook it.
The service was spot on as well. We had a really good craft Pilsner and some wonderfully crisp German Riesling! Yum!
For dessert we shared a little molten chocolate cake with ice cream and almonds — it was so damn good that I asked our server to take the plate away before I licked it!
(The only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars is because it’s a little too loud. It’s loud enough with the patrons, but with the addition of a live band it made it just a little too loud, so was a bit hard to hold a conversation.)
Place rating: 5
Dix Hills, NY
One of my favorite restaurants on Long Island. Feels like you are eating a good friend’s home. unassuming and elegant. Service and food are outstanding. menu changes seasonally and each time we go new surprises are added. Definitely try the tasting menu which allows one to try many dishes.
Place rating: 4
Babylon, NY
Expensive, but one look at the menu and you can see why– foie gras, octopus, new-​age techniques like foams and emulsions, and everything is made from scratch in-​house — even the icecream! They also buy local ingredients when they can, such as meat from the Babylon Village meat market. So it’s nice to know your money is staying within the community.
The server gave us a nice intro to the restaurant when we sat down, explaining that the menu (which is also beautifully designed) is seasonally based. The drinks were great, the atmosphere was nice until the band arrived– a little too loud for such a tiny space which made it hard to indulge in conversation at our table.
Everything was delicious, including the cocktails. Because it was my birthday celebration, I ordered the more unique menu items, but I would love to go back for the fries because they looked and smelled great!