Silver's in Southampton, known for its lobster salads and BLTs, up for sale

Celebrity spotters may be losing a prime perch in Southampton, with a premier people-watching restaurant now up for sale. 

Reports of the closing of Silver’s in Southampton are premature, however, says the restaurant’s owner, Garret Wellins. It is true that he has put both the building and the business, in his family since 1923, on the market. But, he added, “We’re not gone yet; we’re not going. We’re still here until we get an offer we can’t refuse.”  Wellins, 64, said he has worked at the restaurant since he was 8 years old. Originally a cigar and stationery store, Silver’s evolved with the times, and is now an old-fashioned retreat from the hectic Hamptons, open only for lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. 

The Art Deco gem, with its black-and-white tiled floors, marble bar and polished brass fixtures, is known for its exemplary (and pricey at $65) lobster salads and BLTs. More than that, it is “an oasis,” says Wellins, “of sanity and beauty. People appreciate something that’s stable in the universe.”

To his clientele who are “expressing mass disappointment” at the news of a possible sale, Wellins offer this explanation: “I’m not a young guy anymore, but we’ll keep plugging along as long as we’re here..” 

For $5.795 million, the building’s buyer will get a well-maintained and fully operational restaurant as well as a piece of Hamptons history. Until then, Silver’s will continue to serve its specialties, including borscht, clam chowder, crabcakes and duck confit. 

 Silver’s, 15 Main St., Southampton, 631-283-6443