Pierre's aspires to be St. Bart's in Bridgehampton

Outdoor dining tables are flanked by the French tricolor and Stars and Stripes at Pierre’s, a French bistro in Bridgehampton where dining alfresco is now possible between April and November 1 thanks to a streetside table permit granted last year, according to restaurant founder and chef Pierre Weber. The flags flutter in the wind like the sails of the boats painted on the bistro’s front windows freed from the glass and set out to sea.

Mr. Weber, a native of the Alsace region of France, believes those “joyful” sailboats in bright, primary colors “fit in well with the ambiance of the Hamptons; the water, the sky, it’s very soothing,” His goal for the eatery he opened here in 2002 after 18 years in the wholesale pastry business in Manhattan is for it to be casual, yet elegant. “Like St. Bart’s,” he offered.

The interior of Pierre’s is white and airy, with large round windows lining the eastern wall opposite a bar decorated with broad green fronds. A piano positioned in the center of the space is the focus of jazz played on Sunday and Thursday evenings. And a “library” dining room tucked around the corner has shelves brimming with titles such as “La Cuisine Alsacienne,” “Le Cordon Bleu at Home” and “La Maison du Chocolat” along with some decorative champagne bottles.

An array of pastries, including croissants, meringues, pane d’Alsace, raspberry palmiers, macaroons, cherry and blueberry muffins and strawberry napoleons is showcased at the entrance—reflecting Mr. Weber’s heritage as a fifth-generation pastry chef. His father and grandfather, both named Joseph, watch over the display from an aged photo on the wall.

Pierre’s is open seven days a week, year round: a sign on the door reads “ouvert tous les jours.” The restaurateur, who grew up in Paris, thinks of his place as a theater in which all the employees know their parts.

“Les desserts à la carte” are listed on the menu at $10. Options include a choice of pastries from the front display as well as the new crêpe au chocolat chaud, a warm crepe filled with chocolate Valrhona ganache; vacherin à la glace frambroise et liqueur Massenez, French meringue with raspberry ice cream, raspberry liqueur and whipped cream; maccaron glacé aux fruits de la passion, a soft vanilla almond meringue sandwich with passion fruit sorbet served with raspberry sauce; and tarte aux pommes des demoiselles tatin avec glace à la vanille, a caramelized apple tart with puff pastry and vanilla ice cream.

The single item on the dinner menu that Pierre points out as a perennial favorite is the fricassée de homard du Maine, flambée au cognac with pommes frites, a 2-pound Maine lobster fricassée flambé with cognac and tarragon, served with french fries, which runs for $44, except on Wednesdays when it is the plat du jour for $32, or at brunch when it’s $38.

Other than that seafood special, Pierre considers all of his dishes equal. Dinner entrées range from $26 to $44 and reflect the restaurant’s proximity to the water, with choices including linguini with fresh cockles, clams and mussels prepared with white wine, lemon juice and garlic; steamed mussels served with shallots, white wine, french fries and mayonnaise; Montauk striped bass with a parsnip purée, French string beans, leek and mushooms; and boullabaisse Marseillaise, clams, mussels, shrimp, sea scallops and sea bass poached in a saffron and pastis broth, served with a traditional rouille and toasted baguettes.

Non-seafood meat dishes include roasted free-range chicken with ratatouille and potato purée; flank steak with shallots and french fries; lamb stew with rosemary and seasonal vegetables; and Long Island duck magret à l’orange and leg confit with carrot purée, glazed pearl onions and turnips. The kitchen remains open until 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on the weekends.

Soups, salads and appetizers start at $12 and include traditional French onion soup with croutons and Swiss cheese; escargots with butter, garlic and parsley; Peconic Bay oysters on the half shell with mignonette and lemon; and Belgian endives with apples, mesclun, blue cheese and walnuts with a house vinaigrette.

Pierre’s wine list is extensive and covers French favorites as well as selections from the United States, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand.

The brunch menu, available from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., includes a variety of omelettes and sandwiches for $18 each, including omelettes with goat cheese and baby spinach and a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich with tapenade and pesto sauce and toasted brioche bread served with mesclun. Main dishes, which run from $14 to $38, include poached salmon with grilled vegetables and tartar sauce and French toast topped with warm maple syrup, whipped cream and fresh berries.

Breakfast items, served on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., include an assortment of eggs, flan of asparagus in an eggshell served with toasted brioche, croissants and danishes, from $4 to $14.

A two-course prix fixe menu for $24 is available all night Sundays and Thursdays and until 6:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Mr. Weber is looking forward to the opening of a gourmet market, “Pierre’s To Go,” which he expects within the coming weeks. The new shop will open next door and will serve ice cream, smoothies, cookies, soups and salads for patrons on the go.