There’s a lot of talk these days in Montauk,
the village at the tip of the East End’s South Fork, about Old Montauk versus
New. It was always the anti-Hamptons, a place where fishermen, surfers and
loners came to kick back, take in the sea air and ride killer waves. In recent
years, however, it has become cool with certain New York crowds: the fashion
flock, the gallery denizens, the Brooklyn scenesters. With them have come
glammed-up motels, chic shops and the kind of restaurants never previously seen
east of the Hamptons. For visitors this isn’t a bad thing; and for all the
change that the old timers rue, Montauk still feels less ‘done’ than the
Hamptons. But now you can get a good cocktail and a perfect rocket salad, and
dance the night aways
Where to stay
The
Surf Ladge
In certain circles, it is a point of debate
whether the Surf Lodge, which opened in 2008, reflected the emergence of New
Montauk or created it. Whatever your position, it remains one of the hottest
places in town, and is a great introduction to the sexy, beach-casual aesthetic
of Montauk. Housed in a couple of nondescript motel buildings on Fort Pond, the
property is a tribute to surf culture. You will find a bar of Mr Zogs Sex Wax
(‘the best for your stick’) on your bed, along with a copy of The Surfer’s
Journal magazine; old surf flicks play all day on a movie screen in the lobby,
and surfboards are stored in the rafters above the bar. Bright colours abound,
along with cane, rattan, driftwood and coral; rooms are simple but comfortable,
dominated by big white beds facing the water. The Surf Lodge could probably get
away with just being pretty, but in fact it’s a thoughtfully run hotel, with a
proper restaurant, good DJs playing in the bar bicycle rentals and, of course,
surfing lessons.
In
certain circles, it is a point of debate whether the Surf Lodge, which opened
in 2008, reflected the emergence of New Montauk or created it.
The
Crow’s Nest Inn & Restaurant
The hotel impresario Sean MacPherson (of
Manhattan’s Jane and Bowery hotels) quietly opened this inn and restaurant last
yea, and it quickly became the place of choice for those looking for a more
low-key hideaway than a Surf Lodge. Rooms are in typical old motel building and
have earthy colors with a vaguely African feel: slip-covered sofas, printed
textiles, woven rugs. If hanging out on a chaise on a wide lawn overlooking
Lake Montauk sounds like your idea of fun, this is the place for you.
Ruschmeyer’s
The people behind the Surf Lodge also
created last year’s big hit, Ruschmeyer’s. The formula is the same – cool
design, an excellent restaurant and bar, fun things to do – but this time
you’re away from the water, in the woods, and the theme is ‘summer camp for
grown-ups’. The rooms, which are simply done, with rattan bedsteads, rope
hammock seats and wooden bureaus painted olive green, resemble posh barracks.
They are arranged in little wooden bungalows around a glen festooned with
Japanese lanterns. The restaurant has a fine many designed by the team behind
Manhattan’s ‘locavore’ favorite the Fat Radish, and the bar is a tented fantasy
called the Electric Eel. Both were last summer’s hottest tickets, drawing
celebrities by the carload, as well as late-night revelers from the Hamptons.
But the beautiful thing about Ruschmeyer’s is that despite the hype and the
crowd it still delivers simple pleasures: sipping cocktail at a picnic table
while a cellist plays Bach before dinner, playing a game of a table tennis or
bocce at the outdoor bar afterwards. And, come morning, as a guest you have the
place practically to yourself, to take a yoga class on the lawn, or just sit
for a while in the teepee.
The
people behind the Surf Lodge also created last year’s big hit, Ruschmeyer’s
Motauk
Yacht Cllub
If you’re more of a full-service hotel
person, the rejuvenated yacht club provides and alternative to the
motel/boutique hotels popular in this area. The club has 107 rooms but, owing
to their generous size and crisp nautical décor – ship models, lots of navy and
white, campaign desks – it manages to be genuinely comfortable without trying
too hard.
