NYT Style: Ruschmeyer's in Montauk

Now Booking: Ruschmeyer's in Montauk
By Julie Earle-Levine
June 21, 2011

The newly opened Ruschmeyer’s in Montauk, N.Y., is a 20-room hotel, restaurant and bar that feels like a cross between an old-school camp (it was one in the 1950s) and a hippie-chic commune with tepees on the lawn.

Formerly the Second House Tavern, Ruschmeyer’s now has white paper “moons” hanging from the trees in the Magic Garden, a quiet spot that sits right on Fort Pond, a short walk but a world away from the heaving Surf Lodge. (Rob McKinley, one of the owners of Surf Lodge, designed both properties and owns Ruschmeyer’s with Ben Pundole and Ed Sheetz.)

Inside the restaurant at Ruschmeyer’s.

The food alone is worth the fuss. It’s by the guys behind the Fat Radish on Orchard Street. Order the delicious Montauk white clam pizza with chili or the flavorful green monkfish curry.

The Nook, a coffee/juice bar at the hotel.

The maître d’hôtel Spanky Van Dyke oversees an army of attractive staff — the men are in J. Crew shirts and Tom’s boat shoes, while the ladies wear Madewell striped shirts and shorts. They deliver cocktails like the Gin Dandy, with cucumber and ginger. There’s also a buzzy late night bar, the Electric Eel.

Patrons include locals, surfers, musicians and families, who can play table tennis or even try stand-up paddle-boarding. If it’s blustery out, watching the ducks get blown across Fort Pond is another pastime.

Rooms start at $475 on weekends. Call (631) 668-2877 or go to visitruschmeyers.com.