Fun, sexy, surfery, causal and kinda far. Better as a hotel bar than actual hotel (p.s. - rooms are bare-bones), Surf Lodge was once owned by NY's Cain who vacated their local nightclub and concentrated much of their social efforts in the Eastern Long Island mainstay. The result was a hit, but not for the city the eventually forced the space into new management. Today, the party returns along that beach porch. Visitors arrive via a gravel driveway that leads to a boutique hotel lobby with step-down lounge area, hip drinking bar and restaurant with surprisingly good grub. During warmer summer months most of the action hits the deck. An outdoor terrace overlooking a massive but stagnant pond, BYO-OFF due to the mega-mosquitoes, offers an additional bar and lounge area outfitted in low-flung chairs and quirky surfer décor. Weekend DJs and summertime concerts attract the best of the Hamptons including pop-star celebrities and professional socialites.
Tips
The lodge seems to be showing its age, with woods and furnishings in need of a fresh coat of paint and overall grounds that could use some cleaning up. Luckily, by nighttime no one really notices.
Last Word
Surf Lodge Montauk is a hybrid nightclub, hotel bar and crash pad that’s dominated the laid-back Hamptons nightlife scene since opening.
