Ruschmeyer’s Hotel – Kitchen – Bar / Robert Mckinley

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Ruschmeyer’s Hotel – Kitchen – Bar

Designer Robert McKinley has fashioned some of the most significant hospitality venues in recent years including Sant Ambroeus, GoldBar, and The Surf Lodge. But this summer, it’s all about Ruschmeyer’s, Robert’s Montauk hub that caters to New Yorkers looking for a little beach time. His designs are notable for transporting the visitor to another place or time, creating a momentary escape from the present. With a background that includes fashion houses Giorgio Armani and Donna Karan, McKinley prides himself on the attention to detail and creating a seminal vocabulary unique to each property. And it’s those unique details that make Ruschmeyer’s not only a Jitney-ride destination, but a global one at that. So with summer well under way.

Montauk sensation is the newly opened Ruschmeyer’s, a 19-room hotel, restaurant, and bar located on three acres of lakeside woodland. The original property was built in 1952; designer and co-owner Robert McKinley (of the Montauk Surf Lodge) has stayed true to that era, creating interiors featuring a midcentury nautical vibe. Factor in the food (from the team behind Fat Radish), and the hip factor soars even higher. Go to Ruschmeyer’s for more information; see a video tour of Ruschmeyer’s with designer Robert McKinley at The Feast.

About – Ruschmeyer’s

Evocative of a nautical summer camp, Ruschmeyer’s was originally built in 1952 on three lush acres of lakeside woodland in Montauk. The recently renovated cabin-inspired guestrooms circle a central lawn known as The Magic Garden, with teepees, ping-pong tables and grills designed for both organized and spontaneous leisure. Ruschmeyer’s offers a range of activities from bicycling to bingo, paddle boarding and yoga, with balsa-wood planes and bubbles for the kids, along with a rotating series of musical performances, theater troupes and artists in residence. Silkstone, the culinary team behind the Fat Radish in Manhattan, serves seafood dishes with fresh local ingredients in the main restaurant and outdoors in the garden, while the Electric Eel delivers endless nights of dancing and classic maritime cocktails.

Rooms are simple—verging on spartan—and small, with cedar-plank walls, hammocks, oatmeal linen curtains, wicker bedsteads (sheets are deliciously soft), vintage photos of palm trees on the walls, and diminutive shower rooms with organic John Masters products. Fairy lights strung throughout the grounds add a festive feel.

Ruschmeyer’s is party central, from the Ping-Pong tables to Thursday night bingo (ties are settled with a dance-off), to the kicking Electric Eel club, which hosts DJs and live bands. It works in this fishing village turned red-hot summer scene, although the locals might disagree. The highlight is the restaurant: Managed by the British pair behind Manhattan’s Fat Radish, it serves superfresh seafood and well-done American classics (clam pizza, a bacon-and-cheese burger) at New York prices.

Restaurant:

King & Grove has teamed up with Phil Winser and Ben Towill, the duo behind Manhattan’s The Fat Radish and Silkstone for the restaurant at Ruschmeyer’s. Together we’ve created a menu that emphasizes Montauk’s freshest seafood, paired with an extensive wine list curated by Ray Pirkle, featuring a diverse selection of biodynamic, sustainable, and organic wines. The main dining room offers fresh updates of oceanside favorites in a soaring mid-century modern A-Frame space, while a smaller breakfast nook, for guests and visitors alike, allows for a friendly and communal start to each summer day.

Project Data

Project name: Ruschmeyer’s
Location: 161 Second House Road Montauk, New York 11954, United States
Type: Lodge & Tented Camp
Site Area: 3 acres
Size: 19-room
Completion Year: 2011

Awards:

2012 Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards – Restaurant & Bar Design Awards – International restaurant Category (North America & Canada) – Shortlist
2011 Condé Nast Traveller Magazine Awards – The Best New Hotels, Spas and Restaurants – HOT LIST

Visit Ruschmeyer’s Website: here

The people

Client / Owner / Developer: King & Grove, Robert Mckinley, Steven M. Kamali
Architects & Interior Designer: Robert Mckinley, New York, United States
Text Description: © Courtesy of Ruschmeyer’s, lifeandtimes, cntraveler, remodelista
Images: © Robert Mckinley, Ruschmeyer’s