Lounge in a cabana, kick back on a daybed or relax under a private umbrella, all with your feet in the sand and a drink in hand at the East End's restaurants and hotels with elaborate outdoor seating experiences.
Before summer ends, visitors can take in views of Gardiners Bay while dining in an atmosphere with picturesque bohemic-like furniture at Duryea's in Orient Point. "It's more of a vista with expansive water views," says director of people and culture Erin Johnson. "It's a relaxing lounge setup," not so much somewhere to sunbathe and swim.
Over in Montauk, you'll find the more casual Navy Beach has daybeds where people can tan and lounge while sipping and dining. "It's a great spot for you to lay out a towel and hang out much throughout the day," operating partner Franklin Ferguson says. It's a place for those who "want to come and enjoy the beach and still have the hospitality service of a restaurant."
Here's a mix of hotels and restaurants that feature a lounge-like atmosphere. But note, with an eye-catching experience may come a steep price tag.
'The bags' at Hero Beach Club
626 Montauk Hwy., Montauk
Bean bag lounge chairs at Hero Beach Club in Montauk are available to hotel guests. Credit: @jessicadalenephotography
Book a stay at the boutique Hero Beach Club and get access to several of its amenities, like its pool and outdoor area filled with daybeds, hammocks, couches and fire pits. The setup evokes “a Bali fantasy land,” says owner Jon Krasner. Perhaps one of its more unique offerings, though, is its bean bag lounge chairs on the adjacent Umbrella Beach. The bags, inspired by and shipped from Bali, are available to all guests of the hotel at no additional cost.
WHAT YOU’LL SPEND: Expect to pay between $500 and $1,200 per night.
RESERVATIONS: Call the hotel or book via its website. Open year-round.
MORE INFO: 631-668-9825; herobeachclub.com.
The Beach Club at Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa
290 Old Montauk Hwy., Montauk
Rent a daybed with friends this summer at the Beach Club at Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa. Credit: Gurney’s Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa
Set up along a 2,000-foot stretch of private beach, The Beach Club offers a dozen daybeds — available to hotel guests and non-guests — that hold up to four people and include sparkling and still water, plus a sun care kit. The beds are rentable for the day, starting at 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The club is open daily, with food and beverage service starting at 11 a.m. Guests can pick on starters from the Beach Club's new menu, which includes jumbo shrimp, hummus and vegetable platters, Caesar salads, tacos, burgers and lobster rolls ($18-$48). Drinks start at $22. There’s live music on weekends.
WHAT YOU'LL SPEND: Pricing varies, but expect to pay a minimum rental fee of $500, plus a minimum food and drink spend.
RESERVATIONS: Email beachclub.montauk@gurneysresorts.com to reserve. Available through September.
MORE INFO: 631-668-2345; gurneysresorts.com.
The Beach Club at Duryea's Orient Point
40200 Main Rd., Orient Point
Erin Vacchiano, from Manhattan, Amy Sullivan, from Manhattan, Jennifer Powers from, Fairfield, and Ashley Keith, from Southold, sit by the Sandbox section at the Beach Club at Duryea's in Orient Point. Credit: Randee Daddona
Step into your own little coastal oasis at Duryea’s beach club, which has three lounge areas: the waters edge, meant to accommodate up to three people via cushioned chairs; the sandbox, up to five people via cushioned chairs and poufs; and the loungers, six to 18 people with cushioned chairs, loveseat-esque seating and bean bags. All sections include low wooden tables and shade via umbrellas or canopies.
WHAT YOU'LL SPEND: While there is no rental fee to lounge in any of these areas, there are minimum spends of $65 per person. Food service is available via its asado grill and its food truck. Drinks are brought to you via a server. Rotating DJs spin mellow, world beats from 1 to 7 p.m. all weekend. Dock and dine also an option. The Beach Club is open Fridays to Sundays from noon to 8 p.m. through Labor Day weekend.
RESERVATIONS: Each are available for two-hour time slots and can be booked via Resy.
MORE INFO: 631-323-2424; duryeas.com.
Daybeds at Navy Beach
16 Navy Rd., Montauk
King-size daybeds and outdoor sectionals are set up on the sand at Navy Beach in Montauk. Credit: WordHampton Public Relations
King-size daybeds and outdoor sectionals — picnic tables and Adirondack chairs too — encompass the outdoor area at Navy Beach, which takes over 200 feet of private beach overlooking Fort Pond Bay. The entire outdoor area is open for full service — choose from a menu of clam-and-corn chowder, tuna crudo, salmon tartare, octopus, seared sea scallops, Yunnan ribs, buttermilk fried chicken and truffle macaroni and cheese. On the drinks front, expect bourbon- tequila- vodka- and gin-based drinks, plus beer.
WHAT YOU'LL SPEND: No fee to reserve; minimum only applies on weekends and holidays and depend on the hours.
RESERVATIONS: Bookings are typically from noon to 4 p.m. or 5 to 9 p.m. Open daily starting at noon, through Columbus Day. Book a reservation by calling the restaurant.
MORE INFO: 631-668-6868; navybeach.com.
The Sandbar by CB2 at Surf Lodge
183 Edgemere St., Montauk
Sit back and relax this summer at the The Sandbar by CB2 at Surf Lodge in Montauk. Credit: The Surf Lodge
The Surf Lodge’s beach area that overlooks Fort Pond has been revamped by CB2 for the season to feature lounge chairs and sofas, daybeds, tables and the like in a sleek-yet-sophisticated setting. It's open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, closed on Tuesdays to restaurant and hotel guests only.. The menu includes a clam ceviche, alongside a swordfish brochette, a striped bass, and a meze platter — two items exclusively served at The Sandbar. There are also new specialty cocktails available at the space, including a toasted sesame highball made with sesame-infused vodka.
WHAT YOU'LL SPEND: There is no fee to reserve or minimum spend in this area.
RESERVATIONS: Reservations are recommended. Visitors can buy tickets to its adjacent stage area and listen to a lineup of musicians that includes Quinn XCII, A R I Z O N A and Snakehips. Open through Labor Day weekend.
MORE INFO: 631-250-8439; thesurflodge.com
