Montauk Point Lighthouse at Montauk Point State Park on Long Island, NY
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A new restaurant is about to open at New York’s oldest lighthouse.
The 225-year-old Montauk Point Lighthouse will be adjacent to the Lighthouse Cafe, a historic restaurant space in the state park at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean.
Hotelier and restaurateur Sean MacPherson, who is behind the Montauk waterfront hotspot The Crow’s Nest, as well as Manhattan’s Bowery Hotel, Hotel Chelsea and The Marlton Hotel, is leading the project in the waterfront eatery formerly run as The Lighthouse Grill.
Expected to open on Wednesday, June 3, Lighthouse Cafe will be seven days a week through the season, featuring a menu of pintxos inspired by the coastal surf towns of the Basque regions of Spain and France. A full bar will also be available.
“I have been trying to lease the Lighthouse Cafe for the last two decades,” said MacPherson, who has a home in Montauk. “I believe its location at the very tip of Long Island, at the foot of the George Washington-commissioned lighthouse, is unquestionably the most spectacular restaurant site on Long Island. We will start the day by serving breakfast to fishermen and surfers, followed by lunch for park visitors, and we will finish with sunset dinner and cocktails for all.”
As there are plenty of spots to get traditional Northeastern beach fare in Montauk, MacPherson wanted to do something a bit different.
“Since Montauk has a large surf community and is just across the Atlantic from French surf towns like Biarritz and Hossegor, we have leaned into pintxos, which are delicious and popular in the Basque region of France and Spain,” he explains. “The Lighthouse Cafe is uniquely connected to Montauk’s history and natural beauty. I hope dining at the Lighthouse cafe will help guests forge an emotional connection with Montauk.”
In collaboration with New York state, MacPherson hopes to create a destination that draws on the coastal landscape and its unobstructed views of the sunsets. The Lighthouse Cafe space will also feature a retail component led by Rachelle Hruska MacPherson, founder of the luxury apparel brand Lingua Franca.
Hours and menus will be shared closer to The Lighthouse Cafe’s opening date.
The Montauk Point Lighthouse offers tours throughout the summer. Parking is available on site. No pets are allowed on Montauk Lighthouse grounds.
The Montauk Historical Society has several events slated for the Montauk Lighthouse this season including a 5K to support local women’s cancer organizations, upcycled art workshops, wildlife talks, a triathlon and more.
Brandi Carlile was also just announced as the headliner for at a benefit for the Montauk Point Lighthouse on Thursday, July 23. Tickets go on sale on Friday, May 15.
Lighthouse Weekend will take place on August 15 and 16, to celebrate the National Historic Landmark with the Third New York Regiment (established 1775) in Revolutionary war uniforms and accoutrements. Other historic programming includes yarn-spinning and weaving demonstrations, plus old-fashioned toys and games for families to enjoy.