The best Montauk bars to party in the Hamptons

During peak season, you need to have a reservation or be a hotel guest to even step foot on the beach club (annual memberships also start at $30,000 if you want to be all-inclusive and access the spa). But the 2,000-foot-long private beach and luxury service right to your cabana is perhaps worth the snobbery and high prices if you’re looking to splurge. Influencer-styled crowds get tipsy near the nautical-striped outdoor bar and a live DJ helps keep the day party thumping throughout the summer.

No doubt you've seen these color-block beer cans around the city. Decorated in bright shades of pink, turquoise and yellow, they excel at projecting summer-in-a-bottle. Well, that good-time vibe (from both outside and inside the can) extends to its red farmhouse brewery two blocks off Montauk's main circle. Order the fruity Watermelon Sessions Ale or the light Summer Ale at the laid-back tasting room and then park yourself at one of the outdoor picnic tables for daytime drinking. The space is very dog-friendly and takeout food is encouraged.

For a fun dinner scene that turns into a party, book a table at Rushmeyer’s. The new Puerto Rican-inspired restaurant, Placebo, at the woodsy upscale motel, offers a tropical theme and Afro-Latin house music to accompany cocktails and shared plates. Open Thursday-Sunady, Fridays, and Saturdays bring full-on dance parties after 9pm, mostly weekenders looking to get rowdy and unwind in the indoor-outdoor space. Fire pits offer another appeal and a retro camp theme in the surrounding guest room area adds to the summer ambiance.

Sunset views don't get much better (at least on the East Coast) than in the backyard of Montauket. The locals spot gets packed around sunset on weekends, so the crowd can watch the sun dip below Fort Pond Bay while nursing a Montauk Brewing beer. You might initially go for the Insta, but you'll stay for the friendly, small-town feel.

You may recall Memory Motel from the Rolling Stones song subtly titled, "Memory Motel." Yep, this is the one. And its rockstar legacy makes it the town's premiere last-call place. It's the bar everyone heads to at 3am when the night just doesn't feel over because not enough bad decisions have been made. Memory is that bar, and we're all simultaneously better and worse off for it. 

This sun-kissed space might have been inspired by Australia's laid-back Byron Bay, but the elitist 'tude certainly is not. Nevertheless, how can we leave off the most notorious bar in all of Montauk? If you're able to make it past the difficult bouncers (you've gotta know someone or drop major $), you'll feel the sand beneath your toes, take sunset pics over Fort Pond, hear live music and a run into a dizzying roster of celebs and models. 

New to Montauk as of May 2024, Shark Bar has quickly become a staple for locals, summer people, and weekenders alike. Run by the same team as last summer’s new hyper-buzzy steakhouse, Maverick’s, Shark Bar attracts off-duty seasonal workers and industry folks, rowdy partiers, and hungry revelers eager to snack on fried oysters and Cajun fries while sipping frozen tiki drinks. Open only until dinnertime, Shark Bar is more of a spot for a day party, happy hour, or pre-game, but is certainly a fun time.

The music from Bounce’s rooftop lures in visitors from downtown Montauk for clubby parties that appeal to bachelorette and bachelor parties, group trips and curious tourists alike. Nearly every night and most afternoons bring out a DJ, with VIP tables bookable for those eager to go all out just a block from the Atlantic Ocean (in the former Sloppy Tuna spot). Brunch and dinner are also served here, making it an easy one-stop shop for a group who need to fuel up on truffle fries and $43 lobster rolls before dancing the night away.