The Ram’s Head Inn’s restaurant is now open for outdoor service, and the hotel is open at 50% capacity. Though there are many, the hidden jewel of Shelter Island is the Ram’s Head Inn being timeless and captivating. Tourism began on the island in the 1800s when New Yorkers sought solace and wanted to escape the heat of the bustling city. The Island is known for its New England style and has become a go-to when seeking a quaint but refined and less polished destination.
Mrs. Joan Covey of Great Neck built the inn and then invited her swanky 1920’s Gold Coast crowd with lowered rates in 1929. We must remember that 1929 was the beginning of the worst economic downfall in the history of the industrialized world. Wall Street was filled with dread and consternation. Her Real Estate list at the time must have been tremendously impressed with world decision-makers and trendsetters from the political, financial, and art world. Think of Gatsby’s world on vacation out east in a private hamlet, at a private inn. This sophisticated group of diverse intellectuals must have only bonded on a deeper level at such a relaxing and pleasing resort.
The restaurant offers dinner every night with an all-day service on Saturdays and Sunday Brunch. Chef Joe Smith returns this season with his famous locally sourced menu featuring fresh-caught seafood and Long Island Duck. Of course, the Ram’s Head’s Sunday Brunch leading into Sunday Jazz evenings remains a favorite summer event for locals, guests, and visitors.
Live music is offered in the lounge several times a week featuring local bands which can be enjoyed from the patio, or on the Ram’s Head Facebook page for their live streaming series.
If you have time, take a stroll through the bar area. The Inn is famous for its local and global history, filled with memorabilia of the subculture of physics. Relevant physicists assembled the conclave of The Shelter Island Conference in 1947. The Ram’s Head Inn was the site for talks on the foundations of Quantum Mechanics which was arranged and attended by Robert Oppenheimer.
“It was the first time that people who had all this physics pent up in them for five years could talk to each other without somebody peering over their shoulders and saying, ‘Is this cleared?’” Julina Schwinger said
Today, the current owners, husband and wife James and Linda Eklund who have owned the inn since 1979, invite guests to enjoy the picturesque sunsets, fine dining, and New England styled accommodations. There is a lush sloping lawn that offers Adirondack chairs for sunset cocktails, a quaint gazebo that overlooks Coecles Harbor which is filled with sailboats and the bay beach across the street. The hotel has a dock to accommodate boats coming in for dinner or for an overnight stay. Guests also have their pick of a fleet of sailboats, kayaks, and paddleboards, and full access to the onsite tennis and bocce courts.
“We attribute the Inn’s success and longevity to its accessibility and incomparable settings. Guests need only to walk out onto the front lawn to be immersed in the beauty of their surroundings and the undeniable charm of being on an island.” Linda Eklund
On evenings in the summer season live local music performances in the Inn’s music and cocktail lounge, Harbor Hall, provide sunset revelry at its finest.
The Ram’s Head Inn
631-749-0811
