If you've been coming to Montauk for any length of time, you remember the conversation. New ownership at Gosman's, and suddenly everyone had an opinion. It was going to be different. The magic was going to be gone. The place that had been a Montauk institution for decades was about to become something unrecognizable.
That was a few years ago now. And I'm happy to report - Topside is exactly what it's always been.
Topside vibes
Tucked above the main Gosman's complex with a view straight over the inlet, Topside is adults only. No kids. Which in the middle of a Hamptons summer, is a sentence that deserves its own paragraph.
It's not a scene. It's not trying to be. It's a raw bar, cold drinks, and one of the best views in Montauk. That's it. That's the whole thing - and that's exactly why it works.
The move is simple: come off the beach, rinse off, and head straight there. Order clams and oysters, get a drink, and just sit with it for a while. No rush, no noise, no performance. Just the inlet, the breeze, and the kind of afternoon that reminds you why you come out here in the first place.
About Those Seals
Last night we were sitting at the raw bar and a seal came swimming through the inlet. Calm as anything, completely unbothered. It happens more than you'd think out there - the seals are regulars - and it never stops feeling like a gift.
It's the kind of moment that doesn't happen at a crowded restaurant or a packed beach. It happens when you slow down enough to actually be somewhere.
Why It Matters That Nothing Changed
There's something worth saying about a place that survives a transition like that intact. Gosman's has been part of Montauk's identity for a long time, and the anxiety around the ownership change was real. People who love a place always worry.
But Topside held. The raw bar is still there. The view is still there. The adults only policy is still there. The seals are still there.
Some places know exactly what they are and don't need to reinvent themselves to stay relevant. Topside is one of them. In a summer full of new openings and buzzy spots competing for attention, there's something genuinely reassuring about that.