Firmly ensconced like a particularly tenacious barnacle on the Vail dining scene, Montauk has been taking guests under the sea for more than three decades. With its unwavering commitment to freshness and flavor, Montauk celebrates seafood by not committing to any particular genre or style of cooking.

“We’re a seafood grill,” said Montauk Executive Chef Dimitri Souvorin. “Think steakhouse, but with seafood as the star.”

This approach allows Montauk to spotlight the quality of its ingredients. Each dish — comprised of salmon, Chilean sea bass, swordfish, halibut, tuna, scallops, shrimp, lobster tails, two different kinds of crab, three different kinds of oysters, two different kinds of caviar — pays homage to the abundance of the ocean.

---

---

Chef Souvorin is a culinary traveler who blends global inspirations with a steadfast focus on seafood. From a miso Chilean sea bass — served with cashew-ginger sauce, wakame-soba frittata and red tobiko — to spicy Ahi tuna tacos, his dishes embrace international flavors while staying true to Montauk’s approachable ethos.

“We’re a seafood grill. Think steakhouse, but with seafood as the star.” Dimitri Souvorin, executive chef at Montauk

“I’ll have a Cajun dish next to a curry dish, next to a classic American dish. And I just love the dichotomy and different flavors,” Souvorin said. “I mean, you can have four people eating at Montauk and have four dishes that are truly different in their approach to cuisine. And the unifying theme is the seafood: the celebration of fresh fish, fresh seafood, shellfish from all over the world.”

---

---

Montauk receives fresh deliveries six days a week and the menu showcases seasonal catches. Exotic (to you) options like tilefish or hogfish might appear alongside staples like Chilean sea bass or swordfish. But the baited line that hooks guests again and again is Souvourin’s dedication to approachable cuisine.

“I just take flavor profiles that I like and put them on approachable dishes. Like I said, my main focus is celebrating the seafood. So when I’m questioning things, what I’m questioning is: how is this going to complement the seafood?” Souvorin said.

Be sure to sample Montauk’s seafood cioppino this winter. Swimming with halibut, scallops, shrimp, mussels and Dungeness crab in a tomato-saffron broth, this comforting Italian stew both warms and satisfies.

“I just love seafood stews from around the world,” Souvorin said. “Any culture that you travel to anywhere in the world, there’s some version of this cioppino, whether it’s a bouillabaisse, whether it’s French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Mexican… Mexicans have some fantastic caldo de mariscos…just variations on the seafood stew.”

Beyond the food, Montauk’s atmosphere keeps patrons coming back year after year. It’s not uncommon for guests to request their favorite server when booking a reservation, a testament to the restaurant’s dedicated staff. Montauk was established in 1987 and Souvorin began his tenure in 1997.

“We have team members who’ve been with us since the ’90s,” Souvorin said. This consistency fosters an environment where locals and visitors alike feel like family.

Though there are plenty of filling and decadent options — New England clam chowder, anyone? — Montauk is also a great option for healthy refueling. After a day on the slopes, there’s no better way to polish off a great day than with a plate of crab legs or oysters. The menu’s lighter options, like grilled tuna and salmon, provide the perfect balance of nourishment and flavor. Anchored by a commitment to quality and creativity, Montauk is an Atlantis in Vail. Float into Montauk in Lionshead and prepare to experience the ocean in the mountains.