The Rams Head Inn

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Shelter Island Table Worth the Trip

The Rams Head Inn sits on Ram Island Drive at the edge of Shelter Island Heights, where boats anchor off the bay and sunsets over the water set the tone for the evening. The setting draws its aesthetic from the glamour of the 1920s — an elegantly appointed dining room and a scenic deck that make an ordinary Tuesday feel like a special occasion.

The kitchen takes a farm-and-sea-to-table approach, working with whole, seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers across the island and the broader Long Island Sound region. The result is a Coastal American menu that shifts across brunch, beachside lunch, parlour service, and dinner — with options spanning seafood, fresh pasta, and locally grown produce, alongside dedicated gluten-free and vegan choices.

The Wine List

The wine program earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023, and a look at the list explains why. Local bottles from Channing Daughters, Macari Vineyards, Saltbird Cellars, and Sparkling Pointe sit alongside Domaines Ott rosés in multiple formats, grower Champagnes from Ruinart and Louis Roederer, and a considered selection of Italian and French whites. By-the-glass pours include a Wolffer Estate Blanc de Blanc and a Channing Daughters Chardonnay from the South Fork — a deliberate nod to the inn's immediate surroundings.

Brunch, the Parlour, and the Full Day

On weekends, brunch runs from mid-morning through early afternoon, pairing classic and inventive dishes with signature cocktails. Through the week, the Parlour opens at four o'clock — a lower-key prelude to dinner service — alongside a happy hour that keeps things relaxed before the evening proper begins. The sweets menu rounds out any meal with desserts crafted to close on a high note.

For guests arriving by water, the inn monitors radio channel 77 — a detail that says something about the kind of place this is.