It might not be a big place, but Nantucket is blessed with a wide range of eating options to suit all tastes and budgets.
If you find yourself there and don’t know where to head, here’s our list of the best restaurants in Nantucket to help you find somewhere to eat.
Best Restaurants in Nantucket
1. Lola 41° Nantucket
A trendy and chic yet laidback restaurant offering exceptional sushi as well as a bistro menu featuring a range of creative and original dishes, Lola 41° is an intriguing concept that draws influences from all the countries located on the 41st parallel, hence the name.
The menu features plenty of delicious treats from the sea, but you’ll also find such enticing options as hoisin lacquered baby back ribs or the Lola Vegan Burger.
The cocktails there are particularly good, and they also have an extensive drinks menu featuring a range of wines and sakes.
This restaurant is always popular, so it’s essential to book ahead. However, they only accept reservations on the same day after 3pm, so make sure you call as early as possible to be sure to get a table.
Address: 15 S Beach St Ext, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-325-4001
Price: $$$
Website: www.lola41.com
2. Island Kitchen
Island Kitchen is especially known for its breakfasts, which are among the best on the island. The omelets are exquisite, and they also serve a range of other classic breakfast items along with several more original creations of their own.
For example, the Panko Crusted Eggs Benny is an early morning treat, and the Spicy Sausage Scramble or the Turkey Hash Sandwich are sure to appeal to many.
They also open for lunch and dinner, serving burgers, sandwiches, wraps, salads and more – look out for dishes like shrimp shumai, grilled calamari or the house special IK Burger.
The restaurant has a lovely garden, so you can enjoy your food outside, and the place has a friendly, chilled vibe that makes it a popular haunt with locals and tourists alike.
Address: 1 Chins Way, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-2639
Price: $$
Website: nantucketislandkitchen.com
3. Sea Grille
Unsurprisingly in Nantucket, there’s no shortage of seafood restaurants – and Sea Grille is comfortably among the best, which is why it’s always so busy.
This means that while reservations aren’t required, it’s highly advisable to make one unless you want to take a big risk on not getting a table.
On the menu, you’ll find delicious appetizers like scallops with foie gras and cornmeal-crusted oysters.
You can then follow this with something from the Simply Prepared Seafood list, or if you’re feeling more adventurous, you might prefer something from the Creative Coastal section that includes items such as house-made lobster tortellini.
Sea Grille has just celebrated 30 years in business, and with such an enticing menu, it’s easy to see why this place has proven so enduringly popular.
Address: 45 Sparks Ave, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-325-5700
Price: $$$
Website: www.theseagrille.com
4. Breeze Restaurant
Located in the Nantucket Hotel, the fashionable Breeze Restaurant features a nautical theme and serves contemporary local and international cuisine with a creative twist.
Many of the menu items come from the sea, and you’re sure to be tempted by options such as grilled swordfish or Atlantic salmon. The clam chowder is a particular specialty, and the fish tacos are a popular choice too.
However, other options include short rib Bolognese or chicken served with whipped chive Yukon potatoes and rosemary jus for those who don’t want fish or seafood.
The restaurant has a comfortable bar area, and there’s an outdoor patio area where you can eat when the weather permits.
As well as lunch and dinner, the restaurant opens for brunch too, making it a great place to head for a meal earlier in the day before setting off to explore the island.
Address: 77 Easton St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-4730
Price: $$
Website: www.thenantuckethotel.com/dining/breeze
5. Queequeg’s
A cozy restaurant with friendly and attentive staff and an eclectic menu containing a few surprises, Queequeg’s is another of the restaurants in Nantucket that’s worth tracking down.
As an example of the kind of thing you can expect to eat, you can start your meal with mussels in white wine sauce or choose a classic New England clam chowder – but you could equally opt for Chinese-style pork buns.
Other menu items showing the range of dishes you can expect include chicken curry made with coconut and kaffir lime, Moroccan chicken, Korean bibimbap and halibut with wild mushroom risotto.
Alternatively, they also propose a range of similarly creative sushi, so you’re sure to be able to find something of interest.
Everything is meticulously prepared and beautifully presented, and the atmosphere is casual and laidback, making this restaurant a great choice for a delicious yet unpretentious meal.
Address: 6 Oak St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-325-0992
Price: $$$
Website: queequegsnantucket.com
6.The Charlie Noble
A pub-style restaurant with an all-day raw bar, the Charlie Noble is a great place to head if you want to indulge in some great tasting fresh seafood without spending huge amounts of cash.
Of course, one of the highlights is the Nantucket oysters, but they also have some more creative dishes such as lobster quesadilla, pan crisp crab cake and lobster BLT sliders.
They do an indulgent mac and cheese, a grown-up version of everyone’s favorite childhood comfort food, and the seafood boils are also a house specialty.
For lighter bites, they offer a selection of delicious sandwiches and burgers, of which the surf and turf burger with lobster is a particular highlight.
The restaurant also benefits from an attractive harbor-front location, making it the perfect place to stop for a drink and a bit of food as you kick back and savor the slow pace of Nantucket’s island lifestyle.
Address: 15 S Water St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-825-5260
Price: $$
Website: thecharlienoble.com
7. or, The Whale
Like Queequeg’s above, this is another restaurant that owes its name to Herman Melville’s classic of American literature, Moby Dick, “The Whale” being an alternative title that Melville rejected for his novel – but one the owners of this restaurant decided to go for.
With a pleasant outdoor patio and an enviable location on Main Street, this restaurant is known for cooking up a range of delicious favorites, including charred octopus, steamed manila clams and grilled hangar steak.
They also have several sharing options, like the duck carnitas, the tomahawk steak – both for two – and the Korean pork barbecue, which is enough for up to six.
This restaurant is understandably popular, so reservations are highly advisable – and they can be made up to two weeks in advance to make sure you don’t miss out on securing a table.
Address: 38 Main St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-825-5897
Price: $$$
Website: www.otwnantucket.com
8. The Proprietors Bar & Table
If you like your food more creative than classic, The Proprietors is an award-winning restaurant that should be high on your list of places to check out.
The interior features classic Nantucket décor, and the atmosphere is always lively and bustling.
You can choose between small plates of food such as red lentil hummus, beef tartare or crispy head-on shrimp or larger dishes such as chicken fried trout or duck with black sesame brown butter, rhubarb, gingered turnip and Chinese broccoli.
Another highlight is the drinks, and it’s the kind of place you’ll want to linger over an aperitif before eating or order an extra drink or two after you’ve finished your meal.
Reservations for smaller groups can be made via opentable.com – but for groups of five or more, you should contact the restaurant directly.
Address: 9 India St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-7477
Price: $$$
Website: www.proprietorsnantucket.com
9. Dune
With exceptional food, a lively atmosphere and beautiful aesthetics, for something a little bit special while in Nantucket, Dune Restaurant and Bar is always a reliable choice.
From the moment you step inside, you can tell just from the décor that this is a restaurant that pays careful attention to detail, something that applies to everything they serve too.
When eating there, you can look forward to ordering mouth-watering delights such as chilled Nantucket oyster, grilled Spanish octopus or blackened salmon “al pastor”.
If you don’t feel like fish or seafood, you can opt for something like the slow-roasted Iberico pork loin or a grilled prime sirloin steak cooked to perfection, and for dessert, the chocolate mousse is exceptional.
The expertly mixed cocktails are also a big draw and are a great way to start the evening as you peruse the menu to work out just which of the enticing options you’re going choose.
Bear in mind that this is another extremely popular restaurant, so reservations are strongly recommended.
Address: 20 Broad St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-5550
Price: $$$
Website: www.dunenantucket.com
10. TOPPER’S
Located in The Wauwinet luxury hotel, TOPPER’S is among Nantucket’s most upmarket and exclusive restaurants, making it just the kind of place to go when you want to splurge for a special occasion.
Considered Nantucket’s only AAA 5-Diamond restaurant experience, this is a restaurant that lovers of seafood will adore.
Serving the freshest oysters on the half-shell, smoked bluefish pâté, lobster and crab cakes and many other irresistible treats, the only problem you’re likely to have is deciding what to order.
The restaurant also has an impressive selection of wines, with over 1,550 to choose from, and there’s a range of delightful cocktails to tempt you too.
In short, if you have the budget, this is among the top dining experiences on the island, and if you decide to eat there, you’re unlikely to leave with any regrets.
Address: 120 Wauwinet Rd, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-8768
Price: $$$$
Website: www.wauwinet.com/dining/toppers
11. Keepers Restaurant
For a casual dining experience in friendly and welcoming surroundings – and with tasty food at extremely reasonable prices – Keepers is hard to beat.
Serving a range of popular classics like braised short rib or the special house mac and cheese with pulled pork alongside tasty seafood such as grilled shrimp and polenta, you’re sure to find something that tempts you.
Everything is beautifully presented, and you can wash it all down with one of the special house margheritas, a glass of bubbles, red or white wine or one of several beers on offer to round off a perfect meal.
Address: 5 Amelia Dr, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-0009
Price: $$
Website: www.keepersnantucket.com
12. Brant Point Grill
For typical local fare and a lovely waterside location, with Brant Point Grill in the White Elephant Hotel, you can hardly go wrong.
The menu is, as you might guess, focused mainly on local-style seafood. The dinner menu offers you the chance to taste Great Point oysters by the half-dozen, and another popular option is the seafood ceviche.
You can also enjoy a tasty lobster mac and cheese, and another highlight is the line-caught grilled swordfish.
The restaurant has an extensive wine list, and the cocktails are excellent too. It’s also open for breakfast and lunch, so this restaurant is a possibility at any time of the day.
Address: White Elephant, 50 Easton St, Nantucket
Telephone: 508-325-1320
Price: $$$
Website: www.whiteelephantnantucket.com/dining/brant-point-grill
13. The Nautilus
For a fun and lively dining experience, you could do a lot worse than head to The Nautilus where you can enjoy a range of carefully prepared tapas-style dishes in a stylish but relaxed locale.
Their extensive menu includes many highlights – crispy monkfish bites, Indonesian chicken drumettes, tempura East Coast oyster tacos, Singapore soft shell crab and shrimp ceviche are just a few examples.
In terms of the drinks menu, they offer red and white wines, craft and classic beers by the bottle or on tap, ciders and more, so in a word, this is an ideal place to spend a few hours enjoying great food and drinks among friends.
Address: 12 Cambridge St, Nantucket, MA 02554
Telephone: 508-228-0301
Price: $$
Website: www.thenautilus.com
Hard to know where to start
As you can see, Nantucket has no shortage of excellent eateries for just about any occasion – in fact, often the hardest part is likely to be deciding which restaurant to try first.
