Restaurants Overview

For such a tiny island, Nantucket is rife with great restaurants -- "world class" would not be an exaggeration. Of course, with New York-level sophistication come New York-level prices. And whereas the titans of industry who flock here for a bit of high-rent R&R might not blink at the prospect of a $40 or even $50 entrée, the rest of us must sometimes suppress a nervous gulp. Is it worth it? Again and again, in venues that vie for the title of most recherché, the answer is yes.

Reservations can be hard to come by in high season, or during popular weekends such as December's Christmas Stroll and the Daffodil Festival in April, so plan and make dinner reservations well ahead. You may still be able to squeeze into a popular establishment at the last minute if you're willing to eat unfashionably early or decadently late. In any month other than July or August, call ahead to check hours of operation.