What are the best restaurants on Cape Cod?
 

I know of the Impudent Oyster and the Red Pheasant. Which others are considered the best on the Cape? Also, can you comment on the atmosphere of the restaurant you recommend?

Thanks so much!!

Such a subjective question! :) However if you mean haute cuisine as opposed to places treasured for seashore memories, then I would guess that Chillingswoth in Brewster is in the running. Very lovely atmosphere. *Very* high Zagat rating. Take a look at their website.

I think 28 Atlantic at the Wequasset is pretty fantastic. The room is gorgeous with views and the food and atmosphere is high end but not stuffy. Definitely more modern than quaint, but not too modern. If you check out the wequasset's website you can probably find pictures and a menu.

"nother vote for Chillingsworth.

Lobster Pot in Provincetown. A tradition that goes back as far as I can remember. Once of those places that serves great seafood in a wonderfully casual atmosphere and is also a New England icon. It is one of the most photographed and painted images in Provincetown and the lunches/dinners do not disappoint in the least. I have eaten there several times and never had a bad meal, usually going right for their Clam Bake: chowder, steamed lobster, corn bread, mussels, and corn on the cob for about $25.

Thanks for your replies!

To Socialworker, I am looking for restaurants with really tasty food, so that could include haute cuisine or casual fare.

Thank you for the suggestions. I'll check them out!

Nauset Beach House in Orleans. Last few times we were at the Lobster Pot in P'town, clam chowder was "thickened" with clumps of raw flour. Ick!

I think irish swamp yankee means the Nauset Beach Club, in Orleans.And it is exce;;ent.
On the outer Cape, our favorites are Front Street, in Provincetown, Blackfish in Truro, Wicked Oyster in Wellfleet, Buca's in Harwich. All fine food, inovative, great atmosphere,impressive wine list- on the Cape, one doesn't have to "dress'. even in season. Of course, the ambiance is a bit less hectic in the shoulder season- likenow!
The Cape is a big place, with many towns hosting some excellent fare. It would help if you were more specific.

I went to Columbo's in Hyannis tonight. Three people, three different entrees, all wonderful. They have gelato and pastries in a case for dessert. You look and pick what you would like.

It is open and modern looking. There is also a bar area w/TVs. I can't wait to go back. (I have no personal involvement w/this place). And agree w/ccs. Where on the Cape will you be?

Provincetown is filled with great places to eat. The Mews, Front Street and my new favorite is The Red Inn. The Lobster Pot is always good. The food sets a standard in it's 1950's sort of way .. it's a must eat at place.

We'll be in Chatham, so can travel in either direction. I'm eager to check out the suggestions that have been made thus far. Thanks a lot!!

I agree wholeheartedly with your choice of the Red Pheasant in Dennis. My wife and I have been vacationing on the Cape for more than 40 years, and have enjoyed the Red Pheasant 2 to 3 times during our annual 2 to 3 week vacations on the Cape. No doubt, one of the top 3 restaurants on our list.
in August this year, we helped our friends celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary here and they were impressed. They will be back again, as we will in 2009.
Ask for Steven!

Everyone has their favorites .. Best to check with any Cape restaurants .. their hours often change after Labor Day ..

Some of my favorites are ...
Ocean House ... Dennisport
Brewster Fish House .. Brewster
Inaho .. Sushi .. Yarmouth
Abicci .. Yarmouth Port
Cape Sea Grill .. Harwich Port
The Red Pheasant .. Dennis
Gerardi's Cafe .. (Italian) Yarmouth
Bramble Inn .. Brewster


Casual .. but good .. dependable
Scargo Cafe .. Dennis
Marshside .. East Dennis
Villa Roma .. Harwich


Very casual .. but food is good
Sesuit Cafe .. E. Dennis
Lost Dog Pub .. E. Dennis

Grumpy's for breakfast or lunch ..

I summer on Cape Cod and can recommend the following:

Red Pheasant in Dennis - great food, wonderful wine list, chef uses local ingredients whenever possible. Upscale casual

Sesuit Cafe in East Dennis - great water views. Picnic tables for outdoor seating. Fresh seafood but also a good variety of other offerings.
Long lines waiting to get in if you go during peak times. Very casual.

Grumpy's in East Dennis and Jack's Outback in Yarmouth Port are excellent choices for breakfast. Casual

Abicci in Cummaquid - They have innovative selections..all fresh and very good.

Land 'Ho in Orleans - great for lunch or dinner. Causal, fun atmosphere.
Good burgers, chowder, fried seafood.
Nice bar. Casual

Wequasset Inn - Chatham - Wonderful atmosphere and excellent food. Upscale casual

Chatham Bars Inn- Their restaurant on the beach in Chatham. Awesome views of ocean and the food is good
Casual

Girardi's in Yarmouth - wonderful Italian food. Casual

Chillingsworth in Brewster gets a vote from me as well.
upscale casual.

We often visit Eastham on the outer cape and can make some recommendations for the Wellfleet/Orleans/Truro area. You can check out menus on-line
In Orleans:
Land 'Ho (lunch or light dinner, pub-style atmosphere)
Joe's Bar and Grill (at the Barley Neck Inn in East Orleans-casual atmosphere)
Mahoney's Atlantic Grill (casual/urbane atmosphere)
Captain Linnell House (upscale casual)
Nauset Beach Club (Northern Italian, up-scale casual)
Academy Grill (Up-scale casual)

Wellfleet:
Finely JP's (One of our favorites! Chef owned and run with new American selections. Casual)
Wicked Oyster (casual, up-scale)
Mack's Shack (casual)
Winslow's Tavern (casual/up-scale)

Truro:
Blackfish (casual)
Terra Luna: (Northern Italian/casual)

I am acquainted with some Italians in Falmouth who don't like Cucina (too American) and prefer La Civetta

Inaho Japanese restaurant: TERRIFIC!!

The Bramble Inn: lots of options (bistro menu for small dishes ala carte, or else full 4-course dinner)

Abba: Totally excellent

Abbici: very good

The Naked Oyster: remarkably good

Those are the Big 5 -- others can also be good occasionally. Beware of Olivers (inedible), and Brewster Fish House (overpriced, not so good).

I agree with the Lobster Pot. The lobster bisque and lobster roll are to die for. There is another place around the corner towards the water, that has cranberry tea.

I have to disagree with scargo1013's post about the Brewster Fish House as we had the most incredible meal there this Saturday night.
My husband and I started with the oyster/shrimp/clam plate and then had fish dishes (cod for me and swordfish for him) and we both agreed that every bite was delectable and delicious.
The hospitality was warm and friendly, the wine list very reasonably priced and varied and the apple pie one of the best in my memory.
We've eaten in many good restaurants over the years but this will be one that will stand out in our minds as a memorable night out.

Sad news, Marietta has closed the doors of Abicci and it is up for sale.... a great loss borne of the economy. I hope she takes another pass with her great Italian cooking skills and brings back a new restaurant... I long for La Cipollina

You owe it to yourself to enjoy a meal at The Marshside, located on Bridge Street in East Dennis, just north of 6a. We've been going to this wonderful, family-friendly institution for over 20 years and it has never failed to provide good food at good prices in a friendly atmosphere. But last year the old schoolhouse that housed the Marshside was torn down and in its place we discovered a knock-your-socks-off replacement featuring handsome architecture, greater size and gorgeous views of the adjacent marsh and Sesuit Harbor in the distance from virtually every seat, thanks to tiered seating and sweeping windowscapes. The place looks so terrific we expected it to have gotten pretentious and priced accordingly. Boy, were we surprised. The familiar menu, the friendly staff and the affordable pricing were virtually as before. I have no idea how they did it, but they deserve kudos for updating a great restaurant without losing the charm and appeal of the original. Don't take my word for it, visit before you go at www.themarshside.com.

Another vote for Land Ho in Orleans - fun, busy, good food.
Many times we have made a lunch stop for lobster rolls at the Chatham Bars Beach Grill, but they are getting a bit pricey...
Certainly not gourmet, but if you are looking for an ultra casual Cape Cod place for lobster or fried clams (onion rings too!), try Arnolds in Eastham. You can eat-in or take oout, and there is always a line.

Luvda, Fodor's does not allow advertising. It is run for people to be able to get advice from other travelers that is not affected by a desire for financial gain.

You absolutely have to try the Lobster Rolls at The Raw Bar on Hyannis Harbor (Ocean St.) right next to the Ferry. They are absolutely huge and could be easily shared. Not inexpensive at around $20.00, they are totally worth it. Very little mayo and tons of sweet lob-stah meat. You'll love it.
Marty.UndergroundCapeCod.com

Inaho, Japanese restaurant in Yarmouthport, best we've found by far. Serene, pleasant, interesting ambiance (no loud music, or I walk out). Food (tofu teriyaki, rib eye teriyaki) excellent. Service was friendly, professional (pesty waitstaff annoy me). Don't miss it.

I found the clam shack places I tried to be good but pretty interchangeable, all at about comparable level: Captain Frosty's (Dennis), Mojo's (Provincetown), Kream 'N Kone (Dennis), Cobie's (Brewster), Cap'n Cass (Orleans), Baxter's (Hyannis), and Sir Cricket's (Orleans). Baxter's struck me as the most expensive, likely owing to its water view and close proximity to the ferries.

Enjoyed the somewhat pricier sit-down seafood places, and can recommend all I tried, some more upscale than others: Lobster Claw (Orleans), Naked Oyster (Hyannis), Impudent Oyster (Chatham), Lobster Pot (Provincetown), Brewster Inn and Chowder House (Brewster), and Fishmonger Cafe (Woods Hole). That held true for places with less to no seafood emphasis such as Chillingworth (Brewster, expensive fine dining, at least the dessert I got to sample), Columbo's Cafe (Hyannis, an Italian spot), Winslow's Tavern (Wellfleet, fine dining masquerading as a tavern), and Frappo66 (Provincetown, fine dining masquerading as a cafeteria). Red Pheasant (fine dining, Dennis), 28 Atlantic (fine dining, Chatham), Red Inn (fine dining, Provincetown), and Lorraine's (Mexican, Provincetown) are supposed to be excellent, but haven't tried them.

I generally did not care for the pub grub style places I tried. Easily the best was Chatham Squire (Chatham), with Captain Kidd (Woods Hole) and The Lighthouse (Wellfleet) further down the list and both The Yardarm and Land Ho! (both Orleans) the absolute bottom of the barrel for food. One notable exception is the lobster roll at The Raw Bar in Mashpee -- huge and delicious.

The two ice cream places I tried that I liked best were Sundae School (Orleans, also in other spots) and Ice Cream Smuggler (Dennis). Two spots in Sandwich, Twin Acres and Ice Cream Sandwich, were also good, as is Four Seas in Centerville. Many clam shacks offer generic soft-serve ice cream as well.

Good breakfast spots include Cafe Edwige (Provincetown), Original Gourmet Brunch (Hyannis), and Hole in One (Orleans), the last especially for donuts -- and another clam shack spot, Sesuit Harbor Cafe, does a solid basic diner type breakfast with outdoor picnic table seating. Good Starbuck's-style coffee and baked goods places include Hot Chocolate Sparrow (Orleans), Coffee Obsession (Falmouth and Woods Hole), La Petite France (Hyannis), Pie in the Sky (Woods Hole), and Pies a la Mode (Falmouth). There are also standard diner style spots, such as Betsy's Diner (Falmouth) and Marshland Restaurant (Sandwich). There's pizza here too, with the best I tried being Spritus Pizza (Provincetown, gourmet version) and Steve's Pizza (Falmouth, standard division). For tea, there's the Dunbar Tea Shop (Sandwich) and Molly's Tea Room (Falmouth).

Both Roo Bar (upscale pub food) and Persy's Place (breakfast) have branches in Plymouth, and I liked both very much. If their Cape Cod outposts are as good, they'll be worth a visit as well.

This is a very old post but I guess there's nothing wrong with an update. My parents reported that Red Pheasant seemed a litte "tired" this summer so we went to Blue Moon instead and had an excellent meal. Dad said they tried a Northern Italian place mid-Cape on 28, Nina something or something Nina, that they like a lot. It's tiny, though.