With two Provincetown waterfront dining rooms and the Top of the Pot cocktail room, The Lobster Pot offers wonderful views along with prize-winning food. Open nearly year round, this restaurant offers the award-winning Tim's Clam Chowder and won a "Best Of" award from Cape Cod Life. The fresh seafood here is delicious, and chances are you'll see it being brought into the harbor on fishing boats. Ordering their chowder and lobster, and sitting by the water (especially at sunset) will provide a quintessentially great Cape Cod evening.
You will find this restaurant tucked away behind Commercial Street, down a clamshell alleyway and through a portal in a trellis that opens into a patio and garden. Inside is a very cozy, wine cellar with low ceilings, complete with hanging Chianti wicker basket bottles. This is the main fireside dining area for this sumptuous, legendary Provincetown eating experience. Upstairs, the Tuscany Room is decorated with paintings for sale, and an award-winning bartender offers you all manner of drinks. The food, mostly Northern Italian, is superb.
One side of this landmark is an old-fashioned restaurant complete with high-backed booths and red carpeting. The other side features a huge bar and room to mingle. The food is good in either venue. Steak, seafood and chowder are staples in the dining room, while lighter fare is the norm at the bar, where the focus is more on drinking. Cape Cod restaurants come and go, but this popular spot, especially at night, remains a fun place to grab a bite or share a drink with friends.
You'll probably experience the best meal you will ever have in this 200-year-old barn. The cozy restaurant serves American and French cuisine and uses local produce and ingredients whenever possible. The menu changes with the seasons but entrées can include duckling, lamb, veal and salmon. The fireplaces, glass and pottery by Cape Cod artists and the lush flower garden make for a romantic dinner setting. The wine list here is extensive and superb. Reservations are required.
Perched on the edge of a marsh across from Gull Pond Road on Route 6 in Wellfleet, Moby Dick's comes as a welcome surprise to the hungry tourist. Unassuming and simple in decor—benches and plastic tablecloths—this family restaurant offers good, simply prepared seafood at a very reasonable price. You can spread out and make a mess (using the plastic bibs) while cracking open the fresh lobster or clams, or chewing corn on the cob, so this is a particularly child-friendly eating environment.
One of New England's liveliest haunts, The Beachcomber is more than just good food and drinks. Located on Cahoon Hallow Beach, this is where you can enjoy a fine meal and drink with the view of the horizon. Find a table amidst the sandy shore, or head indoors for a quieter, more intimate experience. Take your pick from its seemingly limitless options of spirits and beers, or opt for one of the signature cocktails to get things started. The food menu comprises a choice of contemporary favorites, of which the Beachcomber Burger, Eastham Mussels and Swordfish Steak are not-to-be-missed. To top it all, live bands and DJs raise the energy levels, with a selection of classic and modern hits.
Every Cape regular has a favorite ice cream shop; since 1976, many people have been converted at the Sundae School. Choose from more than 30 homemade ice cream flavors; frappes, banana splits and frozen yogurt are available, and seasonal toppings (blueberry, cranberry, spiced apple, raspberry) make a standout sundae. There are also locations in Harwich Port and East Orleans.
Located in the heart of the city is the Fin Seafood, a popular restaurant that's known to serve some of the best seafood in the city. The menu combines traditional American-style cooking with a contemporary flair ensuring a delicious meal that's like nothing else. The Lobster Chowder, Tuna Tartare, Oyster Chowder, and the Foie Gras Brûlée for dessert are some of the recommended dishes. The ambiance is warm and intimate and the service is attentive making this place perfect for a pleasant and romantic meal. This restaurant definitely is a must visit when in the city.
Standing by the Provincetown Bay, Mews delights with its delectable American fare served in a refined setting. The restaurant's expansive interiors are elegantly done up, with rich use of woods and contemporary lighting accents. Large windows offer excellent views of the harbor. The old-world wooden bar is a stylish place to imbibe on the extensive drinks menu. On offer is a diverse choice of New American favorites including Shaking Beef, Four Peppercorn Crusted Tuna, Veal Chop Scarpata and Almond Crusted Cod. The atmosphere is convivial and suited to business lunches and intimate dinners alike. Routinely host to celebrities, Mews is one of the most talked about restaurants in town.
You can't visit the Cape without indulging in some old-fashioned fish & chips, and one of the better places to enjoy this classic pairing is at Sir Cricket's, in the heart of charming Orleans (mid-Cape). If you've never had New England-style fish & chips, don't miss the traditional "clam roll," fried clams served on a hot dog-like bun. Let the tartar sauce flow as you delight in seafood of all varieties, from oysters to cod to scallops to lobster. And on those cold Northeast days, warm yourself from the inside out with a bowl of their delicious clam chowder. This joint is tiny, so take-out is usually the best way to go, but if you choose to stay, you'll no doubt be charmed by the nautical theme and neighborhood feel.
Housed in Wequassett Inn Resort and Golf Club, Twenty Eight Atlantic hits all the right notes as you take in the turquoise waters, and the sun kissed sand through the wide windows. No prizes for guessing the house special dish, as seafood is the best thing to have. The meat rich crab cakes, truffled salmon tartare among others form part of a seafood extravaganza like no other. The long wine list strikes the perfect balance between the seafood and the majestic views.