These Nantucket, Massachusetts Seafood Spots Locals Keep Recommending
A summer morning on Nantucket carries its own rhythm, the cry of gulls, the distant hum of the ferry, and the scent of salt and sea grass riding the breeze. It’s a place where time slows just enough for appetite to catch up with beauty.
Across the island, kitchens wake early to meet the day’s catch, turning it into plates that balance ease and elegance. Think buttered rolls filled with lobster, oysters shucked against the horizon, and dinners where the sunset feels like a shared course.
These ten restaurants capture that balance perfectly, local, confident, and shaped by the tide itself. Find a seat near the water, breathe deep, and taste why Nantucket never really leaves you.
1. The Nautilus (Downtown Nantucket)
You feel the pulse of The Nautilus before you even sit down — it’s lively, full of laughter, clinking glasses, and the faint hum of conversation that tells you the night’s just getting started.
The bar glows amber under low light, a hint of the harbor just beyond. Plates arrive meant for sharing: scallop crudo with citrus, crispy oysters, steamed buns.
Every bite leans fresh and bold, more like a global adventure than a coastal cliché. I love how Nautilus feels social but never showy, food as conversation, not competition.
2. Straight Wharf Restaurant (Harbor Square)
The moment the harbor breeze rolls across your table, Straight Wharf’s setting does half the work. You’re eating practically on the dock, sailboats shifting with the tide while servers move with practiced ease.
This restaurant has anchored Nantucket dining since 1976. Chef Gabriel Frasca keeps it steady with a menu of New England seafood elevated just enough, think local fluke ceviche and roasted halibut with lemon butter.
Book a sunset table; the view transforms the meal into something close to ceremony.
3. Galley Beach (Jefferson Avenue)
Sand crunches softly beneath your shoes as you step toward Galley Beach, where tables line the dunes and the surf hums just behind you. The view alone could justify dinner here.
Seafood takes center stage, lobster, scallops, striped bass, cooked with a restrained hand that lets the freshness do the talking. Even the cocktails taste like sea air.
I came once at twilight, and the ocean reflected in the wine glasses. It was the kind of moment that lingers longer than the meal.
4. The SeaGrille (Surfside Road)
The sound here is quieter, soft chatter, clinking glasses, and the faint hiss of fish hitting the pan. The SeaGrille’s atmosphere feels local and lived-in, the kind of place where everyone seems to know someone.
Chef Edward Gaudet’s menu centers on simple, expertly cooked seafood: grilled swordfish, baked cod, buttery scallops. Everything tastes like it was handled with care that morning.
It’s an unflashy favorite, and that’s exactly its charm, island fine dining that remembers its roots.
5. Nantucket Lobster Trap (Washington Street)
The crack of lobster shells and bursts of laughter carry across the patio at the Lobster Trap, a spot that feels like summer even in the fog. The red-trimmed shack glows warm against the harbor.
They’ve been steaming and cracking lobsters since 1974, sticking close to tradition: drawn butter, local shellfish, paper bibs, and a side of fries. It’s as straightforward as seafood gets.
Arrive mid-afternoon to skip the rush. Order a lobster roll, lean back, and watch the boats idle in.
6. Dune (Broad Street)
A flicker of candlelight reflects off the whitewashed walls at Dune, where the energy hums somewhere between coastal calm and city polish. There’s an easy sophistication to the place.
The menu blends Atlantic freshness with thoughtful details, pan-seared halibut, oysters, and crisp vegetables plated like quiet art. The flavors stay bright, deliberate, and well-balanced.
I like that Dune never tries too hard. It’s elegant but grounded, the kind of restaurant that trusts the ocean to do the heavy lifting.
7. Brant Point Grill (Easton Street)
Morning light hits the harbor just right at Brant Point Grill, spilling over the terrace and catching the ripples of anchored boats. It’s the sort of place that manages to feel both refined and relaxed.
Seafood classics dominate: local oysters, butter-poached lobster, and flaky halibut with lemon beurre blanc. The menu keeps a confident hand on tradition without ever feeling tired.
Come early for brunch, their lobster Benedict is one of those rare dishes that ruins you for the ordinary kind forever.
8. Sayle’s Seafood (Easton Street)
Paper bags rustle and the smell of salt fills the air at Sayle’s Seafood, a no-frills takeout shack just steps from the water. The counter’s always busy, a rotation of locals grabbing dinner to go.
Sayle’s has been serving island families for decades, relying on nearby boats for scallops, cod, and lobster. Fried platters and chowder headline, all fresh and hot.
Order ahead, take it to the beach, and eat barefoot. It’s one of those Nantucket rituals that never feels staged.
9. Straight Wharf Fish (Harbor Square)
The first thing you notice here isn’t the food, it’s the smell of the docks, salt and cedar mingling as fishermen unload crates. The view anchors everything.
Inside, Straight Wharf Fish keeps things simple: raw bar towers, grilled bluefish, buttered corn, and cold beer. The day’s catch determines the menu, which keeps it fresh and unfussy.
I love that you can taste the ocean without leaving the harbor. It’s seafood stripped of pretense, still humming with the rhythm of the tide.
10. CRU (One Straight Wharf)
From the moment you walk through CRU’s glass doors, you’re hit with a salt-bright breeze and the quiet glamour of harbor views lined with sailboats. The crowd buzzes, sunhats, linen shirts, and the soft clink of champagne flutes.
CRU’s menu builds around raw bar perfection: oysters on ice, lobster rolls in buttered brioche, and caviar that feels celebratory but never stiff. Every plate glows with precision.
Come early for brunch on the deck. Watching boats drift out while you eat feels almost cinematic.