Armed with my trusty atlas, we navigated our way over to Osterville and pulled into Crosby’s. It was a warm and humid day, not full of this year’s ubiquitous sunshine, but not raining either. Born at the former Keeper’s location, the Islander turned out to be quite a find. The atmosphere and menu can best be described as Florida Keys meets Caribbean spice. Small, but colorful, the dining tables are arranged to take best advantage of the view out to the boats at the marina, and in the evening the setting sun. A large bar area dominates the cozy dining room, with an interesting array of summer drinks, especially martinis. And as Rich experienced, the pour is generous.

For lunch, I chose a pulled pork salad topped with a mango chutney over spring mix greens. Served with a side of barbeque sauce, the pork was moist and succulent and balanced perfectly with the bright flavor of the mango. Rich ordered the Cubaño, a combination of pulled pork, ham, sweet and spicy pickles, and mustard on grilled ciabatta with a most excellent side of crispy French fries. Perhaps the best lunch we have had all season, the Islander quickly rose to a new favorite haunt for those days when we need to escape the Inn and have a mini-vacation at lunch.

We liked the place so much, in fact, that we made a reservation for dinner the following evening. We enjoyed watching the sun set over the harbor from our table for two at the window tucked in the corner at the far end of the bar. A much different vibe infuses the Island at night. Filled with summer folk, a bevy of girls out for a night on the town, and a few couples at the bar, the noise factor was significantly higher, but our waitress was accommodating and the food just as good as we had experienced at lunch. We both chose the smoked pulled pork over housemade gnocchi with carmelized onions, BBQ jus and goat cheese. Again, the pork was the star of the dish. We were tempted to try one of the amazing sounding starters, but opted for a bowl of clam chowder and a “Hail Caesar” salad with housemade dressing instead. Both good choices, I especially liked the whimsy of the pineapple croutons in the salad, and Rich declared the chowder A-1, although the rendition he had at lunch was spicier.

A sister property to the Island Merchant on Main Street in Hyannis, the Islander is a seasonal restaurant, open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner through mid-October. Reservations are highly recommended for dinner and gladly accepted for parties of any size.

Elegant Dining on Cape Cod

Eat to live or live to eat? Ahh, the perennial question. Rich and I consider ourselves “professional eaters” and feel that we have a personal obligation to our guests to sample as many Cape Cod dining options as we can so that we can make the appropriate restaurant recommendation for our guests according to their preferences. Whether you are looking for a local seafood place, a restaurant with a view of the water, a fine dining establishment, or a place with casual atmosphere and an eclectic menu, the sheer variety of restaurant choices on Cape Cod is endless. Many of these restaurants are located within a 5 to 15 minute drive of our bed and breakfast inn, but a few are a bit further afield.

Here for your reference is a brief summary of some of our personal favorite restaurants, along with some our guests have tried and recommended to us. We hope this will help you choose the perfect setting for your Cape Cod dining adventures.

The restaurants are grouped according to style (casual to elegant) with notes regarding whether reservations are required, recommended, or unavailable, along with location, phone number, and hours of operation. A few restaurants on the list are only open seasonally and we have noted them as such.

CASUAL DINING, RESERVATIONS NOT REQUIRED, BUT RECOMMENDED

Amari Ristorante 674 Route 6A East Sandwich (508) 375-0011

Italian restaurant offering contemporary Italian fare including steaks, seafood, poultry, and brick-oven pizzas, an amazing wine list and a cosmopolitan bar. Reservations accepted. Music on weekends in the bar.

The Beehive Tavern 406 Route 6A Sandwich (508) 833-1184 (Lunch & Dinner)

Styled on a classic English pub, the interior is warm, cozy, and authentic. The menu is diverse, with a great selection of salads or sandwiches for a light meal, plus a full menu of entrees as well. Fresh fish, prime rib, and interesting specials, with an emphasis on local produce and fish.

Aqua Grille 14 Gallo Road Sandwich, MA (508) 888-8889 (Lunch & Dinner)

The restaurant offers quality dining with a global flair at moderate prices in a casual atmosphere. Aqua Grille is located at the Sandwich Marina and Cape Cod Canal on Gallo Road adjacent to the Coast Guard station. The menu features Cape Cod favorites such as native fish and lobster, as well as a wide variety of other fares. Call for reservations and ask for a table on the enclosed porch for a spectacular view of the sunset.

Barnstable Tavern 3176 Main Street 6A Barnstable (508) 362-2355 (Lunch & Dinner)6 Critics across America have praised Bob Calderone’s food, calling it “bold”, “prepared with real gusto”, and “creative”. The restaurant offers delicious New England cuisine in a historic and scenic Cape Cod setting. Very friendly service and great value. Eat in the formal dining room, the casual tavern, or outside. Reservations accepted.

Island Merchant 302 Main Street Hyannis (508) 771-1337

The Island Merchant is an East End restaurant & lounge serving regional cuisine with an island flair. Featuring entertainment nightly with no cover charge. Menu items include pulled pork on savory bread pudding, fish tacos, macaroni and cheese and imaginative salads. Reservations accepted.

The Dolphin 3250 6A Barnstable (508) 362-6610 (Lunch & dinner)

New American cuisine. Amid the more typical fried fish you’ll find such delicacies as Chilean sea bass with roasted corn salsa and lime vinaigrette, roast duck with mango glaze and toasted coconut, or arctic char with caramelized onions and citrus butter. Lots of local color in the bar and fun, friendly service. Call 45 minutes ahead to be placed on their preferred waiting list.

CASUALLY ELEGANT DINING, MOST WILL REQUIRE RESERVATIONS

Brewster Fish House 2208 Main Street, Brewster (508) 896-7867 (Lunch & Dinner) This is a personal favorite, especially for a leisurely lunch. A unique, eclectic menu with an emphasis on local seafood that changes seasonally. Preparations are simple, elegant and always fresh. Open most of the year. No reservations accepted. During the busy summer months the wait can be up to 2 hours. You may want to have a late lunch or early dinner to avoid the crowds.

Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse 4 Depot Road, Harwich 508-432-6900

Authentic Tuscan cuisine makes this a must for connoisseurs of Italian food and wine. Two veal dishes, one cooked in red wine, balsamic butter and sun dried cherries and roasted tomatoes, the other in white wine with lemon, capers and parsley, top the mouth-watering offerings. The Cicciucco, the establishment’s signature seafood stew, features a sumptuous blend of cherrystones, mussels, scallops, calamari, shrimp and the day’s fresh catch in a rich tomato sauce. The wine list, recognized by Wine Spectator, includes some 30 wines by the glass and includes offerings from many small Italian vineyards.

The Roadhouse 488 South Street Hyannis (508) 775-2386

The menu offers native seafood, including cioppino and Cajun blackened poached salmon steak, choice beef, pasta dinners and Italian specialties. For those looking for lighter fare, the Bistro offers both the regular dinner menu and the bistro menu, which consists of salads, sandwiches and authentic Italian thin crust pizza. Piano bar with music on weekends and jazz on Monday nights. Reservations accepted.

Ocean House 421 Old Wharf Road (end of Depot Street) Dennisport (508) 394-0700

“New American Bistro & Bar”. Get there early for a prized window table. They have a seasonal menu of contemporary fusion cuisine with local influence. The wine list is extensive with 20 wines by the glass. Enjoy innovative martinis, specialty cocktails and a unique culinary experience at this stylish oceanfront restaurant.

Blue Moon Bistro 605 Main Street (Route 6A) Dennis, (508)-385-7100

Chef/Owner Peter Hyde presents homemade Mediterranean cuisine in an atmosphere of comfortable sophistication. Cream linens, soft lighting, and complementary colors enhance your culinary experience. Ingredients are fresh and whenever possible, from local purveyors – even from the Chef’s garden near the rear entrance. Flavors are bold, and a wine list offers an international selection at every price range. Outdoor dining, a fun Martini menu, and a stylish Wine Lounge round out this friendly neighborhood bistro.

Naked Oyster 20 Independence Drive Hyannis (508) 778-6500

Specializing in fresh seafood, the Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar brings a chic, urban, but casual vibe to Hyannis. The owner has an oyster grant in Barnstable Harbor, so oysters are as fresh as possible. The chef incorporates local produce and fresh seafood into the restaurant’s offerings and adjusts his specials menu weekly to reflect seasonal changes not only in produce and fish, but also in meats and fowl.

ELEGANT DINING, RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Belfry Bistro 8 Jarves Street Sandwich (508) 888-8550

Dinners at the Belfry are consistently reviewed by our guests as “the best meal they ever had. Featuring contemporary American cuisine, the menus change with the seasons, and incorporate the freshest local and regional ingredients. The setting is unique, created from an old church and restored with respect to its original purpose. Extensive wine list, patio seating, piano bar.

Chillingsworth 2449 Main Street Route 6A, Brewster (508) 896-3640

Creative modern French cuisine. Multi course, table d’Hote dinners, very formal atmosphere with old fashion attention to detail. Bistro café open for lunch for a more casual American a la carte meals. Incredible pastries! Open from May- November. Business casual dress with reservations recommended.

Regatta of Cotuit 4631 Falmouth Road (Route 28), Cotuit (508) 428-5715

Delicious, award-winning new American cuisine. Simply one of the best restaurants on Cape Cod. Dine in their formal dining room, or the new expanded tap room. Zagat rated, fine dining with extraordinary service.

Red Pheasant 905 Route 6A, Dennis 508-385-2133.

Creative classic American food with an emphasis on native seafood, lamb and game. Romantic, cozy atmosphere. The food is absolutely first class, not only in flavor but in presentation as well. Open year round for dinner with reservations recommended. Dress code casual to formal.

ETHNIC & UNIQUE DINING

Inaho 157 Main St., (Rte. 6A) Yarmouth Port (508) 362-5522

Yuji Watanabe, the chef-owner of the Cape’s best Japanese restaurant, makes early morning journeys to Boston’s fish markets to shop for the freshest local catch. His selection of sushi and sashimi is vast and artful, and vegetable and seafood tempura comes out of the kitchen fluffy and light. One remarkable element of the restaurant is its artful lighting: small pinpoint lights on the food accentuate the presentation in a dramatic way. The serene and simple Japanese garden out back has a traditional goldfish pond. Closed Mon. No lunch.

Painted Lady Cafe 6 Jarves Street Sandwich (508) 888-8550 (Lunch & Dinner)

A casual, contemporary, fun flair in a Victorian setting offering an interesting array of comfort foods and fun finger foods. The imaginative cuisine ranges from pot pie to pizza to unique salads. The whimsical décor provides a warm and inviting atmosphere. Porch and patio dining also available.

Misaki 379 West Main Street Hyannis (508) 771-3771 (Lunch & Dinner)

Operated by Ota Torao, a professional sushi chef with over 28 years experience, Misaki offers a relaxed and friendly atmosphere with authentic Japanese style. We like to sit at the sushi bar and watch the chef artfully prepare his dishes.

The Optimist Cafe, 134 Route 6A Yarmouthport (508) 362-1024

This is a wonderful new addition to dining choices along 6A serving breakfast, lunch, and high tea in a restored Victorian building with a casual, but tasteful decor. Soups are wonderfully imaginative and portions are plentiful. An extensive selection of teas (hot or cold), generous sandwiches, blue plate specials, plus a traditional ploughman’s lunch, scones with clotted cream, and tea sandwiches. Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and high tea.

While they do not take reservations, I called in advance and was assured that on a Tuesday night in February the four of us we sure to get a table. And what a table. When we arrived we were escorted to a table for four tucked into the bay window that overlooked the main thoroughfare. Our server was incredible, available without being pushy, and both knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the menu. We each ordered a glass of wine from an extensive wine list to enjoy as we perused the menu.

Once the specials had been described and our orders placed, the server returned with a basket of warm, crusty bread accompanied by a rich olive oil for dipping. Though not crowded the evening that we were there, I imagine that due to its Main Street location and small size, a wait for a table may be necessary during the height of summer.

Dining at La Cucina Sul Mare is what I imagine dining in Italy must be like. The setting is warm and intimate, the service unhurried, and the atmosphere cozy and comforting. I ordered the osso buco, my all-time favorite, and was treated to the most divine dish of tender meat in a rich braise of root vegetables with a side of creamy risotto. It was heavenly, and more than enough to bring home for the next day’s lunch. They specialize in northern Italian and Mediterranean cuisines offering fresh pasta, pollo, vitello, carne, and pesce dishes including classic lasagna al forno, braised lamb shanks, lobster fra diavolo over liguine, zuppa de pesce, rigotoni a la vodka, chicken Parmesan and veal piccata.

We will be highly recommending La Cucina Sul Mare to our guests. Prices are reasonable and the food is exquisite. The restaurant is open year-round for lunch (11:30am-2:00pm) and dinner (5:00-10:00pm) and reservations not accepted.

La Cucina Sul Mare
237 Main Street
Falmouth, MA 02540
(508) 548-5600