12 Must-Visit Restaurants on Cape Cod

Aplaya Kitchen & Tiki Bar. / Photo by Madeline Bilis

Aplaya Kitchen & Tiki Bar

Consider yourself transported as you take a seat under the tiki thatch umbrellas at Aplaya, just steps from the boat-shoe-clad strollers of Chatham’s Main Street. This outdoor spot serves creative tiki drinks and Filipino dishes, with tropical flowers and palm fronds whisking you away to a different kind of beach getaway. Cool off with a Beach Grass, made with Ford’s Gin, lemon, pandan, green chartreuse, basil, and mint, or a blazingly bright Beach Boy Blues, made with—you guessed it—blue curacao, plus coconut rum, coconut milk, pineapple juice, lime juice, and pineapple syrup. There’s no wrong choice on the menu, but it’s worth ordering a few lumpia, or hand-rolled Filipino egg rolls. Monkfish loco moco is another favorite, featuring monkfish patties sourced from the Chatham Harvesters Cooperative, topped with a fried egg, chili garlic mayo, and scallion, served over jasmine rice.

483 Main St., Chatham, 508-348-5132, aplayacapecod.com.

The Canteen. / Photo by Brian Samuels

The Canteen

Until you’ve sipped frosé on the back deck of the Canteen—watching the gulls swoop over Provincetown Harbor without a care in the world—you haven’t done P-town right. This colorful mainstay puts a singular twist on classics, resulting in mashups like cod bánh mì and crab rangoon grilled cheese. Crispy fried Brussels sprouts tossed with chili lime fish sauce are a longtime favorite, as are the flying pickleback oysters: P-town oysters served with lemon and dill pickle brine and topped with minced cucumbers, flying fish roe, and fresh dill. The bourbon shot pairing (to make it a true pickleback, of course) is optional but strongly encouraged.

225 Commercial St., Provincetown, 508-487-3800, thecanteenptown.com.

Ceraldi’s squash blossoms. / Photo by Joe Navas

Ceraldi

Since 2014, Ceraldi has delighted diners in a weathered-shingle building down by Wellfleet Harbor. Now, the celebrated restaurant is back to its roots in Provincetown, where the venture originally started as a pop-up in 2013. No matter where it’s located, this Italian-influenced, award-winning spot from chef Michael Ceraldi changes its seven-course tasting menu daily; it’s all a matter of what he receives from local growers or plucks from farmers’ markets on the Outer Cape. One night you might tuck into risotto with chili oil and lobster caught by a diver in Provincetown, and on another, striper al cartoccio. (Wellfleet oysters, though, are always on offer.) An optional beverage pairing, meanwhile, includes a few NA spritzes to keep you feeling refreshed.

9 Ryder St. Ext., Provincetown, 508-237-9811, ceraldicapecod.com.

Clean Slate Eatery

Ever take a bite of some of the best scallop crudo you’ve ever had after buying between two and five “CAPE COD” sweatshirts? If not, know this is possible at Clean Slate Eatery, a 16-seat restaurant located in an unassuming little building across from the Cape’s premier T-shirt shop, Cuffy’s. The six-course tasting menu here changes weekly, with dishes like green crab curry and corn ice cream served with pan-seared scallops. Chef Jason Montigel recently put a new twist on the mignardises at the end of the meal after teaching himself how to make chocolate bonbons. (Another one-of-a-kind creation? Mock croissants made of fruit roll-ups.) One thing to note: Reservations for the nightly 6:30 p.m. seatings are only taken by phone.

702 MA-28, West Dennis, 508-225-0645, cleanslateeatery.com.

Drifters. / Courtesy photo

Drifters

There are more than a few adorable homes lining Main Street in South Chatham, but they don’t hold a candle to Drifters, a cozy restaurant inside a gray-green Cape. Dylan Cannon, who grew up in South Chatham’s Cockle Cove, opened the place in 2022 with a fellow bartender he met while working at Schiller’s Liquor Bar in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Go here for an impressive selection of natural wines, some seriously excellent wings, a hearty plate of shepherd’s pie with a side of sourdough, and for dessert, warm doughnut holes dusted with cinnamon sugar.

2642 Main St., South Chatham, 774-209-3687, drifterscapecod.com.

Epic Oyster. / Photo by Shauna Menard

Epic Oyster

An antique diner car anchors the Epic Oyster—formerly the North Falmouth Diner. With swiveling stools still lining the counter, it makes us wonder: Why haven’t all of New England’s old diners been turned into oyster bars? This one is especially charming, with oysters from near and far, a Portuguese-inspired menu that changes daily, and a long list of wines. A shellfish tower is always a good idea, but if it’s individual portions you’re after, do try the miso black cod with pickled mushrooms, sushi rice, and ginger mustard.

70 County Rd., North Falmouth, 508-563-3742, eatepicoyster.com.

Governor Bradford. / Photo by Collin Kolisko

Governor Bradford

Provincetown’s Governor Bradford is a Commercial Street institution; ducking inside has cooled off both locals and tourists since 1960—and beckoned karaoke singers for decades. While it maintains the dark wood and old sea captain vibes, it reopened in 2022 under new ownership and with a revamped menu. David Ciccolo, co-owner of the Publick House in Brookline, and Collin Kolisko, a former sushi chef at Cape chain Mac’s Seafood, reinvigorated the menu with Japanese influences. There’s a wagyu smash burger, a grilled kimcheese with house kimchi and aged Cabot cheddar, a smoked bluefish caesar salad with furikake, potato sticks, and pecorino romano, and “corn ribs” with smoked miso butter, togarashi, scallions, and yuzu aioli.

312 Commercial St., Provincetown, thegovbradford.com.

Leonessa. / Courtesy photo

Leonessa

Opened in 2023, Leonessa brings modern Italian-inspired dining to Yarmouth Port, a place where heaping plates of chicken parm formerly reigned supreme. Not to worry, beloved classics are on offer here, too: Chef Diego Mota turns out dishes like veal Milanese and ham and cheese arancini, plus fresher takes like fluke crudo with pickled pearl onion and meyer lemon vinaigrette and spicy rock shrimp spaghetti with corn butter, cherry peppers, and charred corn. At the bar, opt for a Negroni Blanc or something richer like the Gambit, with Rittenhouse rye, amaro meletti, simple syrup, chocolate bitters, and grapefruit bitters.

43 Main St., Yarmouth Port, 508-744-7831, leonessacapecod.com.

Lune’s mirepoix oyster. / Photo by Charlotte Formichella

Lune

For decades, Dennis Port has been the place where, after a day at the beach, slightly sunburned families head to the nearest seafood shack for fried clams and scallops. Now, vacationers don’t have to leave the finer dining experiences to Provincetown and Chatham, as new restaurants on the mid-Cape eschew the same-old. Lune is an elegant example of this—as well as a James Beard Award semifinalist. Owners Charlotte and Mick Formichella moved their venture—originally a pop-up—into an antique gas station right on Route 28 in 2024. Inside, slate green walls and checkerboard floors set the tone for enjoying an inspired eight-course tasting menu, featuring seasonal dishes like parmesan velouté with black pearl oyster mushrooms, monkfish Wellington, and a dolled-up Hoodsie cup topped with sea salt caramel and chantilly cream.

587 MA-28, Dennis Port, 508-237-6597, lunecapecod.com.

The Pheasant’s garden room at golden hour. / Photo by Nins Ortega

The Pheasant

After a restorative outdoor shower, there’s no better place for the one nice outfit you packed than the Pheasant, a Best of Boston winner. The vibes here are impeccable: Upon entering the antique red farmhouse, you’ll notice nautical oil paintings, fishing nets, and vintage signs bedecking the walls. Before dinner, start with a cold cocktail—the house dirty martini made with pickle brine, perhaps?—and oysters from Crowes Pasture in Dennis, located a few miles down the road. From there, it’s your pick of wild-caught fish and impressive local veggie dishes. The Pheasant excels at desserts, as well as dessert drinks like the masala chai espresso martini. Sip one of those while you decide if you’ll head to owners Erica and Adam Dunn’s newest venture down the street: a delightful wine bar called Baleine.

905 Main St., Dennis, 508-385-2133, pheasantcapecod.com.

Ten Yen

Sushi for dinner is a solid choice in a region named for a fish. You’re in for a treat at Ten Yen, where sashimi, rolls, and shared plates are the name of the game. Begin with squash blossom rangoons and General Tso baby back ribs before selecting your maki, nigiri, and sashimi. (A spicy local scallop roll and Hokkaido uni nigiri, anyone?) The drink list packs a punch, too, with Japanese whiskeys, soju seltzers, Japanese beers, and a large selection of sake.

56 Main St. Unit A, Orleans, 774-209-3160, ten-yen.com.

Twenty-Eight Atlantic. / Photo courtesy of Wequassett Resort

Twenty-Eight Atlantic

Come for the beluga hybrid caviar, stay for the stunning bayside display of blue and pink hydrangeas. Twenty-Eight Atlantic at the Wequassett Resort and Golf Club (a Best of Boston winner) is the Cape’s only Forbes five-star restaurant, offering both prix fixe and à la carte menus. Standout dishes include ash-roasted cod with brandade salsify cream, watercress, and smoked oyster vinaigrette, as well as the lobster carbonara with craft pancetta, egg yolk, shiitake mushrooms, and bucatini. Enjoy it all while gazing out floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Pleasant Bay—and experiencing the most attentive service on all of Cape Cod.

2173 MA-28 (Wequassett Resort and Golf Club), Harwich, 508-430-3000, wequassett.com.

Previously: The Best Restaurants in Provincetown Right Now