Generally, Cape Cod is considered one of the best vacation destinations in the Northeast because of its charm and stunning beaches. What some people don’t realize is that the peninsula is a culinary wonderland. Because of its position in the Atlantic Ocean, Cape Cod restaurants serve the freshest seafood on the coast. However, the vibrant dining scene offers so much more. If you’re trying to decide where to eat on Cape Cod, take a look at our picks for the best Cape Cod restaurants throughout the peninsula.

Best Casual Dining Restaurants on Cape Cod

Betsy’s Diner in Falmouth

Serving quality food with a smile, Betsy’s Diner has all the traditional breakfast dishes that you would expect from a ’50s diner — pancakes, French toast, waffles, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches. What you don’t expect is to find eggs Benedict and gluten-free pancakes, waffles, and French toast. The lunch menu includes diner classics as well, including burgers, hot dogs, turkey clubs, chicken fingers, and French fries.

Bangkok Kitchen in Hyannis

One of the top restaurants on Cape Cod for authentic Thai cuisine, Bangkok Kitchen makes all of its dishes fresh and customized to order. The noodles in particular are delicious, but the restaurant has salads, soups, Thai curry, desserts, and special dishes too.

Keltic Kitchen in West Yarmouth

As the name suggests, Keltic Kitchen is your destination for Irish fare. Much of the breakfast and lunch menus are Irish. Some breakfast examples include potato pancakes, French toast made with Portuguese sweet bread, and Galtee black and white pudding. For lunch, the menu features corned beef on Irish brown bread; a Keltic burger with a rasher (Irish bacon); and a rasher, lettuce, and tomato (RLT) sandwich. Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options are available.

Route 28 Diner in South Yarmouth

Serving breakfast all day and all year long, Route 28 Diner has every style of eggs that you could want. Sizzling bacon and golden pancakes are also on the menu. The lunch menu has a lot of traditional items, such as Reuben sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and sloppy Joes. Offering variety, you’ll find peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fried bologna grilled cheese sandwiches, and tacos.

The Lanyard Bar and Grill in Harwich

Although only open seasonally, The Lanyard Bar and Grill is one of the Cape Cod restaurants that cherishes its connection with the community. It serves smoked barbecue, fresh seafood, burgers, and sandwiches. The restaurant has a full raw bar, creative daily specials, and a great kid’s menu as well.

Red Barn Pizza & More in Eastham

If you’re craving a savory pie, Red Barn Pizza & More is one of the best Cape Cod pizza restaurants. You can order whole pies or just slices, and gluten-free pizza dough is available. The restaurant makes salads, soups, pastas, sub sandwiches, and grilled items too.

Best Cape Cod Restaurants for Fine Dining

C Salt Wine Bar & Grille in Falmouth

Blending American fare with Asian and French influences, C Salt Wine Bar & Grille is a trendy restaurant and wine bar. From yellowfin tuna and ramen to braised short ribs and ribeye, there’s something on the menu for everyone. Additionally, the huge wine list equals endless food pairings.

Bleu in Mashpee

Bringing France to Cape Cod, Bleu restaurant is a French bistro that serves contemporary cuisine. It’s owned by Executive Chef Frederic Feufeu and has earned top honors for its exceptional fare and wine program. On the brunch, lunch, and dinner menus, you’ll find dishes such as garlic butter escargot, oysters with mignonette sauce, French toast with creme anglaise, sauteed sea scallops with Reggiano risotto, and roasted salmon with truffle honey Bosc pears.

Spinnaker in Brewster

One of the best Cape Cod restaurants in Brewster, Spinnaker is a Mediterranean-chic boutique restaurant. It has a wonderful dinner menu of grilled octopus, Valencia-inspired cod, roasted duck, and Chef Rob’s traditional long-cooked ragu Bolognese. The restaurant serves beer and a wide range of wines, and gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian items are available.

Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse in Harwich

Transporting you to Tuscany, Buca’s Tuscan Roadhouse is one of the best Italian Cape Cod restaurants. The food is inspired by a trattoria in Greve, a town in the middle of the Chianti region. You’ll find pastas, seafood, chicken, steak, and veal on the menu. There’s a delectable selection of desserts, and a decent list of cocktails, wine, and beer.

Ceraldi in Wellfleet

If you want fine dining in waterfront restaurants Cape Cod has, Ceraldi is certainly the best. Chef Michael Ceraldi makes seven-course meals every night using the freshest local ingredients. The atmosphere is very relaxed yet lively, giving you a unique dining experience.

The Mews Restaurant & Cafe in Provincetown

Since 1964, The Mews Restaurant & Cafe has been providing a comfortable fine dining experience. The Cafe is an upstairs bistro that overlooks the beach and Cape Cod Bay. In the downstairs, beach-level dining room, you’ll think that you’re sitting on the beach. The award-winning menu features a raw bar, lobster dumplings, baked oysters, almond-crusted cod, duck leg confit, and burgers and sandwiches. Some of the items are gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.

Best Seafood Restaurants on Cape Cod

Spanky’s Clam Shack and Seaside Saloon in Hyannis

Open during the summer, Spanky’s Clam Shack and Seaside Saloon is one of the best restaurants in Hyannis, Cape Cod. It sits alongside Hyannis Harbor and has won awards for its clam chowder. The menu includes everything that you would want at a seafood restaurant — broiled, fried, and grilled fish and shellfish. There’s also a raw bar, pasta, steak, and chicken.

Skipper Chowder House in South Yarmouth

The oldest of the waterfront Cape Cod seafood restaurants, Skipper Chowder House has been open since 1936. It’s famous for its clam chowder, which has won contests in Boston, Cape Cod, and Newport. Using the freshest ingredients, it makes seaside sandwiches, fishermen’s platters, clam and calamari rolls, lobster rolls, and fish and chips. The restaurant has a raw bar as well. For dessert, stop by Skipper’s Ice Cream Shack for specialty sundaes and soft serve.

Fin in Dennis

With creative, contemporary seafood, Fin is one of the best Dennis Cape Cod restaurants. It’s located in a house that’s more than 200 years old and features multiple dining rooms. The restaurant sources all of its seasonal ingredients from the local area, so the menu is always changing. Although it focuses on seafood, organic poultry and beef are on the menu too.

The Brewster Fish House in Brewster

Since 1982, The Brewster Fish House has been one of the best Cape Cod restaurants for seafood. The contemporary bistro-style menu is different for every season but may feature crispy calamari, lobster bisque, a cod sandwich, a sirloin burger, sauteed shrimp, and fish and chips. It has a unique list of cocktails and a selection of craft beer and wine.

Impudent Oyster in Chatham

Serving the best local seafood for more than 40 years, the Impudent Oyster is one of the most popular Chatham Cape Cod restaurants. It’s located in a small wooden building with stained glass, which only adds to its charm. The lunch and dinner menus include fares such as clam chowder, lobster rolls, Kobe beef Cali burgers, fish tacos, steak filets, lobster, Bolognese, and seafood puttanesca.

The Lobster Pot in Provincetown

Another one of the oldest Cape Cod seafood restaurants is The Lobster Pot. Open seasonally, you can’t miss the neon sign out front. The restaurant has been serving high-quality seafood since 1943. However, it also serves some Portuguese, chicken, and steak dishes. It even has a huge gluten-free menu.

Best Places on Cape Cod for Quick Bites, Coffee, and Dessert

Cape Cod Creamery in Hyannis, Dennis, & South Yarmouth

With the finest gourmet ice cream on Cape Cod, it’s no wonder why the Cape Cod Creamery needs three locations. It makes the most flavorful, award-winning frozen desserts because the ice cream is less airy and denser. There are about 30 flavors to choose from, and you can buy them in quarts at select stores.

Corner Store in Chatham & Orleans

It might not sound like it, but the Corner Store is one of the best Orleans Cape Cod restaurants. It has been serving top-notch sandwiches, panini, burritos, soups, and sweet treats since 2005. Although the Chatham location has a smaller menu, you get the same high-quality food. The Orleans location has salads, beer, cider, wine, and sangria as well.

Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters in Brewster & Chatham

Whether you visit the cafe and roastery in Brewster or the espresso bar in Chatham, Snowy Owl Coffee Roasters has the best coffee in these areas. Along with coffee and espresso, you can order tea, citrus drinks, pastries, oatmeal, granola, and other sweet treats.

Hole In One Bakery & Coffee Shop in Eastham

Although there’s a Hole In One shop in Orleans that serves breakfast and lunch, the location in Eastham stands out as a bakery and coffee shop. It offers freshly brewed coffee and tea, premium hot chocolate with in-house marshmallows, and exotic lattes. However, the hand-cut doughnuts are truly heavenly with a satisfying crisp. The Cape Cod Times awarded it the Best Bakery on Cape Cod in 2019.

Best Hotel to Stay In on Cape Cod

If you want a central location to rest while you explore everything that Cape Cod has to offer, check into Candleberry Inn. We offer unmatched luxury accommodations in Brewster, Massachusetts, and all of our rooms include premier amenities. We’re especially proud of our multicourse breakfast. When you’re deciding where else to eat in Brewster, we can recommend several amazing restaurants.