Don your Black Dog T-shirt, take a sunset stroll on the beach, lick your melting ice cream, purchase flowers on the side of the road, and indulge in great seafood; Martha’s Vineyard is a quintessential summer destination in New England, and with good reason! Along with Cape Cod, Nantucket, the Hamptons, and Kennebunkport, Maine, Martha’s Vineyard is on every Northeast traveler’s summer bucket list for a reason, and the best restaurants on Martha’s Vineyard demonstrate the ineffable summertime ease that has become synonymous with life on the island.
There may be mega yachts in the harbor, but downtown feels very accessible and charming in that down-home New England beach town kind of way. You simply have to experience it to know it, and once you do, you can’t get enough.
In the summer, hydrangeas bloom everywhere and the island’s quaint landscaping unfolds cheerfully under sunny blue skies, sea grasses wafting in the ocean breeze. The garden grow wild with fresh produce, and the old growth forests beckon.
Martha’s Vineyard, moreover, is a charming place with an air of dated isolation– which is why it attracts annual family vacationers, rich dignitaries, and New England summer-lifers, alike. The beaches and dunes here are incomparable, and attract many a visiting day-tripper and weekend adventurer during peak summer season. (Just be wary of ticks if you plan on spending any time in the woods, on the dunes, or hiking/biking along any overgrown trails. This is tick country, after all, so you’ll want to check yourself after any outing in nature if you venture beyond the beach.)
^ Now that we got that obligatory PSA out of the way, let’s talk about culture, and the food. Martha’s Vineyard is a fabulous place to eat the summer, from the casual general stores where you can pick up world-class picnic staples, to the fine dining restaurants that have attracted so many vacationing presidents over the years. It’s a lovely place to dine, as eating here captures so much of the spirit of place, and the unique terroir of the land and sea.
Accordingly, we made this list for people who want to know all about the best places to dine on Martha’s Vineyard, and why.
Below, we spotlight some of the best restaurants on the vineyard– seasoned favorites, as well as popular up-n-comers that animate the quintessential Martha’s Vineyard experience that keeps people coming back year after year.
Whether you’re a first-timer or a repeat visitor who wants to get to know the island a little better, here’s what you shouldn’t miss on Martha’s Vineyard– food-wise, culture-wise, and otherwise.
Bookmark this list for easy reference later! Cheers!
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State Road (Upscale Dinner)
State Road is easily the most popular restaurant on the island among locals. Located in West Tisbury, this classic Martha’s Vineyard restaurant is ideal for locavores and those who want to experience some of the warmest upscale environs that the island has to offer.
The interior features unique nautical-chic antiques and the campus is planted with herb, fruit, and vegetable gardens that the culinary team harvests daily to incorporate into the highly seasonal menu. As a result, it’s a quintessential farm-to-table spot. In the summer, expect excellent sea and land dishes like swordfish with stuffed crab roulade, confit duck leg, beef short rib, pan-seared chicken, and Wagyu burgers, all of which are inspired by the farm and sourced from regional farmers, fishers, and food artisans.
We love their fresh, artisanal salads like the recent Farmstand Salad (arugula, roasted purple sweet potatoes, radish, carrots, torn sourdough, and buttermilk manchego dressing) as well as the reliably excellent pan-seared sea scallops, a classic coastal New England dish. (A recent preparation included roasted tomato, sausage, red pepper, calasparra, saffron broth, fennel & frisé– you get the idea.)
State Road is, after all, a contemporary tavern, so dishes here are generous, but finessed with an upscale flair. It’s all lovely– and if you’ve eaten well in your life, you’ll feel right at home. Ultimately, if you asked any longtime local about their favorite place to dine on the island, State Road would likely be the first place they’d name.
Beach Road (Finessed Seasonal Seafood in a Maritime-Inspired Setting)
The more casual sister property to State Road, Beach Road, is also lovely– these people really know how to play the hits! If State Road is an up island fixture inspired by the farm, Beach Road is the down island fixture inspired by the sea.
This unpretentious contemporary canteen in Vineyard Haven overlooks Lagoon Pond, and has casual outdoor seating that’s lovely for dinner with a breeze. The restaurant’s interior was inspired by the historic maritime industry of the neighboring shipyards.
Dine here to experience some of the area’s freshest seasonal seafood and cocktails. The menu focuses on updated classics from the canon of traditional New England cuisine. They also have a notable beer and wine list, for those into drinks.
The menu is seasonal and changes often, but the oysters, little necks, lovely signature bouillabaisse, and house made desserts are always excellent. (See below– yowza!)
Everything is house-made, moreover, right down to the whipped cream. (Chef Frank Williams and house Baker Leslie Hewson see to it.)
Like State Road, Beach Road is committed to supporting the local food shed by sourcing the restaurant’s ingredients from regional fishermen, farmers, and other local food artisans. It takes real dedication, and that comes through in the food. If you want to get a real sense of the local produce, seafood, and terroir of the island, this is another great staple to add to your Bucket List.
Behind The Bookstore (For Coffee + Pastries + Cafe Bites)
This Edgartown cafe has the best ambiance for casual morning breakfast. Behind The Bookstore is a go-to spot for coffee, pastries, and light cafe fare. They also have an excellent and unique lobster “pocket” (local lobster, kimchi aioli, and compressed celery packed into hot buttered pain de mie, for those asking…).
While the real draw that brings people in are the lattes and pastries (go for a croissant for the classic experience!) the food menu served all day is absolutely wonderful. It’s a perfect oasis for foodies who want a more casual atmosphere.
Go for an afternoon cheese board, wine, and oysters in the enchanting “secret” garden– or stay for cozy dinner under the twinkling lights. We also love the deconstructed granola and yogurt, as well as the candied orange topped cardamom buns (the best on the island!).
Oh, and mixology fans shouldn’t miss the beautifully floral and herbaceous cocktails. On a hot summer day, try a margarita with cilantro + cucumber and a celery salt rim– or opt for their signature Eazy Breezy cocktail with house made hibiscus vodka, lime, Austrian elderflower, ginger and cava. It might just be the most refreshing drink on the island!
7a (For Breakfast, Lunch, and To-Go Items)
Located next to the longstanding Alley’s General Store and across the street from West Tisbury Public Library and The Field Gallery, 7a is a Martha’s Vineyard takeout institution, more popular with locals than tourists, it seems. They make fabulous scones, wraps, etc– and it’s a lovely place to bring home food from on your way to or from the beach. The food is good, local, homemade, and often homegrown– these are sundries with integrity, catering to the discerning palates of New England’s elite without an ounce of pretense.
For the quintessential experience, try the Liz Lemon (hot house-made pastrami, turkey, Swiss, coleslaw, Russian dressing and potato chips on rye) and a blueberry muffin to share (yes, they’re big as a general store muffin should always be!). This is also a great place to stock up on Chilmark Coffee Company coffee beans to stock your rental home.
Ultimately, 7a is a great place to pick up a picnic lunch before a day on the beach or hanging around a rental home. They’re generally open 7 AM to 11 for breakfast and 11:15 to 4 PM for lunch, closed on Sundays. It’s a casual pass-through spot, but with a lot of character.
Nancy’s Restaurant & Snack Bar (For Your Fried Food Fix)
Barack Obama’s daughter Sasha briefly worked at Nancy’s Snack Bar one summer, when the First Family was vacationing on this island. This kid-friendly Oak Bluff’s snack bar serves everything from sushi to fried onion rings right on the harbor. (Think lobster mac n’ cheese, crab cakes, baked scallops, lobster rolls with fries, margaritas, local IPAs, and the like.)
If you’re looking for classic New England fried seafood– which really is an iconic oceanfront experience in it’s own right– Nancy’s is the place to go. There’s ample shaded outdoor seating overlooking the harbor, and it’s lovely and well attended, and great for families!
The Black Dog Tavern (Nostalgic, Iconic)
The nostalgia and iconography of The Black Dog Tavern in Martha’s Vineyard makes it a veritable classic. This island institution serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with delightful gusto in the heart of touristy Vineyard Haven. They have raw bar specials in the late afternoon, as well as a popular breakfast/brunch and dinner services attended by almost everyone who regularly visits the island, at some point.
At brunch, expect diner classics like eggs your way and hash browns, as well as a wide variety of punnily-named benedicts, and world famous pancake stacks that you can fill with your choice of blueberries, strawberries, bananas, chocolate chips, or even sausage or a cinnamon swirl. The salads and sandwhiches are great, the bacon is hearty as it should be, and we adore the seasonal “Thank Georges Bank” (the tavern’s famous cod cake topped with two soft poached eggs and hollandaise, served with breakfast potatoes and choice of toast). Most dishes are delicious and virtuous enough to delight traditionalists and trendy food lovers, alike.
At dinner, meanwhile, the hits continue with signature items like Black Dog Clam Chowder, Drunken Sailor Shrimp, Nona’s Meatballs, Mussels sauteed with garlic and shallots, and fresh salads to which you can and should add local lobster salad. The lobster roll is one of the most reliably good ones on the island, served cold and tossed in lemon chive aioli OR warm with salted butter. Preparation is dealers’ choice, but the lettuce and broiche bun it comes in– as well as the crisp fries on the side– is a classic New England experience.
- Insider Tip: The Black Dog Tavern is as known for their iconic dog T-shirts, hats, sweatshirts, and other apparel as they are for their food. As such, the “black dog” is the unofficial logo of Martha’s Vineyard, as anyone who has spent time here knows well. If you want an iconic souvenir from Martha’s Vineyard, do not leave the island without getting some clothing or merch from The Black Dog! Longtime visitors love buying black dog clothing at the original Black Dog location because every summer debuts new, island-specific designs that can feature the year– so even though the retail side has now expanded throughout New England, this is a quintessential Martha’s Vineyard souvenir because you can still only get select items at the original location in Martha’s Vineyard.
Chesca’s Restaurant (For Cocktails & People-Watching)
This Edgartown crowd-pleaser is one of the island’s best places to sit with a cocktail and people-watch. Located right in the center of town, Chesca’s Restaurant is so charming! Grab yourself a seat on one of their iconic white rocking chairs and lounge on the porch until your table is ready– it’s a whole vibe.
Here, you can expect New England restaurant staples that run the gamut from white clams with angel hair pasta to braised short rib to summer risotto made with fresh local corn, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, snow peas, and parm. Don’t miss signature items like Halibut Fresca (with carrot purée, potato broccolini hash, tarragon golden beet tomato salsa, and caviar crema), which is a totally original and gorgeous preparation.
Because it’s so social by design, Chesca’s also has super friendly service, so don’t sleep on this restaurant if conviviality is important to you. Reservations, meanwhile, are a good idea for indoor dining– but not required.
The Lookout Tavern (For Iconic Lobster Rolls)
The classic “hot with butter vs cold with mayo” lobster roll debate looms large at this Martha’s Vineyard restaurant, which is super family-friendly and known for it’s delicious, unpretentious lobster rolls. This place is always hopping and it’s very casual and approachable– they put on no airs here.
The Lookout Tavern, moreover, is THE place to go for a casual lobster roll in Martha’s Vineyard– and it’s also notable for the sheer variety and heft of the menu, which features a ton of other great lobster dishes like lobster tacos, lobster mac n’ cheese, and a lobster BLT. It’s not fancy, but it’s been voted the Best Lobster Roll on the Vineyard by locals for the last ~15 years or so.
They’ve also got a notable variety of fresh fried seafood– battered and fried served with broccoli slaw, fries, and tartar sauce– as well as chowders, bisques, and surprisingly satisfying sushi. Here, everything comes in large portions, which is great for families or people looking to dine on a budget without forsaking a classic MV food experience.
Be mindful, however, that the Lookout Tavern is walk-in only, so they don’t take reservations. (That’s not the vibe here.) Just show up and chow down.
The Seafood Shanty (Lively Deck Dining with Some Old School Seafood Staples)
Somewhere in the span of the last 60 years, The Seafood Shanty became a staple for lively open-air deck dining in Martha’s Vineyard. Located on Edgartown Harbor in Edgartown, this restaurant is known for it’s iconic blue umbrellas, which cover the restaurant’s beautiful dining deck in a veritable blanket of shade during the pleasantly sunny summer months. (And they’re adorned with lovely twinkle lights for after sunset dining ambiance!)
Here, you can expect delightful seafood served with a nice harbor breeze– including one of the best lobster rolls on Martha’s Vineyard, and a popular shrimp cocktail-topped Bloody Mary (above shown; popular among cocktail lovers).
Ultimately, the Seafood Shanty is a great place to try traditional New England seafood dinner staples like stuffed quahogs (i.e. stuffed clams) as well as baked scallops (available for dinner after 5 PM). These are both classic elements of a historic, if a little Old School, New England seafood dinner experience– and increasingly, they are becoming hard to find as restaurants cater to nouveau tastes. Which is what makes this restaurant mainstay all the more special!
Today, the Seafood Shanty remains a de facto Martha’s Vineyard surf-n-turf restaurant for visitors and locals, alike. It’s geared towards people who want seafood without pretense and a low-key vibe. Plus, it’s great for families with kids because they have standard “kid” menu items like chicken fingers and hot dogs with french fries along with options fancied up with a local twist– like lobster quesadillas geared toward adults, but sharable for the whole family.
~ Other Cool Food-Related Things to Do In Martha’s Vineyard ~
Some other lovely local gems for foodies.
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West Tisbury Farmers Market
The West Tisbury Farmers Market is THE place to shop for local, fresh produce, in the summer– including fruit, herbs, berries, indigenous plants, pasture-raised eggs, local meat, fresh-baked bread and other baked goods, and quality local dairy.
Be sure to look for Vineyard Herbs Apothecary, Tea + Salves (<— I love their Menemsha Mint tea blend!) as well as local Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt, a unique product available because of the island coast’s capacity for salt harvesting. (Try the bright purple blueberry salt for a quintessential taste of New England summer!)
In the height of summer, you can also find cold-pressed organic juices, popsicles, and wild, lush, organic bouquets spilling forth with local flowers. Think: cosmos, sweet pea, viburnum, digitalis, phlox, sunflowers, etc.
If you’re lucky, you might even stumble upon some wild local blueberries. (The small, super-sweet kind.) These are a real treat, and a quintessential taste of New England summer. Be sure to sample some if you can!
Chilmark General Store (For The Classic General Store Experience, We LOVE IT HERE)
This beloved old-school general store with island-grown produce is a whimsical and nostalgic feature of New England summer days. Stop by Chilmark General Store for a cold drink, a hot slice of pizza, fresh flowers, island eggs, local honey and tomatoes, cheese wrapped in gorgeously-illustrated paper, State Road chocolate bars, or all of the above.
The food here is truly special, and the only reason it didn’t make the list above is because it’s technically not a traditional “restaurant”– but the pizza, salads, sandwiches, baked goods, coffee, and quiche here are all excellent. (To say nothing of the eye-popping groceries, from perfect island produce and sauces to locally-made yogurt.) If you’re planning a picnic– or you just want to stock your fridge with a bag full of perfect sundries– you must go here and shop. It’s the best!
Katama General Store (*Another* Classic New England General Store Experience)
General stores are a fixture of Old New England– which is why this list features multiple. Katama General Store is a foodie destination and gathering space that, like Chilmark General Store, has a great cafe and grab-n-go option for fast-casual dining. We love that healthy, fresh, locally-sourced veggies and fruit adorn this menu, which includes everything from seasonal veggie and hummus plates to beautiful, produce-filled sandwiches and salads. Shop here! Sigh:::: it’s ALSO the best!
Mad Martha’s Homemade Ice Cream (For Classic New England Style Ice Cream)
So lovely, and full of people all the time. Mad Martha’s Homemade Ice Cream is the best place to get ice cream in Martha’s Vineyard; it’s a crowd favorite and an absolute must in the summer. Trying this locally-made, award-winning ice cream should be on everyone’s Martha’s Vineyard Bucket List.
They have three locations around the island– in Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Vineyard Haven. All of them are good, though Vineyard Haven caters to the most tourists (not that that’s a bag thing! It just animates the vibe and level of busyness at any given moment).
Be sure to try the Chilmark Coffee ice cream (made with local Chilmark Coffee Company coffee) as well as the MV Salted Caramel (made with local Martha’s Vineyard Sea Salt). Black Raspberry, Vineyard Vanilla, Mud Pie, and Maple Walnut are hyper-local New England flavors that will give you the quintessential local experience– but really, you can’t go wrong following your own intuition, flavor-wise. It’s all good. Just don’t leave Martha’s Vineyard in the summer without trying some good local ice cream, if you’re an ice cream fan. This is the place to do it. New England summer is all about seafood, but the ice cream is what secretly elevates the experience from “lovely” to “one for the books!”.
Enjoy!
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Related: An Insider’s Guide to Kennebunkport, Maine.
Interested in a New England-like vacation outside of New England? Read our Insider’s Guide to the Hamptons.
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