Whether you’re on a romantic Valentine's Day getaway, celebrating with your best girlfriends, or simply in the mood for something delicious, an excellent “Date Night” meal on Cape Cod is never too far away.
Sandwich’s Belfry Inn & Bistro is a one-of-a-kind dining experience on Cape Cod. Not only do such popular entrees as a coffee roasted rack of lamb grace Chef Sonny Chopra’s flavorsome menu, the restaurant itself is quite unique. The former church was hand-built by local sailors in 1901. As you dine on dishes like leek mushroom confit, let your eyes wander over this space, take in the carved oak details and stained glass windows, and absorb the melding of energies between past and present. Live piano music often adds to the ambiance.
Chef Julia Child first brought French food into America's consciousness in the early 1960s. Award-winning chef-owner Frederic Feufeu of Bleu keeps the tradition alive in Mashpee with his contemporary spin on this much-loved cuisine. The bistro menu boasts a diverse collection of elevated classics, including such standouts as the sea salt-crusted roasted chicken and the salmon with truffle honey and Bosc pear. Also, be sure to peruse Bleu’s extensive wine selection; it’s been recognized twelve-times over by Wine Spectator Magazine.
Don’t worry, the desire to recreate the iconic dinner scene from Lady and the Tramp is perfectly natural on a date night at Bucatino Restaurant and Wine Bar in Falmouth. We’d recommend using the Bucatini Bolognese for your cinematic endeavors. Although, a whiff of the restaurant’s seafood pot - brimming with shrimp, seas scallops and Italian sausage - might induce a serious case of food envy and spotlight of its own. Arrive early to enjoy a martini in their swanky lounge area.
Roasted beet rainbows of yellow and red, chilled seafood towers, and Vermont goat cheese clouds...sounds almost mythical. And yet, at Naked Oyster Bistro & Raw Bar in Hyannis, they are as wonderfully real as executive chef Florence Lowell’s French accent. What’s more, whether you take your half-dozen oysters dressed in braised leek or tequila, know that they were locally-grown with love and care by Chef Lowell and her own Valentine, husband Dr. David.
Attention EVERYONE. Brussel sprouts are having a moment and we are here for it. For decades, these poor tasty, edible buds have gotten a bad rap. Now, they’re in vogue in a big way. At Brewster’s Spinnaker Restaurant, you can savor these veggies-on-the-rise with Greek feta, sesame seeds and a touch of pomegranate molasses. Flavor-packed greens and reclaimed hardwood floors aren’t Spinnaker’s only classics revisited, the dining locale boasts an intriguing red wine braised beef short rib as well.
Inaho Japanese Restaurant in Yarmouthport does not have a website, but they do have a sea of glowing Yelp reviews. They also offer an extensive selection of fresh sushi and sashimi. Cooked items, such as Inaho’s baked eggplant appetizer glazed in miso sauce and a lightly deep-fried tofu dish known as agedashi dōfu, are tempting options for individuals seeking an alternative to raw fish.
The cascading drapery and floor-to-ceiling ocean views at Chatham Bars Inn's STARS is enough to make you want to dress sharp before stopping by. Although, if you’re visiting the New American restaurant in February, you probably weren’t considering flip flops anyway. In addition to the gleaming white table clothes and inviting oak seating, STARS’s menu is an attention getter. On the menu is a mix of rustically-influenced dishes such as risotto with wild mushrooms, and amplified local favorites, like Chatham oysters with kimchi gelée and scallions.
Not every date night meal needs caviar and filet. There are times when you and your honey crave something tried and true —like a for-real burger. In addition to fresh, salty bivalves, The Wicked Oyster in Wellfleet offers an 8 oz. patty decked in caramelized onions, mozzarella and Worcestershire mayo. After dinner, walk around and view Wicked Oyster’s local art collection. Pick up a piece, to remind you of your visit and of your meal.
If dinner with a view is a priority (and why shouldn’t it be?), you can’t get much closer than The Popponesset Inn at New Seabury. Overlooking Nantucket Sound, the inn’s elegant, nautically themed dining room looks out on the water, while the expansive tented deck sits right on the beach. In season, enjoy a nightcap at The Lure Raw Bar right next door.
Sea views also abound farther down Cape at Fanizzi’s Restaurant by the Sea in Provincetown. Visit for the grilled New York strip and béarnaise sauce, stay for the 180-degree views of Cape Cod Bay, Provincetown Harbor, and Truro. As you delve into native, baked cod and roasted asparagus, you may witness a Humpback or North American Right whale pass by as they seek out a meal of their own.
Wherever your date night on Cape Cod takes you, a toast to your time shared together is always in order.
