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Ships Inn, Nantucket, MA

Ships Inn

4.9
4.9
481 Reviews
$31 to $50
American
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
The Ships Inn Restaurant offers one of Nantucket's finest dining experiences. Located in an historic whaling captain\'s mansion built in 1831, the dining room and lounge are below street level and have an updated colonial atmosphere. Tall windows along two walls let in the summer breezes and let escape the sounds of happy conversation. This restaurant is a very good choice for an evening out with friends, and there are cozy, intimate alcoves for more romantic encounters. American/French cuisine is featured, with everything freshly prepared on the premises. Chef Mark Gottwald's food is bold and flavorful, and presented with understated elegance. Dinner menu selections include lobster, calamari, crab cakes, salmon, prawns, chicken, duck, beef, and lamb. Only the freshest ingredients are used. Members of our restaurant staff have been part of the Ships Inn family for an average of seven years or more. Friendliness, attentiveness, and food knowledge are the cornerstones of our operation.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 17:30–21:00
  • Phone number
    (508) 228-0040
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Mark Gottwald
  • Private party facilities
    The Captains Table is a private dining for up to 40 guests, we can arrange custom menus, wine selections, and flower arrangements to ensure your special evening is perfect.
  • Area
    Nantucket
  • Cross Street
    Lucretia Mott Lane
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Wine

What 481 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Greater Boston

    American

  • Cape Cod and the Islands

    Best Overall

  • Cape Cod and the Islands

    Best Food

  • Cape Cod and the Islands

    Best Service

  • Cape Cod and the Islands

    Best Value

  • Cape Cod and the Islands

    Romantic

  • Cape Cod and the Islands

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Ships Inn offers an inviting and charming dining experience in Nantucket. Guests rave about the "fantastic ambience" and "incredibly delicious food," with standout items like the soufflés and seafood dishes. The staff, particularly Melissa, are "exceptional," providing attentive service. Though prices are high, the quality and historic setting make it a "favorite" destination.

481 Reviews
  1. Deana

    VIP

    New York City

    44 reviews

    5.0

    44 reviews

    Dined on 5 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Awesome restaurant- everything was great from food to drinks to service.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Ryan

    Greater Boston

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 28 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Melissa is exceptional. Always welcoming and achieving a consistently high level of service. 

    Is this helpful?

  3. OpenTable Diner

    Tallahassee

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 27 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Visiting from out of state. Vacation dinner and it was excellent. Best heirloom tomato salad I’ve ever tasted.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Steve

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 25 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Swordfish was the best I’ve had. It was a beautiful restaurant with amazing food. We loved it!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Indrani

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on 18 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We read the good reviews and decided to try the restaurant. Didn’t disappoint, in fact we loved it. The food was really good and the service was impeccable. Mellisa, our server was amazing. Will definitely go again when we visit Nantucket next.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Scott

    Hawaii

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 15 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An elegant experience! Great food and service! The historic setting is yet another "plus."

    Is this helpful?

  7. Peter

    VIP

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 15 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food. Outstanding, knowledgeable and professional service.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Jennifer

    Baltimore

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 14 September 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We were early and seated early, but it seemed to be quite busy when we arrived and a bit chaotic. The dining room is very small and tables are nestled close to the prep area and other tables. Our server was very pleasant. We got the scallops and were a little surprised there were only two on the plate. Definitely not a shareable appetizer. Dinner portions were bigger and tasted good, but nothing extraordinary.

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  9. Marion

    New York City

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on 12 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful restaurant, food is fabulous and service is great. I love celebrating special personal milestones for myself and friends here. The noise level can be very high which is both positive and sometimes negative. It adds to the energy but occasionally can be challenging to individual table side conversations. Overall, topnotch in every way!

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  10. jayne

    New Mexico

    48 reviews

    5.0

    48 reviews

    Dined on 11 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Nice atmosphere. Really good food. Good service. The souffle’s were fantastic!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Ships Inn is rated 4.9 stars by 481 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not bookable

This restaurant is temporarily offline. Please contact the restaurant directly or check back shortly for availability.

Google Map for Ships Inn

13 Fair St., Nantucket, MA 02554

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Lucretia Mott Lane
  • Area
    Nantucket
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Wed–Sun 17:30–21:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Mark Gottwald
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Wine
  • Phone number
    (508) 228-0040
  • Private party facilities
    The Captains Table is a private dining for up to 40 guests, we can arrange custom menus, wine selections, and flower arrangements to ensure your special evening is perfect.
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