Broad Street's New American Reference
Dune has spent the last decade-plus as one of the most reliable rooms on Nantucket's downtown dining circuit. The location on Broad Street is central; the format, New American with a strong seafood lean, is exactly what the island demands; and the kitchen has held a remarkably consistent line through multiple seasons.
The cooking is built around fresh-caught Nantucket seafood, bass, scallops, lobster, the Cape and Island shellfish, with a confident American grill room running underneath. The cocktail programme is one of the island's best; the wine list is genuinely deep for a seasonal restaurant; the dessert programme is short and good.
What to Order
Nantucket bay scallops in season, they are the dish that justifies the trip. Local striped bass, handled simply. Lobster in whichever preparation the kitchen has chosen that evening. The cocktail programme rewards attention; the wine list is built for a celebratory evening rather than a casual one.
The Garden
Dune's small garden in the back is one of the island's most pleasant outdoor dining areas, string lights, candles, properly-spaced tables, the kind of summer-evening setting that Nantucket diners come to the island for. The interior dining room is warm and well-lit; both spaces handle a celebration well.
Best Occasion: Birthday
A Dune birthday is one of Nantucket's classic moves. The cocktail programme handles the start of the evening; the kitchen handles the meal; the staff manage the birthday-cake moment with the practiced ease of a room that has seen many. The price point is honest for the island; the room is celebratory enough that the evening builds momentum without requiring a special-occasion register from anyone at the table.