The Nantucket Guide.

Find yourself surrounded by rose-covered cottages and sweeping ocean views filled with history, people-watching, shopping, beaches, live music and delicious food. One trip is not enough.

You just cannot go wrong on Nantucket. The history, the people-watching, the shopping, the beaches, the going out scene and of course the food. Find yourself surrounded by rose-covered cottages and sweeping ocean views in Siasconset, charming boutiques with blooming hydrangeas along each cobblestone road in town, golden and pink hues covering the sky during sunset at Madaket Beach and so much more. Again, it’s hard to go wrong on this island, but if you have particular likes and dislikes, please feel free to reach out to carolinehariri@gmail.com for a custom itinerary.

Caroline’s Next Trip to try!

Latest on my Radar (some old, some new - all ones I have yet to try!)

• The Brant Hotel - a new hotel that just opened

• The new Tuk Tuk’s to get around the island!

• Millies at the Rotary - a new outpost of the popular family spot

General tip: rent a bike! It’s the best way to get around (I like to rent from Young’s Bike Shop in town as soon as I’m off the ferry). You can also take Nantucket’s bus, the Wave, or Ubers (if they’re available!)

Though I’ve only been in the summer, the Christmas Stroll festival in December is a major bucket list.

Town + Brant Point Recs -

• Food

  • Born & Bread (incredible bakery goods)

  • The Nautilus (my personal favorite restaurant on the island)

  • The Corner Table Cafe (great for a matcha latte)

  • or, The Whale

  • Nantucket Pharmacy (amazing grilled cheeses!)

  • Via Mare (New American small plates with an emphasis on seafood)

  • Languedoc Bistro (high-end French cuisine)

  • The Beet (for healthier food options)

  • The Proprietors Bar & Table

  • Lola 41 Nantucket

  • Straight Wharf Restaurant

  • Lemon Press (delicious breakfast and brunch)

  • The Pearl

  • The Boarding House

  • Sayle’s Seafood (another great fish market, lots of ready made dishes as well)

  • Dune

  • Surfside Taco Stand

  • Fresh (great sandwiches)

  • Ventuno

  • Brant Point Grill

  • Oran Mor Bistro (upscale, nice restaurant)

  • The Rose and Crown (for a quick, casual dinner!)

  • Provisions (tied as my favorite sandwiches - get the Turkey Terrific!)

  • Something Natural (the tied with the above best sandwich - also amazing cookies)

  • Galley Beach (come for sunset!)

  • Juice Bar (not for juice! For the best ice cream on the island)

  • Bar Yoshi (for delicious sushi)

  • Black Eyed Susans (for breakfast)

Delicious dishes at Lemon Press and the Nautilus.

• Going out/Drinks

  • Sister Ship (at Faraway Nantucket)

  • Nantucket Tavern & Gazebo (the best mud slides!)

  • Cru (there’s food too, but I prefer the going out scene!)

  • Sandbar at Jetties Beach (be sure to check out when the Boston pops are playing for a special outdoor concert!)

  • Walk through Cliff’s

  • Galley Beach

  • Greydon House

  • Club Car (piano sing along spot!)

  • Ventuno Back Bar (great drinks spot)

• Hotels - there are some truly incredible hotels in Nantucket Most are costly, 

  • Life House, Nantucket

  • Jared Coffin House

  • Greydon House

  • 21 Broad

  • Faraway Nantucket

  • The Brant Hotel

  • White Elephant

  • Nantucket Resort Collection

  • The Nantucket Hotel & Resort

    

• Activities

  • Hot Haus pilates studio

  • Moors End Farm (beautiful farm, great to get your produce)

  • Whaling Museum (a must for first timers to learn the history!)

  • Historic downtown walking tour (Monday - Saturday, 10:30 and 1:30 pm, get tickets here)

  • Brant Point Lighthouse (one of the three lighthouses on the island!)

  • Hadwen House (historic home built during Nantucket’s whaling heyday)

  • Greater Light (historic home of the Monaghan sisters who converted a barn into their 1920s summer escape)

  • Oldest House (believed to be the island’s oldest home)

  • Maria Mitchell Association (scientific organization with a small aquarium!)

  • Harbour Tour from the water (various tours available through nantucketbywater.com)

  • Loines Observatory (for stargazing, near town)

  • Beaches

    • Steps Beach (my favorite beach!)

    • Jetties Beach

    • Children’s Beach (for families with young kids)

  

  • Shopping

    • The Skinny Dip: A Summer Collective

    • Mitchell's Book Corner

    • Nantucket Looms (amazing soaps and homeware items)

    • Serenella (cutest clothes!)

    • Freedman’s of Nantucket (if you’re in need of an antique clock, this is your place)

    • Flowers on Chestnut (not just the most incredible flowers, but also an amazing home shop)

    • Four Winds Craft Guild (find art from local residents past and present)

    • Gypsy

    • Erica Wilson (quintessentially Nantucket pieces!)

    • Hospital Thrift Shop (I personally haven’t had luck, but I know lots of people who have had success!)

    • Peter England (great women’s clothes)

    • Atlantic

    • Bodega (great home store)

    • Eleish Van Breems Home (beautiful home store)

    • Mitchell’s Book Corner or Bookworks (for true bookstore charm)

    • Scrimshander Gallery (the gallery of one of the country’s only scrimshaw artists)

    • Murray’s Toggery (if you’re interesting in purchasing the classic Nantucket red pants!)

Rotary -

• Food

  • Island Kitchen (great for breakfast)

  • Lola Burger (sister restaurant to Lola 41)

  • Nantucket Bake Shop (for desserts)

  • The Downey Flake (go early morning for their sugar donut!)

  • Wicked Island Bakery (get the morning bun!)

  • 45 Surfside Bakery and Café

  • Roasted General Store (order the whipped coffee)

  • The Green (for the breakfast burrito)

  • BOAT HOUSE/Barcos y Tacos

  • Nantucket Meat & Fish Market (best place to buy fish!)

• Going out

  • The Chicken Box (where you go to dance to live music! Don’t wear nice shoes!

  • Gaslight (another great live music joint)

Sconset -

• Food

  • Claudette's Sandwich Shop (delicious breakfast sandwiches)

  • The Chanticleer Restaurant & Gardens

  • Sconset Cafe (homemade granola!)

  • Sconset Market (really good cookies!)

  • The Beachside Bistro at The Summer House

• Activities

  • Bluff Walk (enjoy a walk along beautiful homes and scenery)

  • See the iconic Sankaty Head Lighthouse

  • Tom Nevers Beach (a bit south)

  • Sankaty Head Lighthouse (the iconic Nantucket lighthouse!)

• Hotel

  • The Summer House

Wauwinet + Great Point

• Food

  • TOPPER'S

• Hotels

  • The Wauwinet

• Activities

  • Great Point Beach and Great Point Lighthouse (accessible by four-wheel-drive so it’s amazing to rent a car and go out to see the lighthouse)

Cisco -

• Cisco Brewery (a must when you’re on the island! - I like to spend the morning at Cisco Beach and then go to the brewery in the afternoon, just be weary because the line gets long)

• Ladies Beach, Miacomet, Cisco or Surfside - great waves coming all the way from Portugal!

• Miacomet Golf Course (only public 18-hole course on the island)

• Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm (great for grocery shopping,

Madaket -

• Food

  • Millie’s (create spot for families)

• Activities

  • Madaket Beach

Additional spots -

• Beaches

  • Nobadeer Beach (party beach during busy weekends - four wheel drives welcome!)

  • Surfside Beach (big waves - nice because it has bathrooms and a concession stand)