Ships Inn

Name: Ships Inn
Address: 13 Fair St., Nantucket, MA, United States, 02554
Telephone: (508) 228-0040
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.9

4.9 (495)

$31 to $50

American

13 Fair St., Nantucket, MA 02554

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 9, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Good for special occasions
Neighborhood 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.

Additional information

Dining style
Fine Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
American
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed–Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(508) 228-0040
Website
http://shipsinnnantucket.com/
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.

Location
13 Fair St., Nantucket, MA 02554
Neighborhood
Nantucket
Cross street
Lucretia Mott Lane
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Bar Dining, Beer, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Wine

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What 495 people are saying

Ships Inn reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
4.9Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Greater Boston
Best Ambiance
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 Ambiance
Cape Cod and the Islands
Best Value
Cape Cod and the Islands
American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Ships Inn offers a refined dining experience with "excellent food and wine" and a "wonderful staff," led by welcoming hosts Bob and Melissa. The restaurant features "great service," elegant white décor, and a charming bar area. The chocolate soufflé is a must-try, and reservations are recommended due to limited hours.

495 Reviews

W
William
Greater Boston13 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always our favorite restaurant on Nantucket. Staff is well trained and the maitre d’ is friendly and accommodating. Dessert soufflees are amazing. Best part is the dining room is in the basement of an early 19th century captains mansion so it’s not hip enough for the FinBro set who have ruined most nice places on island by waving phones around to document every meaningless part of their sad lives. Hard to get a Rez here but show up early and eat at the nice bar.
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A
Amie
Raleigh / Durham / Chapel Hill1 review
5.0
Dined on August 29, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful experience and the manager was very accommodating to move our reservation. Dinner was excellent & the staff very attentive.
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J
Jeanne VIP
New York City69 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 29, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love Ship’s Inn. Great food and fabulous staff.
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P
Princess
Greater Boston8 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 25, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love Ships Inn! Have been going for years - it’s our favorite island restaurant. It NEVER disappoints, from the greeting you get when you walk in the door (thanks Bob!), to the very attentive wait staff (thanks Evan!), to the incredibly delicious food (thanks Chef Mark!). We had a fabulous dinner and luscious dessert (soufflé of course). Can’t wait to go back!
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b
boodaloo
Greater Boston6 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Loved it! Never have had a bad experience. Love the history too.
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D
Dborah VIP
New York City10 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 23, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our favorite restaurant with our favorite server Melissa. Try the soufflés and the huntress cocktail! Perfect night.
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J
Jeanne VIP
New York City69 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 21, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of our favorite places on the island. Great food and service. A gem.
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G
Gillian VIP
Greater Boston9 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 10, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great experience from the drinks to food to service. Our server Milly was fantastic! The only complaint is that we were seated in a very bright corner with no option to dim the lights. A very energetic group was seated next to us but that wasn’t the restaurant’s fault. Will definitely be back!
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M
Megan
New York City17 reviews
4.0
Dined on August 8, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Lovely setting. My filet was overcooked. To be fair…I never said anything to the waiter. I would absolutely go back!
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B
Britt VIP
Greater Boston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 3, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
It was probably the most humid weekend on the island, and we were surprised that there was no air conditioning. The host might have sniggered a bit at us, as many places don't have AC, and I guess this is part of the charm? Either way, the cross breeze and fans were sufficient. The service was gracious. The food was... next level. All around a perfect, if slightly warm evening!
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FAQs

Ships Inn is rated 4.9 stars by 495 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 9, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

13 Fair St., Nantucket, MA 02554

Additional information

Cross street
Lucretia Mott Lane
Neighborhood
Nantucket
Hours of operation
Dinner Wed–Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm
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

Website
http://shipsinnnantucket.com/
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.

Ships Inn

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

Menu

What 495 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Ships Inn restaurant rated?

Is Ships Inn currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information