PROVINCETOWN RESTAURANTS
Jimmy’s Hideaway ***: $$$, tucked away even in the midst of a bustling Commercial Street is my favorite restaurant in P-Town. I’m hesitant to share this because it’s already so hard to make reservations but then I wouldn’t be true to my blog. I always get the Egg Roll appetizer. It’s unexpected from a place like this, but delicious, nonetheless. The Fisherman Stew is packed with tons of seafood (make sure to ask for extra bread to sop up that sauce)! My go-to entree is the chunky piece of Grilled Filet Mignon which is always perfectly cooked. It comes with a very rich au poivre sauce generously drizzled over the meat and the creamy mashed potatoes. Remember to thank me after!
Front Street Restaurant ***: $$, I can’t believe it took me over 5 years of going to Provincetown year after year to finally step foot into this fantastic restaurant. It’s on commercial street but hidden, similarly to Jimmy’s Hideaway. I just happened to see a menu on a random lamp post and a local had said that this was highly recommended. Well, thank you stranger for that recommendation because this place competes with Jimmy’s Hideaway for my favorite restaurant in P-Town. Their Italian pasta dishes were sooooo good. I got the shrimp scampi and the shrimp were cooked perfectly, huge and packed with flavor! I can’t wait until my next trip to P-Town to explore the rest of their menu.
Mews Restaurant & Cafe: $$$, the Lobster Vindaloo is unexpected but delicious!
Liz’s Cafe: $$, I’ve only eaten here during breakfast. The lines are always long but the Lobster Benedict is absolutely worth it!
Sal’s Place: $$$, small Italian restaurant that has dining options on the beach as well as indoors. All of their pasta dishes are stellar!
The Red Inn: $$$, you can find this quaint restaurant right on the beach at the West End of P-Town. The patio seats get a great ocean view during the day. Happy hour is great! The food can be hit or miss but the drinks are always a hit.
Ciro & Sal’s: $$$, further east, tucked behind a small street, this IYKYK dining establishment has a beautiful outdoor dining garden and cozy indoor dining area. Their award winning Abruzzese is a seafood platter delight. The Fra Diavolo is equally delicious.
The Nut House (dessert): $, by far my favorite stop every time I’m on Commercial Street. The ice cream flavors absolutely destroy me! The goat cheese brownie, the burnt brown butter, and the gingersnap molasses are my go-to.
Provincetown Portuguese Bakery (dessert): $$, their custard cups are so creamy and velvety rich. Definitely a treat!
BARS
My days, or nights, of late night clubbing, drinking, partying are way behind me. No longer can I stay up until 4 am drinking and dancing and expect to function the next day. Such is life. That’s why P-Town is perfect! Tea Dance starts at 4 pm. Bars close at 1 am. So my perfect night usually starts with going to Tea Dance around 5:30 pm and enjoying one of their strong rum punches. Tea Dance finishes at 7 pm which is perfect for dinner time! After dinner, I’ll head over to A-House around 9:30 pm, dance for a couple of hours, and call it a night.
Tea Dance: hosted by the Boatslip hotel is this P-Town staple in gay life from 4 pm - 7 pm. The huge deck turns into a dance floor with the outdoors playing current LGBT pop staples and the indoor dance floor playing iconic music. Their theme parties are pretty fun too, ranging from dog parties, halloween, leather, 80’s, etc.
A-House: P-Town’s OG bar. It’s where many people finish the night, dancing away in the open, nautically decorated room. There’s usually a $20 cover which unfortunately doesn’t include any drink vouchers. The bar next door, Macho Bar, is more of a leather & cruise-y scene if that’s your vibe.
Crown & Anchor: the Crown & Anchor has a few facilities. One of them is a club that hosts fun parties. One room is darker with an EDM vibe. Another room is more current pop music. The back, outdoor area is large and perfect if you want to take a break and get some air from the dancing.
Provincetown Brewing Company: this unpretentious and welcoming bar serves local beer (the mango is my favorite). The vibe is chill and there’s plenty of fun group games like shuffleboard, billiards, pin ball machine, etc. I love coming here with a group of friends if we want a little break from the wildness of Tea Dance.