P’Town is an experience. That’s the best description I can give this wonderfully funky destination. Fran and I have been visiting P’Town for almost two decades and have collected observations about a variety of places to stay, visit and dine. Here are a collection of some Trip Advisor postings and general observations I’ve made over the years:
P’Town truly is an experience, and one that varies from week to week and season to season. From Memorial Day through the end of September it can be a chaotic party of fun and frivolity. Spring and Fall “shoulder” seasons a a bit more restrained and winter can be sleepy hollow but nonetheless delightful. It’s the mix of people and cultures that make it all work.
The city has two basic (and parallel) thoroughfares: Commercial Street and Bradford Street. During the summer, Commercial Street ( a one-way street running from east to west) becomes a pedestrian mall (or so the pedestrians seem to think). Car and truck traffic is permitted but sidewalks are at a premium (when they even exist), forcing pedestrians into the street where they compete with cars and wrong-way bicycle riders. Local drivers stay off Commercial to avoid making pedestrians speedbumps. The bulk of the shops, galleries and restaurants are either on Commercial Street or within a block of it. The easternmost portion of Commercial (north of the Ferry landing) is loaded with interesting galleries and unique shops while the restaurants and hotels tend to cluster within a few blocks of the City Center (near the Ferry Landing and City Hall). The west end features some charming hotels and restaurants with a smattering of fun shops and nifty homes and side streets. My personal observation has been that the experienced P’Town visitor will stash their car in one of the municipal/public parking lots (off Bradford) and walk (or bike) while in town. Guests staying in the West End should understand that it is a hike to the center of town and that a bike or a cab might be a better bet (especially in the evening after some liquid refreshment). There are a number of top-notch places to stay in P’Town and we have used TripAdvisor as a good benchmark in making our choices over the years. A cautionary note on media reviews – we have seen a tendency for newer properties (savvy B&B’s in particular) to engage in social media hype to puff up their ratings and reviews from influential media outlets..so just be cautious (especially with newer properties).
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This is one of those places the locals probably won’t tell you about because they don’t want to spoil it for themselves. My wife and I have been long-time P’Town visitors and had walked by this place scores of times without knowing it was there: it’s buried on second floor at the harbor end of a tunnel-like mini mall (Whaler’s Wharf). It’s got a view to forever, out over the harbor and is probably even better on the outdoor porch balcony in the summer.
We stuck to main courses (we’d been bad, nibbling on things most of the day) and I selected a yummy duck breast and my wife selected a delightful cut of swordfish. Our server recommended a glass of Pinot Grigio for the fish and a Tarasque Cote du Rhone red for my duck. An excellent pairing for both. Although service was a bit slow to start, everything else worked like a Swiss watch (especially the food).
Bottomline: We will make Ross’ a regular stop in the future. Reasonable sized portions and prices. Nothing over-the-top glam, just good eats.
Visited October 2014
82 Bradford Street, Provincetown, MA 02657 (Formerly Bistro At Crowne Pointe Inn & Spa)What would, could or should have been a delightful anniversary celebration was anything but, thanks to a General Manager who never got the memo about the importance of serving customers as guests. We are annual visitors to P’Town and had looked forward to dining at The Pointe which positioned itself as an upscale, white linen, classic dining venue. On our arrival, the person (subsequently identified as the General Manager) escorted us to the doorway/step to the dining porch and with his menus, waved us in the general direction of three tables next to the windows (with a wonderful view of the landmark Pilgrim Monument). He lagged behind as we decided which table to occupy (lacking any guidance from the GM) and seated ourselves, afterwhich he delivered the menus and wine list. (No big deal, but being appropriately seated would have been helpful). The lighting was romantically (?) dark and required use of a pocket-light to read the menu. My wife and I immediately noted that the so-called background music was a blend of up-tempo oldies being blasted at rather high volume. We are fans of Elton John, but the volume and selection seems a bit inappropriate and we asked our server (Tom) if the volume could be reduced and the selection modified. He took our order and promised to look into the matter. (A neighboring dining guest thanked us for making the request). The volume remained high, but the music selections wandered to contemporary, country and western and rap as we waited for our meals with minimal conversation to avoid yelling. With the service of our meals (the food was excellent) I again asked our server if some adjustment to the volume and/or music selection could be made and again were advised that it would be “looked into”. Nada.
Finally, after paying our bill, I inquired if I could speak with the manager and was directed to the person who had originally seated us. I complained that the volume and music selection did not seem appropriate for a high-end dining venue and his saccharine smile signaled me he was aware of my earlier requests and appeared totally disinterested in resolving my issues. His response was classic. “I’m sorry you were disappointed. I’ll bring it up with the owners” and smiled in a smarmy fashion once again.
How easy would it have been to have cranked down the volume to a tolerable level and to have punched a button on Pandora to have blessed The Pointe with an “Excellent” evaluation. My option is obvious – there are other fine dining venues in P’Town who will continue to get my business. The Pointe will not.
Visited October 2014
What a nice “find”! Saturday night and no reservations and luck was with us. The delightful hostess seated us at the bar and almost immediately the place was jammed..and we soon discovered why. Chuck the barman put us at ease and another customer at the bar suggested some menu items that were spot on: A pork cassoulet and a multi-cheese and local sausage flat bread were soon headed our way and the barman helped us make some wise wine choices that worked perfectly. OMG..talk about mouth watering!!! We spent part of our meal trying to work through the cassoulet recipe so we could serve it at a dinner party for fellow foodies.
This was one our more memorable dinners in a decade of P’Town visits..and we will absolutely be back. Oh – reservations are HIGHLY recommended. We were lucky and the staff was accommodating.
Visited October 2014 and May 2016
The Mews
429 Commercial St, P’Town
It’s been a decade since we last visited the Mews and delighted we went back (our previous visit was a mixed bag and we had decided there were better places in P’Town).
This time was a special and more formal occasion and the reviews indicated things had shifted in the right direction). Redemption was at hand.
Our start was rocky. There’s no guest parking and it was raining so I dropped off my guests (including a lady in her 90’s) at the door and began my quest to find a parking spot. Ten minutes later I made it back and found my guests had been seated in the “bistro” (my term for the upstairs bar and dining area) rather than the quieter and more formal dining area I had requested (and reserved) downstairs next to a window with a view of the beach and harbor..
Our waiter more than made-up for the seating mix-up and placed everyone at ease with his polite and witty banter. We opted to pass on starters and ordered various fish dishes for our main courses which were generally delicious (although my scallops were terrific, the pasta over which they were served was rather ordinary, watery and tasteless). My wife’s swordfish was thick, tasty and well presented.
Dessert was a “crumble” (split between the ladies) and my off-menu gelato was yummy.
Overall, a nice evening in a quiet and formal atmosphere that was a perfect memorial for our guest who had recently lost her husband.
Visited April 2016 (From my Trip Advisor post)
Tin Pan Alley
269 Commercial St., P’Town
Tin Pan Alley is just that…an alley. Or at least that’s one’s first impression. It’s a long, skinny place with a dark, traditional bar and some bistro tables at the front and a narrow aisle past the kitchen to the bright and roomy dining room and patio at the back (actually the harborside beach). We visited on a breezy, chilly day in October so we opted to stay indoors at a table overlooking the beach. Roughly a dozen and a half tables and booths, which were only lightly populated at our lunchtime visit. Food was delish. I’m a nut for clam chowder and the chef did himself proud with a yummy, thick chowder laced with loads of clams and a “secret” agave(sp??) drizzle on the top. My wife and I followed that with grilled chicken sandwiches that were done to perfection. I have no clue how things are during the summer season, but I’ll be back during other annual visits in the fall post-season.
Visited October 2015 (From my Trip Advisor posting)
Far Land Provisions
Bradford St, P’Town
P’Town can be an expensive adventure for foodies like us. New York prices abound so we were absolutely delighted when we opted to have a picnic lunch at our nearby lodging (8 Dyer) and stumbled across Far Land. It’s a market and deli on steroids with a huge selection to eat-in or take-out. Nothing fancy..just plain good eats and the fixings that really make it work..and at a reasonable price.
Our take-out lunch consisted of two monster-sized roast beef and grilled chicken sandwiches that were hard to hold because of their size. Fresh rye bread and all the freshest of ingredients lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, Swiss cheese and tons of sliced chicken and roast beef. Topped off with a bottle of Red Rooster (California) Syrah and the tab came to about $26.00. What a civilized way to dine! (Their dine-in option consists of several tables indoors and a couple benches and tables on the porch outside.)
If you on a budget or just prefer some of life’s simple pleasures, be sure to stop at this P’Town gem.
Visited 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (From my Trip Advisor posting of 2013)
PLACES TO STAY IN P’TOWN:
8 DYER HOTEL
Here’s a real gem that has been one of the top Hotels/B&B’s in P’Town for years..and for good reason. We have stayed at 8 Dyer on a half dozen occasions over the years (staying elsewhere only when we could not book a room). Since our initial visit, this beautiful, seven room guesthouse has seen three sets of owners who have each improved things over what we had thought was perfection. Current innkeepers Steve and Brandon are the sauce that hold thing together and maintain the extraordinary level of hospitality that makes one feel like they are visiting a close family relative with exquisite taste. The downside is that their reputation means 8 Dyer gets booked-up early (as we have found on several occasions) so we encourage planning ahead. The hotel’s website offers some great scheduling options (you can see when rooms are available) but a phone call can be helpful to see what sort of events are going on in P’town that may increase bookings.
The rooms run a range from small to comfortable..but the 8 Dyer website points out the variables. There are no super-suites, but you will be out in town most of the time, so who cares. The hotel features a delightful spa, a small outdoor pool and table and chairs for munching on snacks or even bring some takeout from nearby Far Land Provisions (with a nice bottle of wine). Breakfast is worth the visit. My understanding is that Brandon and Steve bought an small but underperforming restaurant a block away and have re-positioned at as a breakfast destination. (We have not eaten there, but Culinary Institute of America trained chef Brandon is in the kitchen so I’m sure it’s world class.)
One of the best features is its location. Dyer Street is two block-long, one-way cut-through from Bradford to Commercial Street that minimizes traffic and is only a few blocks from the center of town. P’town is a walking or biking town, so the hotel’s location makes it a perfect spot for walking north or south along Commercial (or even Bradford).
SALT HOUSE INN
6 Conwell St. P’Town
Underimpressed. This place started out with a bang in the form of loads of publicity from the out-of-town press and the owner’s understanding of how to use social media. We were unable to book 8 Dyer and received a “special” offer for a discounted three night stay at the Salt Inn. By the on-line reviews and blog traffic, this was THE place to stay in P’town, so we jumped at the chance.
For starters, we noted the Inn was directly on Conwell Street, a direct route from Route 6 to Bradford (and thus a main entry point into P’town). “Directly on” was literally that because there is no sidewalk on the Inn side of the street and the building is immediately adjacent to the busy roadway. (We also noted the hotel provided earplugs for guests who were troubled by the traffic noise). Guest parking and entry way were in the rear of the building.
The main foyer and dining area were a charming blend of antiques and comfy furniture that provided a homey ambiance. The rooms were something else. I called it prison cell Spartan while my wife called it minimalist. Maybe “simple” might also explain things. Everything in the bedroom was spiffy white but small, with a bathroom almost the size of the bedroom (a somewhat redeeming feature), The bedside tables were simply stools with a single wooden chair (to hold a small suitcase?). The storage area consisted of a table with two wire baskets; one marked “socks”and another marked “underwear” and a couple of hooks on the wall that I guessed was supposed to be a “closet”. I am told this decor was the expectation of the savvy Millennial traveler. Not being of that generation, we opted to unpack only key items for the table and leave the rest in our suitcase which we put back in the trunk of the car and accessed things from there as they became needed. Clearly not to our preferences, we tried to locate an alternative venue to stay but were told our discounted prepayment prevented any adjustments or credits by management…so we were stuck. Two nights of rumbling trucks and squealing tires outside our window made us look forward to return home for a good nights rest.
We won’t be back.
Visited 2015
ROUX
210 Bradford Street, P’Town
Here’s an eclectic and charming B&B that’s just far enough away from the center of the P’Town Universe to make it even more delightful. It’s on the east end of town with a garden, expansive lawn and porch to separate you from the traffic of Bradford street and yet next door to a neighborhood grocery store (sandwiches, wine, etc.) and several nearby art galleries. It’s right at the only four-way stop on Bradford so speeding cars or trucks are not an issue either. And only a block away from Commercial Street as well.
The guest rooms (all six of them) are to write home about, with a colorful (and yet different) mix of sizes and decors to match any palette. Allie and Ilene have clearly invested their creative ideas and blood, sweat and tears into making this a perfect destination for anyone seeking just to get away from it all and yet close enough to dabble in the “action” (if desired).
We are old fans of P’Town and feel comfortable saying this is a gem. We were only in town for one night (attending a friend’s memorial service) and only wished we could have stayed longer. We have already encouraged friends, family and colleagues to stay at Roux if P’Town is on their bucket list.
Room Tip: “Salt” (name of the room) is tiny but charming.
Visited May 2016
LANDS END
Here’s a hoot of a place on a high peak at the western end of town with a view to Spain. Well, not really, but it’s on the highest places in town and the view is wonderful. The rooms are the cornerstone of this octagonal shaped B&B, each with its own, special and eclectic, themed decoration. The room in which we stayed was decorated in a southwestern theme and was right in style from the adobe appearing walls to the rustic bedposts and chairs (old logs, etc) and Native American art. Not that many rooms and it’s a hike to get there so it’s quiet and peaceful..with a delicious breakfast every morning.
The Red Inn’s restaurant is at the foot of the hill on the water (P’Town harbor) side of the property so its not too far for a good lunch or dinner. Anywhere else in town is a hike or a car-ride away.