Ships Inn — Hotel in Nantucket

The service at the restaurant was 5/5 but unfortunately the new chef this season left a lot to be desired. I ordered the lobster bisque to start and had the filet mignon as my entree.

The bisque was inedible. It was the consistency of water with barely any flavor at all. The water used to wash the lobster probably would've tasted better. There was also a little lobster garnish floating in the soup made out of bread. It didn't add anything to the presentation and I didn't bother to taste it after how bad the bisque itself was. I sent the bisque back and declined a replacement.

As for the filet.... It came with a side of green beans and carrots that weren't seasoned at all. Seriously. The chef stuck some vegetables in a pot, let them cook for a bit, then threw them on the plate. No salt, no pepper, nothing. If I wanted cooked vegetables I would've stayed home and spared my wallet the expense. I ordered the filet medium. It came medium minus the "sear" around the entire outside of the filet. It was burnt to a black crisp. I guess the melted cheese crust on top was supposed to help mask the nasty charcoal taste of burnt filet. It was at least edible unlike the bisque although the quality was what I'd expect from longhorn steakhouse and not a restaurant of this reputation. The best part of the meal was the tiny serving of potatoes. No complaints there and by far the best thing on the plate by a landslide.

The quality in food has dropped incredibly since I last ate here under the previous chef. That's what's prompted me to leave this review as a returning customer. Maybe my experience this time was a fluke and had nothing to do with the new chef. Either way I probably won't return and risk another bad meal and money wasted...

The location and the ambience of the restaurant is wonderful. The lovely entrance to the restaurant in the basement, the tasteful flower arrangements inside , the white cloth tables, the welcoming staff, all indicated an establishment that is classy without being showy. Unfortunately for us, the actual dining experience did not match up to the promise the appearance of the restaurant held. Our server did not know much about the wine list and could not help with the wine selection. The bottle of Sancerre we chose was not very good. My halibut was overcooked, the accompanying risotto was goopy, the pea purée was as bland as hospital food, and the fish was topped with one measly piece of morel mushroom. At the end of our entrees, the server informed us that he had forgotten to place our soufflé orders with the kitchen even though we had placed it with him before we ordered our entrees. After the requisite 15 minutes wait, when the soufflés finally arrived they did live up to expectations. The gran marnier soufflé reeked of alcohol and the chocolate soufflés was below average. We did not finish either one of them. The ambience and location of the restaurant is beautiful, but sadly the food and the...

My husband and I just returned from a baby moon here and we absolutely loved this Inn! The location could not be better. It’s off the sweetest side street right out of town. Mary Lou couldn’t be more responsive or accommodating- she was such a joy to work with. We booked the Nantucket room since I read in a review If you have bikes book a first floor room (which is nonsense by the way as there is a bike rack around back to lock up your bikes) and it was beautiful and spacious. I loved the view of the street and the window boxes. Be aware that the room is truly right at the front of the hotel- the front door, bottom of stairs, and next to Parlor. We often heard people chatting and coming and going, but were in the room so infrequently it didn’t matter. It was also so lively with the restaurant down below. We got to eat there one night and the food, especially the drinks, were outstanding. This place is really a gem- I can’t...