Best Waterfront Restaurants in New England: Coastal and Lakefront Dining Picks

Love a great meal with a sparkling view? From seafood shacks to more upscale affairs, our senior food editor has compiled a list of some of the best waterfront restaurants in New England.

Best Waterfront Restaurants in New England: Coastal Picks

Beach House Grill | Chatham, MA

Part of Chatham Bars Inn but open to the public, this beachside restaurant takes its inspiration from classic New England seaside fare, albeit in more elegant surroundings. Try the chowder or any of the lobster dishes.

The Lobster Shack at Two Lights | Cape Elizabeth, ME

Representing the “rocky shoals” contingent of Maine’s coastline, Two Lights sits on a small promontory in Casco Bay. Watch the dramatic waves roil and explode off the rocks while savoring excellent chowder and fried seafood.

Salty’s at Second Beach | Middletown, RI

The successor to beloved Easton’s Beach Snack Bar, Salty’s continues serving the Easton’s-signature twin lobster roll special, one of the best deals on the coast. If only all public beaches fed you this well.

Sandbar at Jetties Beach | Nantucket, MA

While “The Gray Lady” boasts a generous helping of right-on-the-beach restaurants, we love the coastal vibes at The Sandbar, located on a popular public beach and offering a menu loaded with great sandwiches and frozen cocktails, plus on-sand seating and Adirondack chairs in sherbet colors.

The Wharf Restaurant at Madison Beach Hotel | Madison, CT

Sit on the veranda and enjoy the view of the hotel’s private beach, with Long Island Sound beyond, as you dive into ample salads, grilled swordfish, or decadent short ribs—then go for a stroll on that same lovely beach.

Best Waterfront Restaurants in New England: Lakefront Picks

Bresca & the Honeybee | New Gloucester, ME

On the shores of Sabbathday Lake, acclaimed chef Krista Kern Desjarlais makes super-fresh ice cream with local milk and cream, as well as perfect iterations of picnic foods (sandwiches, pizza, etc.). Dine well, then enjoy the boating, tubing, or picnicking facilities at nearby Outlet Beach.

Farmers & Foragers Dockside | Burlington, VT

You can’t get much closer to Lake Champlain than at this seasonal dockside food truck with tented patio seating. Nor can you get closer to the bounty of in-season Vermont produce—the menu lists a who’s who of area farms. And despite being two states inland, the lobster roll is legendary.

River Drivers Restaurant | Millinocket, ME

Stunning views across Millinocket Lake to Mount Katahdin aren’t the only draw at this charming rural lodge: It also cooks food to rival that found in much bigger towns. Be sure to try the Friday all-you-can-eat fish fry, the lobster bisque, or the ribeye with herbed butter.

Walter’s Basin | Holderness, NH

A local institution since 1996, this year-round restaurant sits directly on Little Squam Lake. There’s dockside dining in the summer, but the views are all great, inside and out. And the food takes pub fare to the next level.

What tops your list of the best waterfront restaurants in New England?

This feature was originally published as “Shore Bets” in the July/August 2025 issue of Yankee.

Amy Traverso

Amy Traverso is the senior food editor at Yankee and cohost of the public television series Weekends with Yankee, a coproduction with GBH. Previously, she was food editor at Boston magazine and an associate food editor at Sunset magazine. Her work has also been published in The Boston Globe, Saveur, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category.

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