The Nautilus

Fun place to eat! Cozy, and the kind of place that the locals hang out in.
I had the Korean tacos for $ 14. It came with two small tacos and small slices of seasoned meat and steamed rice. The seasonings were perfectly balanced. It was delicious!!! Perfect size for a light lunch.
Husband had the burger with house roasted fries. His portion was perfect… not a huge greasy oversized burger, more like a luncheon size on a home made bun. He ate every bite… he said it was great.
The bar looked like a fun place to hang out and drink interesting brews.
Service was 100%…fast, pleasant.

Fantastic small bites, service was great, we asked for the menu 3 x in total to order and try more food as it was that good. Tempura oysters ordered for a second time.

We were at the Nautilus fairly early on the day after Thanksgiving — but still lots of people. We didn’t find it too loud, but we did find the tables close enough together that we knocked our neighbor’s martini into his lap. (We bought him a new one, in case you’re worried).
Service was terrific, and the food was excellent. We had poke (I’m not a poke fan but the two at our table who are, loved it), scallops (THE BEST), calamari (a great mix of flavors with greens), and short ribs (the weakest plate of the four, still good). Then we had the duck — absolutely wonderful. I’d go again just for the duck.

Mixed feelings about this place but food was very good. I didn’t take a peek at the menu before going so I was kind of surprised by the sort of Asian fusion at a place named the Nautilus (also when did this become the new on-​island «thing»), but they executed it well anyway. Pork buns and hamachi crudo were the winners for me. My problem with this place was the ambiance. The place is too small for it’s own good, tables closer together than in Manhattan, and so so so loud (on a Friday night). I like a fun vibe but this was a bit too painful, coupled with constantly being knocked into by waitstaff, cheapened the experience to more of a bar than a restaurant for me.

This is my favorite bar on Nantucket for 3 reasons: 1) Food is exquisite. Classics with an Asian twist. Who doesn’t like that?! 2) Drink menu is SUPERB. I witnessed a rosemary sprig on fire get mixed into a drink for extra flavor and roasted coconut shavings go onto a pisco sour — the cocktails and bartenders here have serious skills. 3) The vibe is cool, unpretentious, and the staff is relaxed. You can dress up or down, get small plates or a big meal, stay for a drink or all night, and you’ll have a great time no matter what.

Cocktails were on point, but sadly, the food wasn’t quite as good. We ordered 6 dishes between the two of us and were fairly underwhelmed –there were certainly some highlights (tuna poke and oyster tacos were both fantastic), but the majority of the dishes were just meh. I was particularly disappointed by the blistered shishito peppers, which sounded delicious but turned out to be an insurmountable pile of barely seasoned peppers. I would’ve been ok with it if it had been a smaller portion, but a dish of that size shouldn’t be so one-​dimensional in flavor! The other dishes we ordered were good but nothing mind blowing (duck skewers, mushrooms, calamari).
On the plus side, the drink list was creative and the cocktails we ordered were all well executed. I’d come back here for drinks and snacks, but definitely not for dinner.

Another fantastic dinner at Nautilus Friday night. Don’t miss the grilled octopus. Wish I had time for the Peking duck. Next weekend!!!

Excellent food great service must have the Peking duck and dan Dan noodles and excellent cocktails great time for a group or for a date night!

Five stars for Nantucket just because it’s slightly creative & innovative ! We sat at the «chef’s table» — euphemism for the counter abutting the kitchen. You can’t watch the cooks because the dishes are stacked too high. The ambience is more like a crowded bar but the food is unique compared to the usual fish offerings everywhere else.
The farm salad was tasty & fresh & the calamari & beef curry were good. Coconut pudding was very good as was the service.
Not formal fine dining but a breath of fresh air with some younger people & a different menu.

Anything you order on the menu is guaranteed to be fantastic. The bartenders are also quite talented. Definitely worth your time, but very difficult to get a reservation during the summer.
It can can get quite loud in here though, not the place to go for a relaxing dinner. It’s more fun to eat at the bar than to get a table.

Came here for my second time last night and Nautilus definitely didn’t disappoint! The drinks are great the food is some of the best on island. It’s always a crowded and fun scene — I’ll definitely be coming back!

1^st time here. Sat at the bar and was warmly greeted by the bartender who turned out to be one of the partners. Drinks were handcrafted and creative, but not just for the sake of it. Food was playful, interesting and satiating. Genuine kobe wagyu beef, octopus, fried rice, tempura oysters tacos all standouts. The hamachi on the bone… a special experience. Will be back for sure.

We came here as a larger party of 12 or so and it was good that we had reservations because the restaurant has a smaller number of seats. The overall modern ambiance coupled with the casual but ‘Nantucket’ attire was a nice feel. The service was friendly and attentive overall and we never were searching for assistance (water, silverware, more ordering) with anything.
Getting to the food, the menu is built to share different dishes. We did an assortment of the following: grilled duck breast skewer (a bit dry but the duck was cooked well), tuna poke (this was excellent and worthy of a try as it was fresh and had different elements of texture), steamed pork buns (fatty and flavorful but well balanced overall), octopus (was accompanied by a bit too many other elements that it was lost in the dish), bbq pork riblets (they were ok but not as much meat on the bone as I was expecting), and a lobster rice/​noodle dish that was prepared well and very enjoyable.
Overall, the drinks were a bit pricey and so are the menu items but for what we ate I thought everything was reasonable. I can definitely see myself coming back if I am on Nantucket.
Buon appetito.

Best dining experience on the island. Went with my two friends to dinner here twice in three days because it was that delicious. The blue crab fried rice was out of this world as was the Tuna poke and chicken yakitori noodle bowl. The drinks were also great — try the blackout Barbie. This place is worth the hoops you have to jump through to get a table. I’ll definitely be back.

So Pearl used to be the #1 spot, but has supposedly deteriorated. We’ve done a bit of Recon and discovered that one of the original chefs at Pearl opened Nautilus. No surprise. The tapas eats at Nautilus are great. Really really great. The restaurant’s interior is attractive and the drinks are top notch. A local told us that the nantucket old school ‘staples’ had gone down hill and suggested we try some of the newer spots so we did, and she knew exactly what she was talking about. If you like the food here, the chef frequently will visit another excellent tapas spot, the Proprietor’s Bar & Grill.
Don’t listen to the naysayers. They don’t know s+#t. Take it from a NYC eating machine; 5 Stars Period.

What we had was amazing. The staff was welcoming and the food was progressive and on point for today’s swanky bistros. The only bummer was the lack of veg options. They need to add more. It’s almost 2015. Everyone doesn’t want a piece of pig anymore.
Our server was Mishael and she was absolutely awesome. The whole experience was our best dining on the entire island.

Visited during Restaurant Week and took advantage of the special offering: 3 small plates for $ 35. Standouts included the Hamachi sashimi — absolutely flawless flavors and presentation — and the oyster tacos.
The atmosphere is sort of beachy hipster and relaxed, and the service is friendly and attentive. I enjoyed the option of having Fernet «on tap.»
We enjoyed our food, service and the atmosphere but wish we had known in advance that the Restaurant Week special required each member of the party to order 3 plates. This is a totally reasonable policy and still a good value compared to the normal menu prices, but it would have been nice if it were clearly stated on the menu. Also, even for ACK, the regular menu prices were steep for the portion size. This being said I will definitely return on a future visit and hope this new business is successful on the island.

Been a few times, mixed results! Always packed! Beverage service is on point!
The last time I believe the chef was out glad handing with customers and food suffered a bit.

There are two distinct periods in Nantucket’s history – no, nothing to do with the Commonwealth (sorry WASPs), nothing to do with the Whaling industry (sorry Moby Dick) and nothing to do with Native Americans (sorry Indians). The turning point was actually the beginning of this summer when the Nautilus opened its doors – fact.
Before Nautilus: Grilled Chicken
After Nautilus: Sweet and Spicy, Southeast Asian-​inspired, perfectly crispy outside with a juicy inside, chicken drumettes. And the duck? Holy F – K! Seriously, the duck, which is appropriate for larger groups is just about the most delicious dish this little island has ever seen. Everything from the insane homemade buns to the spicy mayo to picking at the crunchy bits of duck stuck to the pan, elevates this meal to an «experience» and it should not be missed.
BN: Bud Light
AN: Fernet on TAP! A lot of people don’t have a taste for fernet, which is fine, because I don’t like those people. But for those of you who get it, you know there’s nothing better to settle the stomach, or to get the night going. All the wines on tap are really amazing as well, and you can get small pours or big pours – I tried all 8! There are also some delicious cocktails, but if you really want to enjoy, get a Porron – some sort of reverse bong looking thing that you pour booze directly in your mouth with, even from a long distance!
BN: Standing in line at the Chicken Box
AN: Rubbing elbows with Nantucket’s elite (Drew Barrymore while I was there).
I could do a before and after of just about every aspect of this resto, but the point has been made: The Nautilus has brought exciting and approachable sophistication to a Nantucket restaurant scene that has become complacent and, in turn, changed my whole perspective on shit.

Unfortunately I can’t get past the stifling heat. It is so hot in there. There was only one ac over the bar which clearly won’t cut it. Despite a relatively cool evening it was hot as hades in here. No windows except for the door.
Food was actually fantastic which is why it gets two stars but my bill for five would probably pay for an extra air conditioning unit or two. Hopefully they fix the issues but until then stay away.