Best of Boston

Close your eyes and imagine an open-air restaurant with tables right on the sand and canvas canopies that flutter in the gentle sea breeze. No, it’s not the scene at some all-inclusive Caribbean resort — it’s dinner at Galley Beach, where every table has a prime view of Nantucket Sound. At sunset, diners often leave their shoes under the table and walk barefoot to the water’s edge for photo ops beneath a painted sky, making this the perfect spot to celebrate the end of yet another beautiful day on Nantucket. Be sure to check out the new, reservation-only prix-fixe bar menu, offered only during that wonderfully languid time between lunch and dinner, but be forewarned: You may still be there by dark.