Roy Moore Lobster Co. is one of the best spots for lobster on Cape Ann, if not the entirety of New England. The views on Bearskin Neck are stunning: Pop into one of the neighborhood’s many boutiques or galleries after lunch, and then walk down to Front Beach for a quick dip.

Roy Moore is open for outdoor dining and takeout and is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

J.T. Farnham’s might be the home of the best fried clams in the world, and it’s great for marshland bird-watching as well. After the clams and the birds, head into the center of town for some antiquing.

Farnham’s is open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout, and it is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

The Windward Grille has one of the prettiest bars you’ll ever see, and the main building is over three centuries old. The restaurant serves food from the surf and food from the turf equally well. Be very North Shore and get steak tips and fried clams.

Windward Grille is open for indoor dining and takeout.

Woodman’s of Essex has been around since 1914 and started serving fried clams two years later. While Woodman’s likes to say it’s the birthplace of the fried clam, the dish appeared on a menu at Boston’s Omni Parker House decades earlier, but Woodman’s certainly popularized and perfected it over the course of the last century. Another must-try at Woodman’s: the clam chowder. Open year-round.

Woodman’s is open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout, and it is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

This Rte. 133 icon was destroyed by a fire last spring, but it has since rebuilt and reopened in the same location. While its views are less breathtaking than those of the other Essex restaurants on this list, Essex Seafood’s cuisine more than makes up for it. Get a lobster, and get some fried clams.

Essex Seafood is open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout, and it is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

Cape Ann isn’t all seafood and marsh views, folks. Thanks to Tacos Lupita, there are great tacos on Cape Ann as well. Get the lengua. Always get the lengua. The menudo soup (this is made with tripe, or cow’s stomach) is also a must.

Tacos Lupita is open for indoor dining and takeout, and it is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

About as good as brunch gets on Cape Ann. Sugar Magnolias (cue the best Grateful Dead song) does a lot of things well. Get the crab cake Benedict, then hop in the car and book it to Good Harbor Beach.

Sugar Magnolias is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

This adorable space is located in the heart of downtown Gloucester. Passports’s menu is all over the place, but in this case that’s a good thing. An eater can’t go wrong with Thai duck, fried haddock, paella, or an oyster po’ boy.

Passports is open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout, and it is not requiring its customers to wear masks.

Partly owned and operated by a couple of Chez Panisse alums, Short & Main is serving some special food (and wine) on Cape Ann. The wood oven turns out fresh bread (and much more), and the oyster list is vast and ever-changing.

Short & Main reopened for indoor dining on May 28, 2021, and is also offering takeout.

The seasonal risotto is a great way to start a meal at Tonno, and the cioppino is perfect for cold, seaside nights. The restaurant, which also has a location in Wakefield, is the sibling spot to Prezza in Boston’s North End.

Tonno is open for indoor dining and outdoor dining (reserve here.)

Brenden Crocker, the former owner of the Old Spot in Salem and the Wild Horse Café in Beverly, returned to his hometown of Manchester-by-the-Sea last year to open Black Arrow. He’s since received very good reviews. Cove views abound.

Black Arrow is open for indoor dining. Call ahead for availability and hours of operation.