Five Bays Bistro

Not sure why people would give this place less then 5 stars, because we had great service, awesome food, and wonderful cocktails. We also met the owner which is a super nice guy. I totally recommend this place if you’re in the area. Its totally worth the stop and hang out. What a great experience!

We had a wonderful meal here on New Year’s Day. We started with a dozen oysters which were super fresh and had a lovely mignonette accompaniment. We had the cod and the scallops for our mains and both were perfectly executed. The macchiato crème brûlée was the perfect end to the meal. And our server was very attentive. What more could you want? We’ll be back.

Worst start to a meal ever !!! Had reservations for four people at 8:30pm. Didn’t have our table ready and had tables opened but refused to give them to my party. Waited 20 minutes. Lets hope the food is better than the greeter. So food was great and potions were large.

Five Bays is the best restaurant in Osterville, which is not to say that it’s the only restaurant in Osterville, but it is as Osterville is a sleepy little Cape Cod town that doesn’t care about the tourist trade. However the food is very good, the service friendly and attentive and the bar usually has a lively crowd of locals watching the Red Sox or a Pats game.

Superb. Really excellent tasting food, beautifully presented. Great sauces/​drizzle. Allows BYOB. Went for second meal. Still great. The au poivre sauce for the rib eye was perfect. Appetizers identify a great chef: yellow fin ahi could not have been better. Moist tender slices with excellent drizzle. The chicken risotto (yes risotto) was perfect, super drizzle. Wonderful fresh bread. Best food in mid-​Cape we have tried.

My family dined here while we were in town for a wedding. It has a nice, classy Cape atmosphere that isn’t presumptuous. By 7:30pm the place was full, including the bar. We noticed most of the clientele was families and older dinners, but then again, it was a Tuesday night after the fourth.
Kate was our server. She was very attentive and helpful with menu questions. We really enjoyed the appetizers we shared: Kobe sliders, oysters, and especially the calamari with peppers (nice spice!). The main dishes weren’t as strong. I had the scallops with corn rissoto, pickled red onions, and avocados. It just was sort of plain. It needed a drizzle of balsamic or something to brighten it up. On the other hand the salmon I tasted was delicious and my dad liked his pork chop.
I’d recommend the spot, but I’m not dying to return. I’m looking forward to seeing what else the Cape has to offer.

Five Bays is probably my favorite restaurant on Cape Cod. The atmosphere of this bistro is what I love the most about this place. I’ve been coming here for years and I try to make it a point to come here when I’m back on the Cape visiting my folks. The food here has always been pretty good but the atmosphere and the service is what really draws me here. During my last visit I was stunned to find out Mark (Soupy) and James, both bartenders here back in the day, had passed away since they were a great duo and I loved chatting them up when I came here. This place is a lot of fun at night but I prefer it as a chill place to grab a nice cocktail after a long day at work.

Went on a Sunday night when all entrees offered are 19.00 except the filet. Food was absolutely superb, atmosphere excellent (seat by the window with view of Main St.), and service outstanding. Meals came with well presented salad and variety of breads/​corn muffins. Nice background music playing, plenty of heat (snowy evening), relaxed vibes, and comfortable surroundings. Would recommend this establishment without hesitation for intimate dining or fun night out with a group of friends. Sunday night special may end soon for the winter. Wonderful overall experience… well done, Five Bays!!!

Great meal and lovely service we were on the way to a 4 star night, (maybe 5) till the check came with an over charge for a drink. When I pointed it out the server acknowledged that the price was not as listed but instead of saying I’m sorry and offering to correct it (which alone would have been enough), she informed me that the policy is to add an «upcharge» for neat drinks. The price on the menu includes ice and water or soda but they charge more for plain. Having never experienced this before I was clearly put off that there was no note on the menu and was then told there was no room for the notation (but there is lots of room).
We had gladly ordered a meal that came in over $ 50 each sans tip. I would have gladly ordered the scotch if the price had been listed at $ 2 or $ 4 more or the «upcharge» listed. But why nickel dime us by slipping a extra $ 2 on the check AFTER THE FACT and hoping not to get caught? An extra $ 2!
As we were leaving (already signed the check in silence and coats already on) the server came over to inform us that she had discussed it with the manager and they would void the old bill and reissue one without the over charge. Nice, but way, way, too little too late. The fine taste of the night was lost and I was not about to have us stand around in our over coats waiting for 2 bucks. The whole thing was very embarrassing. I increased the already adequate tip because the server did her best to deal with a cheap and frankly immoral policy which ruined the evening and we went out into the cold dank night, unhappy.

We love 5 Bay Bistro. We went to dinner Sat night and although the restaurant was crowded they moved us to a better table the food was excellent and the service was great. We will be back

Dinner quality has gone downhill over the years. Early chefs were great. Current chefs are mediocre at best. Bar is fantastic. Good size cocktails, we’ll made and terrific wines!

Great atmosphere Blair and the entire staff are great. Would recommend to anyone in the area. One of the best on the cape.

Nice room. Although, I have to recommend that they remove the internal signage. It comes across as unnecessary.
Service was attentive and friendly although could have been more knowledgable in terms of the food.
The food was straight forward and promising but lacked in execution. Good, not great. Both courses solid but under seasoned. Had me reaching for the salt.
Overall this place is pretty good for the Cape. Good foundation to aspire to more than satisfying the older locals.

We are on Cape every weekend during the summer and occasionally during the winter. We have been coming to Five Bays for years I will tell you the food and the service is consistently great. With that said I will tell you we always sit at the bar to eat. It may take a few minutes to get a spot just check in with the bartender. Bartenders are very friendly very professional it really adds to the dining experience. I’ve tried everything on the menu from the Kobe hamburger to the tuna steak and the food has always been consistently good. Do yourself a favor and have the warm cookie for dessert. If you like to sit at a table definitely call for reservation

The minute we arrived we were not welcome because we did not have reservations. We were dragged around the tiny empty room until provided with a table and told to leave by 6:30 for the reservations (almost 2 hrs later.) I ordered the salmon which arrived with an embarrassing stench. It was dry and overcooked. My husband ordered the sole franchise which had no flavor. It was all egg batter and no taste; however, the risotto was good. We could not leave fast enough so no dessert. Oh and the wine Blondeau, was tasty; however, waaaaay overpriced. Save your money and go to a place like Wicked, which serves great mealsreasonable prices.

This is the first winter I’ve spent here in Osterville in ten years. I’m so grateful that Five Bays is such a warm, cozy and friendly place! The food is excellent, the menu changes are always smart and timely but the best part of Five Bays is the people who work there. Deb, in particular is such a professional and if you walk in by yourself on nights when she’s managing the bar, you will never feel alone. Thanks for warming up my winter nights! Bravo Five Bays!

I’ve spent the last 10 summers on the Cape, and I’m telling you this is the best restaurant. The ambience is great (try to reserve a seat in the front portion of the dining room), the service was excellent, the food is delicious! Our party of five each ordered a different entrée, and every single one was excellent.
They have a bar too if you want to get your feet wet first.
If you want fried food and tap beer, go across the street.

Always a great experience and it may be one of the best restaurants on the cape. The menu has a nice variety which ranges from a beggar’s purse to sliders. Also the staff provides above average service.

Five Bays was chosen at the request of my sister for her birthday dinner. Downtown Osterville was all Chirstmassed up with little lights twinkling and snow still on the ground, very festive. We had a reservation for three at 8 pm, and were seated promptly. The dining room was pretty full, but it didn’t seem noisy, and tables are far enough apart that we didn’t feel crowded.
We ordered a bottle of wine, which the waitress brought right out. She was very friendly, and more laid back than I would have expected from a place that may seem a bit pretentious. The specials sounded delicious, and I chose the pork, which was cooked to perfection, moist and flavorful. The birthday girl loved her Ginger & Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs.
5 Bays makes a good «special occasion» place for us. I have a feeling the atmosphere is much different during the summer, but my experience here for the first time was very enjoyable!

Look, if we skip the played-​out bistro chic, «coats encouraged» façade, the menu at Five Bays offers a number of well-​executed dishes.
Lobster mac loads cheesy cavatelli with standout chunks of claw meat, and the seared swordfish special (a large cut of the dense meat over chipotle cous cous and a shaved artichoke salad) absolutely nailed it — smoky, savory, crisp, bitter and not a touch overdone.
The crab beggars purse ($ 16) started the meal off a bit too heavily, with almost too much lump meat filling out the fried shell. Glad we split it three ways, and I liked the presence of a cool, sweet jicama slaw to offset fiery habanero cream cheese.
There was a nice pour backing my Old Fashioned, but not enough bitters and a heavy trigger finger on the soda turned it more to a spritzer than a cocktail. Minor hiccups aside, I’d definitely sidle up to the bar again. And you better believe I’ll attack the complimentary bread basket as well.