Driving down Beach Road toward downtown Vineyard Haven, you’ll pass a sign for The Wave Restaurant & Bar, now occupying the waterfront space once home to Garde East. The sign certainly catches your attention, but the real magic begins once you step through the gates.

 

Entering The Wave’s courtyard is yet another reminder of what makes Martha’s Vineyard such a special place. We visited for dinner, just as the late afternoon light began to soften and take over the sky.

 

The courtyard is the perfect spot to settle in with a drink before dinner. The Wave offers both indoor and outdoor dining, each with beautiful harbor views. After all, a stormy Vineyard evening can be every bit as captivating as a clear summer night. We chose to dine outdoors on the second-floor deck of the building adjacent to the main restaurant.

This remains one of my favorite views on the Island. Even after more than 20 years of living on Martha’s Vineyard, I still find myself getting a little sentimental watching the ferry come and go from this vantage point. There’s something undeniably magical about boats crossing the harbor as the sun begins to set in the distance. Oak Bluffs and Edgartown often receive much of the attention for their waterfront settings, but Vineyard Haven offers a harbor experience that is uniquely its own—and every bit as memorable. We hope you are inspired to try The Wave with our blog A New View on Vineyard Haven Harbor: The Wave Restaurant & Bar Opens for the Season

A Little Background

The Wave’s owner, Milan Basnet, is no stranger to the New England restaurant scene. As part of the family-owned restaurant group behind Nantucket favorites Easy Street and The Island Blend, he has built a reputation for creating welcoming dining experiences that appeal to both locals and visitors. With the success of those restaurants and a longtime appreciation for Martha’s Vineyard, opening a restaurant on the Island felt like a natural next step—and so far, the venture has proven to be an exciting and rewarding one.

 

Leading the kitchen at The Wave is Executive Chef Kieran Thornton, who also serves as Executive Chef at Easy Street. Thornton and Basnet have worked together for years, developing menus that balance crowd-pleasing favorites with fresh culinary ideas. Guests will find beloved staples such as the lobster roll, burger, and crab sandwich—popular menu items that have earned loyal followings on Nantucket and are now making waves on Martha’s Vineyard as well.

 

Beyond those favorites, The Wave’s menu offers an impressive selection of dishes, including filet mignon, mussels, tuna tartare, bolognese, halibut, and more. The culinary team plans to refresh the menu throughout the season, providing plenty of reasons to return and discover something new with each visit.

 

 

Dining at The Wave

 

After toasting the start of what was shaping up to be a perfect Vineyard evening with a glass of wine, we began our meal with the Tuna Tartare Lettuce Cups. As someone who rarely passes up an opportunity to order tuna, this appetizer immediately caught my eye. The lettuce cups were generously filled with fresh tuna and accompanied by a house-made sauce served on the side. I appreciated being able to add as much—or as little—sauce as I wanted. For me, it's all about letting the tuna shine, and this dish did exactly that. Simple, fresh, and delicious, it was the perfect way to start the evening.

 

For my entrée, I chose the Halibut, served with brown butter vinaigrette, herb oil, cauliflower purée, and baby carrots. When dining out, I often gravitate toward fish dishes since I don't prepare them at home nearly as often as I should, and this choice did not disappoint. The halibut was beautifully cooked, with a perfect sear on the outside and a light, flaky texture inside. The herb oil added a bright freshness that tied the entire dish together. It's a meal I would happily order again and one I would highly recommend.

 

My friend opted for the Potato Gnocchi with beurre blanc, confit tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms. As a devoted gnocchi fan, she was excited to see it on the menu, and it certainly lived up to expectations. While the gnocchi itself was excellent, I have to admit that I spent most of the meal helping myself to her shiitake mushrooms, which were absolutely delicious.

 

Unfortunately, after our waterfront feast, we simply didn't have room for dessert—despite our wonderful server, Diana, doing their best to tempt us with housemade canolis. We did, however, manage to find room for one more stop, the bar.

 

There, we had the opportunity to chat with bar manager Jonathan Carbonel, whose passion for cocktails, mocktails, and wine is immediately apparent. He creates many of his own purées in-house and has crafted a thoughtful cocktail program filled with unique and flavorful options. He has also worked diligently to develop a carefully curated wine list featuring selections from exclusive vintners. While there are certainly some special-occasion bottles available, guests will also find a number of approachable, moderately priced choices. Jonathan's enthusiasm and knowledge elevate the entire experience, and if you find him behind the bar during your visit, it's worth taking a few minutes to strike up a conversation.

Coming Soon

In addition to serving lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (closed Mondays), The Wave will soon be introducing a beachside happy hour. The restaurant's charming private beach, which stretches along the waterfront in front of the property, offers yet another inviting place to relax and take in the harbor views alongside the courtyard seating areas.

 

Live music will also be joining the calendar, adding even more reasons to linger a little longer. Waterfront seating, live music, a refreshing cocktail, and perhaps a few oysters? That sounds like the perfect Vineyard evening to me.

 

The Wave Restaurant & Bar is a welcome addition to Vineyard Haven's dining scene and to Martha's Vineyard - combining harbor views, delicious food, creative cocktails, and warm hospitality, it delivers the kind of memorable waterfront experience that keeps people coming back. Whether you're stopping in for lunch, dinner, drinks, or simply to watch the boats pass through the harbor, The Wave is well worth a visit. Stop by and discover for yourself just how special waterfront dining in Vineyard Haven can be.

 

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