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Alchemy
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
71 Main StEdgartown, MA 02539
(508) 627-9999
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
T A. said: "I'd go back. Only negative: The waiter could have been dressed a little more appropriately for being a waiter. I thought the drinks were good. The fish sandwich was first: very quick, very good, very fresh and cheap! The…" read more »
23 reviews for Alchemy
Review Highlights
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"Fried risotto balls = my wife's favorite." In 3 reviews -
"Jonas crab salad was delicious, California chopped style..." In 3 reviews -
"...just want you want on a casual island vacation." In 5 reviews
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23 reviews in English
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Review from jana h.
Jamaica, NY
5/21/2012
Alchemy is one of those businesses that stay open even during the off season, in the faith that people will come to eat, and they're right to stay faithful. This place was crowded with people in late April, on a rainy day no less and on an otherwise quiet commercial street in EDGARTOWN, MA. the interior is lively but not overwhelming, the noise muted amidst a more mature crowd. Colors are clean and decor simple but distinguished. I loved sitting on the second floor overlooking an arced stairwell. The flavors of the dishes i ordered were well balanced and extremely satisfying. Freshly prepared, elegantly presented, and aesthetically pleasing on the plate. Though this is New American cuisine or categorized as such, compared it to my experience dining at l'etoile and found the French dishes from the latter contrived and stale in concept, presentation and selected ingredients compared to the food I had at alchemy.
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Review from Dan L.
Chicago, IL
4/29/2012
Had the halibut which was good and a crab salad. Love the vibe, decor, staff. Was distracted by an annoying, loud Italian man at the start. Once he and his table left, the I've returned. Definitely worth another visit.
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Review from P F.
New York, NY
3/23/2012
Definite fan, good food and fun-upbeat setting. Great place for an older crowd out to have a good time (keep it clean), although it can be a bit loud. Quite popular and reservations are suggested. Moderate to pricey. My friends in Edgartown eat here often and I have enjoyed it a number of times. It's all good.
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Review from Zach A.
Austin, TX
8/1/2011
Alchemy is the best place to eat if you are looking for a 5-star meal on the island. The only downside is that it's often really hard to get a table before 9pm. Solution: eat dinner in the bar, which has a great setup.
What you have to order:
* Salad that the chef's make = best salad ever. A must try.
* Fried risotto balls = my wife's favorite...an awesome app.
* Burger = one of the best I've ever had.
Another good one is the spicy chicken lettuce wraps. -
Review from Jennifer R.
Studio City, CA
10/3/2011
Visited Alchemy on Friday night. Dinner was pretty good, I had the scallops and shortribs but I've had better scallops. Nice ambiance though! Plus, walking distance to most all Inn's in the area, and great location.
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Review from Dorothy W.
Cambridge, MA
6/16/2010
Alchemy has its highs and lows for me. It's one of the few places in Edgartown that has hung in there throughout the years and they stay open through the fall when other places have shut down.
There are many areas to enjoy a meal or a drink at Alchemy. One of the most charming is street side, where you can have fun watching people stroll up and down the sidewalk. Edgartown is very pedestrian friendly. It's also very family friendly. When you sit outside at Alchemy, you will be treated to a virtual parade of well dressed tourists, which can be fun. If friends stroll by, you can chat and make plans. That's nice.
Inside, there are two floors, with a bar on each floor. I like sitting at one of the bars better than at a table, but when I am with a group and doing the traditional table thing, I prefer eating upstairs. I sometimes feel a lack of privacy downstairs. Every head turns when something happens and it's loud. It's also seriously cold when the door opens on a bitterly chilly evening. Upstairs also offers some friendly space near the bar. You can catch some good music here and it's usually easy to find a seat in the back. Check it out when you want the more informal experience.
I've enjoyed an assortment of meals here, primarily the fresh seafood and pasta dishes. Nothing is going to throw you into orbit, but it's fresh, well seasoned and filling. They offer excellent wines by the glass. The service can be spotty. The bartenders tend to be friendly and helpful, but the hostesses and wait staff can be unbelievably unorganized. In a way, this is typical for the Vineyard, with a couple of exceptions. I looked for an updated menu before writing this review in order to give details about my latest meals there, but they don't seem to be on line. Not a good thing when so many island restaurants update on Facebook and Twitter not to mention just keeping up with a web site.
This is one of the few times I have felt the urge for a half a star and once I go back again I will update this review. -
Review from Dan L.
Exeter, NH
7/27/2011
Alchemy was recommneded by friends who live six months of the year on MV as their favorite restaurant. We gave it a try one night - just showed up without reservations and were able to snag a couple seats at the bar. We were very impressed. The bar service was superb as was the food. we had appies and main courses at the bar. Everyhting was excellent. Highly recommended. Be warned - some of the first floor tables are right next to the bar which can get busy. If you are looking for a romantic dinner make sure they seat you away from the bar area.
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Review from H L.
Boston, MA
5/20/2009
It is a lot of money but I love their food, better or equal to the top restaurants in Edgartown.
But, if you want to be entertained, the waiters, some of them, slightly opinionated, but very well-trained and handsome, *w*, will cheer you up and you end up getting lots of alcohol drinks.
Ouch, the price could make you pull your hair if you are the one paying for your group. The light dinner plate could be $25-40 and you will be still hungry and when you have 3 course dinner, with a couple of drinks, it will become $70-100 each.
It does not appear accessible at first but they are color-blinded and any race is welcomed but dress nicely. I start to believe that educated and sophisticated (often very rich) visitors and elegant summer residents do exist and, yes, they are the better ones. ;) But, every now and then, you find a cheap bimbo dressed waspy but with trashy mouths. They always get the corner seats, out of sight. So, behave, everyone. ;)
_____________
Update! 3.5 star in fact.
We went there twice already during this winter season. And, they have some staying waiters serving the food. But, I noticed this waiter, although he is very attentive with us, when he spotted one of our group was his acquaintance, he fully stopped paying attention to the rest of us then did not mind telling his private life in front of us, only without our acknowledgment. I thought it was extremely unprofessional. And, I noticed that he smokes between the services outside. And, the management obviously keeps him for the winter that adds unnecessary disappointment of guests.
The food served in the winter is casual side and you cannot order the fancy food we enjoyed during the summer season. And, that lowers rating a bit, too.
The pricey food is alright, keep the snotty attitude off, management! And, be consistent with your food and service at any season of the year. -
Review from Andrew B.
Manhattan, NY
8/26/2006
Alchemy is one of the few higher class restaurants on the vineyard that isn't outrageously overpriced. Maybe just a little, though :).
The service is great, and its always fun to start off a night of drinking with one of their many delicious cocktails before you head down to The Wharf for some old-fashioned college-scene fun.
A great place to bring a date, and the upstairs has a very good atmosphere to eat in. I come here at least once every time I'm down on the island for some debaucherous fun in the sun. -
Review from Joe H.
Palo Alto, CA
8/25/2009
5 stars for the food, but service, price, and the bar drag it down.
The food is the best on the vineyard, hands down, and some of the best food I've had anywhere. Highlights included the arancini (risotto balls), lamb with ratatouille, and mussels. On the other hand, the prices are a tad high, service is just ok, and it appears the bar can't mix a drink or even serve decent wine. -
Review from Gia M.
New York, NY
7/24/2011
I stopped into Alchemy one late night with my mom & aunt, and they were gracious enough to seat us for dinner even though I thought it was pretty close to closing time for the kitchen. The restaurant was packed, the bar was full and the vibe was lively - not stuffy, the restaurant is beautiful with white table cloths, nice lighting and bar areas.
We were seated upstairs in Zachary's station (our waiter) who was fantastic. I had a really good chardonnay, and my aunt had a Key Lime Martini which was really tasty (even though fruity martinis are not my thing, this one really tasted like key lime pie and my aunt enjoyed it). The food was good. We had the shrimp on baguette appetizer, the surf & turf tacos (flank steak & lobster) and the crab salad (my fave) - all delicious!
I liked the restaurant so much, I went back the next night for a date with my husband. :) -
Review from Matthew D.
Athens, GA
7/27/2011
Wonderful food and great service! They were able to squeeze us in and even accommodated us in their upstairs lounge - it's a bit quieter than downstairs. The burger was cooked perfectly and the truffle fries were amazing. Friends ordered the halibut and shrimp dishes and practically licked their plates. Great desserts and coffee too. Will definitely return next time on the Vineyard!
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Review from Art S.
Demarest, NJ
7/10/2011
Wife and I vacationed on Edgartown for our 30th Anniversary and had two really great dinners at Alchemy. Very relaxed and classy atmosphere. The steamers were just terrific and we had the swordfish and halibut which were prepared to perfection with tasty/fresh vegetables. The service was very friendly and professional, just want you want on a casual island vacation. I recommend you try to get a table on the second floor as it is a bit quieter. Dress is nice casual. Full array of interesting and tasty desserts. In fact, they all looked so great that diners from surrounding tables were all sharing their high opinions of their desserts to fellow diners...Lots of fun. I highly recommend Alchemy for families with teenagers (great burgers as well) as well as dinners with friends.
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Review from Hank M.
Brooklyn, NY
2/24/2009
Not bad. Not great. Overpriced for sure.
Service was weak.
I don't go to MV for restaurants like this when it's so much better done in NYC. -
Review from Steven C.
Wilmington, MA
1/22/2011
Great food! 1 star off because of the noise. Still recommend highly!
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Review from heather b.
Brooklyn, NY
6/15/2009
First of all, do you think it's appropriate to have your hand molested by the "acting" manager's mouth? Or, perhaps, even less appropriate to have him rub his hand on your ass while you're trying to inquire about buying a bottle of wine?
As if the deafening music wasn't bad enough, when we asked for said bottle of wine, we were told that they were not able to comply with the "brown bag" law, which allows for customers to take an open bottle of wine home. Because the "acting" manager was too intoxicated to engage in any conversation without making lascivious advances, someone else stepped in and told us that he had been appointed manager for the evening. Later, we found out that this gentlemen (and we use the term as loosely as the manager's tie was) hailed from the kitchen as a cook in the back of the house. In fact, this member of the staff even refused to give us his name (let alone business card). Furthermore, in a restaurant where the staff is uniformed in white button down shirts and black vests, we found it difficult to take him very seriously in his backwards cap and unbuttoned salmon-colored polo shirt. After much negotiation, which can also be construed as harassment and belittling on his behalf since he insinuated that we would be driving home drunk, we procured the bottle of wine. Upon exit, we were pulled aside by the same gentleman, who proceeded to explain to us that the other manager's behavior was totally excusable due to the fact that he had a wife and three children. Pardon me, but last we checked a stranger's personal life has been no business or concern of ours.
When we arrived back to our hotel, we discovered perhaps the most egregious act: the bottle had not even been opened. This, of course, is what could eminently cause the restaurant to lose their liquor license. Astoundingly amazing work at completely dropping the ball. -
Review from Kenan F.
Greenwich, CT
8/28/2009
Upstairs is much nicer than downstairs both visually and acoustics. We sat in a 3 person booth upstairs for dinner. Jonas crab salad was delicious, California chopped style seasoned lightly with a bit of tangyness just the way I like it. Grilled halibut was tender and had a nice dry rub on top of mashed potatos surrounded with a corn and mushroom sauce. Scallop special sat on a bed of mushroom risotto which was tasty. NY Strip steak with fries was good but the tenderloin at Water St is better. Since it was hard to track down our waiter at times and our water glasses at times were empty, we decided to have dessert at L'etoile which was very good, everything there is impeccable.
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Review from David B.
Milford, MA
Alchemy is a must for dinner if you spend a few days on the island. Great drinks and the food is very good. They do not have a extensive menu selection but everything I had was prepared well and the service was good. Busy evenings can be challenging for any good restaurant and the staff do a good job to handle orders. The crowd is well dressed for summer casual dining and the best area for casual drinks is at the upstairs lounge.
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Review from Steven P.
New York, NY
7/7/2010
Best swordfish ever. Best French fries ever. Best service I've had on the Vineyard. Best steamers and the risotto balls...wow. Go there now. Ask for Laurén the waitress...she'll take good care of you!
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Review from Barbara G.
Carmel, NY
7/27/2011
This place is awesome! On the pricey side, but well worth the money. I have been here twice. The first time, two of us sat in a great, roomy booth upstairs. We started with the steak tartare served with truffle fries...both amazing! For our entrees we ordered the scallops, which were perfectly cooked...well seasoned & crispy on the outside, perfectly soft on the inside. This season, we went and sat in the bar area, our waiter was great and let us take our time. We got the steak tartare again because it was so fantastic the first time, and they had a special that night of scallops & duck confit. Both were perfectly done. We had a great experience each time and will continue to use it as our "special night out" place. I even got a gift certificate for my friend going up later in the summer to make sure she went there!
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Review from Tom S.
Fairfield, CT
7/13/2011
Wow, Alchemy is better this year than ever before. We did however have a terrific waitress. When I asked about the Halibut vs the Swordfish she explained that the Halibut is done in a terrific sauce with rice, and carmelized onions. The Swordfish, because it's flavor stands alone is without any sauces. The rave reviews on the Swordfish left us wondering. I had the Halibut and it was memorable. Truly a great meal. The shrimp appetizer was equally five star. Great dinner. Alchemy came through as a truly well done MV night out. Great staff, great venue and a great dinner.
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Review from j r.
Culver City, CA
3/1/2010
Alchemy used to be very good when they first opened up in the late 90's but now not so good. It seems they are trying to turn tables very quickly because they are very busy in the summer. Food not so creative & poor quality. Very expensive for lousy food.
The bar upstairs still ok for a drink but save your appetite for L'etoile Restaurant down the street & sit at their bar for the best meal in Edgartown. -
Review from Bob E.
Seattle, WA
3/29/2010 2 photos
Um, yum! We very much enjoyed the Cod, tacos, fettuccine, arugula & endive, asparagus and Jonas crab salad. Would definitely come back here again and recommend to others. Sure it's not the cheap eats, but hey this is Edgartown and it's a classy place.
