Finely J P's Restaurant

They razed the old building and replaced it with a really beautiful place. So different from the average restaurant with three levels of dining that give it a secluded yet open feel. RIght after it opened, they had problems with noise but that has been solved. The menu has great appetizers including Wellfleet Oysters [the very best in our opinion] served on the half shell or baked Bienville style, which are better than those I've eaten in New Orleans. We've tried - and liked - most of the entrees but find ourselves ordering the wonderful Wellfleet paella and JP's Lobster Cataplana most often. Pros: ambience, locally based menu items more

J.P's recently underwent a massive renovation. We liked the cozy little room that housed JP's for years. We had stopped going there because we'd tried everything on their menu, and I was getting a little tired of Pork with apples and goat cheese ( a nice dish, but how many times..?) . We were excited when the renovated, sparkling, clean, modern, multi-leveled new JP's opened up - only to have our excitement dashed when handed the menu: it was exactly the same ! No exciting new additions - the same basic dishes we'd tried a dozen times before. I ordered a special on the menu - Chicken Piccata. What arrived bore no resemblance to Chicken Piccata - it was grilled, overcooked, mealy, and flavored with BBQ sauce, with a few token Capers on the side. And yes, the new building design succeeded in reflecting all the sound, so the sonic ambiance was like that of a gymnasium. To be fair, I've heard JP's installed sound absorption panels to suction up some of the sound waves bouncing around the dining room. I hope in the future to be able to retract this negative review - but the last time we returned we were coolly told there was no seating available for our group of 8, even though we saw plenty of empty tables. Pros: Clean. Modern. Cons: Same small menu for the past 10 years. more

Finely JP's is an all-around-good place. The menu offers something for everyone, and I had a very hard time deciding between traditional chowder, the special cream of asparagus soup, and mushroom ravioli. But the succulent, creamy baked oysters Bienville, the fresh Wellfleet oysters, and the simple,fresh garden salad started the night off right. JP's offered a diverse wine menu that included a good selection of wines by the glass and half bottles. The pecan-crusted sole was prepared very basically, just pan-friend and no-nonsense, but so flavorful and satisfying. The shrimp and capellini was so light, so that the flavor of the shrimp and fresh herbs could shine through. Dessert was good, not great. The chocolate layer cake seemed pretty average compared to the rest of the meal. Our waitress was friendly, attentive, and made us feel very welcome. The atmosphere is relaxing and understated, but the high ceilings make it noisy, even on a quieter night. Overall, I highly recommend it. Pros: Fresh food, diverse menu, friendly service Cons: Noisy dining room more