A gem on Lopez island. We went after reading the New York Times review for our first wedding anniversary. Obviously amazing location, exquisite food and attentive, personable staff. Quite frankly I have never had a better dinner. Farm to table at its finest and best- and flavors you'll remember the rest of your life. read more

Love Ursa Minor. I reserved a table w/my family for their first Easter Brunch and had a great time. The presentation of the different plates is beautiful & the flavors were spot on. Ordered the lavender kombucha to drink which was so good!!! The buckwheat crepes with lox, chevre, prosciutto, bacon and pickled veggies had subtle, yummy flavor. Also loved the buttermilk scones with butter and house-made jam. The scones were perfectly flaky & flavorful. The jam was sweet, but again a very subtle flavor. The frittata with potatoes and mushrooms was amazing as well, especially paired with the aioli that had a dusting of chili powder. My final favorite was the grilled raab which had a smoky, delicious flavor. The only thing I was not a big fan of was the yoghurt, which was thin and maybe could have been helped by some local granola instead of nuts. Other than that, I had an amazing meal with my family & can't wait to come back to Ursa Minor. read more

Ursa Minor - Easter Brunch spread - New American Near Me - Lopez Island, Washington

The seafood small plates were exceptional. The variety of flavors using local items was fun to share. Allow Nick to provide his talents with the Chef's choices. Terrific service made for a great evening. read more

We were looking forward to a dining adventure but were sorely disappointed. We arrived at our reservation time and were not seated for over 30 minutes. During this time we found our way to the bar, where no one including the bar tender acknowledged us. Just before going to our table we were asked if we'd like a drink. Very few choices of wine. The barkeeper didn't even know anything about the wines one of which was undrinkable. They don't do mixed drinks and have only locally sourced spirits and apperatifs of which the bar tender was ignorant of. Dinner was a huge disappointment. Table size entrees...no way! Vegetarian choices were non existent after having been told there were many. Entrees were too small. Choices too limited and just not that exciting. Seattle like dining on Lopez complete with true snottiness. Lopez doesn't need this. read more

A must do when visiting Lopez island. The food is amazing- local, organic, creative, and tasty. I've never had a bad thing in their menu. Worth every penny. read more

The food & service were INCREDIBLE....rarely do we find a meal that sends our taste buds to the moon. Seriously, the chef and owner is gifted. Dont go anywhere else because you wont want to miss this experience! read more

Superb food with impeccable service. We dined here while staying on Lopez Island in July. All of the ingredients were fresh and local. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience sharing several main dishes and sides. read more

First time to dine at Ursa Minor - possibly the best meal out. Ever. Fresh, subtle, complementary flavors, textures, and scents. The presentation was equally beautiful, including the hand-blown glasses and elegant, hand-thrown plates and bowls.Lovely decor and service, too. I was in a party of 6, and we ate family style so we could sample everything we ordered. It's a small menu that changes according to availability of seasonal foods, so there's no guarantee that the dishes I savored this time will be there the next (and oh, yes, there WILL be a next time). But with the creativity and skill of owner-chef Nick Coffey, I expect whatever is offered will be superb. read more

The food, atmosphere, and service were wonderful! We had the oysters, sourdough, and salmon, and all exceeded our expectations. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Ursa Minor - New American Near Me - Lopez Island, Washington

After a long day of sailing, my friend and I enjoyed a delicious desert. Oh had the custard with rhubarb. It was Devine! The decor was lovely and the staff and owners are super sweet. Great addition to Lopez island! read more

Awesome!!! The coolest restaurant i have ever been to! Everything is so different amd sooo delicious!

Fabulous. The food exceeded all of my expectations. Highlights included the chicken and salmon - both perfectly cooked. Our dessert of blueberry ice cream with macerated berries was equally delicious. The staff was considerate and kind, offering to bring us extra bread to soak up the delicious sauces of every dish. Visit Ursa Minor as soon as you can! read more

Easily the best restaurant on the island. The food was awesome... except for the pork, it was over cooked. Everything else was amazing! The service was mediocre but I think things move at a different pace on the island, so it was not too bad and didnt detract from the dinner. highly recommend it! read more

I loved my dinner at UM! Along with cask-aged negroni and a great wine list, the food was a hit: local ingredients that were used in an inventive and tasty way. Service was very good. read more

Beautiful decor/ambience/view. Great service. Inventive menu. Unusual wine selections. The salmon was superb. The dessert was divine. The salad was underwhelming. Really glad we went. read more

We went to Ursa Minor on Lopez Island for our 25th anniversary and for a celebration of finishing the final edits on my second book, The Widowed Warlock, and for both our birthdays because PARTY and wow, we had a really good time. With Ursa Minor, it's not about a surfeit of food but rather the juxtaposition of flavors and textures that can be so compelling in an artist's hand. The two appetizers were good. They were tasty; gooseberries in a tart liquid in which several plump mussels, devoid of shell, sat; and then shiso-wrapped raw spot prawns enveloped, mini-taco-like, in paper thin sliced kohlrabi that formed the wrapping. I liked the idea of this; the shiso (which i love and it is an acquired taste) was strong but the raw spot prawn for me did not stand up to the strength of the shiso. i might have cooked the prawn to give the texture of the dish a little more tooth bite-back, which would have given a better foil for the shiso's strength. That's a chef's call. It was very interesting! The salmon, with its mound of perfectly cooked spinach, was seared to perfection, the skin crisp but not burnt and the inside delicate, just cooked and still tender and relaxed. The sauce and the duxelles that sat beside matched perfectly with the delicacy of the salmon. The second plate came soon after...a braised brisket of beef against crispy nuggets of potato and thinly sliced dill pickle that was flat out *amazing.* Those stronger flavors together, with the textures of the crispness of the potato and the crunch of the pickle with the beef made me put my fork down and stare off into the distance with gratitude. The wait staff were attentive and lovely, giving us information about wines and their locales and flavors and also information about the food when we asked. There was plenty of space and time in which to enjoy the different flavors of each dish as they were presented; a wonderful tool to use to showcase a restaurant's work. The ice creams, burnt honey, straw, and blackberry, were all three delicious and the flavors...the subtle scent of sweet mown grass enveloped in the straw flavored ice cream, the rich crack of the burnt honey brittle that came with...it was all wonderful. read more

Cannot give higher praise. Ursa Minor is worthy of all the accolades layered on it. The flavor profiles are complex and bold, with a laid-back Lopez vibe that makes it that much more appealing. We had dinner this summer and decided we must come back for other seasonal flavors. Summer was phenomenal. Autumn met and exceeded our hopes. There is great food in Seattle, but Ursa Minor beats all of it when you combine the location, the creativity, the insanely friendly staff, and a chef that deserves Michelin stars and more. A destination in and of itself, you would be remiss to not try it if in the San Juans. read more

A charming spot for a special dinner! We especially enjoyed the wildflower cocktail and the fresh herb ice cream.

My wife and I have been fortunate enough to dine at some very nice restaurants across the world but the truly memorable meals - the ones where you smile and linger and savor each bite are exceedingly rare. We found Ursa Minor to be such a place. We went to Ursa Minor our first night on Lopez and returned our third night as we wanted to end our trip on an exceptional note. The chef clearly is passionate about Lopez Island and locally-sourced ingredients and not because he is looking for a marketing angle but rather to fulfill his passion. This experience is about authenticity and sharing artistic dishes with your dining companion(s) and trusting in the chef to surprise and delight you with interesting new foods and flavors. Don't let the online menu intimidate you and enjoy truly exceptional food in a beautifully casual and unpretentious environment befitting a special place by people who truly love what they do. read more

Absolutely one of the best dining experiences. Loved the family style share portions. Every dish was very well done. We will definitely be back! read more

I live on Lopez Island, eat local at home, and now I eat local at a fabulous restaurant! Nick Coffey is a taste genius who uses local produce, meats, seafood, and items foraged from land and sea to create amazing delicious food. Ursa Minor is a beautiful space with attention to detail. Nova guides the service with grace. The menu changes often depending on what is fresh from the lands surrounding the Salish Sea. It doesn't get better than this! read more

I can't say enough about this restaurant. The fixed menu was outstanding. It was creative with a fantastic presentation and food pairings I never would have ever considered. The owners, the chef and his wife were wonderful hosts. The setting was beautiful and the food was delicious. The boat ride and the meal made for a perfect evening. We'll be back. read more

I've been following this restaurant since its inception and was very excited to finally try it out. There were a few hang-ups.. the restaurant's premise is local cuisine and the server said she couldn't remember where the oysters are from- "pacific coast somewhere". It's fine to not know but follow up with your table once you've found out the information. Then a long time passed between courses and we asked about the beef tenderloin we'd ordered. The server checked and told us the kitchen said you were served it. Well we weren't- and it was fine because we were full at that point but it was still an error that could have been better addressed. My final thought is that the chef is running a small restaurant on a small island and it would mean a lot to have him stop by the tables and say hello/ask about the dishes at the end of the meal. Otherwise, the food was absolutely delicious. Hopefully the kinks will get worked out so the service matches the prices. read more

First off the service is impeccable. Our waitress was attentive and we always had her attention. The food was confusing, the plates were so small that sharing was like a bite or two each. For the price we expected enough to share. We ordered the bread and browned yeast butter. It was very good and the salt flakes made it even better. Next was the beet salad and it was amazing. So much so we ordered a second plate of it. Pea and morels followed and again they were so good. We ordered a second plate of this too. Next was the butter poached halibut with radishes and whey foam. It was probably the worst dish we have ever been served at a restaurant. The smell of the dish was terrible. It smelled like a chicken farm. I was able to remove the halibut from the horrible foam/radishes and eat it. My husband tried to take a bite and the smell was so off putting he literally gagged. We sent back the majority of that dish. Smell is a large part of the dining experience. The last dish we had was the chicken and it again was amazing. Crispy and juicy and so good. As good as the majority of our meal was we are left with the memory of the horrible smelling halibut. This would have been a 5 star review if it had not been for the whey foam. read more

This is as good as it gets. We had the treat in a group of 12 as the best of a restaurant experience. Daily menu was fabulously put together with three "appetizers" that everyone scraped to the bottom of each serving dish. the drinks were gorgeous and the wine list was reasonable and accessible. Everyone in our party enjoyed everything that was served from the bread with black sea salt, to oysters, green bean salad, and delicious entres of duck breast and scallop. if you are wondering what the menu would be - do not worry - it will be delicious whatever is put on. The portions were perfect for a group of all age ranges - and staff was delightful as well. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. read more