Ursa Minor

What a find. My brain is struggling to compute what happened. You travel to a tiny island and get served food that would fit in at a mitchelen starred restaurant in London. (where I live). Absolutely first class amazing food and worth the travel to the island all by itself.

The food, service, and ambiance at Ursa Minor was exceptional. It’s an amazing experience worth seeking out, despite it being tucked away within a quiet island town. Nova was our hostess and waitress. She was beyond accommodating, and made for an amazing dinner.

Super good super tasty and super local. We enjoyed everything we had there which included a black cod, chicken meatball and for dessert, strawberry rhubarb with cream and puff pastry.

This restaurant is truly superlative. I have dined at many of the world’s finest restaurants - Central in Lima, Peru and Azurmendi in Bilbao - and Ursa Minor is one of the best meals I’ve ever had. The reason is that they use such incredible local ingredients, of the highest quality, prepared thoughtful. Truly incredible!

This place deserves more appreciation! Such a beautiful gem on a small island. The food we had here was so much better than most restaurants we’ve been to in Seattle! Very thoughtfully put together dishes, seasonable, fresh, and well balanced. Not an expansive menu but that makes decision making easier. Also the high quality is guaranteed. It’s a husband and wife restaurant - we heard the husband is the chef and wife manages the restaurant. Guess you call that “family restaurant” but it’s a more urban, farm style setting than traditional family restaurants. We had both of the appetizers on the menu: local Barn Owl bread with homemade butter (so delicious) and the shishito peppers in cream (very summery and refreshing). We ordered 3 shareable plates for 2 of us and were so stuffed we couldn’t order their famous dessert. Our favorite was the beef in the picture. The steak were well seasoned and cooked perfectly for medium rare. They were placed on top of cucumber salad seasoned in yogurt sauce, again refreshing. The other plates were Grilled Snap Peas and Gnocchi. Their Gnocchi was recommended by the host of our cabin, and it didn’t disappoint! The bartender deserves special recognition! She was so patient and creates beautiful cocktails. We loved the wine and Amaro flight she poured as well. Such a beautiful place to enjoy dinner. Don’t forget to plan ahead with a reservation if you want to try their food!

Nestled in the heart of Lopez Village, this small yet charming restaurant offers a great dining experience that stands out for its excellent local food, top-notch service, and inviting atmosphere. Clean, modern decor with a touch of homey warmth. Id say it’s the best restaurant in the San Juans and one of the best in Washington. The menu showcases a variety of dishes that highlight the local produce and ingredients. Perfectly cooked salmon, fresh vegetables, amazing and unique flavors and preparations Service here is impeccable. The staff is welcoming, attentive, knowledgeable, and genuinely enthusiastic about the food. Raven was our main server, and they were all of that and just really nice. But all the staff were great as well. Many reasons to visit Lopez, but I’d come here just to eat at Ursa Minor

Great meal. Every dish stood out and had my full attention. Can’t wait to come back.

Excellent food & service. We sat outside, enjoyed a lovely meal, and dessert, & rounded off the evening with an aperitif from their well thought-out menu.

My highlight of the weekend in Lopez Island is this restaurant. I made a reservation for Sunday 5pm to allow ample time to enjoy the dinner before taking the 8:20pm back to Anacortes, and it was not too busy. I've had my eyes on this restaurant for over a year and I'm so glad to have made a visit here. We ordered various dishes, all of them standing out in its own way - Barn Owl bread with toasted yeast butter - when in Lopez Island, got to check out Barn Owl which is a really nice bakery. They toasted the bread nicely and the yeasted butter is quite creamy and a little cheesy. - Broth of land and sea - combination of chicken and seaweed broth, nicely priced at $4. Good sipping broth and they give you a heads up it's really hot so it accommodates people that prefer very hot broth or wait to let it cool down to warm - Albacore tuna - a bit pricey relatively for the portions but it is a seared tuna with koji. If you're not hungry, this is a nice dish to start - Fermented potato gnocchi - the gnocchi here is likely pan fried, adding extra flavor on top of the delicious pesto and ricotta sauce. The gnocchi is of al dente texture, and it's a good experience to try out a dish that's not as commonly prepared - Broiled black cod - large piece of cod, a bit sweet. The peas and radish and kimchi in the dish was decent, dwarfed in quality compared to the cod. The cod was perfectly smooth and had nice texture. Just watch out for the small bones (there weren't too many) - Strawberries and rhubarb - it's a crispy tart and the fruit is super fresh. I love this so much We also got an orange wine that paired quite well with the dishes and the bourbon foam drink that was okay. I think the focus is 100% on the food and wine. I wish they had more wines by the glass, but understandable since the food menu itself is also quite small to focus on quality over quantity. While there's a 20% automatic gratuity, the servers here deserve it. Water refills were frequent, they check up on you regularly, they swap plates for clean ones in between some courses, and even wipe the table between entree and dessert service. These are nice touches expected for a nice restaurant, but that are not always done at restaurants of this caliber. If I make a visit back to Lopez Island, I will definitely come back here to try more dishes!

I've been looking at Ursa Minor on and off since last year. The menu really is an odd duck. I joked with my server, who was great and attentive, I don't do seafood or inards. That wiped out 2/3 the menu. For a summer weekend evening they were not that busy. Sitting outside was nice and fun to watch the happenings in the village. Would I go back? It would depend on the menu.

My husband and I are on a vacation a d Ursa Minor was recommended to us by our cottage and campground owners. We had the most wonderful time and felt cared about by various servers and other employees. The food, from the chicken meatballs to the black cod, smelts and radishes, and potato gnocchi was extraordinary in its flavors, use of herbs and presentation ! Dessert , a layered puff pastry with rhubarb , strawberries and cream, was delectable and just delicious! We plan to return as soon as we can get back here!

My husband and I went to Lopez island for our baby moon and made reservations here a few days ahead of time. It has a great location in Lopez island village. We got there about 30 minutes early because we thought we would walk around the area a little bit, but all of the businesses were closed (welcome to Lopez island!), So we went inside and asked if we could get seated early or sit at the bar. There were plenty of open tables but they could not accommodate us because they had just sat several tables. Now that might seem like a bad thing, but I actually appreciated this because it means that they do not try to rush customers through or make them wait because their servers or kitchen are behind. Once we were seated at our reserved time, our waiter was very attentive and was helpful in picking out drinks and dishes with minimal sugar because I had just found out that I had gestational diabetes. All of the dishes were excellent! We tried a variety of different small plates and were especially impressed with the quality of the vegetables and the tenderness of the meats. If we are ever back on Lope island, we will definitely be.coming here to eat!

One of the best dining experiences of my life! I look forward to coming here every summer we visit Lopez. The food is excellent, the drinks are delicious, and the service is superb. Not to mention, it is just the most gorgeous little spot--especially sitting outside under the billowing green veranda. Everything glows. It's all farm to table and the highest quality. Like food has never tasted this good--I didn't even like beets until I came here and tried what beets are supposed to taste like. I seriously dream of this food. They accommodated my gluten and dairy allergies with ease and our server was extremely knowledgeable of the menu. I also never felt like I was missing out. We've had incredible oysters here before, as well as mixed greens on top of prosciutto, gorgeously dressed beets, and a steak to write home about. The latest time we came, we ended ordering two more servings of the chili crisp snap peas because they were so dang good. They also have so many great sips to choose from, including a great non-alcoholic variety. Their housemade shrub is a favorite amongst my group. Lastly, they do a pop up on Mondays when the full restaurant is closed--Polaris. One of the best burgers of my life and my husband said the fried chicken sandwich was very tasty, as well as the corn cookie and fries. Seriously--everything is amazing. You cannot go wrong here. This is the sort of place you should go out of your way to make it to. I cannot wait to come back!

Wow. Just wow. What a creative, fresh, and unique gem, located on Lopez Island. If Ursa Minor were located in Seattle, I can imagine their reservations being booked out for months. Their menu may seem limited at first, but include a well curated selection of seasonal dishes. All of the dishes we ordered felt homemade, homegrown, and truly unique to Ursa Minor. Our favorite was the Pickled Potato Gnocchi with Squid and Kimchi (blurry photo below). It was so good that we ordered a second serving. According to our server, today is the last day of the season they plan to serve the dish. The dessert was a Garden Herb Ice Cream served with Blueberries and a Cornmeal Cookie. It was an excellent finale to the night, leaving us with a minty pallete cleanse. The ambiance is bright, airy, and very modern. Flowers at every table, picked from their garden, which you can see out the window. 10/10 would come back again.

only eaten here once but been dying to get back to ursa minor soon! the food is some of the best in the state and nick & nora have collaborated to make a truly unique restaurant. i have never felt so taken care of in a dining room. everything was so beautiful. worth traveling to. 10/10/10/69

Ursa Minor--where your dining experience is elevated! As a connoisseur of not-so-fine dining, this was certainly an experience out of my comfort zone. Coming here was not my choice, and I can't say I wasn't skeptical of this place when I saw the menu. But it was certainly a good experience! It's been a while since I've experienced such complex flavors in each bite.

I have enjoyed many meals at Ursa Minor, take out on Polaris nights, and bahn mi for lunch. Ursa Minor provides Lopez Island residents and visitors with a dining experience to celebrate special occasions or to enjoy a fabulous cocktail and incredible food anytime. I've done both! The service is welcoming and attentive. I walk into Ursa Minor and know I will say multiple times, "This is so good!"

Fantastic food, great ambiance and knowledgeable servers. This is a not miss meal on Lopez -- we make reservations as soon as we plan a visit to the island. Thank you for many memorable meals.

Staff is kind and welcoming, the atmosphere is relaxing and place-based, and the food is thoughtful and delicious.

My husband and I had our second dinner at this beautiful gem of a restaurant. It was a rainy, chilly night on gorgeous Lopez Island, and we sat at a corner table as the rain pelted the windows. We ate seasonal spiced squash, a carefully crafted local salad, and the most amazing chicken dish- I wish I knew more about French cuisine, but the chicken had been pounded, seasoned, and re-rolled into its crispy skin again. Magnificent. Thank you Ursa Minor for an awesome memory!!

Absolutely amazing staff, food, and ambiance. Their toasted yeast butter is out of this world and so comforting and unique simultaneously. For dinner prepare for a spectrum from delicious flavors to creatively assembled dishes that are balanced perfectly. The fermented gnocchi has been a highlight for us the three times we've gone in the past year. For drinks the amazake drink has been unlike any drink I've had the last few years with incredible herbal and sweet notes. In addition to their dine In menu, check out their banh mi (get there early to get in line as they will often sell out) and the Polaris pop up is the best fried chicken sandwich in the northwest. The pickles with it are a hit with the kids. And, Nova and Nick are so kind-a smile and a friendly greeting every time. We plan trips around going there and time our ferries so that we can check out the store for wine and snacks at home.

Update - Thank you for your reply Nick you're clear you don't make adjustments and the customer doesn't matter. As I said YOUR policies are what matter to YOU. That doesn't change the fact that our meal was mediocre at best and our expectations were not met. We had a fantastic time and had two absolutely fabulous meals cooked by my husband he could teach you a thing or two if you ever would like some tips. I wish you and Ursa Minor good luck in the service industry

We ate here on our honeymoon and both felt like it was the best meal that we've had in years (and we're picky). We're both vegetarians and we got all 4 veggie dishes on the menu plus 2 really nice glasses of wine. The server was friendly and great to work with. This restaurant is a special place and we'll absolutely be back the next time we're on Lopez Island.

My wife and I visited off season, so just a couple items on the menu. We got the chicken sandwich which was very juicy, good bun, good flavor and the cheeseburger which tasted like it was freshly ground, good texture and flavor. The side salad was fresh with a light dressing. The fries were average. We sat under the in-bloom, gorgeous wisteria on the porch and had a very nice dinner. No one else was around, so it was very peaceful. My only gripe is the upfront tip requirement. For me, a tip upfront is more like a bribe than a tip. Also, the amount, 20% is high for just takeout or bring the food out, service. We did like the waitress, she smiled easily and was polite. I do suggest saying "thank you for your business or come again" as customers leave. We enjoyed the experience overall.

We stayed on Lopez for two nights and Ursa Minor was the only option on the first night other than the Islander (not on our list at all) and the grocery store. We ordered from the limited take out menu a local albacore tuna cheeseburger, a beet salad, some Dram soda, and Ghia aperitif non-alcoholic soda. The tuna was a solid steak of tuna and perfectly cooked. The star of the show was the beet salad - the absolute best beet salad I've ever had. I'm also on the search for Dram at home - have not found a vendor yet. It was like a full-bodied version of the light sodas that have become so trendy lately. i sure hope to be able to get some here. The aperitif Ghia was a fun experience as well - set the palette for the wonderful food to come. I can't imagine how good the full menu must be! Thank you for saving our evening and being open Ursa Minor :D

Really delicious food at this restaurant and great service. We ordered - the bread with rabbit paté - The crab with jalapeño - Poached Cod - Grilles Leeks - Rabbit Sausage - Trio of house made ice cream The restaurant is set right near the water has some interesting cocktails and a menu of local spirits and wine for sale too. Definitely a must-do when on Lopez island!

This dinner felt like an 8 course experience! All the dishes were excellent starting with the wood fired bread with brown butter then moving on to the beet salad, then the kuri squash, followed by the cauliflower, salmon, chicken and ended with the hay ice cream. Wow! Our top two favs were the beets and the cauliflower but every dish was awesome. The sauces were unique and spectacular with every dish - blend them all together for the full culinary effect! I usually don't like kombucha but the lavender kombucha was so good! We also loved the raspberry shrub. The service was excellent, every meal was perfectly timed and the setting is very cozy and intimate during the off season. I recommend you visit!

We loved this place. We had a reservation (recommended) and were sat promptly. The menu was inventive and the execution was exquisite. The server was knowledgeable and helpful. This was a great dining experience. Go to here!

A special place on Lopez Island - service was exceptional and the creative food pairings were amazing. Small plates that you share that creates quite the experience for the taste buds. We had the pleasure of having Nova take care of us! Try the price fix menu where you get to try everything. Hats off to Chef Nick for creating an amazing experience. Hard to believe everything is local but it is!! Don't miss this unique spot.

Chicken sandwich not my go to, so I only get one when the reviews are heavy hitters. How do Ursa Minors compare? ... Best in my life! Even when the wife and I try to copy it we can not. It is also a unique and inspired place. Thank you Ursa :)

Really good service - we loved our waitress and she did a great job explaining things. I loved the slow cooked beets, and the Leeks and Artichoke dishes. Basically we had all the vegetarian dishes on the menu and one fish dish. What we had was great, the portions were small, but fine. My hesitation on 5 stars is that the menu is limited; I understand that this is what they do to concentrate on just a few dishes and they are innovative. So in general what we ordered was really good and we all enjoyed it, it was just limited.

It's been great to get take out from Ursa Minor during the pandemic! My husband loves their Wagyu burger and fries and I have been enjoying their albacore burger. They have gone above and beyond to answer my multiple questions and to accommodate my various dietary restrictions, which I so appreciate! It's an extra limited menu right now, but we are grateful for them staying open for locals during the winter!

Lovely intentions in this place. Well thought out menus, beautiful pairings, and exquisite service. This was such a lovely time. Nova even put some delightful little touches that were completely unnecessary but so deeply appreciated (tiny spoons and all). Thank you for a wonderful experience!

Sadly this visit did not live up to previous awesome experiences. The service was outstanding - friendly, attentive, knowledgeable. The 3 stars go to the staff. And I love the Negroni. But the food was lacking. The black cod and white bean dish was completely bland. The fish had a gelatinous quality that we could not stomach. We provided feed back about the dish but we should have sent it back. The short rib was good and the scallop the best bite but the corn "polenta" was overpowering. This was the first week of the new menu but should not be an excuse. We are sad.

A destination restaurant on Lopez Island. Great service and wonderful food. Local ingredients and unusual combinations. The deep fried cauliflower with yogurt and nettle sauce was our favorite. A close second was the pork belly with puréed carrots. We took the ferry over and back from Friday Harbor which was very efficient and allowed time in Lopez Village.

Visiting with friends on Lopez Island, the four of us took Nova's recommendation and shared the full menu. Given the small plates this proved to be a great idea. Just enough of everything to satisfy but not overwhelm. Inventive food, beautifully presented, and locally procured. An interesting cocktail and wine menu, with great recommendations from Nova. Lovely restaurant with great sunset views. We will want to return on future visits to Lopez. .

What a culinary treat...I had followed Ursa Minor prior to a visit to Lopez, anxiously awaiting dinner there. It did not disappoint. Their concept is small plates, which is my favorite way to dine. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I was on a retreat by myself so I was not able to try everything I wanted. That said, dining solo gives you such a different perspective. No diversions-sheer concentration on the food, presentation, your surroundings, service. Again, the meal was flawless... I started with the oysters with rose water and beet berry. 3 plump, juicy oysters were placed on a bed of chilled pebbles. Beautiful. Yes, I had a second order... Second course was chicken stuffed with brined carrot and black garlic. Never have I ever had a crispier skin on chicken. Best. Chicken. Ever. And then came dessert. Hay ice cream with strawberries, hazelnuts and whey. It was everything and more...can't wait to return. Thank you Nova and Carly!

Absolutely the best meal we've had in a long time. All ingredients locally sourced, and exquisitely prepared. So good, I wanted to lick the plates!

A pricey restaurant with few items on menu. The quantity of the food on the plate is very small, not enough for one person. The only good point about this place is that the taste of the food is good. Their service is also good, while having my meal I found a small hard seed which hurt my tooth, they excluded the price of the item from the bill.

Ursa Minor is an amazing dining experience! The dining room is quaint and comfortable just like Lopez. The servers are welcoming and guide you through the whole dining experience. I started my meal with a rhubarb soda which was sweetly refreshing. Our family of six tried everything on the menu. I could tell each dish was made with careful consideration on the details of ingredients. Nick Coffey uses ingredients that you would never expect and leave you with a sense of surprise and satisfaction. Almost every dish was licked clean not leaving a single drop of deliciousness. The menu changes daily guarenteeing only the freshes local ingredients are used. If you are looking for a fabulously unique meal this is your place!

This is a dining journey unlike anything Lopez has ever seen. The food is literally bliss and the whole eating experience is refreshing and easy going. You leave this place feeling deeply nourished on all levels. The plates are small but I have never left hungry. This is a true fine dining experience not be to missed. Really grateful this place and that the owners decided to make their home here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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.