From Dennis to Brewster to Orleans, the upper Cape is chock-full of restaurant options, on the ocean side and the bay. Here is a small sampling and for a searchable listing of more than 200 Cape and Island restaurants, go to bostonglobe.com/caperestaurants.

Israeli-born chef Erez Pinhas of Abba prepares dishes that combine Middle Eastern staples with Cape specialties and Asian flavors at this restaurant that caters to more sophisticated tastes than one normally encounters here. You’ll find marinated eggplant with grilled calamari, oysters with Thai lemon sauce, and sticky black rice pudding on the menu. The ambiance and décor is also a pleasure in this white clapboard Cape complete with wide floorboards and a picket fence. 89 Old Colony Way, Orleans, 508-255-8144, abbarestaurant.com

The quaint Cottage Street Baker, which has been around for 30 years, serves local Beanstock coffee and fresh, homemade pastries, preservatives not included. Yummy lunch sandwiches, soups, and salads are welcome relief from fried fare, but it’s the desserts that most delight, from wedding cakes and pies, to a killer called the dirt bomb. 5 Cottage St., Orleans, 508-255-2821, www.cottagestreetbakery.com

Hot Chocolate Sparrow has quite the following, and no surprise given its astonishing array of decadent desserts. Along with such steamy sensations as mint hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, gourmet coffees, and lovely teas, there’s frozen hot chocolate and chai frappes. There’s plenty of ice cream (order topped with homemade sprinkles) and other concoctions, but also efforts to nourish nicely, with items like sustainable energy cookies. 5 Old Colony Way, Orleans, 508-240-2230, hotchocolatesparrow.com

For 18 kinds of fresh-baked New York-style bagels, 20 types of cream cheese, fruit smoothies, and muffin tops, plus made-to-order sandwiches, homemade soups that include Thai chicken with red curry, carrot ginger, and tomato feta, plus free WiFi, stop by JoMama’s. Unlike the charming outpost in Brewster, the exterior of this original shop is quite modest, but just as colorful (and tasty) inside. 125 Rte 6A, Orleans, 508-255-0255, jomamascapecod

In a town that does casual almost 24/7, Nauset Beach Clubprovides a taste of fine dining in an antique house. Be sure to make a reservation, particularly if you want to eat on the patio, though the terracotta-colored dining room is lovely, too. The menu includes such Northern Italian favorites as orecchiette with broccoli rabe, and black linguine with littlenecks, as well as a daily chef’s catch and Faroe Island salmon baked in parchment. 222 Main St., East Orleans, 598-255-8547, nausetbeachclub.com

Newcomer Rock Harbor GrilL’s dining room and patio is often packed, thanks to its laid back atmosphere, big-screen TV, and menu that includes small plates, sharable dishes, tasty sides and homestyle main dishes. Offerings include Tuscan kale, lobster mac & cheese, duck sliders, cranberry goat cheese whipped potatoes, truffle fries, and buttermilk fried chicken, plus gluten-free pizza. 18 Old Colony Way, Orleans, 508-255-3350, rockharborgrill.net

Known for the best hot fudge ever, Sundae School is worth the drive east if you’re staying in town and tend not to stray. If chocolate isn’t your thing, top a scoop with burgundy cherry, fresh blueberries, or maple walnuts. Flavors include Nestlé Crunch, Milky Way, Grape-Nut, and candied ginger. The darling, well-manicured Cape Cod cottage is large enough just to put in our order, but there’s a brick patio on which to dip into your treats. 210 Main St., East Orleans, 508-255-5473, sundaeschool.com

For a casual pizza lunch or dinner with family and friends, head to Zia Pizzeria & Café for pizzas, salads, and wine. Pies come in 12-inch and 16-inch sizes, done with homemade tomato sauce and toppings of your choosing, including buffalo mozzarella, ricotta, carmelized onions, and roasted red peppers. Calzones and meatball, eggplant, and Cuban subs, too. It’s homemade pie for dessert, filled with fresh summer fruit. 210 Main Street, East Orleans, 508-240-1442, ziapizzeria.com

The Brewster Fish House looks like a touristy clam shack, and in fact it originally was a retail fish market. The casual, contemporary decor is ideal for a special evening, where entrées such as rye bread-crusted cod and prosciutto-wrapped monkfish taste as though they just came off the boat. The only downsides: They don’t take reservations, and there is always a line in summer. 2208 Main St., Brewster, 508-896-7867, www.brewsterfishhouse.com.

Whether you are seated at the outdoor deck or inside at a picnic-style table, JT’s Seafood Restaurant offers value and variety in a quaint, family-friendly setting. Fried seafood is a spcialty, but grilled dinner specials, ribs, and even heart-healthy sandwiches are on the menu. For dessert, step up to the window for an ice cream cone. Story books, paper, and crayons are available for the kids, while beer and wine is on tap for the adults. 2689 Main St. (Route 6A), Brewster, 508-896-3355, www.jt-seafood.com.

A local landmark since 1968, the Chatham Squirefeatures a vibrant bar with walls covered in vanity license plates from across the country. Businessmen and builders rub elbows in a casual setting of wide-plank wood floors and beamed ceilings. The menu features traditional New England seafood and pub fare at prices more reasonable than one might expect in an upscale town. The Chatham cioppino, made with local shellfish, is fabulous. 487 Main St., Chatham, 508-945-0945, www.thesquire.com.

Located off Main Street in a converted church, theImpudent Oysterhas an inventive menu that transforms standard dishes into works of art. Devils on Horseback — an appetizer of Cape sea scallops wrapped in bacon with onions, garlic, and parsley, served on toast points with a lemon butter sauce —will always start the evening off right. 15 Chatham Bars Ave., Chatham, 508-945-3545.

Everything is made fresh daily at Marion’s Pie Shop, where the family pastry crust recipe has been passed down for generations. The bakery sits next to the owner’s home, where the business began with chicken pot pies in 1947. Cranberry peach praline, bumbleberry, and blueberry peach are among the unique offerings. 2022 Main St., Chatham, 508-432-9439, www.marionspieshopofchatham.com

The quintessential Cape Cod clam shack, Captain Frosty’swas a dairy bar for 20 years before expanding to a full menu in 1976. Lightly fried clams and scallops, hand-cut onion rings, and black angus burgers bring locals and tourists back year after year. Cap the summer experience by walking around to the front and ordering an old-fashioned soft-serve ice cream. 219 Route 6A, Dennis, 508-385-8548. www.captainfrosty.com.

Owner-artist Michael Pearson blends wine, food, music, and art into a unique dining experience at the European-inspired Harvest Gallery Wine Bar. Peruse the paintings, sculptures, photography, and jewelry while enjoying live music and selecting from a diverse wine list, seasonal specials, and an eclectic variety of cheese plates and desserts. 776 Main St., (Route 6A), Dennis, 508-385-2444, www.harvestgallerywinebar.com.

With seven varieties of seafood rolls, 24 flavors of soft-serve ice cream, and award-winning chowder and fried clams, the Kream ’n’ Konehas been ranked by national publications as one of the East Coast’s best “seafood dives.’’ The outdoor patio overlooking Swan River provides a classic summer Cape experience. 961 Route 28, Dennis, 508-394-0808, www.kreamnkone.com

Doug Most can be reached at dmost@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @Globedougmost