THE RESTAURANT
The Sweet Life is a New American restaurant inspired by classic culinary traditions and innovative, modern day approaches. We are equal parts the neighborhood hangout and the breezy outdoor café. We are good food, innovative drinks and easy hospitality. The cocktail list is meant to reflect the flavors and mood of each season and the wine list is sourced from small vineyards the world over where you can find something familiar or surprising, depending on the occasion. We work closely with island farmers and fishermen meaning our menu changes frequently based on what’s good and what’s available but it’s always a reflection of the very best of what the island has to offer.
OUR STORY
Since 2017 Hal and Erin Ryerson have been at the helm, re-establishing the historic restaurant as their own. In some ways, The Sweet Life took us by surprise. We first met working at the Outermost Inn in Aquinnah. From there we let our love of food, adventure and each other guide us from Martha’s Vineyard to New York City, Boston and then back to the island. There were trips along the way, to big cities and little towns. There were very fine dinners at places with months-long waitlists and there were beach snacks in beach shacks. But it seemed that the thing we reveled in most was the way the very best places managed to combine great food and warm, generous hospitality. Sometimes, on those trips we wondered if we could, possibly, perhaps, someday, maybe, have a spot of our own where we could try our hand at cultivating something like the intangible thing we love most about dining out. Hal had solid ideas about what the menu would be like and Erin had dreamy ideas about what the place would feel like (and what the music would sound like!) but mostly the whole crazy idea felt out of reach. In 2016 Hal was working at the popular Puritan & Co. in Cambridge, MA and Erin had her sights set on journalism. And then well, it seems that the Sweet Life was in the cards all along. We hope you’ll join us soon and often.
THE FARMERS WE LOVE
At the Sweet Life Cafe, we are focused on direct relationships with island farmers and fishermen. This allows us to showcase the very best the island has to offer and serve it to you in an enchanting atmosphere.
