If you’re planning a trip to Newport, Rhode Island, then these Newport Rhode Island restaurants are must knows! I have put together the perfect list for every budget!
Thanks to COVID, we stumbled onto Newport , Rhode Island. I fell in love with it, which I’ll write about eventually in another post. Right now, it’s all about the food! We are total foodies and this city did not disappoint. In this post, I will share three categories of restaurants: 1) Iconic Newport Rhode Island Restaurants. 2) Budget friendly restaurants. 3) Splurge Restaurants. Because Newport is a very expensive city I will include options that are both good and affordable. Read on to find out more about Newport’s top notch food scene.
If you’re looking for a place to stay in Newport, check out this post:
Where to Stay in Newport Rhode Island | My Favorite Little Inn in Newport
This post is all about Newport Rhode Island restaurants.
Iconic Must Try Newport Rhode Island Restaurants
Castle Hill Inn- The Lawn 590 Ocean Drive Open Daily, check site for hours
This is the iconic Adirondack chair scene you think of when you picture coastal New England. The ambiance is unmatched! The Lawn’s menu features fresh seafood, regional food and cocktails. You can find the menu on their site here. We had a light fare so we could take advantage of the opportunity to grab a drink afterwards and sit in the Adirondack chairs to watch the sail boats. You get a beautiful view of Narragansett Bay and the bridge. I do think it’s worth mentioning that during the time of year that we went, the geese were ANNOYING! But after a while they beat it a bit. Oh yeah, watch your step with all the geese. Those are things the beautiful pictures didn’t capture!
As far as the food itself… My Caesar salad was decent. Not the best I’ve had, but good sized. My husband got the scallops appetizer, which was AMAZING! He is still raving about them claiming they’re some of the best scallops he’s ever had. He also got the “Take 5” Pie, which was delicious.
The take away here– This is probably thee most iconic of the Newport Rhode Island restaurants. It is worth the fight to get in for reservations here just for the views and ambiance. You may be able to use The Terrace Bar to get in and use the Adirondack chairs as well. I didn’t want to take the gamble of them being full as they don’t take reservations. They have fine dining for dinner that you’ll read about under the splurge section. But The Lawn is a great option that is more affordable. Note it is valet parking. I did read a review from someone that said they parked at the bottom of the hill and walked up.
Flo’s Clam Shack 4 Wave Ave. Middletown, RI Monday-Sunday 11-9pm
This iconic clam shack is open seasonally. It is due to reopen in March and is located in Middletown which is a stone’s throw from Newport. The famous Cliff Walk is very close to Flo’s as well. If you’re planning to do that, you can walk off the fried food! Flo’s Clam Shack was featured on the Food Network. It is full of tacky, coastal decor and features a deck you can eat on overlooking Easton Beach. Keep in mind, seafood often goes for market price. It’s good to know on Fridays they offer prime rib for a steal. They also feature a fresh raw bar daily. See what we ordered below:
Flo’s Fisherman’s Platter– fried clams, clam strips, calamari, shrimp, scallops, fish, and a clamcake. Although they’re famous for their clams, which are good, the fried scallops were the show stopper for us. They literally melt in your mouth! Keep in mind the seafood can sell out daily, so don’t get there too late in the day. If you like New England clam chowder, the clam chowder is worth mentioning. This is a place we’ll hit every time we visit Newport. If you want an ice cream cone after dinner and the Cliff walk hit up Clemetines Homemade Ice Cream. The service and ice cream were worth a mention and it’s located just behind Flo’s.
tip: If you’re deciding between Evelyn’s Drive In in Tiverton, RI or Flo’s Clam Shack, we’d say Flo’s all day long. Evelyn’s was a stop on Diners Drive Ins and Dives but we found the food at Flo’s to be much better.
Newport Lobster Shack 150 Long Wharf Friday-Monday 11-6pm
You cannot go to New England and not get lobstah. This little shack was recommended by our boat tour guide and it didn’t disappoint. The lobsters are caught and steamed daily. We have found that steamed lobster has more flavor and the texture is better than boiled lobster. This shack is on the water overlooking the bay. It is a bit hard to find, you need to walk over from the heart of Newport. We ordered a lobster and lobster bites, pictured below. The lobster was excellent and the bites are a great option too if you’re not feeling the mess 🙂
Kilwin’s Chocolates & Ice Cream 262 Thames St.
If you’re wandering through downtown Newport, you’ll likely pass Kilwin’s. They make homemade waffle cones that are delish. We felt it was expensive for ice cream. That said, it was packed, and it is a Newport staple. If you’re looking for ice cream that is a bit more affordable for a family, and you don’t mind a 10 minute ride, here is a hack… We bought cones at Kilwin’s and then got ice cream from a local place we stumbled on called Frosty Freez in Middletown, RI. Tacky, I know, but we actually felt the local place had better ice cream, they just didn’t have waffle cones. So this worked out great.
Budget Friendly Finds
Corner Cafe 110 Broadway Open Daily
First come, first serve little cafe with prices similar to any decent cafe. You can make reservations after 5pm Thursday-Saturday only. They offer indoor and outdoor seating. Like any good cafe, they serve breakfast all day. Expect to wait in the summer months for seating. We waited longer for outdoor seating. But you can look at the menu, and it is well worth the wait. Check out their website here.
We LOVED this place! The service was great!! I came across this cafe just looking for a diner-like place for a big breakfast before heading to the beach for the day. Boy did we hit the jackpot! We went twice during our stay and returned again a few months later when we went back to Newport for a few days. The pancakes kept me coming back…
Berry Pancakes Supreme– 3 pancakes with blueberries, cranberries, and raspberries, topped with whipped cream and walnuts, served with syrup on the side. These were AMAZING!!! I don’t even like walnuts (I ordered them on the side the first time, hence you can’t see them) but it all just goes together. They are like “blond” pancakes or something, so light brown. These puppies were so good, I ordered them all three times we went there. HIGHLY recommend them. I think my husband would have gotten them too, but he has a thing about ordering the same thing as anyone else at the table. It’s an issue 🙂
My husband ordered 3 different meals. He ranked his as follows:
- Home Fry Fiesta– He says this dish is like a garbage plate where everything is mixed together. He ranks it a 4.5/5.
- Portuguese Sweet Bread Scrambler– This is essentially Portuguese French toast, topped with a frittata. It came with home fries on the side. In this dish and the one above. He raved about the home fries. He says, “There is something different about them, I can’t put my finger on it.”
- Alpine Pancakes– 3 sausage pancakes topped with caramelized apples and cheddar. He says these were just a 3/5 and that he preferred my pancakes to these. He really liked the flavor of the pancake itself without the toppings. The plain “blond” pancake base was the star of this show.
The take away here: Great breakfast, take advantage of outdoor seating, try the Berry Pancake Supreme and be sure to get an order of home fries if your food doesn’t come with them. We did not have lunch or dinner here, but if you have, comment below and share your thoughts!
Food Trucks Newport has numerous Food Trucks
We only had the chance to try one of the food trucks, and it was excellent. I recommend checking out the food trucks and schedules here for yourself, as there are numerous different ones, and things can change. We noticed that the food trucks can pack it in earlier than the schedules say. So be sure not to hit the food truck too close to closing time. These are a great option to save on a few meals, especially if you have a family. We have only tried one of the food trucks:
A Mano Pizza and Gelato– Brick-oven pizza and handmade gelato. There is a custom glass window inside the oven so you can watch your pie cook! We got a pizza and it was VERY good, and we’re picky with our pizza. It was nice and crisp. See below for our pizza, our view, and a little tip!
tip: If you can hit the food trucks when they’re at Brenton Point state park, which is on ocean Ave, Then you’ll get the beautiful view we did. You can get an affordable meal that has a better view than the fancy places!
Well Worth it Splurge Restaurants
Audette 505 Thames St. Tuesday-Sunday 5-9pm
I heard SO MANY good things about this restaurant, I had to go!! When we visited, it was the Bouchard Inn, and it has since become Audette. The menu is French, and some of the same dishes are still offered. I called today to confirm:) We plan to visit the new restaurant this summer, and I will then update this post. Read more about our visit below. I’ll admit it’s lengthy, but if you’re going to spend a good amount on dinner, you want a decent review, I imagine.
tip: Free off-street parking is available. You have to go inside and get a parking pass. But keep in mind this restaurant is right near the harbor in the heart of newport. If you parked for the day in Newport you can easily walk here.
We had the hardest time getting into this restaurant. Finally, I called and they said they have a few tables outside that are first come first serve. We quickly walked over and were able to secure one of those tables. But I would make reservations well ahead of time. The only downfall was that our photos are dark because it was getting dark outside. I’m sure their menu changes, but I will share our dishes with you so you can get an idea of what to expect. I took notes as we ate, like any decent blogger would do! I’ll share them below…
Bread– They give you warm bread knots that are served with unsalted butter sprinkled with Himalayan rock salt. They seemed like a twist on a sour dough, although they’re not. The knots were warm and buttery, dusted with flour. They had a stretchiness due to being high gluten. These knots were definitely unique, but good, which is what we are all going for at a fancy shmancy place, right???
Lobster bisque– I got this the second time we went here and it was DELISH! The best lobster bisque I have ever had. I am hoping Audette will have this so I can try it for you!
Lobster– This was my meal, a 1.25 lb lobster re stuffed with 3 scallops. The pool of sauce my lobster sat in was lobster bisque. DELISH! (That’s directly from my notes, LOL!) The lobster was served with a dollop of potatoes, two dollops of sweet potatoes and a few veggies. This food LITERALLY melted in your mouth. The seafood wasn’t at all chewy, the scallops were cooked just right. The potatoes didn’t even have pepper on them, but they totally didn’t need it. It was perfection!
Filet Mignon with three peppercorn sauce– This was my husband’s meal, are you ready for his review… “It was good, I’d go back.” I can’t… Next time I’ll have to have him describe it to me better while we’re there so I can write something while he devours top notch food in like two seconds. I don’t eat beef or I would have tasted it myself. Sorry, I’ve learned my lesson! I’m sure the potatoes were the same as mine, which were phenomenal!
The dessert:
The waiter recommended the Grand Marnier Soufflé and the Vanilla Six Berry Soup. He said they complimented each other well because the Soufflé has an orange taste. We got the chocolate dessert too, it was essentially a lava cake. Good, but you can get that anyplace.
Grand Marnier Soufflé– This is the dessert they are known for, and Audette still has this on the menu. It is 3 ingredients: egg whites, sugar, and Grand Marnier liquor. The top was light golden which made for a nice aesthetic, along with caramelized sugar. There was a slight orange taste if you’re looking for it, but if the waiter hadn’t mentioned it, I don’t know that I would have noticed. The waiter drizzled sauce over it as it was being served. I will say, I’m not a fan of soggy bread, and it lends itself to that. That said, I handled it okay. It is a light and airy dessert that is not dry (yes, I hate the word moist:). Honestly, mixing it with the Berry Soup saved this dessert, in my opinion!
Vanilla 6 Berry Soup– This dessert was delicious!!! I liked it better than the soufflé, if you’re just getting one dessert. Two of the berries were pomegranates and cranberries, making the soup rather tart. It came with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and whipped cream.
Castle Hill Inn- Aurelia 590 Ocean Drive Thursday-Monday 5:30-9pm
We have not dined at Aurelia because it is super expensive in my book. Plus, they have The Lawn for a more affordable option at Castle Hill Inn, so we opted to eat there. Aurelia (formerly The Dining Room) is a Forbes Four Star Restaurant that is very well known in Newport, hence the mention. Far be it from me to hide it from those who are fine spending what this costs.
Some things to note about Aurelia: they feature a curated menu (Coastal New England and globally inspired) guided by a culinary and service team. I would say this is a big splurge! Maybe someday we will try it, but for now, it seemed a bit fancier than we were looking for, and I’m sure I would have felt totally out of place, to be honest! Besides, we were so pleased with my other fancy option that I prefer to return there for a splurge meal. You can read more about Aurelia and their menu here. Find frequently asked questions here. These will cover dress code, kiddos, bringing your own wine and more.
They have valet parking. See above under Castle Hill Inn- The Lawn to read more about this.
tip: Both of these restaurants are very difficult to get into, especially in the summer months. I would recommend making reservations as soon as you know the dates you’ll be in Newport.
These were my favorite Newport Rhode Island restaurants
Whew, this was a lot for even me to write. Hopefully, if you’re planning a trip to Newport these suggestions will give you a good start, restaurant wise. I tried to include places for any budget. I have just grazed the surface of the restaurant scene in this beautiful city so if you have eaten at other great places in Newport, let me know in the comments below. Happy travels and eating!
This post was all about Newport Rhode Island restaurants.
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