12 Best Restaurants in Newport, Newport County and East Bay

Excellent service, perfectly cooked steaks, and an extensive, award-winning wine list make dinner here a memorable experience. Although the restaurant is known for its steaks—and it's impossible to go wrong ordering one—you'll find plenty of choices if you're in the mood for something from the sea.

No other restaurant in Newport can compete with the spectacular water views from Aurelia, one of four dining rooms inside the historic main inn. A perfect spot for an indulgently romantic dinner, Castle Hill Inn also serves lunch and dinner on The Lawn, allowing you to savor regional cuisine while watching sunlit clouds drift by. Weekend drinks on the inn's lawn is a Newport summer tradition.

Drinks at a bar favored by the sailing crowd, intimate dinners by the fire, and relaxing lunches overlooking Newport Harbor are a few of the experiences possible at this multilevel complex. The first-floor Candy Store serves casual fare and has a sushi bar; the second-floor offers casual dining in the Bistro and cocktails in the Midway Bar; and the Summer Porch and 12 Metre Yacht Club Room on the third floor have elegant fine dining requiring proper dress. The Sky Bar serves Newport's most expensive cocktail, Newport Water, made with top-shelf Champagne, Grand Marnier, and St. Germain poured over ice.

At this mainstay on the Newport waterfront, you can choose your dining experience based on the ambience and vibe you're looking for. The posh, plank-floored Commodore's Room (business casual dress required) features country pâté, escargot, rack of lamb, stuffed lobster tails, and other classic offerings, while the Tavern has a more casual experience, with standard American fare like salads, burgers, and grilled meat or fish, old nautical charts on the walls, and a four-season patio.

Now located in the Perry Mill building after years on Bannister's Wharf, this tiny espresso bar has views of Newport's vibrant harbor and downtown. Pair a flavored latte and a pastry on a fog-bound early morning, and you'll feel the essence of the city as it awakens around you. Stop back for in-between-meal snacks or a pick-me-up after a night out.

From Russell Morin, one of Newport's most exclusive caterers, comes this chalkboard-menu café where beautifully crafted light fare is served at surprisingly down-to-earth prices. Breakfast—try the egg- and tomato-topped avocado toast—is served all day (including weekend brunch) and creative salads and sandwiches are the makings of a perfect picnic to tote down the street and enjoy on an oceanview mansion lawn. 

Tacos, sharable Mexican snacks, and spicy margaritas are among the go-tos at this casual and—by local standards—affordable restaurant right in the corazon of Newport's lively Bowen's Wharf. Indoor and outdoor dining, including on a roof deck, make Diego's a magnet for visitors on a summer afternoon or evening, and it's worth getting up early on the weekend for a brunch spread that includes a menu of $8 specials like tortas, huevos rancheros, and hash when you buy a tequila-twisted Bloody Mary or other breakfast eye-opening cocktail.

With Bruce the shark out front and a weathered, kitschy vibe, this local institution across from Easton's Beach in Middletown is as casual as they come. Lobster rolls, fried seafood, baked fish, clam cakes, cold beer, and a great raw bar make for long lines in summer. A smaller second location is at Island Park Beach in Portsmouth.

This casual eatery within walking distance of Easton Beach in Middletown has a simple "mission"—deliver great burgers, fries, and hot dogs to the hungry and thirsty shore crowds. A thick and juicy cheeseburger can be had for about $10; toppings are extra and include options like jalapenos or a fried egg. For noncarnivores, there are a couple of falafel options, too.

The “mother” at this Long Wharf eatery refers to the naturally fermented sourdough that underpins the pizzas sliding out of the Neapolitan-style oven, dished to guests alongside selections from an extensive wine list and Rhode Island draft beers. White and red-sauce pizzas are topped with cheese, figs, pineapple, carnitas pork, summer vegetables, and other creative accoutrements.

Share green curry mussels, spiced-up Thai lobster, sinful tuna poke tacos with fried wontons for wraps, and other seasonal small and large plates at this restaurant with a rustic garden setting.  With sprawling indoor-outdoor bars and seating, it's a quirky-fun meetup spot that takes everything from buttermilk brunch biscuits to fruity cocktails and mocktails seriously.

The first tavern opened here in 1673—and ever since, the premises have served, in turn, as a tavern, boardinghouse, restaurant, and even a meetinghouse for Colonial Rhode Island's General Assembly. Today, the tavern provides an intimate fine-dining experience, the mood set by the low dark-beam ceilings, uneven plank floors, and four still-working fireplaces; an outside patio is a more recent addition.