On the rocks by the side of ocean drive: where the sea meets the sky
Newport, Rhode Island, is quintessentially New England to me. It’s charm lies in the ease of walking around the beautiful downtown area, the accessibility of it’s abundance of ocean based activities and the friendliness of the locals. It’s a quick 3.5 hour drive from NYC and is perfect for a long weekend getaway or a week long trip. There is simply so much to do in this charming town, that if you can – I really would recommend you stay at for at least 4 days – an ideal trip for me would be around a week to fully enjoy all that Newport has to offer at a leisurely pace.
See below for the best places to eat, stay and things to do while in Newport.
EAT
The Lawn, at Castle Hill Inn
The Mooring
The service here is friendly and the food hits the mark every time. To top it off it has a lovely view of the Marina at sunset. Make sure you ask for a marina view table if you visit. I thoroughly enjoyed dining at The Mooring and would highly recommend getting the lobster roll and a cocktail or two to watch the sunset while you are here. They also carry a nice selection of local beers, which went great with the roll (I am not a big beer fan, I usually enjoy my wine a lot more– but even I enjoyed the combination here!)
THE BLACK PEARL
Bannisters Wharf, Newport RI, 02840
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Right in the center of Bannister’s Wharf, you can’t miss The Black Pearl. The Clam Chowder here is famous and you can even buy tins of the chowder to bring home with you. The hint of dill in the chowder really elevates this chowder and is possibly the best Chowder that I have had (even after living a year in Boston and getting to know all the different clam chowders Boston has to offer). If you are in the area, be sure to stop by and try it for yourself. The Black Pearl has a twist on the lobster rolls by serving it in a croissant!
BOWENS 22
Bowen’s Wharf, Newport, RI 02840
Bowen 22 is right on Bowen’s wharf right next to the Marina where the boat tours around the harbor can be booked. It’s run by the same company that runs The Mooring and a number of other great restaurants in the area. Its location is very convenient for a post-sail dinner and the food is very solid. The atmosphere here is perfect for a date night.
Gurneys Resort Newport – The Lounge and Firepit
1 Goat Island, Newport, RI 02840
Gurney’s Resort Newport outdoor dining is quite delightful. I especially love the fire pits, for the extra warmth, as New England Summers can get unexpectedly cool in the evenings. It has a gorgeous view of the sunset with the Newport Bridge in the foreground. The food here is well-executed, the stand out for me are the cocktails. The cocktails here are just delicious and you would be amiss not to try one – or two. I can’t wait to go back and try the indoor dining here at Scarpetta – which is more formal and is just delightful here in NYC.
Newport Lobster Shack
150 Long Wharf, Newport, RI 02840
The freshness of the lobster here is hard to beat, they make it with the day’s catch and you can taste it in every bite. It’s a trailer with some covered outdoor seating right on the dock and the seafood here is simply the freshest. I highly recommend the lobster dinner. If you are in the mood for a lobster roll – the rolls are made with the same incredibly fresh lobster but instead of brioche bread toasted and slathered in butter – the way I like mine – it is served in a regular roll, which the health-conscious among you may enjoy.
The Roof Deck & The Gwynne
41 Mary Street, Newport RI, 02840
The Gwynne is a lovely little spot for brunch, the food here is solid but you are really here for the décor – which is quite charming. The Roof deck offers lovely views over the rooftops of Newport – especially at sunset and it’s hard to beat a cocktail here with the rooftop view.
STAY
THE CHANLER
117 Memorial Blvd, Newport, RI 02840
Put simply, I adore the Chanler. The attention to detail at this boutique hotel is apparent at every turn and the staff is the embodiment of discreet hospitality. The hotel’s gilded age elegance has been lovingly maintained and it’s absolutely delightful. Much of the decor in the hotel is reminiscent of English Country Houses mixed with French Renaissance, simply oozing that Old World elegance. I love that many of the rooms have private entrances – and for some of them – you get your own private hot tub and sauna! What a way to stay socially distanced! The restaurant on-site at the hotel has – in my opinion – one of the best views as it overlooks the cliff walk and First Beach.
If you are a hotel guest, you can explore the little wooded areas and beautiful gardens that make up the hotel grounds where you can sit in an Adirondack chair and enjoy a cocktail. I especially love that they use hydrangeas as shrubbery all around the grounds, during June/July you’ll see gorgeous blue hydrangeas at every turn. The Chanler is top on the list for our next visit to Newport!
GURNEYS NEWPORT RESORT & MARINA
1 Goat Island, Newport, RI 02840
Modern, life-by-the sea with a touch of cool insouciance and plenty of mid-century touches is what you’ll find here at Gurneys, Newport. In line with the other hotels in the Gurney’s Family of hotels, hailing from Montauk, all the decor channels that laid-back beach feeling. Many of the rooms look out onto the water or have a view of the Newport Bridge. One of my favorite things here is the little lighthouse at the back of the hotel that you can take photos next to. If you walk down from the pool to the ocean, you will find hammocks, sun loungers and Adirondack Chairs to watch the sunset in. I highly recommend pulling up a chair to watch the sunset over the Newport Bridge with a cocktail from the Pineapple Club. Gurney’s Newport has the only outside hotel pool in Newport and it delightful for a dip in summer before you retreat to a cabana cocktail in hand.
On a side note, the Spa is very clean and has well priced services. My masseuse was a delight and really worked hard to get those knots out of my shoulders.
CASTLE HILL INN
590 Ocean Drive, Newport, RI 02840
Castle Hill Inn’s location by Ocean Drive, already makes a stay here special. Couple the location with a private entrance cottage that offers access to a private beach and a lighthouse, with access to a delightful restaurant (with the best lobster rolls) means that it is firmly ensconced in my list of places to stay in Newport.
DO
Gilded Age Mansions
It wouldn’t be a visit to Newport without mentioning the fabulous Mansions that abound in Newport. Arguably the most famous of which is The Breakers, the summer cottage for the Vanderbilts. All the houses, are stunning and have their own unique architecture, often based on French or Italian Renaissance style. Even if you don’t enjoy tours of historic mansions, I would highly recommend that you go for a walk along the cliff walk to see the mansions from the outside and see some of the mansions on a drive down Ocean drive, as the coastline is simply, stunning. Photos are all from The Breakers.
Beach
All the public beaches at Newport are delightful, the easiest to get to from downtown Newport is the first beach, as it’s by the Cliff walk and is probably the largest beach with ample parking – unless it’s a holiday weekend, or numbers are restricted as they are currently. The first beach does tend to collect seaweed though which can result in some funky smells in the summer, so I think the second beach or third beach (though smaller) are nicer.
Private Charters
If you enjoy sailing, I would highly recommend that you plan ahead and try to charter a private sail, as there are a lot of little coves in the Newport/Narragansett bay area that is simply delightful to swim in the summer that is only really reachable in a private boat. Don’t worry if you don’t have your own yacht, you can easily charter one on Get My Boat or Boatsetter. We ended up chartering our yacht with Get My Boat, as I liked the captain there the best. Make sure you spend some time chatting to the Captains about your desired itinerary and what you can bring on the boat etc. before booking to ensure that both parties are satisfied with the experience. (Tip: Most boats will not allow lack bottom sneakers or high heels as they may mark the floors, be prepared to take them off if you do wear them). The process is pretty seamless and easy and not unlike booking an Airbnb Pro tip: Make sure you read the reviews! I included a screenshot* of the Boat that I booked below for your reference, as I really loved our Captain and can‘t wait to book again with him when we are in Newport again.
Sunset Cruise
If you don’t have time to explore the ocean in a private charter, this is the next best thing. You get to enjoy champagne on a beautiful Schooner at sunset with lovely views of Newport from the water. We ended up booking our sunset cruise with Sightsailing Cruises onboard the Aquidneck, which was just delightful. Just make sure to bring a light jacket as it can get cool in the evening on the water. There are a number of companies offering sunset/morning/daytime cruises (another option is: Classic Cruises of Newport)you can find stands for all of them on Bowen’s Wharf. There is not much of a price difference between them, and they all allow you to charter the schooner for a private event if you’d like, and you can see all the ships in the dock and select the one that appeals to you the most!
Parasailing
How does flying on 1000 feet above Newport to see Narragansett Bay from the air sound to you? I absolutely loved it! The crew at Island Style Parasail were delightful and made sure everyone was safe. If you don’t want to lose your phone/camera, you have the option to ask the crew to pay for additional photos or rent a GoPro from them. If you have a waterproof pouch, that has a lanyard, I would recommend that you take that up with you on your parasail as the GoPro is not as good for selfies and video to upload to IG afterward.
Fishing
I am not a fishing person, but even I enjoyed the fishing tour out into the Narragansett Bay. We booked a 3- hour tour with Fish n’ Tales Adventures, it left at 7 am and got back around 10.30 am. You can fish for black bass, scup, and flounder and you get to keep anything that you catch (that is of legal size). The crew is wonderful at helping out first-time fishing folks like myself and more seasoned fishermen/fisherwomen as well. They will teach you everything that you need to know on the boat when you are out on the water and are always on hand to help out. For the newbies, they will help you bait the line and assist you if you get tangled in seaweed (yup that was me). I managed to catch 7 fish on my first trip! I went back again on my next visit to Newport – that’s how much fun it was! Just bring your own cooler to keep the fish fresh and the crew will fillet any fish that you catch for you!
Tips for visiting
The downtown area of Newport is very walkable, and parking is expensive. You can rent bicycles or scooters to easily get around town and Uber/Lyft are also easily available. Except in the Castle Inn area, where you will most likely need to get car service. If you do get stuck – just ask the Castle Inn lobby staff for a card with the numbers of local car service operators on. They have it all pre-printed and ready for you! If you have car – I really recommend taking a drive along ocean road. The coastline there is spectacular and probably my favorite. Though there is no beach, the rocks and how the sea meets the sky there, is just mesmerizing.
I hope that you find the guide helpful for your visit to Newport – please let me know if you use any of the recommendations!
Peony xoxo
*In case you wanted the same Boat and Captain from www.getmyboat.com
screenshot of the boat that I booked through Get my boat – loved our Captain!
