Lively Libations

From the best G & T (gin & tonic) you have ever sipped to the tastiest brunch you’ve gobbled up after a big night on the town, Newport, Rhode Island knows how to serve it up, often within a superlative setting.

Fortunately good views often do accompany great food and drink in this resort town that’s so much about historic architecture and the water. You can start high and take in both city and harbor vistas at Top of Newport Rooftop Bar + Kitchen at the Hotel Viking. Enjoy craft cocktails, tasty apps, salads and sandwiches at this favorite local’s gathering spot. The Roof Deck at Grace Vanderbilt hotel also ranks as a lovely place to watch the sunset in an elegant setting.Down by the water, life churns up by the renowned Newport Yacht Club in eating and drinking establishments that face Newport Harbor. Grab a casual bite–to eat by the waterfront or to go–at The Newport Lobster Shack, a fisherman’s co-op where you can also purchase live, local seafood packed to travel. For excellent seafood and fabulous views, go to The Lobster Bar, situated at the very end of historic Bowen’s Wharf.

Looking for great views, food, drink and entertainment? Check out The Landing at the other end (dockside) of Bowen’s Wharf where you can groove to live music on the patio in a variety of forms from acoustic to classic rock. The Port Grill & Rawbar as well as The Pier Restaurant also provide a great combination of good food and drink, stunning views and entertainment.

Tuck yourself inside for an exceptional dining experience at Bouchard or the Revolving Door, two neighboring restaurants under the same ownership, clearly people of impeccable taste. For an extra special evening, book a room at Bouchard Inn or the Harbor House, two distinctive historic properties that make up this sophisticated enclave of fine dining and lodging in Newport.

Just a coin toss away, also on Thames Street, Zelda’s offers memorable dining within a cozy historic setting as well. And sandwiched between these fine restaurants, you can delight in the best Thai cuisine in Newport at a restaurant called not surprisingly Thai Cuisine.

Back at historic Bannister’s Wharf, a visit to The Black Pearl is a must. Whether it’s for a celebratory meal within their Commodore’s Room (perhaps after an America’s Cup win) or a classic bowl of chowder and Chardonnay on The Patio, a lingering moment passed within this bastion of tradition, this ode to the sailing history of Newport, is one worth living.

In the same league on Bannister’s Wharf, food and libations at The Clarke Cooke House also provide a quintessential Newport experience. For a truly decadent sweet, order the snowball in hell, their iconic dessert that has been served here since the seventies. It’s a dazzling mixture of vanilla ice cream coated in chocolate and coconut and topped with a sparkler. Yes, a sparkler, even when it’s not the Fourth of July. They do a wonderful brunch here, too.

The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar nearby on Sayer’s Wharf also assures an elevated dining experience–there’s seemingly no end to them in tony Newport, Rhode Island.

Fortunately down by the shipyard, Belle’s Café woos sailors and landlubbers alike as a very pleasant, moderately-priced place for breakfast and lunch all day long. They even have dockside dining, to boot!

Thankfully you don’t have to have a Great Gatsby-like billfold to revel in good food and drink in tony Newport, RI. But, of course, it does help.