The Best Places to Eat in Providence, Rhode Island, According to an Award-winning Chef and Local Expert

Ask someone to name a city’s best restaurants for an upcoming trip, and you’ll get suggestions like checking with local residents, getting advice from a chef, or reading up on the tourism bureau website. After spending four days of delicious dining and exploring Providence, Rhode Island, along with three chefs, a local restaurateur, and a Providence tourism expert, it’s no surprise that every meal was exceptional, showcasing the distinctive and diverse cuisine this city has to offer.

Michael Cimarusti, executive chef and owner of award-winning Michelin-starred Los Angeles restaurant Providence, was returning to the city where he spent summers with his grandparents, the beginning of his love and respect for seafood. A dedicated proponent of sustainable fishing practices, Cimarusti was in Providence to speak on that subject to culinary arts students at Johnson and Wales University. Also along were Cimarusti’s wife, pastry chef Cristina Echiverri, and executive chef Sam Baxter of Connie and Ted’s, another Cimarusti restaurant, named in honor of his grandparents.

With our small group of delighted diners, we cruised the Providence River, sampled vodka and gin (made with oysters!) from a local distillery, fished for striped bass, visited the Rhode Island Seafood Festival, and enjoyed lunch prepared and served by students at Johnson and Wales University.

For your own visit to Providence — which we highly recommend — here are ideas for dining and touring the “Creative Capital” of the smallest state in the U.S.

Dune Brothers

Chef Nicholas Gillespie and his wife Monica offer authentic New England seafood overlooking the sea with picnic tables on the lawn and a welcoming take-out window. Fish and chips, lobster rolls, beer-battered fish sandwiches, clam cakes, squid salad, chowder, and an array of side dishes are on the menu. We enjoyed a bit of everything, and I learned about Rhode Island clam chowder — a clear soup with potatoes, thyme, and diced quahog clams — unlike creamy New England or tomato-based Manhattan style. It’s a local specialty, claimed to be the best version of clam chowder, flavorful and light. (I agree.) Adding to the old-world atmosphere, the restaurant is next to the Looff Carousel, originally built in 1895.

Dolores

Serving contemporary and regional Mexican cuisine from the Mixteca region of Puebla and Oaxaca, with tacos, enchiladas, ceviches, stews, and craft cocktails, family-owned Dolores specializes in a variety of moles. Known for mole poblano, James Beard award finalist chef Maria Meza works along with her two sons, general manager Joaquin and bar manager, Marco. During our visit, we sampled mole negro with plantain, mole poblano with Baffoni farm chicken, and mole verde with octopus, chorizo, pistachio, and a gordita, along with delicious, well-matched cocktails. The colorful, lively atmosphere continues with a late-night menu Thursday to Saturday as well as dinner and Sunday brunch.

Persimmon

This attractive restaurant presents modern American cuisine on exquisitely composed plates, along with an extensive selection of wines sourced from countries around the world. The menu focuses on seasonal ingredients, changing a bit each night as chef Champe Speidel highlights his creativity for his guests’ enjoyment. And enjoy it all, we did, indulging in succulent oysters, several topped with sea urchin and ossetra caviar to start. We shared New Zealand salmon belly tartare with caviar on crispy rice, sauteed Hudson Valley foie gras, seared Massachusetts sea scallops with chanterelles, sweet corn, and celery root in scallop butter sauce. Each dish was both beautiful and tasty, ending with desserts like a chocolate tart with Guanaja chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, and sea salt.

Dolce & Salato

Chef Armando Bisceglia’s enthusiasm for the finest ingredients from olive oil to cheese and produce is apparent in both his cuisine and his presence. Traditional Italian dishes like cacio e pepe, rigatoni alla puttanesca, and risotto pomodoro are offered along with beloved family recipes that include lasagna della nonna and eggplant parmesan. The Armando Experience, featured Thursday to Sunday, includes four or five courses prepared by the chef along with optional wine pairings. We enjoyed a lunch of creamy burrata with ripe, red cherry tomatoes, crisp bread with flecks of rosemary, and spaghetti puttanesca-style with white anchovies. Bisceglia’s dining room is attractive and intimate, and an outdoor dining area is available. He plans to expand his garden for seasonal al fresco dining.

Gracie’s

This award-winning restaurant is set with intimate round tables, white tablecloths, and warm lighting, the perfect ambiance for what turned out to be a parade of beautifully composed dishes, accompanied by a curated selection of wines with each course. A five or seven course tasting menu showcases chef Matthew Varga’s skill with seasonal local ingredients and creative presentation, and dishes can also be ordered a la carte. We feasted on Hudson Valley foie gras, Crescent Farms duck, Point Judith sea scallops with fresh corn polenta, russet potato gnocchi, and more, finishing with a dessert that was as delicious as it was picturesque.

Bellini

Set in a lovely room off the lobby of The Beatrice in historic downtown Providence, Bellini features traditional Italian cuisine in an elegant atmosphere. Dinner starts with antipasti selections that include Homemade Sausage with Broccoli Rabe, a Charcuterie plate, Burrata with Heirloom Tomatoes, and Grass-fed Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio. We started with a delicious crudo of shrimp, branzino, salmon, and scallops along with oysters on the half shell. The menu continues with salads, pastas, risotto, seafood, meats, and desserts. I would suggest starting on the Bellini Rooftop (for guests of The Beatrice and members only, open Wednesday-Friday) where you can sip a Bellini Cocktail with a view of the city’s skyline.

Gift Horse

This cleverly named full-service raw bar was a delightful stop, with a horseshoe-shaped bar displaying rows of oysters surrounded by crushed ice, and above colorful stained glass with a rather quizzical looking cartoon horse. The atmosphere is lively, and fresh shellfish, including more than ten types of local oysters, littleneck clams, mussels, and scallops, served with unique sauces. Cooked dishes are on the menu too, with crispy oysters, whole fish, a buttered scallop roll, monkfish toast, and more. Platters include a selection of shellfish, crudo plates, smoked fish dip, and fried nori chips, with chilled lobster optional. For a special treat, there’s caviar with doughboys, another Rhode Island specialty that was new to me — fried yeast dough — delicious and a perfect nod to local cuisine.

Oberlin

Right next door and conveniently connected, owners chef Ben Sukle and sommelier/general manager Bethany Caliaro serve creative dishes in a stunning setting with a hand-painted mural ceiling, gorgeous bar, and rich wood. The centerpiece of our dinner at Oberlin was whole wood roasted striped bass, caught by chefs Cimarusti and Gillespie during our fishing excursion. There was also spaghetti with Rhode Island shellfish and tomato, and several delicious sides. The menu includes mussels, Rhode Island scallops, and a long list of fresh fish served raw or roasted along with tempting dishes like Sicilian-style eggplant lasagna fritta and wood-roasted, stuffed squid. A unique selection of wines curated by Caliaro encourages trying something new to accompany dinner. We enjoyed Nok Vino, a sparkling apple grape wine from New Hampshire — different and delicious.

Hope & Main

This downtown Providence mainstay, steps from The Beatrice, is the first stop each morning for locals who take advantage of convenient grab-and-go items or sit down for a more leisurely breakfast. We picked up a morning treat of chocolate babka and artisan coffees to start one busy day. (I’m still dreaming of that luscious sweet bread!) Also open for lunch, Hope & Main is Rhode Island’s premier culinary incubator with its mission to empower entrepreneurs to jumpstart food businesses. On display for sale there are food and gift items created by businesses that were launched with the help of Hope & Main’s members. I picked up granola, cookies, and chocolates, each delicious and beautifully packaged.