Bistros, trattorias and the everyday rooms where Providence actually eats.
Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Providence actually eats.
Andino's on Atwells is a Federal Hill stalwart. Veal scaloppine, snail salad and the canonical hot-pepper Rhode Island calamari; Al Fresco patio in summer.
Signature: Veal scaloppine, Snail salad, Rhode Island calamari
Order: Snail salad, RI calamari with cherry peppers, then veal scaloppine.
Tip: Open daily until 21:45 (22:45 Fri-Sat). The Atwells outdoor seats are best on Al Fresco Saturdays from June through early September.
Cassarino's on Atwells, opened 1988, is the candlelit Federal Hill room locals book midweek. Northern Italian classics, a marble bar, polished service.
Signature: Lobster ravioli, Veal piccata, Tiramisu
Order: Lobster ravioli or veal piccata; close with the house tiramisu.
Tip: Walk-in seats at the bar serve the full menu; book the booths through OpenTable.
Joe and Esther DeQuattro's Pane e Vino, on Federal Hill since 2002, pours Southern Italian cooking and a 120-bottle all-Italian list. Half-price Mondays.
Signature: House-made pasta, Veal Milanese, All-Italian wine list
Order: Veal Milanese with a glass of Aglianico, or a flight of the pasta of the day.
Tip: Half-price wine all day Monday; the Atwells patio is the best seat on Al Fresco Saturdays.
Massimo on Atwells runs contemporary regional Italian under the DeQuattro family. Gluten-free menu, biodynamic wines, marble bar with seats.
Signature: Regional Italian pasta, Biodynamic wines, Branzino
Order: Whatever regional pasta is the special, plus a glass of small-producer Italian red.
Tip: Open Sunday for brunch from 10:30; Monday through Thursday until 21:30, weekends to 22:30.
Bacaro on South Water is part Venetian bacaro, part full Italian dining room. Cicchetti and salumeria at the downstairs bar; pasta and entree dining upstairs.
Signature: Cicchetti plates, House salumi, Hand-rolled pasta
Order: A round of cicchetti and a glass of Lugana downstairs; a pasta upstairs.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday, 17:00 to 22:00; downstairs bar walks in, dining room takes reservations.
Costantino's Venda on DePasquale Square pairs the 1938 Italian pasta market with a full restaurant. Hand-pressed ravioli, the fountain patio.
Signature: Hand-pressed ravioli, Pasta of the day, Federal Hill seafood pasta
Order: Whatever ravioli is being run from the downstairs market, with a glass off the Italian list.
Tip: Free live music on the plaza patio nightly through summer; the deli takes pasta to-go.
Chef Robert Andreozzi's Pizza Marvin on Wickenden runs New Haven pizza with a small raw bar; the Pepperoni Negroni is the house cocktail order.
Signature: New Haven-style pies, Shucked clams, Pepperoni Negroni
Order: A pepperoni pie, a dozen shucked clams, a Pepperoni Negroni.
Tip: Walk-ins only; the small dining room turns over quickly between 18:00 and 21:00.
Den Den Cafe Asiana on Benefit Street is the all-day Asian counter from the Den Den hospitality group. Bibimbap, soba, tonkatsu, rice bowls, gyoza.
Signature: Hot-stone bibimbap, Seafood pancake, Katsu
Order: Hot-stone bibimbap and a seafood pancake; an order of fried chicken to share.
Tip: Counter ordering; bring it back to the small dining room or take out. Late lunch is the quietest hour.
Den Den's Korean fried chicken counter on Angell Street: double-fried wings and drumsticks in plain or gochujang glazes; small dining room, takeaway.
Signature: Double-fried wings, Sweet-and-spicy drumsticks, Tteokbokki
Order: Double-fried drumsticks with sweet-and-spicy glaze, plus an order of tteokbokki.
Tip: Half-and-half a tray of plain and spicy; orders ship in 12 to 15 minutes once you order.
Apsara on Public Street is Providence's longest-running Cambodian kitchen, with a pan-Southeast Asian menu running through Vietnamese, Thai and Lao classics.
Signature: Nime chow, Khmer curry, Singapore noodles
Order: Nime chow with peanut sauce and a Khmer curry; Singapore noodles if you want heat.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays; lunch is the quickest sit. Counter is no-frills strip-mall style, but the cooking is serious.
Los Andes on Chalkstone is the Providence Peruvian and Bolivian destination, with a waterfall and koi-pond patio. Lomo saltado, anticuchos, salteñas.
Signature: Lomo saltado, Anticuchos, Salteñas
Order: Lomo saltado and a round of anticuchos; ask if there are salteñas at lunch.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday for dinner with a 15:00 Sunday lunch; book the patio in summer.
Youssef Akhtarini's Aleppo Sweets on Ives opened in 2019, three years after his family resettled from Syria. Eight baklava plus a mezze menu.
Signature: Baklava, Mezze, Lamb kabob
Order: Pistachio baklava, an order of muhammara and a lamb kabob plate.
Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday; the takeaway counter does the same baklava as the dining room.
Wara Wara on Hope Street has been serving ramen, cold sake, oysters and tapas since 2016. Compact dining room; the bar takes counter orders late.
Signature: Ramen, Pork belly buns, Oysters and sake
Order: A bowl of tonkotsu ramen, pork belly buns, a glass of cold junmai.
Tip: Closed Sunday; the small bar turns over for walk-ins on weeknights.
Nicholas and Monica Gillespie's Dune Brothers built a Fox Point fish market, sit-down room and takeout window on Ives Street in 2024. Pier-to-plate fish.
Signature: Fish sandwich, Fish and chips, Underutilised local species
Order: The fish sandwich and a side of fries; whatever local fish is on the chalkboard.
Tip: The Jewelry District shack on Dyer Street is seasonal; the Fox Point room on Ives runs year-round.
Sicilia's on Atwells has been a Federal Hill family pizzeria for 30-plus years. Home of the original deep-dish stuffed pizza; slice service, casual back room.
Signature: Stuffed deep-dish pizza, Cheese pizza by the slice, Pasta dishes
Order: A slice of the stuffed deep-dish, or a small pie of plain cheese for the comparison.
Tip: The slice line moves quickly; sit-down dining at the back is rarely busy.