Borealis Coffee Riverside is a cafe room in East Side. Cycle here from downtown on the East Bay path, eight miles each way; the cafe closes at 15:00.
Editorially verified May 31, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: A specialty coffee roastery in a restored 1850s train depot in Riverside off the East Bay Bike Path, ten minutes from downtown but invisible to most visitors.
Tip: Cycle here from downtown on the East Bay path, eight miles each way; the cafe closes at 15:00.
Address: 250 Bullocks Point Avenue, Riverside, RI 02915, Providence
The Wickenden Pub is over 100 belgian beers from a wood-panelled fox point dive that has barely changed since the 1990s; not on any tourist map.
Why locals love it: Over 100 Belgian beers from a wood-panelled Fox Point dive that has barely changed since the 1990s; not on any tourist map.
Tip: Take a bartender's suggestion off the Belgian list; the menu is too long to read cold.
Aleppo Sweets is a turkish room in Fox Point. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Order the pistachio baklava and a Turkish coffee for the counter.
Why locals love it: Refugee-owned Syrian baklava bakery a block off Wickenden, often missed for the louder Federal Hill scene; named to Bon Appetit's Top 50 in 2019.
Tip: Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Order the pistachio baklava and a Turkish coffee for the counter.
Apsara is providence's quietest cambodian kitchen sits in a public street strip mall well off any visitor map; the food runs khmer, vietnamese, thai and lao.
Why locals love it: Providence's quietest Cambodian kitchen sits in a Public Street strip mall well off any visitor map; the food runs Khmer, Vietnamese, Thai and Lao.
Tip: Closed Wednesdays. Order the nime chow with peanut sauce and a fiery Singapore noodle.
Los Andes in Providence: peruvian room. Providence's only serious Peruvian and Bolivian room sits on Chalkstone Avenue across town from any.
Why locals love it: Providence's only serious Peruvian and Bolivian room sits on Chalkstone Avenue across town from any visitor circuit; the koi-pond patio is worth the cab.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday for dinner; Sunday lunch from 15:00. Book the koi-pond patio in summer.
Hartley's Pork Pies on Smithfield Ave in Lincoln is the 1900 Yorkshire pork-pie recipe carried to Fall River, sold from a Providence-suburb takeout counter.
Why locals love it: A Yorkshire pork-pie recipe carried to Fall River in 1900, sold out of a Lincoln storefront in the Providence suburbs. No seating, takeout only.
Tip: Closed Sunday through Tuesday. The original pork pie is best eaten the next day, room temperature with mustard.
