Federal Hill: Crime and Cuisine Food Tour
Enjoy a food tour with a felonious twist. Come take a taste of Providence's Italian neighborhood while also learning about its historical characters who didn't always ...
What to order at Al Forno
- Must order
- A grilled pizza Margherita and the baked penne with tomato cream sauce.
- Signature dishes
- Grilled pizza, Baked pasta with tomato cream and five cheeses, Wood-grilled clams
- Editor tip
- Tuesday to Saturday only, 17:00-20:30. No reservations for parties under five; walk in by 17:15 or book on Tock.
Signature dishes: Grilled pizza, Baked pasta with tomato cream and five cheeses, Wood-grilled clams
Must order: A grilled pizza Margherita and the baked penne with tomato cream sauce.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday only, 17:00-20:30. No reservations for parties under five; walk in by 17:15 or book on Tock.
Book food experiences in Providence
Providence: Federal Hill Dinner Stroll with Italian Dinner
Savor the flavors of Providence’s Little Italy on a guided dinner stroll. Enjoy a 4-course Italian meal with antipasto, house-made pastas, and desserts.
Providence Food and History Walking Tour: Global Flavors
Explore Providence's Fox Point neighborhood on a guided walking tour. Learn about its immigrant history and enjoy tastings at some of the best immigrant-owned restaurants.
Location
Address: 577 South Water Street, Providence, RI 02903
Also in downtown
Bacaro ★ 4.4
Bacaro on South Water Street has a Venetian-style enoteca downstairs and a full Italian dining room upstairs. Cicchetti, salumeria plates, Italian wines.
Signature: Cicchetti plates, House salumi, Hand-rolled pasta
Order: A round of cicchetti at the downstairs bar with a glass of Lugana, then a pasta upstairs.
Tip: Tuesday through Saturday, 17:00-22:00. The downstairs bar takes walk-ins; book the upstairs dining room.
Mill's Tavern ★ 4.5
Mill's Tavern in the old Pilgrim Mill building on North Main is downtown's regular business steakhouse. Wagyu, wood-grilled fish, award-winning wine list.
Signature: Wagyu steaks, Wood-grilled fish of the day, Wood-oven flatbreads
Order: A wood-grilled fish of the day, with a glass off the deep Italian section of the list.
Tip: Monday to Thursday 17:00-20:30, Friday and Saturday until 21:30. Reservations via OpenTable.
Oberlin ★ 4.6
Ben Sukle and Bethany Caliaro's Oberlin on Westminster runs hand-rolled pastas and a small raw bar. 2025 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant finalist.
Signature: House-made pasta, Raw bar, Rhode Island seafood
Order: A pasta from the day's chalkboard and a half-dozen Rhode Island oysters from the raw bar.
Tip: Thursday-Monday 17:00 onwards; walk-ins at the counter, book dining tables on Resy two to three weeks out.
Hemenway's ★ 4.3
Hemenway's on the Providence River reopened March 5, 2025 after a refresh of the bar, raw bar and lobster tanks. Anchor downtown seafood since 1985.
Signature: Shellfish platter, Maine lobster, Lobster mac and cheese
Order: The signature Shellfish Platter from the raw bar, or a one-and-a-quarter pound Maine lobster.
Tip: Reservations via OpenTable; the raw bar takes walk-ins and has the best skyline view.
More restaurants in Providence
Persimmon ★ 4.8
Champe and Lisa Speidel's Persimmon on Hope Street runs four-night seasonal French-leaning cooking. Foie gras, RI shellfish, the city's special-occasion room.
Signature: Seasonal tasting plates, Foie gras, Rhode Island fish of the day
Order: Whatever Champe is plating from the Rhode Island shellfish run.
Tip: Wednesday through Saturday, 17:00 onward. Reservations via the restaurant's own site; book two to four weeks ahead.
Nicks on Broadway ★ 4.7
Derek Wagner's Nicks on Broadway in Providence is a 2026 USA Today Restaurant of the Year. Seasonal locally driven cooking; Wagner a 2025 Beard finalist.
Signature: Daily-changing seasonal plates, House-made charcuterie, Brunch hash
Order: Whatever the chalkboard's running for the week, plus the brunch hash that built the room's reputation.
Tip: Weekend brunch is the busiest service; arrive at 10:00 sharp or book ahead through OpenTable.
Bacaro ★ 4.4
Bacaro on South Water Street has a Venetian-style enoteca downstairs and a full Italian dining room upstairs. Cicchetti, salumeria plates, Italian wines.
Signature: Cicchetti plates, House salumi, Hand-rolled pasta
Order: A round of cicchetti at the downstairs bar with a glass of Lugana, then a pasta upstairs.
Tip: Tuesday through Saturday, 17:00-22:00. The downstairs bar takes walk-ins; book the upstairs dining room.
Mill's Tavern ★ 4.5
Mill's Tavern in the old Pilgrim Mill building on North Main is downtown's regular business steakhouse. Wagyu, wood-grilled fish, award-winning wine list.
Signature: Wagyu steaks, Wood-grilled fish of the day, Wood-oven flatbreads
Order: A wood-grilled fish of the day, with a glass off the deep Italian section of the list.
Tip: Monday to Thursday 17:00-20:30, Friday and Saturday until 21:30. Reservations via OpenTable.
Oberlin ★ 4.6
Ben Sukle and Bethany Caliaro's Oberlin on Westminster runs hand-rolled pastas and a small raw bar. 2025 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant finalist.
Signature: House-made pasta, Raw bar, Rhode Island seafood
Order: A pasta from the day's chalkboard and a half-dozen Rhode Island oysters from the raw bar.
Tip: Thursday-Monday 17:00 onwards; walk-ins at the counter, book dining tables on Resy two to three weeks out.
Hemenway's ★ 4.3
Hemenway's on the Providence River reopened March 5, 2025 after a refresh of the bar, raw bar and lobster tanks. Anchor downtown seafood since 1985.
Signature: Shellfish platter, Maine lobster, Lobster mac and cheese
Order: The signature Shellfish Platter from the raw bar, or a one-and-a-quarter pound Maine lobster.
Tip: Reservations via OpenTable; the raw bar takes walk-ins and has the best skyline view.