Oberlin is a pasta and seafood restaurant in Downtown, Providence.
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 dishes: House-made pasta, Raw bar, Rhode Island seafood
Must 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.
Address: 266 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
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.
Sarto returned to its downtown Dorrance Street room in 2024. Regional Italian with a 2024 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence list; weekend live jazz.
Signature: Regional Italian pasta, House charcuterie, Wine Spectator list
Order: A regional pasta off the rotating section, with a pour from the small-producer red list.
Tip: Wednesday and Thursday 16:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday to 23:00; jazz on weekend evenings.
Tom and Natalie Dennen's Bayberry Garden in the Innovation District has a plant-filled dining room, sustainable raw bar, and a Pedestrian Bridge patio.
Signature: Sustainable raw bar, Grilled Caesar, Steak frites
Order: Half a dozen New England oysters from the raw bar, then the grilled Caesar and steak frites.
Tip: Dinner Tuesday to Sunday; brunch Saturday and Sunday; the patio under the Pedestrian Bridge is the most-booked seat in summer.
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.
Massimo on Federal Hill's Atwells Avenue runs contemporary regional Italian under the DeQuattro family. Gluten-free menu, all-biodynamic Italian wines.
Signature: Regional Italian pastas, Biodynamic Italian wines, Branzino
Order: Whatever pasta is being run as the regional special, with a glass of small-grower Italian red.
Tip: Monday through Thursday until 21:30, Friday and Saturday until 22:30. Resy reservations.
Joe and Esther DeQuattro's Pane e Vino, on Federal Hill since 2002, runs Southern Italian cooking with a 120-bottle all-Italian wine list. Half-price Mondays.
Signature: House-made pasta, Veal Milanese, Italian wine list
Order: Veal Milanese with a glass of Aglianico, or a tasting of the daily pasta specials.
Tip: Half-price wine all day Monday; the Atwells patio is the best people-watching seat on the Hill.
Sarto returned to its downtown Dorrance Street room in 2024. Regional Italian with a 2024 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence list; weekend live jazz.
Signature: Regional Italian pasta, House charcuterie, Wine Spectator list
Order: A regional pasta off the rotating section, with a pour from the small-producer red list.
Tip: Wednesday and Thursday 16:00 to 22:00, Friday and Saturday to 23:00; jazz on weekend evenings.
Tom and Natalie Dennen's Bayberry Garden in the Innovation District has a plant-filled dining room, sustainable raw bar, and a Pedestrian Bridge patio.
Signature: Sustainable raw bar, Grilled Caesar, Steak frites
Order: Half a dozen New England oysters from the raw bar, then the grilled Caesar and steak frites.
Tip: Dinner Tuesday to Sunday; brunch Saturday and Sunday; the patio under the Pedestrian Bridge is the most-booked seat in summer.
Andino's on Federal Hill's Atwells Avenue is a longtime stalwart. Veal scaloppine, snail salad and the canonical Rhode Island hot-pepper calamari.
Signature: Veal scaloppine, Snail salad, Rhode Island calamari
Order: Snail salad, RI calamari with cherry peppers, then a veal scaloppine.
Tip: Open daily until 21:45 (22:45 Fri-Sat); Al Fresco on the Hill street seating runs June through early September.
