2024 Rhode Island Travel Guide | Best Restaurants, Hotels, & Things to Do

2024 Best of Rhode Island: The Classics

RHODE ISLAND CLASSIC DINING

DINER
Jigger’s Diner, East Greenwich

Shoehorned between larger buildings on East Greenwich’s scenic Main Street, this baby-blue Worcester diner car has been lovingly restored. All-day-breakfast and lunch dishes here have distinctly Rhode Island touches. Try the cornmeal johnnycakes or one of the dozen-each versions of eggs Benedict and omelets. Meaty torpedo sandwiches are daily lunchtime specials, along with healthy salads. Rhode Island coffee milk is the beverage of choice. jiggersdiner.com

ITALIAN
Angelo’s, Providence

Owned by the same extended family from the beginning, this classic red-sauce restaurant celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2024. Angelo’s prides itself on being the “workingman’s” Italian eatery, serving basic fare at affordable prices. Start with the unique meatballs-and-fries combo, introduced during the Great Depression to give customers a little extra starch in their diets. The main show features endless combinations of pastas and sauces, plus traditional favorites such as braciola and stewed veal with peppers. angelosri.com

PORTUGUESE
O Dinis, East Providence

A top gathering spot for East Providence’s Portuguese-American community (and those in the know), this neighborhood eatery is worth a detour. Experience authentic Portuguese cuisine like steamed littleneck clams in white wine and garlic, spicy chouriço sausage, grilled salted cod, and pan-seared sirloin steak in a beer and garlic sauce. Monday-night patrons are serenaded by Portuguese crooners, singing songs from the old country. odinisrestaurant.com

SEAFOOD SHACK
Evelyn’s Drive-In, Tiverton

There are two compelling reasons to visit this enduring Rhody food stand: its authentic eastern Rhode Island seafood and the tranquility of Nanaquaket Pond. Evelyn’s has been offering both since 1969. Start with broth-based Rhode Island clam chowder and puffy clam cakes. Then move on to a plate of deep-fried clams or calamari. For those feeling adventurous, there’s lobster chow mein, an Evelyn’s original. Sunsets on the water are a better finale than dessert. evelynsdrivein.com

RHODE ISLAND CLASSIC LODGING

FAMILY RESORT
Newport Harbor Island Resort, Newport

Newport’s most prominent hotel has lived several lives, and it’s being reborn again this year thanks to a $50 million makeover that showcases local artists. Rooms and public spaces are freshly dressed in organic materials and a subdued, floral-inspired color palette. You’ll also find a newly launched restaurant that recalls Goat Island’s past as a center for manufacturing torpedoes for the U.S. Navy—helping to restore a sense of place to a resort that’s just a short bridge away from one of America’s most historic seaports. newportharborisland.com

GRAND HOTEL
Ocean House, Watch Hill

There will always be echoes of 1868 at this lemon drop–colored Victorian overlooking the tumbling sea. But since the historic hotel was rebuilt in 2010, it’s achieved a level of modern luxury unequaled in New England. Yes, it costs a pretty penny to stay, particularly during the summer high season, when beach cabanas, yachting adventures, and rounds of croquet are on offer. But you don’t need a room key to nab a table on the veranda for drinks and local oysters. Just toss on a swishy sundress or crisp slacks, and go live the life. oceanhouseri.com

HISTORIC INN
General Stanton Inn, Charlestown

After nearly three centuries of feeding and sheltering travelers along the Boston Post Road—including George Washington and some other guests who supposedly stuck around as ghosts—the General Stanton Inn was feeling its age by the time history-loving husband-and-wife team David and Jackie Moore bought the landmark. Before reopening in 2022, they trimmed down to 14 guest rooms and added niceties like air conditioning and private baths while retaining ceiling beams and other 18th-century elements. The attached tavern, refocused on locally sourced seafood, was named a top South County restaurant within a year of its debut. thegeneralstantoninn.com

RHODE ISLAND CLASSIC ACTIVITIES

BEACH
Misquamicut Beach, Westerly

Three miles of soft sand and a moderate offshore break for bodysurfing are the draws: Many ocean lovers take up residence for a night, week, or month in modest oceanfront hotels and vacation rentals within a wagon tote of the shore. Seafood restaurants, beach bars, and music venues like the Windjammer and Paddy’s, plus an old-school amusement park, round out the quirky scene, along with a full calendar of events that includes drive-in movies, classic car shows, a free concert series, and full-blown festivals to open and close the summer season. misquamicut.org

FREE ATTRACTION
WaterFire, Providence

The Capital Center district has literally grown up around WaterFire since Barnaby Evans staged his first fiery art installation 30 years ago. Providence Place Mall, residential high-rises, and restaurants have risen along the rivers and cove basin where dozens of bonfires flicker on select “lighting” nights, accompanied by an ethereal musical score. There’s no charge to immerse yourself in the romance of it, but you may want to splurge on a tour by gondola or flat-bottomed boat, or support local food and craft vendors. waterfire.org

HISTORIC STROLL
North Burial Ground, Providence

For more than 300 years, thousands of people from all walks of life have been interred at this 110-acre resting place set in the undulating hills north of downtown Providence. There are dozens of pathways meandering through the grounds, ideal for invigorating, enlightening strolls among a vast array of tombstones and other monuments. Events and tours occur throughout the year, bringing a hallowed public property to life and stirring inspiration from those who came before us. providenceri.gov/parks/north-burial-ground

2024 Best of Rhode Island: New & Buzzy

RHODE ISLANDNEW & BUZZY DINING

BAR
Myrtle, East Providence

This funky neighborhood bar opened its doors last fall and has been a godsend to locals and out-of-towners alike. Myrtle is equal parts watering hole, music venue, and thrift shop—all passions of the owners, who blend the three businesses under one roof. The bar specializes in serving locally made spirits and Portuguese wines; there is live jazz, rock, or folk music nearly every night; and a side room is loaded with vintage garb for sale. givemyrtle.com

COFFEE HOUSE
Audrey’s Coffee House and Lounge, South Kingstown

Check out Audrey’s if you like your latte served with a side of romance and reality TV. Owners Jared Haibon (a Rhode Island native) and Ashley Iaconetti (who has 1.2 million Instagram followers) met on season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise, fell in love, married, had kids, and opened Audrey’s together in 2021. As you might expect, the branding, social media, and viewing-party game at this bright and inviting gathering space are all on point, but you don’t have to be a celebrity stalker to appreciate the big menu of hot and cold coffee drinks, served alongside breakfast and lunch sandwiches. Evening’s “After the Final Rose” menu features cocktails, charcuterie, and flatbreads. audreysri.com

DELI
Maven’s Delicatessen, Pawtucket

This newcomer wows with authentic Jewish food and a true deli atmosphere. The long, cavernous room is lined on one side with tables and booths for noshing and on the other by a deli counter stocked with meats, salads, and baked goods, including bialys and several types of bagels. The cured corned beef and pastrami, latkes, matzo ball soup, and homemade kugel complete the full-on New York–style deli experience. mavensdeli.com

FRENCH POLYNESIAN
The Kitchen @ Surf Shack, Narragansett

A native of Côte d’Ivoire and graduate of Rhode Island’s own Johnson & Wales culinary school, chef Momo Camara has burst onto the scene with a sneakily sophisticated menu that’s not what you would expect at a beach shack that’s also a six-room B&B. As you sip a frothy purple cocktail (that’s ube extract giving the coconut cream and tequila a summery hue), agree to share an assortment of small and main plates with your surfboard-shaped-table mates. Polynesian-inspired head-on prawns, local clams tossed with udon noodles and spicy Szechuan chili sauce, and a Japanese take on mussels frites are a good place to start. surfshacknarragansett.com

RHODE ISLANDNEW & BUZZY LODGING

VINEYARD B&B
Shepherd’s Run, South Kingstown

Wake gently with the sun, and find breakfast bites almost too pretty to eat. Stretch by swimming laps or in yoga class. Wander through a walled garden or among the vines. Order a charcuterie tower and a flight of estate wines. Retreat to the softness of your room for a snooze. If it all sounds like a Tuscan villa escape, you’re not wrong (just about 4,000 miles off). This winery and 26-room destination inn awaits in South County, where beaches and seafood beckon, too. Stay in the gracious stone manor or in contemporary rooms fashioned out of a former girls’ boarding school. shepherds.run

RHODE ISLANDNEW & BUZZY ACTIVITIES

FAMILY ATTRACTION
Dragons & Mythical Creatures, Providence

This spring and summer, Roger Williams Park Zoo will be home to an amazing display of life-size animatronic creatures from myths around the world. Dragons from European and Asian folklore, as well as mermaids, squidlike krakens from Scandinavia, and other legendary creatures, come to life in this walk-through exhibit containing more than 60 luminescent beings. Step right up, buy a ticket (zoo admission not included), and prepare to be wowed by this entertaining, limited-run experience. rwpzoo.org/dragons

GROWN-UP FUN
Level99, Providence

This isn’t some ’80s shopping mall arcade. Located atop the Providence Place Mall, Level99 is an escape room on steroids with 50 teamwork-oriented mental and physical challenges with distinct themes. The difficulty level is set just high enough to keep you coming back until you solve them all. Some are straight brainteasers, while others include elements of ropes courses and obstacle course races, such as dodging a swinging set of cartoony giant axes. The biggest surprise? Excellent food and local beer at Night Shift Kitchen & Tap, including some of the best Detroit-style pizza east of the Motor City. (In Massachusetts? There’s a Level99 at the Natick Mall.)level99.com

MUSIC VENUE
In Your Ear, Warren

Owner Chris Zingg’s record store, founded in Providence in 1985 and relocated to Warren’s Market Street in 2008, is still a hit with audiophiles. Bin divers now have a second vast collection of new, used, and collectible LPs and CDs to browse at the new In Your Ear on Child Street, where there’s also a bar and restaurant offering live music and, when bands aren’t playing, a chance to spin your newly acquired vinyl on the sound system. A pending 180-seat theater promises to add to the aural ecstasy. iye.com

PUBLIC ART
Trolls at Ninigret Park, Charlestown

Famed Danish artist and environmentalist Thomas Dambo is set to install two of his beloved troll sculptures in scenic Ninigret Park just in time for summer visitors. These much-larger-than-life figures bring a sense of whimsy and wonder to Rhode Island for all to see, free of charge, anytime the park is open. Dambo makes his sculptures out of reclaimed natural materials and uses local volunteers to help build them and give them local character. southcountyri.com

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