Traveling with wife and kids (12 and 8) over Memorial Day. We already have hotel booked, but was wondering if people had some good restaurants (kid friendly), beaches (if weather cooperates which is always dicey on MDay), things to do. BBI is so much better than Trip Advisor or the like!
indoor not so kid friendly, but I think they have an outdoor dining area that is.
Had my wedding rehearsal dinner at the Mooring. Very good.
My high school hockey teammate owns the Gas Lamp Grille. I have never been, but I hear it's pretty good.
First Beach is good for kids. it's the only newport beach I've been to.
Romantic weekend with wife
And
A wild week with friends
-Rented a sail boat and entered several races....incredible experience
- we had a professional croquet set...and we setup on several mansion lawns, all white outfits..what a riot!!
there are a lot of shops, ice cream places, etc in Newport and my wife and kids always like walking around. there is an arcade (Ryan Amusements I think it's called).
The Pelham (something like that) is the only bar I remember.
Narragansett, RI is just over the bridges and I like Narragansett beach better than the Newport beaches, but it's kind of a pain if you don't love the beach. Some good restaurants and bars in Narragansett too.
I like the Black Pearl and The Mooring as already mentioned.
One that's not on the water and is more of a relaxed pub style is Brick Alley Pub. It gets very busy, but good if you want a break from the other stuff.
Walk around Thames Street shops, including near Brick Alley.
I love the Cliff Walk.
There's a drive you can do, i think ocean drive, which is nice but you're in a car.
The mansions have an app to download with a narrated kids tour. They dont hand out Walkmans anymore.
Newport is great. The only thing lacking IMO is good pizza and good casual Italian. (There is a good Italian restaurant but it's not for kids. It's in a small house and better for couples.)
Check out Hotel Viking and see if the roof bar is open in the late afternoon. If you can be up there for a sunset, it's amazing.
For beaches 1st beach (Easton’s Beach) is just ok but it does have the best lobster rolls on the island at the snack bar. If that’s your thing don’t miss it. Across the street is Flo’s Clam Shack for the fried fish thing. 2nd beach in Middletown is a better beach and not too far away.
For mansions start at The Breakers. The Elms and Marble House are also great though. Bus tours are fun. Don’t miss a going out on Ocean Drive.
P.S. There is a detour around the collapse so you can still do it if you want to.
Ocean Ave Drive
Newport Lobster Shack
Tour the Mansions
Bowens Wharf
Walk Thames St
Easton Beach & Second Beach
Sachuest St Park
Matunuck Oyster Bar
Newport is great. The only thing lacking IMO is good pizza and good casual Italian. (There is a good Italian restaurant but it's not for kids. It's in a small house and better for couples.)
Mama Luisa's on lower Thames. My favorite restaurant in town.
Might want to take a harbor tour. A few different options. Takes about 90 minutes.
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I imagine memorial day weekend will be very busy
Newport is great. The only thing lacking IMO is good pizza and good casual Italian. (There is a good Italian restaurant but it's not for kids. It's in a small house and better for couples.)
Mama Luisa's on lower Thames. My favorite restaurant in town.
Might want to take a harbor tour. A few different options. Takes about 90 minutes.
Mama Luisa's is the good one I was referring to. But ok for kids?
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In comment 16117843 Matt123 said:
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I imagine memorial day weekend will be very busy
Newport is great. The only thing lacking IMO is good pizza and good casual Italian. (There is a good Italian restaurant but it's not for kids. It's in a small house and better for couples.)
Mama Luisa's on lower Thames. My favorite restaurant in town.
Might want to take a harbor tour. A few different options. Takes about 90 minutes.
Mama Luisa's is the good one I was referring to. But ok for kids?
Yeah, it's more for grownups.
Ocean Ave Drive
Newport Lobster Shack
Tour the Mansions
Bowens Wharf
Walk Thames St
Easton Beach & Second Beach
Sachuest St Park
Matunuck Oyster Bar
Matunuck is awesome, and if you watch any food shows and like oysters you may have seen them featured. they cultivate their own oyster beds.
but it's off the "island" and about 30 minutes outside of Newport.
Two ten Oyster bar and grill is right there too - Matunuck usually gets really busy, and two ten is as good IMO and less busy and more casual than Matunuck (kid friendly).
If you go that far you should take the kids to Aunt Carrie's for clam cakes (and chowder and etc.).
Link - ( New Window )
Also found this Discover Newport Link. Have fun.
Link - ( New Window )
Sachueat Point wildlife preserve has a 2 mile walk around a peninsula with ocean views the whole way. I've seen dear from just a few feet away there and also mink and lots and lots of migrating/shore birds.
I second the recomnensation for Mama Luisa's on lower Thames Street Probably my favorite place for dinner. If it's got to be seafood, I haven't been, but hear good things about Scales and Shells just up the street.
If you get a chance check out Newport Gulls baeeball at Cardines field. It's a really cool 100 ywar-old little stadium where you sit right on top of the action and I think admission is about $2 or so. For the sportsminded there's also the tennis hall of fame, and weekend polo matches down the road in Middletown.
Another interesting walk is the one over the causeway to goat island. Lots of views of $500 million dollar boats. Or find the old stone mill at Tauro park across the Street fron the Redwood Library and the Newport art museum.
The Corner Cafe on Broadway is a hot spot for breakfast on weekends, but the lines and waiting times make it a challenge if you're pressed for time.
As others have stated, the guilded age mansions make an intersting visit as do walking the streets full of old colonial houses. Lots of history in Newport.
Brenton point is a great place to fly a kite or have a dayrime picnic.
Enjoy!
--Cliff walk is a must
--parking is always an issue. Depending how much a a walker you are you can park on the outskirts a bit and walk most places
--for beaches first (Easton's) is fine, but certain times of yera the red algae is bad. Not sure that's true now. Second beach I think is better although fewer services; get there early for parking
--I second Flo's. Parking is an issue but if you go around dinner time you can park in the first beach parking easily and it's a very short walk BUT we love the burgers at Mission just a short walk from Flo's and Clementine's just across the street from Mission has good ice cream
--we DO NOT recommend the Brick Alley; pretty average
--the kids might like Kilwin's since you can watch them make the fudge if you come at the right time and the ice cream is really good
--we DO recommend the Lobster shack, run by the Fisherman's cooperactive on long wharf just behind the Marriott building. It's pretty much just lobster rolls which are great and relatively inexpensive
--we DO like The Mooring but it's a little pricier than some other places. Anthony's is good too.
--the bird sanctuary could be good for a family activity.
--I like the tennis hall of fame but not unless you're a tennis family
--Broadway has a lot of good restaurants and is less touristy than things around Thames street. Perro Salada is great Mexican right nearby
--we love the walking tours of the history of Newton but I'm not sure they're so kid friendly. Inexpensive and they're all good. Depends on the kid.
Very high end, but also sat outside at the inn at castle hill, amazing view and food.
Newport Vineyards/Taproot Brewing Company has farm to table food but we haven't been for a few years. They stopped allowing pets at their outdoor dining space.
Our favorite blow-it-out restaurants (really better for a couple of you're doing one night with just the wife) were the lawn at Inn at Castle Hill, and the French restaurant Bouchard, which just reopened as Chanterelle, with a more diverse menu, same family owners.
Going to be busy on the holiday weekend...start booking.
Newport Vineyards/Taproot Brewing - ( New Window )
You can buy a kite and head to Brenton Point state park (with a lunch). Alot of kite flying activity in the summer. If you really need something for the kids, you can drive straight out of town (25 min) and there is an auto museum that has racing simulators. There is also a petting farm on the same track out of town. But no much else for small kids - unless you have a pool in your accomdations.
You can buy a kite and head to Brenton Point state park (with a lunch). Alot of kite flying activity in the summer. If you really need something for the kids, you can drive straight out of town (25 min) and there is an auto museum that has racing simulators. There is also a petting farm on the same track out of town. But no much else for small kids - unless you have a pool in your accomdations.
We do have a pool at our hotel. But the racing simulators sound great if the weather is shaky--my kids would love that. Thanks again to everyone--so unbelievably helpful.
I like the Black Pearl and The Mooring as already mentioned.
One that's not on the water and is more of a relaxed pub style is Brick Alley Pub. It gets very busy, but good if you want a break from the other stuff.
Walk around Thames Street shops, including near Brick Alley.
I love the Cliff Walk.
There's a drive you can do, i think ocean drive, which is nice but you're in a car.
The mansions have an app to download with a narrated kids tour. They dont hand out Walkmans anymore.
Newport is great. The only thing lacking IMO is good pizza and good casual Italian. (There is a good Italian restaurant but it's not for kids. It's in a small house and better for couples.)
Mamma Luisa's!! Great place but definitely not for little ones.
THere's a good pizza joint on Thames near the Red Parrot. Brick Oven or something like that.