With food—especially the farm-to-table and cutting-edge kind—being an ever-popular way for leisure travelers and meeting attendees to experience destinations, Newport is certainly keeping up with the trends.
Following are a few hot event-friendly restaurants, hand-picked for Meetings Focus by Andrea McHugh, marketing and communications manager at Discover Newport.
➤ Midtown Oyster Bar: Offering the largest working raw bar and delicious fresh seafood, this downtown gem opened in 2013 on historic Thames Street. It features several event rooms on multiple levels.
➤ Mainsail: The Newport Marriott is home to this 98-seat, nautically themed restaurant serving dock-to-table seafood. The venue gets bonus points for the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbor.
➤ Hope Food & Spirits: Located on Broadway, this hip eatery dishes out craft cocktails, small plates and entrees, as well as Sunday brunch. Live music is also on the menu.
➤ Brix at Newport Vineyards: As part of a multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion, Newport Vineyards in nearby Middletown opened Brix. The restaurant and other event venues host up to 400 people and are set amid a picturesque vineyard backdrop. A new marketplace, tasting room, tasting bars and outdoor areas are also part of the expansion.
➤ Stoneacre Pantry: Opened in fall 2013, this small neighborhood favorite serves up seasonal cuisine and supports local farms and fishers. It was opened by former colleagues at New York City’s Mas (farmhouse) and Mas (la grillade).
➤ The Revolving Door: Prix-fixe menus by local, regional and national chefs are showcased at this addition to the acclaimed French restaurant Bouchard. The guest chefs cook for two weeks to one month at a time.
