The 12 Most Historic Restaurants In Rhode Island

Rhode Island is the smallest state but has an outsized history. One of the original 13 colonies, Rhode Island played a crucial part the early days of American history. Its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean also made it an early hub for shipping, which sparked an abundance of settlers that all brought their own cultures and flavors to the Ocean State. Portuguese and Italian settlers played a major part in shaping the state's restaurant scene, but culinary inspirations are as diverse as the state itself.

Rhode Island's various seaside towns also make it one of the best places to get seafood in the country. Fresh fish and local clams and oysters make their way onto almost every restaurant around, and over time some of those restaurants have even invented seaworthy foods of their own. From the beaches of Narragansett to the city of Providence, Rhode Island's restaurants tell a story of the state's culinary history. These are some of the most historic restaurants in Rhode Island.

The White Horse Tavern in Newport, Rhode Island, has the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in the United States and the 10th oldest in the whole world. First constructed in 1652 as a private residence, this colonial-era Rhode Island home was transformed into a tavern just two decades later in 1673. Miraculously, it has remained an eatery ever since — making it the oldest continuously operating restaurant in America.

In the early 1700s, the tavern was owned by notorious pirate William Mayes, who resided in Newport when he was not terrorizing the Red Sea. The restaurant remained in his family for the next 200 years, eventually being renamed The White Horse Tavern in 1730.

Now, The White Horse Tavern brings modern elegance to old-fashioned faire. The vegetable farm plate offers a delicious array of fresh vegetables: honey glazed carrots, fondant potatoes, and maple glazed Brussels sprouts. For a meatier meal, the steak frites — with filet mignon (one of the best cuts of steak) and Parmesan truffle fries — is one of the best in town.

Some of the best Italian restaurants in the country exist in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence. A hub for Italian immigrants since the late 1800s, Federal Hill is now filled with dozens of incredible Italian restaurants and bakeries. Camille's helped spark the neighborhood's boom when it opened in 1914, becoming the oldest Italian restaurant in Rhode Island.

In the years since, Camille's has had more than one claim to fame. Originally named Marconi's, this white tablecloth restaurant survived through prohibition by making alcohol in the basement and selling it behind closed curtains: drapery installed around the dining room in the early 1920s. Later, when he wasn't visiting his favorite historic restaurant in California, Frank Sinatra was also a vocal fan of Camille's and it's Italian wedding soup. The restaurant also credits itself with inventing fried calamari, but its more likely that Camille's just helped popularize the classic Italian dish in the mid-'70s throughout Rhode Island and southern New England.

Besides the hotly-debated, must-try calamari, Camille's also makes a delicious lasagna — made with sausage, ricotta, sausage, and mozzarella. The gnocchi alla vodka is another excellent choice: a hefty pile of homemade gnocchi dumplings that melt in your mouth.

The town of Bristol, Rhode Island, is known for its longstanding celebration of the Fourth of July — becoming the first town in the nation to celebrate the holiday in 1785 when Revolutionary War veteran, Reverend Henry Wight, began "Patriot Exercises" just two years after the war's end. Along Bristol's red, white, and blue painted downtown roads you'll find Bristol Oyster Bar housed in a large brick building that is historic in its own right.

The Bristol Oyster Bar building was constructed in 1857, and has been utilized as everything from a post office to a customs house to a YMCA. Over 150 years later, it now houses a large eatery where seafood is the center of attention. The raw bar, of course, includes oysters a la cart for just $3.50 each. The best way to enjoy Bristol Oyster Bar, though, is to share a platter and some shooters with a group of friends. The Bristolian platter features a dozen oysters, fresh from Rhode Island, along with four littleneck clams and cocktail shrimps.

Through it's name, Iron Works pays homage to the history of its home in Warwick, Rhode Island. This modern gastropub and restaurant is located in a large mill that once operated as Rhode Island Malleable Iron Works. Built in 1867 as a manufacturing plant for malleable iron castings, this company helped shape Warwick to the bustling city that it is today.

Iron Works plays off the industrial charm of the building, conveniently located right across from TF Green International Airport. The rustic brick walls and tall ceilings are made a bit more homey by plenty of blue leather booths that spot the floor of this massive restaurant. In the warmer months there's also a smaller outdoor patio where you can sip on cocktails and enjoy one of the many gigantic sandwiches offered at Iron Works. The 1 pound pastrami sandwich is made with fresh marbled rye bread from a local bakery, whole grain mustard, Swiss cheese, and a whole lot of pastrami. The bacon infused meatloaf is a fan-favorite entrée, served with mashed potatoes, sautéed spinach, and wild mushroom gravy. Yum.

Modern Diner is somewhat of a legend in the world of old-school diners. A fixture of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, since 1940, Modern Diner became the first diner to be inducted into the National Register of Historic Places. In 2019, it also became the only Sterling Streamliner diner still operating in the United States when The Salem Diner closed in Salem, Massachusetts, another state with a plethora of historic restaurants.

Though ownership of this train-shaped diner has changed hands throughout the years, most of it largely resembles its original state of the restaurant. The roof was painted a standout maroon in 1978, and in 1986 the diner was moved down the street to where it remains today on Pawtucket Avenue.

Locals and out of towners alike rushed to Modern Diner in 2015 when Food Network named its custard French toast as the No. 1 top diner dish in America. This thick cut French toast comes with a heap of strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, pecans, and raspberry syrup. The custard french toast is part of Modern Diner's ever-changing list of specials — posted on a wall in addition to the restaurant's already extensive menu.

Carrie Cooper officially opened her Narragansett restaurant, Aunt Carrie's, in 1920. She and her family, husband Ulysses and their six children, had been serving food in the Point Judith neighborhood well before opening the doors to their restaurant, though. Beginning as a simple lemonade stand, Carrie began experimenting with clam chowder, selling her recipe to local workers. Along the way she may have invented what is now a Rhode Island delicacy — the clam cake.

Four generations later, Aunt Carrie's is still family-owned. The building has expanded over the years to include a larger eating area and kitchen, but the front dining room and counter are still original. Also unchanged over the years are some of Aunt Carrie's recipes, including her pies — stuffed with everything from banana cream to strawberry rhubarb — and, of course, her famous clam cakes. These clam fritters are made by frying small pieces of clams in cornmeal, usually served with vinegar and found all over New England. Aunt Carrie's recipes and her descendants' hard work earned the restaurant a James Beard Award in 2007.

Olympia Tea Room touts that it has been "famous not fancy" since 1916, serving the coastal town of Watch Hill for over 100 years. Watch Hill has a long history as an affluent community, but more recently became known as the location of Taylor Swift's Rhode Island "Holiday House."

The family-owned Olympia Tea Room has been around for much of Watch Hill's history. Today, it's tucked away on a seaside street in between a number of casual eateries and beachy boutiques, clearly the oldest building on the block and one of the oldest in town. While Chef Marcia Felber works behind the stove, his daughter Georgia — a certified sommelier — curates the restaurant's award-winning rotating wine list.

A casual — not fancy — lunch overlooking the water at Olympia Tea Room wouldn't be complete without a half dozen local Rhode Island oysters. Start with an order (or two) and an Old World Greek salad, made with feta and a rosemary garlic dressing. On a warm summer day, there's nothing better than the lobster salad roll served on a soft, buttered croissant. For a heftier meal, the Portuguese baked haddock with spicy tomatoes is a treasure.

The Haven Brothers Diner has come a long way since starting in 1893 as a horse-drawn wagon. Originally a lunch cart catering to factory workers in Providence, the tiny restaurant's popularity grew over the years and became an historic staple of the city.

Despite the name, Haven Bros Diner was founded not by brothers, but by one woman named Anne Haven who used her husband's life insurance policy to buy her first wagon. Almost 40 years later, in 1930, one lunch cart became many as Haven Bros expended across town. In the early 1950s, Haven Brothers followed the emerging trend of stainless steel — trading in the carts for the classic diner that is still used today.

Open until 4 a.m. in an otherwise sleepy city, Haven Brothers Diner is still a hot spot to grab a bite in Downtown Providence. The popular "murder burger" stacks American cheese, bacon, onions, lettuce, and tomato on a thick burger patty. You can even double or triple it if you're especially hungry. The restaurant serves a selection of traditional diner food on top of its burgers, including bacon and cheese dogs, buffalo chicken sandwiches, and fried Oreos.

Al Forno is an Italian restaurant located near the Providence Marina. It's not an incredibly old restaurant, comparatively, but has made a large impact since opening in 1980. While restaurants in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence tend to stick to old-school Italian, Al Forno happily melds the best of both worlds — taking traditional Italian food and giving it a New England twist.

It's most successful food venture so far is one that the restaurant began in its early days of operation. In 1980, Al Forno became the birthplace of grilled pizza, a large flatbread grilled until the crust gets dark and crispy. Al Forno serves a number of its grilled homemade pizzas, including classic pepperoni or margarita, as well as specialty pizzas with hot pepper infused oils.

The restaurant shows the creativity of its chefs in other dishes on the menu, as well, like the fennel and celery salad served with blood oranges and a chardonnay vinaigrette. The nettle ravioli is a unique take on the regularly spinach-filled dumplings. Another popular dish, the Dirty Steak, grills a rib eye and tops it with "Hot Fanny Sauce," served alongside Al Forno mashed potatoes.

Angelo's Civita Farnese Restaurant, better known to Providence locals as just "Angelo's," is one of the most popular restaurants on Federal Hill. Opening in 1924, Angelo's has become known for serving hefty and authentic Italian dishes for an affordable price. Recently celebrating its 100th anniversary in business, Angelo's has remained in the family since it first opened.

In the beginning, Angelo's catered mostly to Italian immigrants moving to the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence. During the Great Depression, it became known city-wide for serving an inexpensive plate of Meatballs and french fries to keep its customers fed for cheap. That dish is still on the menu today for only $9 and has become a fan favorite despite its simplicity. Even Guy Fieri gave the meatballs and french fries his stamp of approval on his show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives."

Some other items on the Angelo's menu feature a 1924 stamp, indicating that these dishes were included on the original menu from 100 years ago. The spaghettini aglio olio is made just the same, sautéed in oil and served with fresh garlic and olives. The baked macaroni pairs penne pasta with beef bolognese and cheese for a meaty and delicious dish.

For almost 200 years, the Clarke Cooke House was located on Thames Street in Newport, Rhode Island – a seaside area of downtown bustling with tourists in the summer months. It was built in 1780 as a private residence for the titular Captain Clarke Cooke. As the street developed, the captain left it behind to serve as a storefront for a number of businesses, most notably a candy store. Though the storefront has changed over time, the top two floors are still original despite being moved piece by piece in 1973.

Now across the street, the Clarke Cooke House is a main fixture of Bannister's Wharf — the massive dock that hosted America's Cup in the 1970s. Besides world-renowned yachting experts, the fine-dining bistro downstairs has seen many famous customers in its time — seemingly every celebrity from Martha Stewart to Judge Judy to Mariah Carey has stopped in while in Newport. 

The Clarke Cooke House today speaks to the history of its building. The bistro is lined with sailing memorabilia from years past, and a separate eating area called "The Candy Store" offers a bit of a more relaxed atmosphere. The Candy Store Burger is a fan favorite, stuffed with blue cheese and topped with bacon — all in between an English muffin. For an elevated experience, The Porch outdoor menu includes full caviar service as well as fresh oysters.

Though this Clam Shack is relatively new, the company behind it, Blount Fine Foods, has been a New England staple since 1880. Most known for its pre-packaged soups and clam chowders, Blount is the largest supplier of lobster bisque in the country as well as the largest manufacturer of New England Clam Chowder. Before opening a restaurant of its own in Warren, this company largely manufactured and packaged soups for chains restaurants like Legal Seafoods, Panera Bread, and other fast casual restaurants.

For decades, Blount has operated production in Warren, Rhode Island, as well as the nearby city Fall River, Massachusetts. It's made Blount a household name across Rhode Island, much like the Ocean State's other native foodie favorites like Newport Creamery or Del's Lemonade. The line at Blount's Clam Shack's seaside location usually wraps around the dock, but the fresh clam cakes and scallop stuffies are worth it every time.