Where to Eat in Rhode Island This Winter

Here are 12 top spots for flavorful local fare when the sun sets early.


Overhead view of a brothy seafood dish with lots of herbs and vegetables, served on a picnic table.

A Pt. Judith Black Sea bass dish that ran as a special at Purslane, featuring local veggies and a tom kha gai-inspired broth. / Courtesy photo

Little Rhody’s flavors come alive in the offseason, and menus feature more than just the holy clam chowder and the state appetizer, fried calamari. From beautiful plates made with the freshest greens and fish to hearty Korean stews to spiced Peruvian rotisserie chicken, here are some of the best winter eats in Newport, Providence, and beyond.

First published January 21, 2025.


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Bapsang

Starting with rice, around which every Korean meal is based, Johnson & Wales grad chef Andrew Park builds a table of food with small plates of soup or stew, side dishes of veggies, and hearty mains. The layered flavors grow into a heaping pile of soul-warming goodness, like bibimbap with marinated beef, fried egg sunny-side up, and sesame sprinkle, or galbitang (beef bone soup). Vegetarian dishes are excellent, too, such as the tofu with stir-fried kimchi and the beoseot bulgogi (Korean barbecue mushrooms).

6170 Post Rd., N. Kingstown, Rhode Island, 401-234-9811, bapsangri.com.

Blackie’s

Where better to spend a dreary winter day than devouring selections from the enormous menu in this colorfully moody outpost? Chef Angie Armenise’s cooking draws diners from around the state year-round, thanks to her two-handed burgers and juicy chicken cutlets, inventive pizzas, and snacks for everyone in your party. With robust not-just-iceberg salads and plenty of options tailored to vegan, gluten-free, and other diets, Blackie’s offers a little something for everyone.

280 George Washington Hwy., Smithfield, Rhode Island, 401-231-4777, eatatblackies.com.

DePetrillo’s

This is the birthplace of the original Rhode Island-style pizza party tray, which is a rectangular deep-dish pizza that’s served cold and in squares with only red sauce on top. It may be a little unorthodox in the pizza world, but it’s an institution in the state because it feeds a crowd in moments. The daily fresh dough makes this—and other traditional round pizza varieties here—an offseason staple.

1755 Smith St., N. Providence, Rhode Island, 401-353-3100, depetrillosnp.com, and other locations.

Ellie’s

Inspired by Paris yet fully rooted in New England purveyors, this effervescent breakfast and lunch café fills your cup to the brim with old-school European vibes, modern pastry, and café au lait. Start with a signature quiche du jour, or explore the French brie sandwich with black mission fig jam, toasted hazelnuts, and baby greens. A macaron is always a wise choice—and don’t forget an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie for the road.

250 Westminster St., Providence, Rhode Island, 401-226-0510, elliesprov.com.

Seared scallops sit in a shallow bowl, topped with bacon and greens.

Local scallops with bacon and parsnip puree at the Helmway. / Courtesy photo

The Helmway

Inside the recently renovated Pell Hotel, the Helmway’s fresh menu, from chef Will Wallbank, is replete with coastal seasonal flavors year-round. The rotating menu may include, for instance, Pt. Judith fluke and sea scallops, flat iron steak and greens from area farms, and ravioli from Little Rhody Pasta. The Thursday $15 burger-and-beer deal offers the right dose of motivation to experiment, as do the inventive cocktails and pet- and kid-friendly vibe.

425 E. Main Rd., Middletown, Rhode Island, 401-846-3555, thehelmway.com.

Overhead view of a few dishes at a restaurant, including a thick green pasta and a crispy cutlet topped with sliced radishes and little carrots.

Nana’s. / Photo by Rane Gram

Nana’s

The idea of an all-day café has a nice ring to it: No matter what you fancy, at any time of day (or at least until 9 p.m.), you can have it here. Pizza for brunch? Yup. Eggs for dinner? Yes, please. Don’t know what you want but know you’re hungry? That too. Luckily this eclectic menu from executive chef and partner James Wayman is backed by the restaurant’s off-site bakery preparing naturally leavened dough with regional and sustainable grains for pizzas and baked goods, as well as its sister company growing koji to amplify umami in cocktails and dishes.

82 High St., Westerly, Rhode Island, 401-213-3911, nanasri.com.

An elegant white bowl of gnocchi is on a white marble tabletop.

Gnocchi at Persimmon. / Courtesy photo

Persimmon

When your plate arrives, you’ll want to sit in awe for a moment to notice the precision and attention to the littlest edible detail. That’s how chef Champe Spiedel, multi-time James Beard semifinalist, transforms ordinary ingredients, like gnocchi, duck, or even an apple, into an experience. Then dive in, because the menu rotates almost nightly (and will likely never be the same again). On one particular night, the pumpkin gnocchi with marinated Maitake mushrooms, turnip, parsnip, and sage, or the spice-glazed duck confit with crispy polenta, braised greens, and jus will be a moment to savor.

99 Hope St., Providence, Rhode Island, 401-432-7422, persimmonri.com.

A seafood platter features a variety of raw and preserved seafood items and accoutrements on ice.

The Purslane platter, with oysters, tuna crudo, tinned sardines, caviar, and more. / Courtesy photo

Purslane

The ButterHead food truck team moved into a brick-and-mortar space last summer, and its two kitchens work harmoniously to offer its standard mobile fried chicken sando and smashburger alongside its new dinner plates. This dual personality applies to its interior aesthetic, too, with earthy plants and colors countering its industrial brick walls and large windows, its panoply of divergent cutlery and tableware radiating character. Share the Purslane platter of delectable local tuna, oysters, and a stuffie, or dig into the steak frites and local beer.

Closed for renovations until early February 2025. 318 Main St., Wakefield, Rhode Island, 401-515-7340, purslane-ri.com.

Grilled octopus tentacle is plated with dollops of a creamy sauce and an herby topping. A cocktail sits to the side of the plate.

Qhali Kitchen’s pulpo al grill, grilled octopus with anticucho sauce, boiled and fried potatoes, and chimichurri. / Courtesy photo

Qhali Kitchen

First-generation Peruvian chef Vanessa Saldana is on a mission to share the flavors of her homeland, one flavorful dish at a time. Formerly of Pollos a la Brasa Beto’s in East Boston, the chef makes a signature pollo a la brasa (charcoal rotisserie chicken) that is a family recipe with layered Peruvian spices. Lomo saltado (beef stir-fry), ceviche, and pulpo al grill (grilled octopus) are top picks here.

34 Gooding Ave., Bristol, Rhode Island, 401-253-1294, qhalikitchen.com.

At a restaurant table, hands reach for a salad next to a bowl of olives.

Salty Restaurant & Wine Bar. / Photo by Discover Newport

Salty Restaurant & Wine Bar

What started as a seasonal pop-up in the Village Hearth Bakery last summer bloomed into a year-round destination for lovers of fresh, local ingredients and Mediterranean flair. Small plates like Rhode Island mushrooms or warm olives, marinated lamb pinchitos (skewers), and Pt. Judith tautog get the conversation going, while buttermilk panna cotta with a glass of Sancerre encourage you to linger a little longer.

2 Watson Ave., Jamestown, Rhode Island, saltywinebar.com.

Shayna’s Place

You may think you’re just coming for a bagel or sandwich to go, but you should stay for the house music, which owner and Special Olympian Shayna Olerio, who has Down Syndrome, spins from her own DJ booth. (She’s known to boogie!) Some of the sandwiches, salads, and other menu items are named after friends, family, and coaches, from the Coach Lisa juice (apple, carrot, beet, and celery) to the popular Vinny’s Kitchen Italian grinder, named for Olerio’s grandmother.

45 Brown St., Wickford, Rhode Island, 401-294-8740, shaynasplaceri.com.

Overhead view of a ramen bowl with an egg, strips of red cabbage, and other toppings.

Yagi Noodles’ tantanman: sesame soup with beef soboro, peanuts, red cabbage, edamame, and chili crisp. / StarChefs

Yagi Noodles

Chinese and Japanese comfort foods fuse together at this modern noodle bar—and what better winter dish than a noodle soup? Yagi Noodles’ James Beard-nominated chef Basil Yu, with a lifetime of restaurant experience, makes his noodles by hand from freshly milled local wheat in a glass-walled room where diners can witness the craft. He blends them into hearty, Asian-inspired soups like tonkotsu, with Cantonese-style char siu (barbecue pork), and tantanman, with Aquidneck Farm beef soboro.

20 Long Wharf Mall, Newport, Rhode Island, 401-324-5098, yaginoodles.com.