My husband and I are going to Newport this September and I have a few questions.
We will only have time to visit 1 mansion so which one would you recommend?
We would also like to do the Cliff Walk. I%26#39;ve read that there are parts of it that are dangerous. Is this true? Once you start do you have to walk the whole way or can you leave in the middle of it?
We picked out these restaurants. Of course we won%26#39;t be able to try all of them because we will only be in Newport for a weekend but which ones would you highly recommend with excellent food and service.
Pronto
Tucker%26#39;s Bistro
Mama Luisa
Brick Alley Pub
Smokehouse Cafe
The Mooring
Can someone tell me about the trolley? Does it run throughout the main area of Newport? Is there a website?
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks,
Sandi
?? about Newport
I am going in a couple of weeks for the first time.
Have you looked at the cliff walk and mansions websites?
http://www.newportmansions.org/
http://www.cliffwalk.com/
?? about Newport
Hi,
If I only had one choice for a mansion tour, it would be Astors Beechwood. It was the one which started the Gilded Age in Newport. It might not be the grandest since those who followed continually looked to ';out do'; the previous, but as far as tours go, it%26#39;s the best. They have actors from the Theatre Company play servants, house guests and whatnot, and your treated like your one of the guests of the house on the tour. Kind of cool. It%26#39;s also the only mansion that allows photographs to be taken during the tour. Very entertaining. I%26#39;ll be curious to see what other posters recommend.
The Cliff Walk. Don%26#39;t worry, you won%26#39;t be falling to your death unless your very brave or extremely intoxicated. Much of the potentially dangerous areas have a cute fence along it. There is a area called 40 Steps which is just about the middle point of the ';easy'; section of the walk. You could exit there onto Narragansett Avenue, walk up to Bellevue and down Bellevue back towards where you started the walk, but that%26#39;s mainly an avenue used for people who parked there cars there. Whenever you get tired or have seen enough, just turn around and head back. The last 1/3 of the walk is over rough terrain. Many of the outdoor enthusiasts like that section. It%26#39;s not recommended for folks without proper footwear.
Can%26#39;t say too much about the trolley since I always drive there and don%26#39;t use them. I do see them cruising all over town so I doubt you will be stuck without one for long. I believe they service a couple beaches and Fort Adams State Park too. You will be covered, don%26#39;t worry .
Good restaurant selections for the ones I have been to. Brick Alley is good, so is the Mooring. I also love dining at 22 Bowens. A stop at the White Horse Tavern is good too. In all honesty, there%26#39;s very few restaurants in Newport that are subpar. They won%26#39;t last very long if they are. Enjoy your trip.
If you%26#39;re only going to see one mansion, I%26#39;d probably suggest the Breakers. Another option might be Rough Point (Doris Duke%26#39;s) it operates separately from the Newport Mansion Group.
You can walk as much or as little of the Cliff Walk that you want. The first part of the walk is nice and easy, paved trail....towards the end it gets harder...rocks, uneven path etc.
The two links provided before will give you more info.
The trolley runs through all parts of the town...check out RIPTA website.
www.ripta.com
(You%26#39;ll want to look for the #62 and #67 routes....in the drop down menu in the upper left part of the screen that shows the routes.)
Also for general information:
www.ripta.com/programs/index.php?section=30
Of those restaurants Pronto and Tuckers are smaller and more cozy/romantic. Tuckers is up on Broadway away from the Thames Street downtown area...popular with locals. Pronto is on lower Thames
Brick Alley is a popular local and tourist favorite. Big menu featuring your typical American style favorites (Burgers, steaks, sandwiches, nachos etc)
Smoke House is a seasonal BBQ place....not my favorite for eating, but for drinks, a snack, and people watching it%26#39;s fun. It%26#39;s run by the same company that runs The Mooring (As it%26#39;s adjacent to their parking lot)
The Mooring is a nice place, good seafood, nice views of the harbor.
Mama Luisa%26#39;s is a popular Italian Restaurant on lower Thames.
If it were me, I%26#39;d probably see what I%26#39;m in the mood for but hit Brick Alley for lunch, Smoke House for a drink or two. The Mooring for a lunch or dinner.
Play it by ear though because you never know what you%26#39;ll be in the mood for. All of those restaurants though are all fine choices.
Thanks everyone for your replies. I really appreciate it. :-)
Hi Sandi,
I was in Newport last week house hunting. While there I ate at the Mooring. I was there around 2 p.m. so it was a late lunch. The wait staff was excellent and were very detailed oriented. I had the lobster croissant with their fries. The fries were quite delicious and the lobster croissant was quite good.
However, I also ate at the Black Pearl later on in the week. There I also tried their lobster croissant. The Black Pearl%26#39;s was much better. It had just enourmous chunks of lobster in it. It was so good that I went back a second time choosing the lobster salad. It totally wow%26#39;d me!
Also, if you happen to be in the mood for Italian, I ate at Nickolai%26#39;s (I think that is what it was called). It had the best calzone I have had in years.
Hope you have a great time in Newport. I am excited we are going to be living in such a quaint area with so much history!
22 Bowens on Bowens Wharf is amazing! The food is great check out their website.
Astors Beechwood is my favorite mansion because of the aforementioned acting troupe. It%26#39;s always a lot of fun to see who your guides will be and what they have to say. Sadly, the mansion is badly in need of funding and is in danger of closing. Don%26#39;t miss it while you can still tour it!
You can come and go on the Cliff Walk whenever you want. We used to take visitors all the time and I don%26#39;t remember ever doing the whole walk. If you go to Beechwood you can walk out the backyard to the cliff walk. It%26#39;s most beautiful when the roses are in bloom.
My boyfriend and I LOVE the Mooring. They have a great outdoor deck with wonderful views of the boats. We are going there to watch the fireworks this year! I also love Black Pearl and 22 Bowens. We haven%26#39;t really ever had a bad meal in Newport!
I think gonewport. com has info on the trolley.
In terms of restaurants, Brick Alley Pub is good as is the Mooring. However, just be aware that if you would like to sit down to eat a reasonable time, make reservations in advance. This goes for about every other restaurant in Newport as well. Brick Alley is notorious for having a 2 hour wait on a week night, so plan ahead.
Mama Luisa is terrific italian food, no complaints.
In addition to your list, I would recommend Scales and Shells (terrific seafood), Benjamins (many choices, great seafood, awesome prices on lobster and a great raw bar), Mudville Pub (this is my alternative to the smokehouse, burgers and what not but very good and casual), and Salvation Cafe (off the beaten path, not extremely touristy, terrific food).
Have fun!
I was just in Newport this past weekend. We took the trolley to the mansions. Depending on where you%26#39;re staying, you can catch the trolley at the Visitor%26#39;s Center, and ride it all the way down to the end of the Cliff Walk. There are stops along the way where you can be dropped off to see any particular mansion.
The Breakers seems to be the most popular mansion, with beautiful grounds.
Since you%26#39;re coming from New York you obviously have a car, so take a drive to Bretton State Park, stop awhile, and enjoy the view of the ocean. On the way back, stop at Oceancliff for a drink, or outside dining-it%26#39;s a beautiful spot. A good spot for sunset is Pineapples at the Hyatt Regency, with a breathtaking view of the Newport Bridge. It%26#39;s very relaxing, and there%26#39;s music, too.
We ate at The West Deck, and H2O, both very good, and both on the harbor.
Have fun!
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