Tell Me Where: A Local’s Guide to Providence, RI

Providence has been on my list for a long time. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the food and drink scene in Rhode Island’s capital, and I’m a sucker for a charming New England locale. But it’s been an even higher priority since last summer when a friend told me about tattoo artist Vinny Morris and his shop Cool Tattoo. Then it really became a priority this spring when I found out Morris was closing his shop at the end of April. So I booked a Saturday evening tattoo,
planned a whole weekend around it
and asked a friend to come along for the ride.

Providence is a college town — home to the Rhode Island School of Design, Brown University, Johnson & Wales University and others — so it has a youthful vibe that thrives on independent restaurants, bars and shops. The city was founded in 1636, and as such it’s full of gorgeous, well-maintained Colonial and Victorian architecture. It’s also situated on Narragansett Bay, which gives it a moody nautical vibe, which I can never get enough.

I did some research on what to do in advance, but we decided to try something new for this Tell Me Where series: Throughout the trip, I asked locals — bartenders, restaurateurs, shop owners, baristas — the best places to eat, drink and shop in Providence. Sort of like a game of telephone, except instead of producing a silly answer at the end, I got a ton of useful advice that I’m now passing on to you.

If you’re planning a trip to Providence, here’s everything the locals recommend — and a few gems I found myself, too.

Where to Stay

Neptune

is a lovely boutique hotel downtown. We had connecting rooms (one suite and one regular room), so we could hang out when we wanted or opt for privacy. Adorably, both of our bathroom sinks were filled with ice to chill down a can of Narragansett beer and a bottle of Yacht Club, a local sparkling water, upon arrival. It’s home to

The Boombox

, an awesome karaoke lounge with private rooms and the chance to sing in front of the entire bar. The night we went, one drink turned into three, because it’s just that kind of place. The hotel also features Neptune’s bar, which is only open on Fridays and Saturdays. It’s dark and sexy and serves really nice cocktails.

Places That Came Highly Recommended From Locals

Bolt Coffee

On our first morning in Providence, we journeyed to get breakfast and coffee at Bolt, which is about a 10-minute walk from Neptune. We ended up eating there every morning, not only because it’s delicious (I recommend the bacon avocado toast) but also because I need food and caffeine mainlined into my veins in the morning. I can’t fuss around with places not in walking distance or that don’t do takeout. I prefer to eat breakfast in my bathrobe, thank you very much.

Recommended by the front desk team at Neptune

Coffee Exchange

Coffee Exchange is located in a charming old house, and it’s a very popular spot, based on how many people were waiting for drinks and buying freshly-roasted beans the afternoon we visited. I had a cortado, and it was excellent.

Recommended by Mindy Britto, owner of Urban Thread

Cielito Mexican Kitchen

Cielito makes their own tortillas, so you can’t go wrong with any of the tacos. The guac is also awesome. We went for lunch and loved it.

Recommended by Karen Beebe, owner of Modern Love

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Nicks on Broadway

Chef and owner Derek Wagner, who was nominated for the James Beard Best Chef Northeast Award, changes the Nicks on Broadway menu according to what’s fresh and seasonal, which is my favorite way to dine. We were welcomed with sparkling wine and roasted oysters, then started with the charcuterie plate, featuring homemade pâté, rillettes and pickles. We also tried the ridiculously good cassoulet with slow-braised Rhode Island pork, chicken, white beans and onions. The sweet potato-orange sorbet with bubbles and sea salt was a perfect ending.

Recommended by Ellen Diamond, owner of Stewart House, but also basically everyone else we came across in Providence

Courtland Club

We almost didn’t find this spot because it’s tucked into a beautiful old house on a residential street. We sat at the bar and ordered sparkling wine and a neat pour of Chartreuse Vegetal Elixir, a perfect little nightcap. We didn’t partake in the food menu, but it looked tempting.

Recommended by Bethany Caliaro, sommelier and co-owner of Gift Horse

The Vault Collective

At this big, well-organized vintage store that features multiple vendors, you’ll find everything from retro sports tees to designer leather goods. My friend bought a 1970s suede jacket and I snagged a braided leather belt from the ‘90s.

Recommended by Laura, bartender at Courtland Club

Modern Love

This store stocks beautiful home goods — everything from glassware to spices from
Ocean State Pepper Co
(I use their
Clucking Awesome
blend on chicken all the time).

Recommended by a barista at Bolt Coffee

Nostalgia Antiques & Collectibles

Be prepared to dig for treasures at this three-story shop, and you’ll be rewarded with some true gems.

Recommended by Laura, bartender at Courtland Club

While I wasn’t able to hit every local’s suggestion in three days, here are a few recommendations I received that I hope to check out next time:

The Royal Bobcat

,

Loma

,

Ceremony

,

The Nest

,

Top Shelf Vintage Co.

,

Rocket to Mars

,

White Buffalo

,

Suburbia Circus

The Gems I Found Myself

Marcelino’s

Our train from New York’s Penn Station arrived in Providence around 9 p.m. on a Thursday night. After a quick change and refresh at the hotel, we walked to Marcelino’s. Not only do they serve food late, but they also feature live jazz on Thursdays. The cocktails were excellent and they serve a beautiful charcuterie platter.

Gift Horse

This restaurant stood out to me for its New England-meets-South Korean cuisine. Whenever I travel in the U.S., I always reference the James Beard Award nominees for that year, and Gift Horse chef Sky Haneul Kim won Best Chef Northeast this year. Her food is incredible. I highly recommend the High Tide seafood tower, stacked with oysters, clams, mussels, Jonah crab claws with burnt onion Dijonaise, smoked fish dip, a crudo plate and chilled lobster. The spring onion jeon with fried shellfish is also heavenly.

The Eddy

The Eddy is great for cocktails and snacks, and we chose it because it was close to Gift Horse where we had a dinner reservation after drinks. You can’t go wrong with any of the libations, and the deviled eggs and shroomami popcorn are must-trys.

Frank & Laurie’s

My friend read about Frank & Laurie’s on Goop, and we both were sold after browsing the menu. We sat at the counter and ordered the hash browns with smoked oyster aioli (!), braised pimenton chicken leg and a baguette with roasted radish, anchovy and cultured butter. The latter was one of the best sandwiches I’ve ever had. I think I’ll chase that flavor forever.

Track 15

This food hall is a fairly new project that the city is very excited about. I was thrilled because I wanted to try famed Providence seafood shack Dune Brothers, but the weather was less than stellar the weekend we were there. But no matter — I still got my whole chilled lobster with a side of coleslaw from their stand in Track 15 and enjoyed it with a perfectly crisp sauvignon blanc from the food hall’s bar.

RISD Museum

You can’t go to Providence without checking out the RISD Museum, so we visited on Sunday morning when admission is free. It’s a huge space with so much to see, but I particularly loved an exhibit about silver and metalwork from the 19th to 21st centuries.

Frog & Toad

With two locations in the city, Frog & Toad is a great place to snag Providence-related souvenirs and gifts.

Urban Thread

We stumbled upon Urban Thread after visiting Nostalgia Antiques around the corner, and it was one of my favorite stores we visited. It’s a well-curated consignment shop that lowers prices on items the longer they’ve been in the store.

Stewart House

I found this charming home goods store mentioned in

Vogue

while looking for the best places to shop in Providence. Their selection is absolutely gorgeous — you’ll find everything from handmade glassware and ceramics to chic lamps and fancy wine keys.

Stock Culinary Goods

I always have to hit the local kitchen-supply store when visiting another city, so Stock Culinary Goods was high on my list of shops to check out. Kitchen knives? They’ve got plenty of those. Fancy sardines? Those too.

Vinny Morris

Although artist Vinny Morris closed his Providence tattoo shop, Cool Tattoo, at the end of April, he is currently traveling around the country guest tattooing at different parlors. He was so great to work with and brought the idea for an American traditional tattoo heart, an ode to my Nonna, to life. Check out his
Instagram page
for more info on where he’ll be next.