4 Best Restaurants in Bristol, Newport County and East Bay

This aptly named two-story café is abuzz with college students and foodies who appreciate the freshly baked bread, especially when it's used to make inventive sandwiches like roasted butternut squash with caramelized onions, Vermont cheddar, and tangy-sweet pesto. The extensive breakfast menu (served 12 hours a day) includes thick-cut French toast, cornbread hash, and granola made on-site.

An 1818 rum distillery houses this distinctive waterfront restaurant—look for the timber ceilings, African granite from slave ship ballast in the walls, and framed sections of early-19th-century graffiti-covered plaster. Chef Sai Viswanath reinvents traditional New England fare by combining it with Indian preparations to create dishes like lobster roasted in a 900ºF tandoor oven and chicken empanadas served with a tamarind and mint chutney.

The East Bay's best Italian restaurant can compete with any establishment on Federal Hill with its house-made meatballs, classic veal and chicken preparations, and a thoughtful wine list. One wall of the elegant dining room is paneled with wine crates; breakfast and lunch are served at the affiliated Roberto's Cafe.

Folks have been coming here since 1929 for lobster: as a salad roll, on pizza, or whole—but wait, there's also grilled swordfish, pan-seared cod, broiled scallops, bouillabaise, and steak or chicken, too. At lunch or dinner, start with a craft brew or cocktail, then build your own plate from the raw bar: jumbo shrimp, oysters, littleneck and cherrystone clams, or cold lobster cocktail.