2 Best Restaurants in Newport County and East Bay, Rhode Island

With five indoor and outdoor dining areas, this casually elegant restaurant is the center of Jamestown nightlife in the summer, especially at its expansive open-air bar. A 150-year-old beech tree in the courtyard lends its name to the locally owned restaurant, which has retained key staff from the former Trattoria Simpatico at the same location and menu highlights include local calimari, a hot lobster roll, house-made pasta, and grilled seafood dishes.

With Bruce the shark out front and a weathered, kitschy vibe, this local institution across from Easton's Beach in Middletown is as casual as they come. Lobster rolls, fried seafood, baked fish, clam cakes, cold beer, and a great raw bar make for long lines in summer. A smaller second location is at Island Park Beach in Portsmouth.