Pros are great venue and fantastic service. But, these pros are seriously outweighed by the limited menu selection, very expensive prices (and we are from NYC and saying this) , and mediocre tasting food with small portions. We actually left the restaurant feeling angry on how much we had to pay for what we received. We will stick to just cocktails if we go back. (again, we are NYC people who are OK with paying higher prices if the quality is there)
Jessen
Had lunch with family. Ordered burgers as part of the Newport, RI Burger Bender. Burger was cooked perfectly and was on point. Jalapeño aioli was killer. Really enjoyed. Staff were very accommodating. My mother-in-law has difficulty with stairs. The staff happily directed us to park behind the hotel to avoid stairs. They had a parking attendant meet us and escort us to the restaurant. Very nice indeed. Lunch time was pretty quiet compared to the hustle and bussle of downtown Newport. Was nice and quiet. Very relaxing for us seniors wanting a quiet relaxing place to dine for lunch.
Lovely ambiance, excellent cocktail and wine service. The table side martini is always a treat to see these days. Food was outstanding in concept and execution. Service was knowledgeable if not just a bit inattentive near the end. Excellent dinner, would highly recommend.
The food here was amazing! Each course was beautiful and their cocktail and wine list was fantastic. Our only downside is our waiter.. he was very standoffish and rude and with each course removed plates and drinks from our table before even asking if we were finished, which was a shame. Given that my partner and I were enjoying a celebratory meal and it wasn't as if it was a busy evening, I was shocked at the way our waiter continued to brush us off and rush us along. Maybe just an off night for him! Couldn't recommend the rest of the experience more, though!
jack
The restaurant was very nice , the menu offerings varied and enticing. Service very good also. Only 4 stars due to noise level. The tables were close and the noise reverberated throughout. Maybe some noise absorbing material would help. Otherwise a nice evening.
Even though we were not overnight guests, the staff made us feel welcomed and pampered. Our late dinner did not take away from the food quality. Lovely time, great atmosphere, attentiveness from the manager as well as Sam our waiter and the other staff.
KirbyP
They were slow to take the cocktail order and it's delivery was painfully slow. We brought a bottle of wine to be decanted. It was decanted out of our sight too many opportunities for bad things to happen and our guests did see what we were serving them. This was egregious. The room has hard surfaces so sound reverberates. This made the room loud and conversation difficult. The food was excellent as to taste and plating. Service was excellent.
Lori
We requested to sit by the fireplace since it was a special occasion. Wish granted. There were many glasses of complimentary sparkling wine/champagne available by the hostess. The menu changed a bit but we enjoyed the fried broccoli as much as we use to enjoy the Parker House rolls. We each had a main course that was delicious. Our server gave us a complimentary slice of birthday cake with candle to top off our special occasion.
Was a perfect evening, we sat by the fireplace, we had champagne toast, then excellent cocktails, superb appetizers, truly stupendous main course, topped off by delicious dessert and cappuccino!
CheriN
We went to dinner to celebrate a very special occasion. The staff at the Vanderbilt did everything to make our evening perfect! The food, wine and ambiance was of course fantastic!
We had our dining experience for lunch. Not much to say, but amazing. The restaurant appears to be upscale and at the same time very formal, love the idea of the lunch with a view (especially this weekend, when it was snowing) Our server was very pleasant and friendly. We took some time to decide what would be having for lunch. We were not rushed, so we appreciated it. For an appetizer, we have decided to start with Marinated Beets (fresh cream with beets was a perfect pairing) and Octopus (beans and fennel was an okay pairing, but octopus by itself was delicious). For entree, we had a Lobster roll (I'd say one of few best in Newport) and Ricotta Gnocchi (tbh I think it needed to be cooked a little bit longer, but very delicious and a nice pairing with wild mushrooms). So far everything we had was great. For dessert, we had caramel gelato. So great! In the end, last but not least, I'd like to thank my friend Nadya, a professional Sommelier who has been always wonderful. Thank you for making sure we had a great time even if you were enjoying your day off. And thank you for the Champagne! We are looking forward to having Afternoon Tea service. We love it and it looks awesome! Once again, thanks, everyone! Hope this year brings only the best, as well as happiness and joy to the Vanderbilt team! Srdan Dokovic
CheyenneD
I took my mother for a congratulatory dinner and we were over the moon impressed with the level of service and quality here. The food was incredible, the table was gorgeous, the service was amazing, making jokes, and everyone who passed by made a congratulations comment, a table by the fireplace, and friendly staff. Our favorite was the halibut! Will absolutely return
Terrific
This was the first time I had dined there. The ambience was incredible so welcoming for a building that has been around since 1908. Their service was impeccable, our waitress Julie was very friendly and helpful answering our questions about the menu. The food was incredibly amazing everything that came to the table was cooked perfectly from the Duck to the Scallops.
PaulP
What a charming and amazing restaurant. The atmosphere was out of this world. A dimly lit room with charming decorations. Especially with the Christmas/ New Years theme. The waitress was amazing and very attentive. Did not rush us and made sure we were well taken care of. The food was delicious and cooked to perfection. The rib eye for 2 was incredible and was well aged. I would recommend this to all and we will definitely return for another amazing meal. A must when visiting Newport.
lauralu
The Vanderbilt pretends to be something it is not. We arrived a Little early to be told our table was not ready and we could sit in the library while we waited. We were never offered to order a drink my husband had to go back to the maitre d and ask. 7 minutes later someone came to take our order. When we were finally seated the dining room was empty! Our waitress dressed in grungy jeans began by telling us she was there the night before until 4am (New Years Eve) and was very tired. Maybe we are out of touch but we expected for what we were paying an upscale experience. I ordered the duck my husband had the fried chicken. My duck and the very minuscule side of figs was lukewarm warm. The fried chicken was very good but came with only a very small side of Cole slaw. We each had one drink and shared a desert. With tip our bill was $175. Not worth the money. The gilded age must be something different for these owners. I do not see maitre d's in sneakers or waitress & waiters in jeans in any version I have watched. While I wasn't expecting white glove the modern day gilded age was a disappointment in both food & service.
Pros are great venue and fantastic service. But, these pros are seriously outweighed by the limited menu selection, very expensive prices (and we are from NYC and saying this) , and mediocre tasting food with small portions. We actually left the restaurant feeling angry on how much we had to pay for what we received. We will stick to just cocktails if we go back. (again, we are NYC people who are OK with paying higher prices if the quality is there)
Had lunch with family. Ordered burgers as part of the Newport, RI Burger Bender. Burger was cooked perfectly and was on point. Jalapeño aioli was killer. Really enjoyed. Staff were very accommodating. My mother-in-law has difficulty with stairs. The staff happily directed us to park behind the hotel to avoid stairs. They had a parking attendant meet us and escort us to the restaurant. Very nice indeed. Lunch time was pretty quiet compared to the hustle and bussle of downtown Newport. Was nice and quiet. Very relaxing for us seniors wanting a quiet relaxing place to dine for lunch.
Lovely ambiance, excellent cocktail and wine service. The table side martini is always a treat to see these days. Food was outstanding in concept and execution. Service was knowledgeable if not just a bit inattentive near the end. Excellent dinner, would highly recommend.
The food here was amazing! Each course was beautiful and their cocktail and wine list was fantastic. Our only downside is our waiter.. he was very standoffish and rude and with each course removed plates and drinks from our table before even asking if we were finished, which was a shame. Given that my partner and I were enjoying a celebratory meal and it wasn't as if it was a busy evening, I was shocked at the way our waiter continued to brush us off and rush us along. Maybe just an off night for him! Couldn't recommend the rest of the experience more, though!
The restaurant was very nice , the menu offerings varied and enticing. Service very good also. Only 4 stars due to noise level. The tables were close and the noise reverberated throughout. Maybe some noise absorbing material would help. Otherwise a nice evening.
Even though we were not overnight guests, the staff made us feel welcomed and pampered. Our late dinner did not take away from the food quality. Lovely time, great atmosphere, attentiveness from the manager as well as Sam our waiter and the other staff.
They were slow to take the cocktail order and it's delivery was painfully slow. We brought a bottle of wine to be decanted. It was decanted out of our sight too many opportunities for bad things to happen and our guests did see what we were serving them. This was egregious. The room has hard surfaces so sound reverberates. This made the room loud and conversation difficult. The food was excellent as to taste and plating. Service was excellent.
We requested to sit by the fireplace since it was a special occasion. Wish granted. There were many glasses of complimentary sparkling wine/champagne available by the hostess. The menu changed a bit but we enjoyed the fried broccoli as much as we use to enjoy the Parker House rolls. We each had a main course that was delicious. Our server gave us a complimentary slice of birthday cake with candle to top off our special occasion.
Was a perfect evening, we sat by the fireplace, we had champagne toast, then excellent cocktails, superb appetizers, truly stupendous main course, topped off by delicious dessert and cappuccino!
We went to dinner to celebrate a very special occasion. The staff at the Vanderbilt did everything to make our evening perfect! The food, wine and ambiance was of course fantastic!
Restaurantji Recommends
We had our dining experience for lunch. Not much to say, but amazing. The restaurant appears to be upscale and at the same time very formal, love the idea of the lunch with a view (especially this weekend, when it was snowing) Our server was very pleasant and friendly. We took some time to decide what would be having for lunch. We were not rushed, so we appreciated it. For an appetizer, we have decided to start with Marinated Beets (fresh cream with beets was a perfect pairing) and Octopus (beans and fennel was an okay pairing, but octopus by itself was delicious). For entree, we had a Lobster roll (I'd say one of few best in Newport) and Ricotta Gnocchi (tbh I think it needed to be cooked a little bit longer, but very delicious and a nice pairing with wild mushrooms). So far everything we had was great. For dessert, we had caramel gelato. So great! In the end, last but not least, I'd like to thank my friend Nadya, a professional Sommelier who has been always wonderful. Thank you for making sure we had a great time even if you were enjoying your day off. And thank you for the Champagne! We are looking forward to having Afternoon Tea service. We love it and it looks awesome! Once again, thanks, everyone! Hope this year brings only the best, as well as happiness and joy to the Vanderbilt team! Srdan Dokovic
I took my mother for a congratulatory dinner and we were over the moon impressed with the level of service and quality here. The food was incredible, the table was gorgeous, the service was amazing, making jokes, and everyone who passed by made a congratulations comment, a table by the fireplace, and friendly staff. Our favorite was the halibut! Will absolutely return
This was the first time I had dined there. The ambience was incredible so welcoming for a building that has been around since 1908. Their service was impeccable, our waitress Julie was very friendly and helpful answering our questions about the menu. The food was incredibly amazing everything that came to the table was cooked perfectly from the Duck to the Scallops.
What a charming and amazing restaurant. The atmosphere was out of this world. A dimly lit room with charming decorations. Especially with the Christmas/ New Years theme. The waitress was amazing and very attentive. Did not rush us and made sure we were well taken care of. The food was delicious and cooked to perfection. The rib eye for 2 was incredible and was well aged. I would recommend this to all and we will definitely return for another amazing meal. A must when visiting Newport.
The Vanderbilt pretends to be something it is not. We arrived a Little early to be told our table was not ready and we could sit in the library while we waited. We were never offered to order a drink my husband had to go back to the maitre d and ask. 7 minutes later someone came to take our order. When we were finally seated the dining room was empty! Our waitress dressed in grungy jeans began by telling us she was there the night before until 4am (New Years Eve) and was very tired. Maybe we are out of touch but we expected for what we were paying an upscale experience. I ordered the duck my husband had the fried chicken. My duck and the very minuscule side of figs was lukewarm warm. The fried chicken was very good but came with only a very small side of Cole slaw. We each had one drink and shared a desert. With tip our bill was $175. Not worth the money. The gilded age must be something different for these owners. I do not see maitre d's in sneakers or waitress & waiters in jeans in any version I have watched. While I wasn't expecting white glove the modern day gilded age was a disappointment in both food & service.