Castle Hill

Castle Hill sits at the halfway point along Newport’s famous 10-mile-long Ocean Drive loop. You’ll feel like you’re making your way to the end of the earth as you pull up to the Agassiz Mansion, home of the Castle Hill restaurant, where you’ll be greeted by a valet and guided to the elegant wood-and-leather studded lobby of the hotel and dining room.

The prix-fixe, six-course menu starts at $165 per person, but is worth it for things like meyer lemon and peppercorn oysters, Rhode Island fluke prepared with truffle and caviar, or venison with summer beans. When the weather cooperates, grab a lawn seat and watch the boats as they sail so close in the narrow channel that it feels like you could have a conversation with those waving on deck. This is your summery daytime spot to enjoy sweeping views of Conanicut Island, Narragansett Bay, and the Newport Bridge with a drink in hand, much like the Vanderbilts probably did back in the day.