"Sure, you might find sweaty tourists on Thames Street, but The Mooring’s cool, open-air patio is the place to escape all that. There are fans humming quietly above you, the energy is lively and upbeat but not rowdy, and all you can see is water and the boats in the harbor with Conanicut Island in the distance. Order the local classic Bag of Donuts lobster-shrimp fritters to start. The scallops, fish and chips, and statler chicken with chimichurri are excellent, and they also do a very well-executed, warm-buttered lobster roll. Plus, your smoky mezcal cocktail will seem as though it was specifically crafted to balance the briny sweetness of local oysters." - danielle rose