Clarke Cooke House

We had a great dinner here! Open air, nice vibe, however it does get quite loud. We really enjoyed the summer sushi, some oysters, and the red snapper special. The chocolate dessert that comes in the wine glass was so amazing that we came back a second time for it during our vacation. It gets very busy here, so I recommend making a dinner reservation if you want to get in!

Very nice dining experience! Waitress told us about the history of the house! We learned about the difference in stories and levels of the houses! The food was absolutely delicious! Romantic dining for sure!

Dined here for the first time recently. It was very busy and we had to wait for a bit for a table. Staff were all friendly. We were seated by the windows and unfortunately we were getting a cold breeze during our dinner. Food was good but would choose something else if coming again. Nice atmosphere.

Dining at Clarke Cooke House our first night in Newport set an incredibly high bar for the rest of our trip. We began with mussels, served with irresistibly hot, freshly baked bread straight from the oven. For our main courses, we shared the seafood linguine and the seasonal scallop special, both showcasing the freshest, most flavorful seafood. We enjoyed our meal with a picturesque view of the water where there was a nearby boat covered in Christmas lights making me very merry.

Came here for lunch and had a great experience. Waiter was friendly and attentive. We love oysters and the oyster selection was amazing! Our seat was right next to the water so we got a nice breeze on a hot August day. Perfect experience.

It's a busy place for sure.. so plan ahead and make a res.. we did not buy the hostess accommodated us at Oyster Bar, which was actually a delight.. we chatted with Tyler, a shucker working there, and ordered a few apps and wine.. it was extremely busy but we really enjoyed the friendly staff and atmosphere.. next time we will make a resy tho

During our recent lunch visit to Clarke Cooke House in Newport, Rhode Island, we were initially impressed by the charming atmosphere, vibrant crowd, and prime location. The menu appeared promising, sparking our anticipation for a delightful meal. However, our experience quickly took a downturn. Our waiter was noticeably cold and unfamiliar with the menu, unable to provide insights or address dietary queries for my vegan friend. When asked about milk options, he admitted to not knowing. We placed our order, and my ham sandwich was supposed to come with a side of fries. Unfortunately, the food took 30 minutes to arrive, and my fries were missing. Despite my efforts to catch the waiter’s attention, he seemed to ignore me. Another staff member eventually brought the fries 10 minutes later, but they were cold by the time they reached our table. To make matters worse, my friend felt unwell after eating the pesto pasta and had to leave early, later experiencing severe discomfort and vomiting. While Clarke Cooke House has potential with its promising menu and great atmosphere, our lunch experience was marred by poor service and food issues. We hope our next visit will be more positive, but it’s hard to overlook the disappointments we faced this time.

The Wharf has now capitalized on their water front location and provides low quality, food, service and conditions. Not only does the restaurant smell worse than chum rotting in a lobster cage, but the staff and attitudes are rude, aggressive and make you feel unwelcome. I travel to many places and am also a contributing copy writer for Aruba - Caribbean magazines. I am well versed in the service industry of hospitality and management. This restaurant has slipped and should be avoided. (Photograph below of different eatery. You will be happy elsewhere.)

came out quickly for our table of 8 We did appetizers of calamari, sushi a few salads and oysters tuna, cod, seafood linguine and a few lobster rolls 4 deserts including my favorite snowball in hell

Incredible atmosphere and ambiance (a bit rowdy of a crowd but it's memorial day weekend) the drinks were great(especially the jane fonda espresso martini) the sea bass was good The dragon eel roll was incredible we asked for the most popular dishes on the menu and were told that a the sole lyonnaise was popular and tasty. DO NOT order this meal. It was essentially a steamed fish dowsed in an acidic vinegar tasting bath surrounding with caramelized onions, steamed spinach, and potato chips. I would not recommend. I recommend sticking to sushi items if you go here. The signature dessert "the snowball in hell" was also great!

We came here for work dinner with a group of five people during the weeknight. I am very glad we had reservations because the place was packed! We were seated within a few minutes of arriving and shortly after had our server greeting us. He quickly got us started with waters as well as a round of drinks. For appetizers, we decided to share the tuna and the calamari. Both were tasty but the calamari was a bit overdone so made it chewy. I also decided to try a bowl of the clam chowder. It honestly wasn't my favorite because of how runny it was and I believe they put dill in it, which was a bit overpowering. For my entrée, I decided to try the Lamb special. It had both lamb shank and lamb loin. It was absolutely delicious, particularly loved the lamb shank and the little bit of fat that it had. For dessert, I got the crème brûlée and it was light and had the perfect amount of sweetness. This restaurant has the cutest decor and definitely takes in the Newport energy. I would highly recommend if you're in the area!

Mixed feeling about the Clarke Cooke house, food was tasty 7/10, very common fair and nothing to really write home about. The dinning room is crowded, the servers and staff were friendly and personable but overall service was very slow (Drinks took 15 minutes, 2 Sandwiches smoked ham and smoked salmon took about 25-30 minutes). If it wasn't crowded, and you don't one paying a premium for "touristy" style dining it's passable, but there are better options.

Yummy food, preppy vibe. Went for St. Patty's Day lunch. They have raw bar, great drinks, large food menu. Had a few appetizers and drinks. Clam chowder was lighter than most..it was a refreshing change. Didn't get to try the famous Snowball in hell dessert. I can see this place getting super busy so try to get reservation ahead if you can. Small bar seating area.

Wonderful Newport restaurant- we had no reservations but they managed to squeeze us in on a Wednesday evening and only waited around 10 minutes. It's a very large space and I couldn't believe how full it was but after we had our dinner I understood- everything was perfect, from the bread to dessert just an all around solid meal and I can see why it's rated one of the best restaurants in Newport. Our server was new, not super friendly and not too familiar with the menu but that's ok- I had the native cod, my boyfriend had the seafood linguini and we split the hazelnut:chocolate mousse pie. Recommend 1,000%

We came to Clarke Cooke on a Saturday for lunch around 12:30pm in the winter. We made a reservation a few days in advance but could have definitely walked in and had no issue sitting down! The aesthetic of the restaurant is beautiful, boat house decor. Tables with white linen table cloths and comfortable seating. We were sat upstairs and our waiter immediately came over. Overall, the service was great, very quick. I would probably rate a 3.5 overall for the lunch food.

Go for the ambience, but don't plan on eating great food. The ambience is excellent. I would recommend going there to grab drinks and an appetizer. Our entrees were pretty awful and we all ended up grabbing a second dinner afterwards. I had the steamed lobster and my husband had the steak frites. The steamed lobster tail was covered in lobster guts so it was inedible. My husbands steak just didn't taste great.

It's the worst kept secret that I love love love the Cooke House. I literally consider this place my home away from home. From sushi dinners to Porch Snowballs apre-gala, the best moments in life are spent in this hallowed and historic eatery. But that's not what this about. This is about the Smoked Salmon Sandwich, which is quite possibly the best sandwich I have EVER had not only in Newport, but in Boston, New York, or anywhere else. We came here a few days ago for a sensible Ladies Who Lunch moment following a Newport Classical concert at the Elms. I'm a night owl at Cooke House since work usually prevents daytime meals, but holy cow, I am so glad we came here for lunch, especially since the Smoked Salmon wondrousness is only on that menu (BUT IT SHOULD BE ON THE OTHER MENUS I WOULD EAT THIS ALL THE TIME). The salmon is fresh (I venture to guess it's smoked in house), the pumpernickel bread a soft and toothsome compliment to the fish, the dill cream cheese is FIRE, and the seasonal heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers pull it all together. It's like a tea sandwich turned up to eleven. Served alongside dressed mixed greens and a Newport Water cocktail, I can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon. Seriously. So good. And that's a lot from me!

Joni was or server and she was fantastic! We went to celebrate graduation with our friends and had a sunset sail after. The restaurant was super helpful in ensuring we made time to eat and make our charter. Gave us a wonderful table near all the yachts and sailboats. The lobster and halibut was superb and topped it off with some amazing wine and dessert . A must! Wonderful experience will return!

The setting of the patio is beyond perfect old American. Polished silver candlesticks in flawless glass hurricanes, white ironed tablecloths, flowers and beautiful silver ware. The waitstaff is extremely professional--they have been doing this for a long time and it shows. The food was delicious--even my cauliflower appetizer which was such a weird thing to order! The lobster was delicious and it was completely worth it because we had the quintessential Newport experience. The patio is best for formal dining: date nights, anniversaries and special evenings out. The rest of the building has multiple other dining rooms that are more casual. Jacket required only on the patio and thank goodness because nicely dressed fellow diners complete the scene.

Well it's not great. Not the worst but definitely not great. I was under the impression that I needed a collared shirt and jacket for dinner which I wore. We were seated right next to the bar which had the ambiance of a sports bar. I ordered the filet mignon which could have been pretty good if it wasn't completely swimming in what I can only describe as a sweet barbecue sauce. I asked for some steak sauce to try and tame the overly sweet taste. The service was okay, the waitress seemed annoyed by us or maybe she also had the filet mignon and was disappointed. I definitely don't think I would go back but I will always have the memories of sweating in my jacket sitting in a director's chair eating a sad steak while Bob Seager is blasting in the background.

Walked into a lovely atmosphere with a live piano player, playing an assortment of melodies ranging from jazz to old world era music. Our waiter Mathew was beyond attentive as was the entire wait staff. They worked together as a well oiled machine. What a lovely meal at the end of a very amazing weekend.

The main course entrees were TERRIBLE. I know when you are from NY, the food other places cannot compare, but this was like BAD WEDDING food. The seafood in the seafood linguini was over cooked and some of the clams had sand in them. The Fillet MIgnon had a sauce that was so sweet that it ruined the taste of a beautiful piece of meat. The ambiance was just ok. Would NEVER recommend.

The ambiance is perfect for a romantic dinner or even for business if you're looking to impress with the location. It was very loud around 6 pm on a Saturday night so go earlier if that's a problem for you, but it's so charming and you can't beat the view. I had the lemon spritz (meh), cream of tomato soup and the steamed lobster both were delicious! We felt rushed and that the server was a little pushy so that's the reason for a 4 vs a 5.

I probably definitely would not come here again in the summer. There is no AC and they leave all of the windows open for an indoor outdoor type of eating experience. When we got our food we were eating fast because we wanted to get out of there. There's nothing worse than sweating while you're eating it was so weird and uncomfortable lol. Also the rickety ceiling fans were not it and we're not producing any type of airflow whatsoever. Food was decent but not completely enjoyable due the heat situation.

My favorite place to have a nice dinner in Newport. Fun atmosphere and very pleasant staff. You MUST have your meal at the upper bar, Rick was funny, witty, professional and incredibly knowledgeable about food and wine. I'll be back!

Need to update my review! We ate here again and you need to try the snowball/ amazing chocolate dessert with cake ice cream and toasted coconut YUM!

One of my favorite restaurants. The atmosphere feels like old money Newport ( think Great Gatsby) and the food is so fresh and flavorful. It doesn't matter if you go in summer, or winter or where you sit, the service and food will always be consistent and great.

Went in with a friend for a quick drink and the prices of the cocktails weren't on the menu. I ordered the Newport Water and learned that it was $30 for it while paying the tab. $30!!! It was an $11 drink.

I love the food so much. I order the homard poached eggs at brunch and dish French toast. Will was a great waiter with great service. The restaurant was very clean and with great live music! We will definitely come again :)

Super fun night sitting at the oyster bar. The shuckers were super nice and very knowledgeable. We were also able to order off the menu in addition to ordering some amazing oysters. I had the monkfish special and it was delicious. Cocktails were great too! Next time I'm in town would make a point of coming back and sitting at the oyster bar if seats were available.

It wouldn't be a trip to newport without dining at the Clarke Cook House. Truly a staple to this beautiful east coast town. This is always one of my first recommendations to anyone visiting. The style of this restaurant is simply put... fabulous. Besides the traditional high end feel to the place, the food has always been great. Fresh sea food and delicious drinks, you just can't go wrong. My only "complaint" throughout my years of dishing here would be my in counter with a hosted with an attitude. She was just unpleasant and didn't seem happy to be there.

One of the most amazing restaurants I've ever been too. Amazing environment with a beautiful view of the ocean! The Tofu Marsala was the best I've ever had! The waiter was also amazing and very kind.

My wife and I went to Clarke Cooke House this past week on a trip to Newport. First, the building and dining room were awesome (we got to sit next to the fire, which we recommend); this is the quintessential Newport eatery. I started with a local beer, which was good. The bread they brought out was warm, fresh, and delicious. My wife and I both went with the steamed lobster and it was also delicious. We capped the meal off with the Snowball in Hell; it was so good we went back the next night to get the dessert but the restaurant was packed and we couldn't get a table. This place really made us feel like we were getting the Newport experience. Bathrooms were really small, but clean. Side note: Really surprised about the current yelp rating; give this place a try!

Great ambiance. Appears to be popular with locals. Good fish and drinks. I'm sure we'll be back

I came to Yelp to write a review on the absolutely horrible experience I had at Clarke's Cooke House this past weekend, and am deeply disturbed to see the company I am in regarding the experience of the management at this establishment. This past weekend, I came to Clarke's Cooke House for lunch while visiting Newport with two women friends. Upon being seated (by a very kind host), my friend took off the hat she was wearing and put her hair back while looking at the menu. She was immediately accosted by the manager, Peter Barry (who has apparently been there for 30 years?), who pointed his finger in her face and said "Go to the ladies room to put your hair up." We were all shocked and frankly, couldn't believe what was happening. We asked him who he was (we thought he might have been a patron) and he loudly proclaimed that he was the manager and he continued to chastise her and tell her to "go to the ladies room." We stood up to leave, but not before expressing our extreme distaste in his sexist, misogynistic behavior. He continued to point at her and make extremely rude, sexist, and classist comments as we walked out. This was a deeply disturbing and upsetting experience for my friends and I. Now that I'm here writing this review, I'm stunned to see how many other people have shared extremely negative experiences with not only Mr. Barry but also many other staff members at this restaurant. My hope is that you will take this review into consideration before eating at Clarke's Cooke House, and that some action will be taken in a larger sense regarding this aborrhent behavior.

This place lives up to the hype! I loved sitting at the bar looking out to the water. The cocktails were incredible and the food was delicious. Service was quick and friendly, I cannot recommend this place enough!

Haven't the foggiest clue how this place isn't rated higher. Cleary its not adversely affecting the business, judging on how mobbed it is every single time I try to go here. The oyster lists and fresh offerings, like the stone crab, are next to none; they even have oysters from New Brunswick that have become my new favorite. Their chowder is excellent. And I'd suggest ordering anything that's a special here, as its truly fresh and inspired. Pro tip - the bar has one of the best espresso martinis in New England.

The food was amazing. We had the steak au poivre which had a sweetness from the caramelized onion accent that created the most interesting depth. Loved it. The candy burger was amazing with blue cheese and bacon. The drinks were great, would recommend Williams bow tie. Amazing!! Our waitress was attentive and polite. This was a wonderful experience. We will be returning the next time we are in Newport. This place is super dog friendly. With multiple places to sit and designated water dishes for our best friends.

Excellent food, especially the seafood. Friendly service and a great atmosphere with varied locations inside.

Steamed mussels and oysters were fresh and tasty. However, main dishes like the jamon and burger were just okay. Super long wait for food

We had a girls dinner planned and were so excited to eat here. Huge disappointment. Do not recommend. Muscles - smelled and tasted like human feces Steak frites - frozen fries, chewy steak Jamón - I don't even want to talk about it

Make reservations in advance, this is an open window atmosphere with spectacular views offering delicious dinner options including sushi in the summer-save room for the snow ball dessert-trust me you & your guest will be happy!

A treat with great ambience and style. A Newport standard for us. Parking always sucks in Newport and here is no exception. Clam chowda is swell and the service and food very good. Go here for a real New England seaside experience. Good cocktails and really professional service

Really nice atmosphere in a great location. Food is on the pricier side, but tasted great. Good for special occasions. Had a nice waiter.

This was such a nice dinner. Our steaks were cooked perfectly and the room was completely empty when we first got there so it was really nice. We had a nice private table upstairs in a small secluded room by the window. Our server was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. Will be back again when we visit the area again in the summer. Aloha

My visit to this restaurant was a complete disaster. The service was terrible, employees and management were shockingly rude, and the prices were way too high for what felt like a tourist trap. Adding insult to injury, the food was simply awful. The dining areas were loud and dirty, creating an overall unpleasant experience. Definitely not worth a visit.

Seems like this place is hit or miss. I had an excellent experience here. Everything I ordered was good the ambience was excellent the food was good. It's Newport there are no restaurants here that are over the top Michelin star. But great fun place good food good service.

From sit down to after lunch cocktails, one of the best experiences we have had; food, service and location were phenomenal. Such a cool place. They even helped us pull off surprise lunch guests. Our server Andrew was a delight, attentive and knowledgeable. From carpaccio of beef tenderloin to the best chowder ever, halibut and lobster to tuna ceviche. This one was for the record books. And that is saying a lot for people that eat out as much as we all do.

Customer service, food, atmosphere and waitstaff are consistently outstanding! Wonderful place to go and enjoy terrific plates! The Sunday Brunch is also very good. BTW: the piano player isn't so bad either! : ) Come & enjoy Clarke Cooke! You won't be disappointed!

Had an early supper before returning to Providence. We had a tomato salad, a burger and a Frangelico Tort, washed down by a couple of beers and eventually an espresso. A lively, crowded place on the weekend. Good food 3*) and a great server (Andrei) (4*). The bill came to $ 40/ person, excluding the tip.

Beyond outstanding! Best meal we've had in a very long time. Can't wait to return! Service: excellent across the board. Before the restaurant opened, we were waiting outside on the wharf and the host was outside in his suit and tie cleaning the alley entrance - attention to detail! The raw bar guy was super friendly and helpful for picking out oysters to our liking (perfect choices for us!). The waiter was perfect and I'm sad I can't remember his name - he had only been there about 6 months but he knew exactly how to make it a perfect date night for us. Just the right amount of attention and excellent menu knowledge and recommendations. We will look for him whenever we go back. Ambiance: comfortably upscale. Not too dressy but you would feel comfortable if you were dressed up. A bit noisy but it was Valentines Day. Food: Began with oysters and shrimp from the raw bar. Meaty and fresh. Shared a crisp side salad with my husband. I had the rack of lamb special and my husband had the half chicken. The chicken skin was perfectly seasoned with a nice crispness and the chicken was cooked perfectly juicy and so flavorful. Mashed potatoes and spinach were great accompaniments. The lamb was also cooked perfectly with lots of lovely tender meat, just the right seasoning. It came with something with mushrooms which the chef easily switched to spinach at my request. No fuss made at all. It also came with a grain and some kind of shoestring squash that was delicious. We then got 2 desserts, a rarity for us, because we couldn't decide-they all sounded amazing. Well, the caramelized orange tart (special) was like nothing we have ever had and it was ahhmazing! I want some right now just thinking about it. The crust was melt in your mouth flaky. The orange was bright, not acidic, just the right amount of sweetness. Our waiter said it was new, the chef had just returned from Paris. The second dessert was called Snowball in Hell and it was pure Heaven. High quality chocolate and chocolate fudge sauce used - you could tell they didn't skimp with the quality or the generous serving. It was a goblet coated in chocolate, filled with moist rich chocolate cake and homemade vanilla ice cream and more sauce and toasted coconut and chocolate chips. It was superb. Price: spot on! Not an every night place but certainly a bit more vista than just special occasions. We will be back! Sorry for the photo quality-it was pretty dark at our table.

If you don't like hair in your food, there is nothing for you here. The manger was super kind to take this item with "extra ingredients" off the bill. However, I was charged for the substitute. Peter , who introduced himself as a manager of the place needs to learn on his manners and fixed his breath. It's disgusting to have a hair in your food but more disgusting to deal with such horrible management. Hopefully, the health department will take care of this place ) READ reviews before come here, please. Don't want to post hair soup but appreciate that oysters were fresh and without extra stuff

One word, excellent. It was understandably busy being a Friday night on a weekend with a lot going on in town, so definitely recommend a reservation, but there's a wait for good reason. Reading previous reviews, the issues folks seem to be having is with the service, but our waitress Ashley was extremely attentive and helpful, and despite being very busy herself, continuously checked up on us to ensure everything was great. As for the food, everything we ordered was awesome. The oysters and little necks were fresh and flavorful and the tuna ceviche was ridiculous. I also love soup but to branch out I didn't get the chowder and instead went for their soup of the day per Ashley's recommendation... Jerusalem Artichoke. She said it was amazing and despite not having any clue what it was, I went for it and am glad I did. It was incredible. I also ordered the Caesar salad which was made with homemade dressing and anchovies (I requested them) and was great. As for entrees, I ordered the seafood linguine in an Asian shrimp sauce and my colleague ordered the swordfish. Both of us were very happy (and stuffed). Unfortunately we didn't opt for dessert as a result but I recently bought a house nearby, so I'll definitely going back. Highly recommend. Ignore any reviews sub 5/5. Having experienced this place when they were stuffed with people, they did a great job.

Arugula salad was delicious. Fireplace was cozy. Steve the bartender was the best part of the evening. So incredibly attentive and talented mixologist.

I can't say enough good things about the wonderful lunch (and service) we had here on Thursday. I love the feel of this place - from the bar to the windows that open out to the ocean and let a nice breeze through on the first floor. I ordered a Manhattan (made perfectly), and the ahi tuna salad. The salad was good sized (lots of lettuce) with three good sized strips of tuna which was sesame crusted and delicious. My mom had the roast beef sandwich which was also very good (hello horseradish sauce!) We will for sure be back next time we are in the area!

Great place on the water for a few night caps and a little music. Great service and staff. Hope to get back for dinner

Love, love, the cookhouse, my favorite, as well as Castle Hill then coming here 20 years food service perfection

Great food, service, ambiance! A warm friendly atmosphere with excellent service and superb food.