We had a memorable Christmas Eve with Chef Jacob Jasinski's 8-course blind tasting menu. There were only 3 other diners in the Cara room with us... Each course was immaculately prepared and presented. And the Chef told a bit about each dish's ingredients and prep. Most ingredients were local, minor amount from New England. We received a copy of the menu on the way out (attached). Favorites were the caviar, diver scallops, and sea bass. There were only 2 quibbles - although most plates were smallish by course 7 or so - one was stuffed. The dessert was (too) huge. Strangely, two of us did not embrace the wagyu... HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Reservations a must; dressy casual although some gents had on sport coats and ties. No need to valet - plenty of parking 100' from the front door. Note that this is a pricey night out (just north of 4 digits). In addition to the meal, taxes, and gratuity you prepay, there will likely be cocktails and pairings (pairings are not included). Must commend them that the wine list has a good selection of wines from $40 - $70. Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Value 3/5 (about you would pay for this experience in Boston, NYC, etc.) Cleanliness 5/5 Noise 2/5 (quiet) Décor 5/5 read more

The chef's tasting experience at Cara at The Chanler is something to behold. With two seatings in a breathtaking, semi-private dining room that overlooks the waterfront cliffs of Newport, you truly feel like you are on a luxury reality show with delectable surprises around every corner. The very decorated, passionate chef brings out each course himself and delivers a few words about it, including origins of the dish idea and components (many of which are sourced from local gardens). We had the ultimate fancy birthday celebration, with plenty of banter with the chef and staff, who were always eager to please and answer questions. If you're celebrating something special in Newport and you're an adventurous foodie, Cara is a must do. read more

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I hate writing this review. I want to give Cara a 5 star review and do nothing but rave about everything there. However, I just can't and, for that, I am disappointed. Indeed, this is a difficult review for me to write. How much of my opinion should be based on the food I ate there? How much on the interior decoration? And how much on the service? It is hard for me to draw the lines. But, I know this, when you spend a lot of money for a place, you expect a lot in return and I simply feel like Cara did not deliver. Cara is the fine dining portion of the restaurant at the Chandler Inn in Newport. It is not a stand-alone restaurant - it is 5 tables in a separate room, separated from the main dining room by sliding glass doors. The views of the ocean are phenomenal. The decoration is true Gilded Age divine! It is as elegant and lovely as it should be given how GREAT the Chandler Inn (in which it is located) is. So, for the atmosphere and the dining room ambience, Cara hits it out of the park! So too with the food. The Cara cuisine is among the best I have ever had. The inventive use of clams, peas, shoots, lamb, etc. was phenomenal. Really as good as any food I have had in New York or Paris or anywhere. Okay - so here goes - what makes me leave off 1 star was the service. I considered only leaving 3 stars but bumped it up to 4 but I'm not sure why. Cara has 2 seatings - one early and one at 8:00 pm. We were at the 8 pm seating and we were the ONLY table there that night. Let me make sure you understand - the restaurant had only 2 patrons and I was 1 of them. Maybe everyone was mad that we made them stay late. I don't know. But, at that price point and with the high level of food creation, I expect a lot. I expect good explanations, some stories about the menus and the recipes and the farms where the ingredients are from. I expect some interaction; that is the sort of service I have gotten at other similarly nice restaurants. We got some but precious little of that at Cara. Both Jacob, the chef, and Andrew, the waiter, seemed rushed. They did not linger. They turned to leave our table (the ONLY table with any patrons) while they were still talking. If we had a follow-up question about something, they were already halfway out of the dining room when we asked (remember, there are only 5 tables so the room itself is not large). And, when we did ask a follow-up question, they stopped where they were, did not come back to the table, and gave us an answer halfway turned around as if they were anxious to get away from us and out of the dining room. Maybe they didn't like us - I have to consider the possibility that they just did not want to talk to us very much. Whatever the reason, there is no excuse for the sort of service we had at Cara. That is no way for a restaurant of this caliber to behave. It detracted from the entire experience. I have had wait staff at much lower-class restaurants pay more attention to me than they did. It is a shame because I want to love Cara without exception and I just can't. To be fair, there is much to love about this place. And maybe the people at the earlier seating had a great experience with the service. But, if I am honest about my own experience there, I know in my heart that I will not return to Cara the next time I am in Newport. And, for what I have said above about the service - despite the 4 star rating - I cannot recommend that you spend a considerable amount of your money there either. read more

We stayed at the Chanler as a Valentine's getaway and booked Cara for our special dinner and made the reservation 2 weeks in advance. When we arrived, they "lost" our reservation. The young girl couldn't be bothered to do anything about it and we had to leave and find anything that was available at 8pm on a Friday night. This morning at breakfast we learned they could have accommodated us. This idea that "people are doing their best" during Covid is nonsense. People have just found it convenient not to care, to provide poor or no service by using "COVID-19" as the go to excuse for anything. Very disappointing. UPDATE: They're squeezing us in for the smaller 3 course seating this evening. Still disappointing, but at least they tried once someone else found out there was an issue. UPDATE: It is very clear that all of the staff at the resort have worked very hard to overcome the few mistakes that happened early on. It's still sad that we missed the later 7 course seating, but they really went above and beyond to make for an excellent experience. Both the chef and sous-chef visited our table and they included some nice extra touches. A few minor inconveniences were the lack of dark linens. They were able to bring a set of white linens that did not leave lint, but mid service it was replaced with a regular napkin that did leave me covered in white lint after. This is really such a minor thing, but it certainly is an expectation when you're spending in excess of a thousand per person. My wife and I each had a duck course, but at different times. We received different portions of the same dish. Is it because they wanted to give me extra? Did they presume my wife wouldn't want as much? Seems weird that the plating wouldn't be highly precise given the fine dining nature of this restaurant. The effort goes a long way. It's been clearly conveyed that the staff here truly care about our experience and have done all they could to try to compensate for the early inconveniences. read more

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This is another one of those places that REALLY makes me wish Yelp offered a way of breaking out ratings based on individual factors such as food, service, etc. Unfortunately, amount of frustration and embarrassment myself; as well as others with our conference; endured in this evening All I'll say is the kitchen seems well run by exemplary chefs and staff... ...Front of house however; most notably the manager on duty on 7/19/21, Sam; a complete disaster. Every single problem we encountered (endured more like it); problems that Sam, the manager described several times as small & insignificant, were related to server issues, including those issues delivered by Sam himself. Sam delivered perhaps the worst customer service experience myself and literally everyone at our table and several other surrounding tables have EVER EXPERIENCED! This character, Sam, has absolutely ZERO business working in ANY customer service role, and certainly not at what is known to be one of the most extraordinary places to stay and eat in Newport. Even the night hotel manager appeared to agree (based on body and facial language), when several in our party expressed disappointment and disgust with the way in which we were treated by Sam. Following this experience, I actually reserved Yelp comment because it was going to be so bad, I elected to first speak with the Hotel manager. What I determined is Sam's attitude is seemingly shared by those at the top; who like Sam, elect to make excuses and try to blame it on situations or the guests rather than simply acknowledging they "F'd" up.... It was as if a lifelong politician had taken over their bodies and made them believe that under no circumstances should you ever take responsibility for you actions... instead, blame it on everyone else... anyway, I digress. Bottom line , there are far more amazing places to spend a lot of money in this town than here who will actually deliver value beyond a pretty view and space. See my reviews for contrast and comparison to see I'm not some ingrate who only posts bad reviews. read more

It is really hard to put into words how amazing the 5 course blind tasting was! It's a MUST try to really understand! Executive Chef Jacob Jasinski, Pastry Chef Brittany and their team treated us to masterpiece after masterpiece all evening long. This was not dinner...it was an experience to be savored! The service was spot on, the cuisine impeccable, and the atmosphere incredibly beautiful and relaxing. Highly, highly recommend! read more

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We celebrated our anniversary here and I am SO glad we did. The food was phenomenal and the service was superb. Our server Teddy went above and beyond - he was personable and professional and took care of a few requests that we had. We had an amazing time and we were extremely impressed with the cuisine. I can't wait to go back. This is THE place for a special occasion. It is a gorgeous eleven table restaurant tucked into the Chanler Inn. Our reservation was for 8 pm and it was dark outside so we didn't see the spectacular view other people raved about. Go with the tasting! We debated for at least 15 minutes about whether to do one of the six-course tasting menus or their three-course prix fixe. We finally chose the "Plunge" tasting & OMG it was perfection. Plunge is a little more protein oriented than their other tasting. But, first we had a glass of wine and we were offered either onion bread or Japanese milk bread. Then, each course came out in a well timed cadence. Our favorite course was the duck - it was exquisite with beautiful crispy skin, blackberries, and foie gras. I cannot do it justice on this page. I didn't even take pictures because I was all encompassed with each morsel. Dessert was a deconstructed rhubarb pie on a lovely plate but my husband said he preferred "constructed pie" - fair enough. I had a perfect chocolate soufflé. After dessert, we had orange cello candies and a pretty box of homemade chocolate truffles to bring home. Side note: The waitstaff press linens of vacant tables with an iron. Overall, The kitchen and servers are a well-oiled machine & I love that. We left happy with great memories of our experience. Can't ask for more than that. Some patrons here are Newport preppy casual or they take it up a notch. The kitchen is open and you can see it operating as you walk by. read more

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The atmosphere was relaxing and romantic. Our server was efficient, friendly, and extremely attentive. The food was out of this world! Our meals were perfectly prepared and presented like works of art. Prior to our visit I had made a very specific and challenging request for Chef Jacob Jasinski. He was very gracious about my request and seemed to really enjoy customizing our dining experience. To say that Jacob and his teammates knocked it out of the park would be a huge understatement! Our meals were not only customized as requested there were several unexpected surprises provided that made it even more special. If I had to sum up our entire dining experience in Cara with one word it would be...EXQUISITE! read more

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We can't express how fabulous our experience was tonight with chef Jacob Jasinski. He and his team made us feel both comfortable and special at the same time. He took the time to share the inspiration for each dish and the details of the often local and always fresh ingredients. From the first course to the decadent cheese and chocolate courses the food was impeccable. We did the Five PM blind tasting and it was also a great price. We recommend everyone come for the views, the staff, and most of all the food. read more

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We dined here for Christmas dinner because we absolutely loved the Christmas buffet put on by the previous restaurant, The Spiced Pear. We knew going in it would be difficult to beat that glorious buffet, so we set our expectations. Although it is a lovely setting, the food was just not that good. I couldn't tell you details on what we ordered because it was mostly unforgettable, nevertheless, I found the food to be heavy-handed with salt. We ordered the additional seafood raw bar, which was ok, really meaning blasé, with limited overall taste. And seriously, do you need to leave the heads on the shrimp? That stuff freaks some people out. Was it worth the almost $300 price point? Nope. It made us long for a nice home-cooked Christmas dinner. It was definitely a downer...bah-humbug. read more

Cara (formally The "Spiked Pear" as the locals knew it) is a fairly new fine-dinning restaurant located in a beautiful hotel of The Chanler. A new chef was brought in and a new menu created. Dress code: although it's business casual, I'd say dress code is more upscale than that. The view from the outside patio is lovely so try to ask for a table outside when you make your reservation, which you can make online or call it in. We had the 3 course meal and started with a nice sized slice of sourdough bread or cranberry walnut bread with salted butter. The first course, I had the oysters and the lobster in which hands down for the lobster, the oysters were not so good and tasteless. The second course was the main meal, I had the Halibut and The Hubbs had the Duck, while the Halibut was delicious I wish I had opted for the Duck too, it was so succulent and perfectly made. The dessert was not bad I had the Strawberry cake, the Chef gifted us with in house gum drops that were super tasty. And I'd highly recommend tryinga glass of their featured Rośe - Chateaux Cotes. Overall, the dinner took about 2 hours, our waiter was more than attentive, he knew the menu well and was able to provide recommendations, the food came out accordingly and everyone was friendly. read more

Wonderful Food & Cocktails! Front of House Staff could be more attentive but, possibly haven't been trained or supervised for fine dining. We will be back! read more

Bring back the Spiced Pear, Chef Duffy, Maurice and Teddy! While the restaurant still has amazing views and is in a great building, everything else has gone downhill with the exception of the prices which have significantly increased. New menu sounds fancy, but food is bland. read more

It pains me to write this review. We dined as a party of 4. Between us we tried both the vegetable-forward tasting menu and the meat-forward tasting menu, paired with both the premium wines and the non-premium wines. First the good: the dining room is simple and elegant. In non-winter months, the view over the beach must be spectacular. Service was exquisite, very professional, very accommodating. It immediately felt like a special occasion in terms of the service experience and ambiance. The bad news: our meals were terribly disappointing. To put it in perspective, this was a $1,000 meal for four. At that price-point, anything less than delicious food and thoughtful wine pairings is unacceptable. It's difficult to describe the sinking feeling--almost embarrassment--that spread around the table as each course arrived and we realized...it just wasn't very good. The wine pairings did little to elevate the food. They didn't speak to each other. In fact, for one seafood course, the wine pairing made the dish unpalatable. I could not drink the wine at all for that course without ruining the food. The server cleared a full glass and didn't ask any questions. Dessert was the one high point--it's clearly superior to the savory courses, thoughtful and not too sweet. The meal concluded with a box of homemade chocolates to take home, which was a beautiful final touch. It's just such a shame the meal failed to live up to the scene set by the restaurant. We were almost shell-shocked as we left. I think a lot of people can convince themselves to like a meal when they're paying so dearly for it, but the truth is that you can have better meals elsewhere in Newport and RI for less. If it was just a bad night in the kitchen...well, you don't get to have bad nights at this price. The two stars are for the superior service, a few nice wines, a clean and tasteful ambiance, and the pastry chef. As for food and wine pairings, really pretty shocking given the price. Save your money, or wait for summer and know you're paying for the view. read more

Truly disappointing - an experience in October 2021 that still has me very upset. My husband was able to book a reservation on OpenTable (not sure why it was listed on there, but it was) following our wedding reception. On arrival, the host was very confused and explained they do not accept reservations on that website, and they did not have the ingredients prepared ahead of time to accommodate us, so we'll have to go elsewhere. Fine, how could we have known that? But fine. Never mind my husband already paid a handsome upfront fee on his credit card. But I'm not even that mad about the mistake. The host didn't make any effort to get us to stay (comp us the Cafe) or make us come back. Little did he know we were in town the rest of the week. He didn't try in the slightest to put us at ease in any way shape or form to make us want to come back in the future. Nothing. "Too bad". We were forced to find someplace else to go late at night, in our fancy clothes, and we were hungry. This is very disappointing to us because Newport is a special place for us, and we would have loved to have experienced the tasting menu. But utter lack of professionalism was appalling to us and does not have us wanting to visit at all - it's too bad, because the ambiance and property and other reviews all seem very positive. Unfortunately our experience was not and we will not come back. read more

Was here this past weekend and This was disappointing. Ambience is nice and wait staff was very attentive. Drinks were also well done. I had the pork belly first course which was very good. The rest not so much. Had the short ribs and they were very fatty. Wife has the halibut which she really didn't like, dry and lacking a pop of flavor. Desert was ok. Don't get me wrong it's not horrible but for a $400 check it wasn't even close. read more

I loved it. We are at Castle Hill last night but the food was way better here. So Castle Hill has the better sunset. You can't see the sunset here but the ambiance is still awesome. The table setups are superb for couples. The cocktails were fantastic. The service was excellent. It's a pre-fix menu. We did the 3 course. I had the crab app which was really good. My wife had the oysters which she loved. For dinner, we both had the lobster which was served de-shelled with some homemade mushroom ravioli which was fantastic. For desert, we had the strawberry cheesecake and chocolate soufflé. We had drinks at the bar afterwards and they were great. It is expensive. All in we were somewhere around 350 including after dinner drinks. I think it was well worth it. read more

My husband took me here for my birthday. We sat inside with the most spectacular view . We started off with a couple cocktails that were perfectly balanced and beautifully garnished. Our server was Cole. He was prompt and very knowledgeable in regards to the food, flavors, wine and where everything was sourced from, most of which is local which we appreciate immensely. We picked the tasting menu called "Plunge" which is a 6 course meal with wine pairings. Literally everything we had was delicious and decadent. The wine pairings perfectly complimented and enhanced every dish. We thoroughly enjoyed this place. It's a little on the pricey side so it's sort of a splurge but the whole experience is so worth it . They also have outdoor seating that's a bit more casual and offers a different menu. We will try that next . Highly recommend this place . They know what they're doing . If you're looking to be spoiled or spoil someone, this is where to do it! read more