Enchanting. If you…read morehave not been to The Franklin in Bristol, go! Open for just over a year, The Franklin is the newest inspiration from the owners of Groundswell... and stepping through its doors feels a little like falling down the rabbit hole into a wonderfully grown-up, decidedly French Wonderland. But what enchanted us most about The Franklin is that nothing about it suggests this kind of dining should be reserved for a special occasion. Quite the opposite. This is simply how dinner should be. You dine by the flicker of real candlelight, surrounded by a moody French Arts & Crafts-inspired interior with floral-spun linens and eclectic china, where flowers, pattern, texture, and shadow conspire to create something wonderfully transporting. It is romantic, eccentric, intimate and beautiful, but also remarkably comfortable. The effect is one of permission to settle in, put away the distractions, order another glass, and actually enjoy the increasingly rare pleasure of a long dinner and uninterrupted conversation with the person across the table. And THEN the feast begins. This is French cuisine as it was meant to be experienced: decadent without being excessive, luxurious without being heavy. There is a reverence here for food and its preparation by people who clearly love their craft; the ingredients, the techniques, and the rituals and traditions of preparing and serving a beautiful meal. Our evening began simply and perfectly with a bread basket and sweet cream butter. Then came the truffle croquettes, little bites of tarragon forward indulgences. The filet mignons were superb, accompanied by beautiful boulangère potatoes, rich, deeply satisfying and exquisitely prepared. And because the special truffle and lamb pastas sounded too glorious to pass up, we ordered each to go to enjoy for dinner the next day. Because no proper trip through Wonderland should end without cheese, we finished with a cheese plate that included local cheeses, honeycomb, and drunken fruits along with cappuccinos for dessert. The drinks deserve their own chapter. Our choices: Champagne, an elderflower apéritif, The Franklin Manhattan, and a beautiful Sangiovese were each superb, complementing the flavors of the meal. And through it all, the service was exceptional. The servers are consummate hospitality professionals... knowledgeable, intuitive and gracious, with that increasingly rare quality of people who not only excel at what they do, but genuinely delight in doing it. You get the remarkable sense that they take as much pleasure in presenting each course as you do in discovering it. AND, they speak freely and warmly of their employers' excellent treatment of them, which clearly contributes to the spirit of the entire experience-- VISION LEAKS!!! And perhaps that is what The Franklin gets so wonderfully right. Somewhere along the way, we began treating a long, beautiful dinner as an extravagance reserved for anniversaries and celebrations. The Franklin makes you remember that it doesn't have to be. Dinner itself can be the occasion. Real candles should flicker on the table. Linen should feel beautiful beneath your hands. Unique plates should be uncovered as you enjoy your dish. Drinks should arrive in lovely glasses. Dinner should unfold slowly. Food should be prepared with reverence. Service should feel like an old friend welcoming you to their table. And you should look across at your dinner partner and realize that there is nowhere else you would rather be. The Franklin is a little mysterious, a little romantic, a little eccentric, thoroughly French and completely enchanting. But more than anything, it reminds you of something we seem to have forgotten: a beautiful dinner doesn't need an occasion. A beautiful dinner is the occasion. We happily disappeared down the rabbit hole. We intend to do so again very soon.

Well i eat out due to my travel about 5 times a week and since I work in New York I get to…read moreexperience some great restaurants. My wife and I came here and I have to say not only was the atmosphere an absolute 10 the food was just incredible and was a 10 also , the chef had a sea bass and lobster special and I wish I was educated enough to describe how good it was, everything was perfect including the charcuterie board we had along with the desserts. Just to add to this experience the staff was maybe the best I have ever experienced , Cara the General Manager came over and not only went out of her way to explain some of the dishes , she had us laughing all night . By far the best dining experience I've had in a long long time !

My friend is a regular at the Stingy Alley, so he took me with him on a Saturday afternoon. I liked…read morethe fact that the lighting was low, with the natural light coming in through the windows doing most of the work. I ordered the Stingy Penicillin since it seemed the most interesting (and because I did not realize there was another full page of options). As promised, it was not bitter at all and very smooth. I also loved that it had a giant ice cube with "SA" melted onto it. My friend ordered their old fashioned and it was probably the best one I ever had - it wasn't overly bitter, but instead had a sweet citrus finish. The staff is really kind and attentive. There are TVs at the bar and also tables all around for larger groups, or for more space.

What a great place to enjoy a drink in lovely Warren! We visited yesterday after Art Night and it…read morewas our first time at Stingy Alley. I was expecting it to be a dive (I do love a good dive bar!), but Stingy Alley is beautiful and classy, with an amazing cocktail menu and small bites as well. I loved the dark wood decor, the low lighting throughout the establishment, and the accent lights at the bar are so pretty. There are many different types of seating - bar, high top tables, benches, regular tables, and a cute and comfy corner booth with throw pillows, which is where we opted to sit. Service was excellent. I was expecting to have to order at the bar, but Stingy Alley has table service. My husband ordered the espresso martini and I went with the Dubai chocolate martini. Both were outstanding - I could easily have tried a few more of the dessert cocktails, but alas we had a 40 minute drive home so that will have to wait for another visit. Will definitely come back to Stingy Alley - thanks for a lovely end to our night!

I SO badly wanted to love it but I just can't give the place above a 2 star. The first thing they…read morebrought was almost comical: a nickel-sized square of focaccia with a bit of jam and cheese. I have never in my life been served what I'd consider half a bite of food. I'd almost rather they bring nothing at all than a comically small piece of bread. My food (basil pesto pasta) was good but the quantities are quite small, especially for the price. TLDR: Don't come hungry or on a budget. The real reason for the low rating was the $34 mushroom entree. "Potatoes" here just means two bites of potato, which is kind of crazy considering how cheap potatoes are. "Carrots" meant 4 (kind of sad) carrots, and the mushroom (the main part of the dish) was so small it was comical. My dad was disappointed (he also wanted to love it here) and when they asked how it was, he gave his honest feedback. The waitress took the info back and he repeated his thoughts to the manager about the disappointing portion. He said he only got like two bites of potato and she said "oh they weren't in pyramids?" (Like that resolves the quantity of food?) He repeated again that it was about the quantity and was told "No one has said that about this." I suppose people must only have thought it... Felt really dismissive to say to someone, especially because this plate was apparently new (they said today was the first day they had it). They didn't comp anything or even discount it after the manager came over, which I feel like is standard practice when folks are unhappy with their meal. Felt like she just wanted to shut down the complaint rather than resolve it. They brought us, at the end of the meal, a "thank you" which was 2 lemon candies... there were 3 of us (not that we really wanted them anyway, but weird to not give at least one per person). The atmosphere is relaxed, the place is quite small in a sweet way and it's tucked away from the street, but I will never return. Ridiculous pricing for tiny portions. It felt like a SNL skit.

I had an outstanding birthday dinner at Foglia on Friday with my parents. The fresh pasta made…read morein-house is incredible and everything on the menu is vegan and delicious, even to my somewhat picky omnivore dining partners :). Everyone who works there is friendly and inviting, and even gave us a cute little amuse to start the night and the buckwheat shortbread to end. Here's everything we ordered: Agnolotti stuffed with tofu ricotta, with English peas, bacon, and a savory broth (my entree, I loved this - the broth was quite salty but the peas added a lovely freshness) Fazzoletti e funghi: local blue oyster mushrooms in a white wine cream sauce ‍ (my Mom's entree, also delicious and so umami) "Ivy rose" mocktail with grapefruit, prickly pear, and limeade (delightful!) Appetizers: fried squash blossoms stuffed with tofu ricotta in pomodoro sauce, and housemade focaccia with a trio of whipped butters (thyme and shallot, Calabrian chili, and smoked sweet onion). The ratio of butter to focaccia was more than double what we could use (we ordered more focaccia to spread it on!) but both of these apps were perfect. Foglia burger: house burger patty, tomato jam, garlic aioli, lettuce, onions, pickles, onion ring, housemade focaccia, and spicy agave parsnip fries (my dad's entree and to my delight he really enjoyed it!) Dessert: a gigantic slice of tiramisu (my favorite cake!). This was a huge slab, enough to share and have some leftover for breakfast. A little on the dry side for tiramisu but still really nice. Foglia is such a gem and we had a great time in Bristol, it's a beautiful town. The restaurant is small and cozy but was not too busy when we went. I highly recommend Foglia for a special occasion!

Service: gracious Ambiance: cool space…read moreFood: excellent We both had the Curried Carrot Soup for starters. Very good. And both of us ordered the Shrimp and Avocado Salad. I was EXCELLENT!!! Enough shrimp to make a meal; dressed to perfection.

I had heard wonderful things about Le Central and was looking for some place to take my partner who…read moreloves French cuisine. The place felt somewhat unassuming when we first walked in and I felt like it might be more of a Cafe experience, but as we sat there, the true depth of the place revealed itself. The cocktails and wine list were varied and impressive. The French Onion Soup was the best I've ever had as was the Duck Confit with sweet potatoes puree. The staff was attentive, professional and knowledgeable. An inauspicious gem not to be missed!

After running a hot and humid Bristol marathon came by for a bite to eat. Hostess got us sat right…read moreaway with the bartender attending us. Place was busy but the he was able to take care of us. Some of the girls had bottomless mimosas (only oj as a juice option). Everyone really liked their breakfast, the tostadas and the egg benny were the faves. The salsa for the tostadas was delicious not too spicy, eggs cooked perfectly, the southern benny between the gravy and the potatoes were great. Great option for your weekend brunch or a bite to eat. Updated a bit on the restaurant side but the bar side being older with that wooden charm.

Sorry, but I just don't get the hype. I was recommended this place by a few people, but my…read moreboyfriend and I were not impressed. It was packed and service was kind of slow. The drink menu was not very extensive. Our Asian salad cups appetizer tasted exactly like an Asian salad mix I've bought at the grocery store and looked like it too - I'm convinced that's exactly how they prepared this. My veggie burger had burnt edges and wasn't too enjoyable flavor-wise. It didn't help my overall impression that when I got takeout here another time, they totally butchered my boyfriend's name when we ordered over the phone, and we had a hard time picking up our order because of this (how you get "Stephanie" from "Anthony," I just really don't know). I think this place just gets lucky having a good location across from Independence Park and being close to but just out of the way from downtown. Can't say I was impressed by the food - there are too many other good options in Bristol, I just can't say I'd recommend this to others. Perhaps it's improved since I visited, but it's a pass for me based on experiences I've had.

The food left a lot to be desired. The lobster roll was sizable, but was mixed with onions, the…read morefries were soggy, and the clam chowder was bland. Nice ambiance but maybe only return for drinks at a nice outdoor bar. Our server Kylie was terrific.

As a Bristol visitor, a few friends and I were hoping to get a nice dinner in before heading over…read moreto Borealis for a fun jazz music-filled evening and Beach House was the perfect spot! When we first showed up, it wasn't super busy, but the place was starting to get full, and we DID have to get a reservation to ensure that we weren't waiting/to make sure we were at our next spot on time. A fun little addition to this restaurant is that they also double as an ice cream shop which would have been the PERFECT dessert for me if I wasn't so full after my dinner. The indoor seating we were put in was a high top, but it was just enough room to seat 5 people comortably. I ordered the Bayview Burger paired truffle fries (chose to upgrade from normal fries), and it was the absolute most perfect choice! I also tried the Brussel Sprouts, but I would say if you like them crispy all the way through, these were not. I also had a fun mocktail with a dragonfruit (unfortunately can't find the name of the drink, but the picture is below) to pair with my food--I will say that while it was tasty, it was pretty sweet but was the perfect pair with my Bayview Burger, which was a bit on the saltier side. The only downside to our experience is that once it did start getting pretty busy in the restaurant, the service was much much slower (which is a given with how busy it was) and we had to ask a different waiter to help us get our check and head out. Other than that, it was a wonderful choice for dinner and I would recommend this restaurant anytime!

I had the absolutely perfect dinner here. We were a party of 6- 2 kids meals…read more We started off with the bread bowl with 3 dipping sauces. The pesto was bright green and amazing, best ever. I had the osso bocco. It was a large portion , falling off the bone deliciously seasoned with a tasty spinach, grits underneath. I enjoyed every bite. I was sorry I couldn't eat it all! I shared some with others telling them how delicious it was. My friend ordered the bolognese entree which she says is the best she has ever had. Their eggplant parm sandwich was recommended as well. My husband had the shrimp fettuccine, also delicious. The kids like their chicken tenders. Hostess was friendly and sat us right away. Waiter was so nice. Took drink orders and brought everything out efficiently. Checked if we needed anything. He was great with the kids. When we complimented him on our food, he was pleased. It looks that the restaurant is adequately staffed so that the service is excellent. Ambience is good. Moderate noise but has a pleasant hum. Unfortunately, we were visiting so I don't get to dine there as frequently as possible. Prices are reasonable!

Dinner at Revival has never knocked my socks off, but it is consistent. Sometimes that's exactly…read morewhat you need. Consistent, good enough, & a good place to gather with friends. The pros: - Friendly staff - Cute covered patio - Gluten free options - Reliable The cons: - Uninspiring cocktails - Food is never ~amazing~ - Weird raw oyster situation* *I really can't get behind serving raw oysters with soy sauce & lime. I understand wanting to do things differently - maybe offer some cool additional sauce options? But please - a lemon & some mignonette would be just fine.

My husband, friends, and I ventured across Narragansett Bay to Bristol for lunch. We weren't sure…read morewhere we would end up but we found this legendary saloon and decided to give it a try. Our server Sonny cheerfully greeted us, made food and drink recommendations, listened and catered to our allergies, and took our orders quickly and accurately. She went above and beyond to make sure my shellfish allergy could be accommodated by speaking with the kitchen staff and calling the owner. I was happy to hear that the smash burger and French fries were safe for my to eat, and they did not disappoint!!! I ordered a painkiller that was insanely reminiscent of the painkillers at The Soggy Dollar in the BVI. Highly recommend it! This place has many cool historical features that contribute to its charm. If you're in the area, check them out!

At first I really liked this place and probably would've left a five stars-- before I explain more,…read moreI do still think it's worth popping by for a casual bite. The burger I ordered (bacon cheeseburger with no bacon) was delicious. No complaints there and I will probably reorder. The only problem here was that I asked for sweet potato fries instead of regular fries, to which the waiter simply said okay. Turns out it was an undisclosed upcharge. Not only did he not tell me it would be $2.75 (or something like that) more, but the fries are listed as the same price online. When I told him that, he said that their online menu is really old (this is to say, don't look at it! and also, not sure why they wouldn't update it if they know it's incorrect). Sure enough, the printed menu also said nothing about an upcharge for a different fry, so ultimately I was able to remove the charge, but it was a little awkward and frustrating. My only other complaint is not particularly the fault of the restaurant, but I suppose just a side effect of the laidback vibes. A group of 7 or 8 people came in like 20 minutes after us and was so loud that I almost suggested we leave. My guess is they were drunk, but it was a Wednesday night around 6:00, so I wouldn't have expected that. They were so loud that I was yelling to my friend who was within arm's length. Totally changed the vibe and enjoyment for me.