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We stumbled on this place mostly by accident. So glad we went in. We ordered the New England cheese plate. A great experience. We also ordered the lamb bruschetta toast. This was a highlight for sure. Finally we polished off a strawberry rhubarb tart. I can't say enough good things about the tart. It was light and airy and served with bees wax ice cream. Would go back for that alone. My husband really liked the lamb bruschetta toast. It was served on a charred sour dough and was just the tiniest bit spicy. Was done so excellently. Great find!
We haven't been back to Oberlin for some time. We had a PPAC performance and were lucky to score a last-minute reservation on a Friday night. The hostess sat us at a table. We were lucky that another patron decided they wanted a table versus the chef's seat at the counter. For us, this is the perfect place to sit because it lets you take in the whole experience. The ambiance was great. I had the same great Negroni as last time, but also had a new take on an Old Fashioned called the Dinner Jacket. Very yummy! Our server was very pleasant and attentive. We ordered the Kohlrabi Caesar and sesame focaccia again. It was as great as the first time. The focaccia is amazing. My wife ordered the Anolini for her entree, and I ordered the fabulous rack of lamb cooked in the wood-fired oven. It was simply amazing. We ended by splitting the warm apple tart. Everything was fabulous...my rating is the same. Go and enjoy yourself.
The last time I came to Oberlin, they were in a smaller building (now Cielito) in the block over. So obviously, they've expanded and the place looks really nice. I loved the cream and gold aesthetics, as well as the cool art on the ceiling. They have a variety of seating areas including tables inside and outside as well as highchairs around the open kitchen and highchairs wrapping around the brick oven which is where we sat. We were warned that it does get very toasty, but it wasn't anything unbearable. My friend comes here often, so he noticed that they've made big changes to their menu. He highly recommended the crudo; it can either be ordered a la carte ($14 per fish serving) or one of each as a platter. I chose to try the black bass and bluefin tuna. We also ordered wood roasted sesame focaccia to eat with the crudo and the cacio and Pepe we ordered. Lastly, we ordered a Kohlrabi Caesar salad which comes with Boston blackened boquerones, croutons, and parmiagano. The food came out at different moments but we ate the salad, bread, and crudo together and saved the pasta for last. The crudo was very fresh and decent serving size. It seemed to only be topped with olive oil and salt, but that was enough to amplify the flavor. The focaccia was soft, easy to tear apart, warm, perfectly crispy/toasted, and every millimeter of the focaccia was covered in sesame seeds. It comes with olive oil to dip in. The salad was unique. I have never had kohlrabi before but it was similar to broccoli stems in its firmness, but not as sweet. It was not drowned in dressing which I was happy about, and has a good amount of parmesan cheese. I could taste the crunchy croutons which added an additional crunch along with the kohlrabi. I have never had boquerones before so I wasn't sure which flavor to look out for. The cacio and Pepe was okay. It was a little bland, but since it was my first time having it, I was not sure what to expect. The spaghetti was cooked a little under al dente and the sauce was a lower viscosity than I imagined. My friend had a drink and all together, our bill was close to $100 which is not too bad. The plates look small (about 6-8" in diameter), but the food is filling. I decided to check out the website for fun and I love the octopus art and that it's easy to navigate. The staff was very friendly and made us feel important and taken care of.
We had gone to Gift Horse the night before and thought that if that experience was great, Oberlin must be too. We were not wrong, but not right. Oberlin is a stellar experience and I must admit that it's the prime example of everything I want in a restaurant. Walking in, the vibe is cool. It's casual but also elevated. The design is chic but also cozy. It's a very comfortable place to be in. The comfort extends to the seating as well, with comfortable seats and nice spacing between tables. I thought our reso was at 6pm but it was at 630, something I found out on my own because the host made it seem like nothing was wrong when checking us in. He couldn't find our reservation at first but then did and didn't say a word, just sat us and engaged in polite conversation. I only realized my mistake when my phone reminded me to head to Oberlin for my 630 reservation. Oops. Our server was amazing. She was engaging and really seemed to care about us. This tells me she enjoys working here and I'm down for that. We got some great recommendations on food and other stuff for while we were visiting Providence. The menu is fun and inventive, using a lot of seasonal and local ingredients. We decided to have 3 of the specials as well as ordering some of the hits off the menu. Kohlrabi Caesar salad isn't something I knew I'd love, but here we are, me craving this salad every other day and wishing I could just head to Oberlin to have it. Everything we ate was amazing and I cannot rave more about how great this experience was. I highly recommend coming in and having an amazing meal.
The place is beautiful and outdoor seating is lovely. Service was very attentive and friendly. There was an accident happened right next to us with a couple, but because I'm not the person experienced it so will not go into details. Food was good but not great. If you like more mild flavor food and cold dishes you'll enjoy it. The cheese cake was good but the other one was unfortunately not. Super sour and super sweet but doesn't go well together, surprisingly. We did try this place before it moved to this new location, and the new location and set up does bring some charm to it. But the food does not match the ambience.
This place is absolutely stunning, both in terms of vibes and food. We started off with some oysters - never had them raw at a warm temperature before, which brings out a more buttery flavor. The paté was good but a bit salty. The gnocchi with lamb ragu was amazing. The cheesecake with cranberries was to die for. I highly recommend checking this place out!
Came in and sat at the counter. Food and drinks were good. Had a great N/A cocktail (Evenglow) and a regular cocktail (Clandastino). The Carrot and Mascarpone anolini was our favorite. I wouldn't get the Spaghetti Spezzatin again however we did love the lentil ragu portion. It was the mussels that we didnt love. The desert was great. Sadly forget the name.
The patio area was perfect for group drinks and some apps. The focaccia is delicious. As it got closer to dinner time it got very busy so keep that in mind but this was perfect for us to grab afternoon drinks. Service was quick. Nothing to write home about but I wouldn't mind going again. The entrees smelled and looked amazing. The only weird thing is that the bathrooms are shared with the other restaurants that are connected and there was quite a line.
This trendy Providence restaurant offers a mixed experience that may appeal to some diners more than others. The establishment presents several noteworthy features alongside some areas for improvement. Our third visit. The ambiance deserves recognition - it's vibrant and fashionable, with particularly impressive décor including distinctive unisex bathroom design. The service staff maintains professional standards, though the pacing between courses could use refinement. The concise menu, while admirable in concept, may prove limiting. If a menu has 50 - 100 items: no chef can stock all those ingredients fresh nor he/she and his/her team nail each dish. Look at the menu - you may not find an appetizer that works for you. It focuses heavily on pasta dishes for entrees, with a single market-price whole fish as the non-pasta entrée. Appetizers: Marinated olives with bread - good (hopefully they bake their bread?). Cheese plate - should be priced at $15 or less; $20 is a bit much for 3 mini pieces of cheese. And I assume the preserves were not made in-house (the server did not say so which is the standard spiel when you are hawking what you do well)? The cacio e pepe stands out as exceptional, though portion sizes trend small. Appetizer options are selective - no oysters but featuring crudo and some unconventional choices like "raw RI lamb." Practical considerations include mandatory lot parking ($20) due to scarce street parking, and a somewhat chaotic coat check system. Enjoy the treasure hunt after your meal in finding your coat among 50 other dark winter coats - there is no way the hostess can remember what you wore and then find it. Finally, we were seated at a table right in the traffic flow of servers from kitchen to tables. The table could have been flipped 90 degrees and eliminated us being a "bottleneck." Our meal for two, including three cocktails and gratuity, totaled $155. While the restaurant shows promise in several areas, particularly in atmosphere and certain dishes, there are other Providence establishments, including New Rivers and various local taquerias, that may offer a more compelling value for our 40-minute drive. I'm sure my so-so review will not slow down this place's popularity.
3 years ago
This is like our 5th time or so coming here, before their other restaurant Gift Horse opened up. It was the only high quality seafood specific place with a raw bar . We specifically go there for the raw bar . I would recommend reservations because they book up fast . read more
4 years ago
Excellent food and service. We sat at the bar and the staff was very attentive and had a lot of informative information about their food. The raw scallops we had tasted incredible, and we were also a fan of the two salads we got (the kohlrabi Caesar and snap pea), the raw black bass, and the Brandade, which had nicely toasted bread and a spread with fresh herbs and potato/salted cod. The rhubarb tart we had also was delicious and was made with homemade butter, and I'm not always into dessert, but I'd recommend it to anyone. The vibe at the restaurant was nice, and I have to complement the manager, Bethany, on her service, and taste in music, as I enjoyed the songs she played all throughout the hour and a half we were there. read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
While I enjoyed the food at this place, I definitely want to come back when COVID is over. Because of COVID, Oberlin only has two tables open outside and I'm not sure if this is the case otherwise. We had to wait a couple of minutes for a party before us to leave. I'm sure they lose out on a ton of business because of this! Wish they had more seating. They do have 3 really nice outdoor heaters though. The staff is super friendly and patient. The drinks are affordable (cocktails are anywhere from $6-14). The food looked affordable until we saw the portions - they were SUPER small. Everything also comes out on styrofoam plates/bowls because of the pandemic. We started with the Apple Cider cocktail, which was delicious! Sweet with a little sparkling flavor. I ordered an Aperol Spritz after this, which was also great and very affordable (only $6!). For appetizers, we ordered the olives, the raw tuna, and the raw scallops. The olives came with bread and it was delicious! The raw tuna and scallops were great as well - very flavorful. I really liked the texture of them both. I wish they were a bit more filling. For entrees, we ordered the cacio e Pepe and the potato gnocchi. The cacio e pepe was delicious but a little cold (it came out very soon after the apps, which meant we had everything on our table at the same time). The potato gnocchi was my favorite dish by far - so many flavors mixed in and the sauce was an excellent addition! Overall, great food but a little pricey for the portion sizes and presentation. Also, you get compostable silverware (because of COVID) that is not super strong, so I went through 4 forks because they kept breaking. Apparently this happens to people a lot read more
Hmmm I was really hoping I'd like this place more....here are my thoughts: FOOD So we decided to get a little bit of everything (see pics) and ended up with the creamy raw scallops, brandade w/crusty bread, charcoal grilled sweet potatoes, whole grilled fish and finally, the basque cheesecake. Overall, my biggest problem with the food was that everything was just a little too salty and a little too overseasoned. For some of these dishes, I really felt like 'less is more' could've been applied. Personally, I'd have one or two bites where I'd enjoy the meal and by the third bite, was ready to taste something else or have a sip of my water. Of the five things ordered, I think I enjoyed the brandade and the sweet potatoes the most. Good flavours in both cases and large portions, I'd just recommend to get these to share with 2 or more people. The real turn offs for me were the basque cheesecake and the whole fish. The cheesecake was insanely salty for some reason and additionally came topped with flaky salt. Underneath the cheesecake was some e.v. olive oil and super sweet preserved strawberries. Put this altogether and you've got a mess. As for the whole fish, the dish tasted too fishy, which honestly, is always kind of a red flag. The remoulade on top was tasty but the sides were really unbalanced. We had broccoli with a fish sauce glaze that taste nothing like fish sauce. Then there were some roasted potatoes with almonds which again, were just overseasoned. And finally, a bok choy polenta cake that was just meh to me (and salty again). In the end, I left with a ton of leftovers thinking I'd share with a family member.... but they didn't want anything to do with my takeaway boxes lol. SERVICE Our server Grace was super kind and polite. 10/10 :) AMBIANCE They've got a few different options inside.... everything from the bar to cozy tables and high tabletops that seem to be made more for tapas given the space but we made it work just fine. Unfortunately that's all I've got to say for this place and given my experience, I won't be coming back. read more
2 years ago
4 years ago
The food and service were very good. They would get 5 stars if they didn't have political propaganda in the window. I want to enjoy my night out without seeing someone's stance on politics plastered to the window. That was disappointing about my experience. read more
4 years ago
2 years ago
One of my new favorite restaurants in Providence! Amazing service and scrumptious food. We got the carbonara flatbread, which was like an elevated cheesy pancake that melts in your mouth. The spaghetti with nduja (spicy sausage) and mussels was unlike any spaghetti I've had before. The spicy sausage was delicious, and the mussels, which were substituted for clams, were the thiccest, juiciest mussels I've ever tasted. The spring green ravioli was delicious as well - its nutty flavor paired incredibly with the ravioli and the creamy yet curiously light sauce. And you best be saving room for dessert because the warm apple tart is an absolute MUST. The tart was so warm, buttery, and the combination with the ice cream made my eyes roll back into my brains. I highly recommend every item - all the dishes were so unique and so worth trying. The service was great too - our waitress was super sweet and gave great recommendations. I wish I got her name so I could name drop her in this review! Definitely go check this restaurant out!! You won't regret it. read more
3 years ago
Top notch service, food and ambiance. Our server was very friendly and knowledgeable. Everything we ordered was delicious with the Fluke fish the highlight of the night. The rhubarb tart and the Basque cheesecake were both very tasty. Surprised it's gotten only four stars on Yelp read more
2 years ago
6 years ago
It was with sadness that news of Birch's impending closure started circling the internet in Autumn, the small space simply unable to sustain COVID-19's impact no matter how refreshing Benjamin Sukle's cooking or the fact that many considered it to be the best Restaurant in Rhode Island. Flash forward to late November, the pandemic at peak velocity and nearly all of Providence declining indoor dining, it was via Pre-Order through TOCK that dinner was arranged at Chef Sukle's more casual Oberlin, though unfortunately the experience was far from perfect. Best described as Seasonal Small Plates, a "shared" situation and thriving bar scene not in line with current precautions, things got off to an inauspicious start with Food not ready until 20-minutes after the designated time, a lack of free downtown parking necessitating meter use only to arrive home and find a whole loaf of Bread missing. Unapologetic to either error, a simple credit remedying the absent item, it was after quickly rewarming a few small portions that dinner was underway, first bites of Brandade salty yet balanced and beautiful while the ancient-Grain Flatbread was complex and enjoyable but frankly soggy due to haphazard packaging. Vegetable-focused across much of the menu, a theme common to Birch and Oberlin since its 2015 opening, Honeynut Squash shined bright largely on the strength of its Ingredient quality, while "Crispy & Chewy Beets" found themselves lost to Celery that even overwhelmed the included Gremolata - an unexpected imbalance carried over to housemade Cous-Cous that lacked almost any flavor once past the Roasted Carrots. Improving with Noodles done no favors by take-out, each ribbon nonetheless offering a bit of resistance to the tooth amidst Pork, Squash and Spice, suffice it to say that a $55 half-Duck was the only item truly "sharable" by three adults, its richness countering fiery Sauce and bitter Greens before diners cooled their mouths with dueling flavors of Ice Cream. read more
2 years ago
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4 years ago
I walked in on a Thursday night with no reservation before a play. I was seated immediately at a bar table which was great since I was a party of one. The kohlrabi Ceasar was delicious and a generous portion. I'm big on local and fresh fish so I went with crudo of both fluke and Black Sea bass. They had other great options as well but I'd never had these two in a crudo. I paired this course with a sake recommended by the server which was also very good. I wrapped up the meal with the cheesecake and peaches which was phenomenal, another server recommendation. To end I had an aperol spritz that was made to perfection as well. Was a slightly pricey meal for a party of one but overall I would be back. The attention to detail I'm flavor combos and support or local fishers and farmers are all the reason to continue supporting this spot! read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
Went to Oberlin while visiting Providence for the week! The inside was beautiful and the servers were very nice and helpful when I had questions about the menu. I loved every dish -- especially the Caesar salad! read more
Providence Restaurant Week is a beautiful time of year (typically from January 14-27) where you can try out new restaurants around the Providence area for a decent price. Since it was the last day of Restaurant Week, I decided to check out Oberlin and see what they had to offer. From the outside, Oberlin has that appearance you would expect from the upscale Providence food scene. After you walk in you're immediately greeted by a bar. After taking a left Oberlin opens up into an intimate space with a variety of seating options and the opportunity to see the chefs at work. Ordering off of Restaurant Week's special menu (pre-fix 3 course meal), we were excited to mix-and-match their small menu. Overall, it was a tasty and well plated dining experience, but there were definitely inconsistencies on the vegetarian front. Their menu is always changing, so this is just a glimpse of my tasting. When the Marinated Mussels arrived at the table, I thought that it would just be a chili mayonnaise coated mussel dish, but the flavors mesh very well together. The mussels taste like they've been marinated in some sort of ramen seasoning and the crispy potato crips add a delightful textural component. The Celeriac Aligot was as an appetizer course, but it has the essence of a dessert. My roasted duck leg sat on savory broth along with roasted root vegetables, but I found the duck to be dry. To finish, the apple tart was the simple finish I was looking for, from the crispy crust to the perfectly melted ice cream. Some of the dishes lacked seasoning (duck) while others were way too salted (slow roasted carrots). However, the staff was friendly and I enjoyed the exploration of food combinations. read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Such an amazing spot. I love the attention to detail yet the relaxed ambiance. Amazing quality food and extremely knowledgeable staff. read more
2 years ago
Food: Now I feel bad giving such a low review to a otherwise popular place, but Oberlin just didn't do it for me. The best thing we had was the marinated mussels- those were delicious with unique flavors and super fresh. The raw tuna was just not cutting it- yes it was super fresh, but I didn't like the squishy texture and it had no flavor. Just lemon and olive oil, not even enough salt. The scallops were alright, but again not enough flavor for me. We also had the potato gnocchi, of which was wonderfully cooked but just underwhelming otherwise. Prices: Not cheap. I do have higher expectations when the food is so expensive, so maybe that's why I giving it 3 stars because for the cost of the check I didn't walk away blown away. Space: Beautiful, minimalist inside. Easy bar seating and some tables for 2 and 4. We sat outside in April and enjoyed taking in providence. Service: Super kind server! Gave us a little complementary champagne toast as we we're celebrating my birthday which we appreciated a ton! read more
3 years ago
Anytime a place has a $$$ menu, I hold it to a much higher standard than other restaurants. Unfortunately, I felt Oberlin was overrated and overpriced. They succeeded mostly on the flavors of the dishes (see my posted photos) but the portions were much, much too small. Also, service was wonderful but extremely slow. Four small dishes took about an hour and a half. I had to stop there and go get dessert at Gregg's instead. The dish I could have done without was the tuna toast. It tasted like salted mashed tuna on delicious bread, by the way, and irritated the inside of my mouth. However, the gnocchi dish with duck was very rich, tasty, and comforting but it comes with about three bites for $18. I'm glad I finally got to try Oberlin. I'm also glad I got to try Birch. Next time, when I want a meal guaranteed to knock my socks off, I'll stick with Gracie's. read more
4 years ago
First off, make sure you bring a COVID vaccination or a negative test prior to coming. I appreciate that they enforce this. We made reservations outside but ended up asking if we could sit at the bar because it had a chill vibe. We came for the raw fish platter and it did not disappoint. So fresh! We also got the spicy PEI mussels and New England cheese plate. That apple butter was SO good. We wanted to have room for dessert so we split the corn orecchiette, but will be back to try the spring carrot agnolotti. We ended our fantastic meal with a rhubarb tart and the basque-style cheesecake. I will continue to dream about that cheesecake until I come back for more. Great service. Great ambiance. Def recommend this place to people visiting Providence. read more
3 years ago
I am not always a fan of New American restaurants, but I cannot believe how great Oberlin is. What amazes me is that it brings such a novel combination of flavors that I never thought would go well together, but it is executed beautifully. It is pricey, but this is my go to restaurant for a special event. Food I've tried: (* = my favorite) - RAW RI SCALLOPS, CHERRY BLOSSOM MAYO, SESAME, RADISH* ($12): I thought I knew scallops, but boy was I wrong. This dish was so incredibly creamy, I was visibly surprised at my first bite. The texture of the scallops goes amazingly well with the sauce, yet the richness is not overpowering. - KOHLRABI CAESAR, CURED BLUEFISH, CROUTONS, PARMIGIANO* ($14): I loved the crunch of the kohlrabi, and its slight slight bitterness really brought a refreshing touch especially with the other dishes. This dish really highlighted the kohlrabi. This dish is good by itself, but it truly shines juxtaposed with the richness of the other dishes especially the scallops. Note, we did not taste the bluefish at all and when we asked the waiter about it she brought another piece of the bluefish for us in a small plate for us to taste. The bluefish was delicious, but I still stand by my point we didn't taste it at all in the dish. - RI LAMB TARTARE, CONFIT RAMS, CORIANDER CAPERS, LIME, SOURDOUGH CRACKER* ($18): I ordered this on a whim and I was blown away. The slight gaminess of the lamb pairs incredibly well with the slight nuttiness of the cracker. Every aspect of this dish was perfectly executed, from the plating to how well the flavors paired well together. - FAZZOLETTI, LEEK CONFIT, AJI LIMON PEPPERS, EGG YOLK, PARMIGIANO, PROSCUITTO BROTH ($24): great pasta, and it filled the carbs I was looking for in the meal. The giant parmigian pieces are a great touch to the dish. - HEIRLOOM POLENTA FOCACCIA ($10): it was good bread, but among everything we ordered this was the most average. If I were to go back, I don't think I would NEED to order this. - WARM APPLE & GINGER TART, ROSE GERANIUM ICECREAM ($14): the tart was a good balance of gooeyness with crispiness. The icecream tasted more like vanilla, but still paired well. It wasn't overly sweet, and it was a great way to end the meal. Atmosphere: - I came here on a weekend evening, and the place was packed! We did make a reservation, and it was good that we did. The restaurant has a pretty funky decor (almost whimsical retro/vintage) and it is one of those dimly lit ambiance. - Because it was so packed, it was pretty loud especially because the space isn't very large. Note, the tables are pretty close to each other, and my party did share the end of a large table with another table. Service: - The service was amazing. The staff was extremely friendly and very knowledge about the dishes. We were in a time crunch because we had to make the train on time, and they very very kindly expedited our order so that we were able to get our dessert on time. - I do want to acknowledge that the time to get the food was slow. I did see in some of the other reviews that people were not happy about the rate of the service and I definitely did see that the kitchen was backed up. Overall: - PRO: novel food profile, great execution - CON: pricey (but honestly worth it), very crowded, slow service I would still give this place a 5 star review because of how incredible the food was, and that is my primary basis for reviews. I do recommend coming at an off peak time or getting a reservation. read more
5 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
After reading about this place in numerous best eats lists, we decided to come here for dinner on our trip to Rhode Island. Unfortunately, it was a disappointment. We got the scallops, crudo, bradade and pasta. Maybe the style just isn't my cup of tea, but I didn't particularly like any of the dishes. The brandade was extremely salty. The bread that came with it was burnt. The scallops were pretty bland. The crudo was fresh, but I didn't like the texture. The pasta with clams was just okay. Overall, not a great experience. Maybe they were having an off night. read more
5 years ago
Small portions, but delicious, high quality food in a fun atmosphere. Would definitely like to come back and try more of the menu next time I'm in the area! read more
More info about Oberlin
266 Westminster St
Providence, RI 02903
DownCity
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(401) 588-8755
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https://oberlinrestaurant.com
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