Best Seafood Restaurants in Warren, RI
Whether you’re visiting the seaside town of Warren for the first time or you find yourself there frequently, knowing the best spots for seafood is an essential part of the experience. While many of the town’s best restaurants feature delicious seafood options, we’ve narrowed it down to a few of our favorites that specialize in sourcing, preparing, and presenting the best of the sea.
The Wharf Tavern was, perhaps unsurprisingly given its name, originally part of a functional dock for rigging merchant and fishing boats in the 1700s before becoming an oyster house and then evolving into the tavern it is today in the mid-1950s. Start by ordering some Stuffed Quahogs (a Rhode Island classic) for the table, along with some Drunken Littlenecks – if you know you know, but these are Rhode Island clams in a broth of local beer, fresh herbs, and onions, and served over grilled bread. Having satiated my local pallet, I’d move on to a slightly more exotic option by ordering their Seafood Paella, which is a mix of shrimp, scallops, littlenecks, lobster, mussels, chouriço, fresh peas, and rice in a saffron broth.
Bluewater Bar + Grill is led in the kitchen by Chef Brian Thimme, who is known for his passion for combining locally sourced ingredients into unique, contemporary cuisine. Bluewater is his second local venture, and this time the goal is to provide Warren with a healthy, high-quality but highly-approachable menu and a family-friendly environment. A cup of clam chowder is a must, of course, and if you’re feeling fancy we recommend the Bacon Wrapped Scallop Carbonara, which is served with fava beans, parmesan cream, and house-made fettuccine.
Blount’s has a longstanding reputation for seafood in Rhode Island – and by longstanding, we mean more than one hundred and twenty years. With two locations in Warren, a seasonal clam shack accessible by car or boat and a year-round market, Blount’s is always available to satisfy your cravings for fresh seafood, soup, and prepared dinners. Their undisputed claims to fame are their clam cakes and their giant (half-pound!) all-lobster roll, so of course this is what we’re going to suggest you go with, no matter which location you end up at.
Tav Vino was established over three decades ago and has garnered quite the following in those intervening years, becoming well known for its blend Italian and Portuguese inspired New England cooking. If you’re there to enjoy some seafood, make the choice to choose it all with the Seafood Platter, composed of scrod, sole, shrimp, and scallops, baked in buttered breadcrumbs. Tav Vino also specializes in Family Style meals to-go, which is perfect for anyone who may still be hesitant to dine indoors (or anyone who simply prefers the comforts of home – no judgement!). All options serve four people, and we recommend the Pesto Scallops and Shrimp.
