Mémère’s, a Quebec- and French-inspired restaurant, will open in October inside Neptune, the hip downtown Providence hotel previously known as The Dean. It’s a deeply personal project for Michael Lester, the former owner of The Dorrance, a once-popular restaurant in downtown Providence that closed in 2020.
At Mémère’s, expect crunchy bread, chocolate crepes, poutine, steak frites, twice-baked potatoes, and tourtière pie (a savory, double-crusted meat pie beloved in Quebec). They’ll have a cheese cart that will be pushed around to the tables, and will offer a table-side bouillabaisse, the traditional Provençal fish stew. They’ll also have a raw bar and a strong emphasis on non-alcoholic options. The menu, which will change often, will showcase food from local farms.
Mémère’s, 122 Fountain St., Providence, R.I., ash.world/memeres.
A view through a porthole window of the dining room bar area that is stiil waitiing to be renovated. The location is where Michael Lester is opening a new French Restaurant on Fountain Street called Memere in downtown Providence.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
Phed Phed, meaning ‘spicy’ in Thai, is the latest concept from the team that operates Providence’s Wara Wara, Tori Tomo, and White Owl, as well as East Providence’s KhaoSan Thai Street Food. It’s slated to open right next to Tori Tomo in downtown Providence.
The set up will be similar to food halls in Thailand: The side-by-side side restaurants will have a shared bar, but each kitchen will have its own offerings featured on a shared menu. Tori Tomo currently focuses on ramen, but Phed Phed will introduce new takes on traditional Thai dishes, like Tom Kra Zaap chicken, crispy papaya salad, and jeaw steak.
Phed Phed, 71 Washington St., Providence, R.I.
Crispy papaya salad, red curry with duck (kang phed ped yang), American fried rice (with fried chicken), and jeaw steak at Phed Phed in Providence, R.I.Abigail Clarkin/ InDowncity
Located in the former Bonanno space on bustling Atwells Avenue, Rosabella is a soon-to-open intimate champagne and caviar bar that is expected to feature rare caviar, a selection of cold seafood and fresh lobster and paired with champagne and wine.
RosaBella, 256 Atwells Ave., Providence, R.I. Follow their Instagram for updates.
Esther Williams was a teenage swimming champion who became a Hollywood star, famous for her “aqua musicals” and synchronized swimming performances. “The Million Dollar Mermaid,” died in 2013 at 91, but Esther’s High Dive will pay tribute to her by way of a high-end cocktail bar. Located in the Aloft hotel in downtown Providence, the bar will open in October, with a theme that plays into 1970s nostalgia. They’ll serve classic cocktails and some diner favorites, according to Tyler Almeida, a partner in the venture.
Esther’s High Dive, 191 Dorrance St., Providence, R.I., esthershighdive.com.
Inside of Esther’s High Dive, a new high-end cocktail bar that remains under construction, in downtown Providence, R.I.Alexa Gagosz
Right next door to Esther’s High Dive is Yellow Door Taqueria, another new restaurant from Tyler Almeida. This one also involves Taniya Nayak, a Boston-based interior designer and TV personality who has appeared on HGTV and the Food Network. It’s owned in part Dropkick Murphys’ frontman Ken Casey, and the Providence location is its first outside of Massachusetts. The taco shop, which opened in early September, offers birria and tacos stuffed with options like chili barbecue roasted duck, coconut shrimp, and confit pork.
Yellow Door Taqueria, 191 Dorrance St., Providence, R.I., yellowdoortaqueria.com.
Finished cocktails are picked up to be delivered to their table at the Yellow Door Taqueria.Erin Clark/Globe Staff
At Anna’s, Anthony Giordano is serving the wood-grilled pizza that first became popular when he was cooking out of his Anna’s Vesuviano food truck, traveling around the state. Expect a variety of pizzas with all sorts of toppings at this newly opened brick-and-mortar location, as well as sides of massive meatballs, sourdough bread, olive oil cake slices, and other specials.
Anna’s, 114 Doyle Ave., Providence, R.I., annasvesuviano.com.
A pizza pie at Anna’s in Providence.handout
The Blue Room will soon open in Cranston’s Pawtuxet Village where they’ll be serving brunch, dinner, and plenty of music. Jennifer Freitas Harris, the owner of The District in Providence, and her husband Michael Harris, a retired police sergeant, have spent months building out a space that was previously a small bar. Expect live music: They plan on focusing on jazz and blues.
The Blue Room, 2197 Broad St., Cranston, R.I., theblueroom.com.
Sawyer’s market, café, and wine bar opened this summer in a space that was used as a fictional bar set for the filming of “Ella McCay” starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Woody Harrelson. It looks like an indoor farmer’s market: the bakery case is loaded with sweets from NAVAD, potted flowers and greenery are displayed for sale on stools and antique ladders, and woven baskets overflow with herbs. A cabinet is stocked with local coffee beans and tea, flour and oats from Maine Grains, a stack of cookbooks, and spices. One fridge is filled with Rhode Island milk and Maine butter. Another is filled with cuts of meat from Rhody Butcher.
The café’s menu is designed to be flexible, with a focus on seasonal, simple, and shareable items that complement the retail offerings. Think sandwiches with simple ingredients like turkey, bacon and sun-dried tomatoes, or mortadella with mozzarella, artichoke, and pesto.
Sawyer’s closed temporarily at the end of August, but the owners told the Globe they plan to reopen on Oct. 1.
Sawyer’s Market, 447 Broadway, Providence, R.I., sawyersmkt.com.
The white fish dip at Sawyer’s in Providence, R.I.
Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
John Elkhay — the restaurateur behind 10 Prime Steak & Sushi, Harry’s Bar & Burger, Xaco Taco, among others under the Chowfun Food Group — is opening another restaurant in downtown Providence. This time, it’ll be located where Res American Bistro previously stood (Res, which was located in a storefront across from Trinity Repertory Company, went into receivership earlier this year). Elkhay’s new restaurant, Ten Prime Seafood, will focus on Rhode Island oysters, imported caviar, live Maine lobsters, and prime cuts of steak.
Ten Prime Seafood, 123 Empire St., Providence, R.I., tenprimeseafood.com.
Miso Mozza is a modern Italian-Japanese fusion restaurant, according to owner Wanchai Intawong. Located in the Federal Hill neighborhood, Miso Mozza plans to serve classic hand rolls, uni shooters, and pasta they say will be made fresh daily, such as a cavatelli pistachio pesto with shrimp and a bucatini clam calamari.
Miso Mozza, 279 Atwells Ave., Providence, R.I. Follow their Instagram for updates.
Miso Mozza is a modern Italian Japanese fusion restaurant in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence, R.I.HANDOUT
Newport Restaurant Group’s former Foodlove Market space will open as J.T. Commons this fall. The restaurant is named after J.T. O’Connell, a former Newport businessman, community leader, and founder of what is known today as the Newport Restaurant Group, an employee-owned hospitality group.
The restaurant will be anchored by an extensive pizza program featuring thin, crispy Roman-style and Focaccia-style pies. They’ll have sandwiches, including Italian grinders, steak and cheese, and crispy hot chicken brined in buttermilk. Desserts include soft-serve ice cream with all sorts of toppings, and Girl Scout cookie-inspired “Scout Cups,” a boozy take on ice cream floats.
1037 Aquidneck Ave., Middletown, R.I., jtcommonsrestaurant.com.
J.T. Commons is a new restaurant in Middletown, R.I., by Newport Restaurant Group that will be anchored with a Roman-style pizza program.Newport Restaurant
The newly restored Carriage House at The Elms, a Gilded Age mansion open to visitors, overlooks the historic home’s gardens where you can enjoy a snack from their seasonal à la carte menu of simple New England classics, along with wine, beer, and soft beverages. The Carriage House will remain open through the end of this month and reopen for the season sometime in 2026.
The Carriage House, The Elms (in the back), 367 Bellevue Ave., Newport, R.I., newportmansions.org/refreshments.
Inside The Carriage House at The Elms, on the mansion grounds overlooking the historic Elms gardens, in Newport, R.I.HANDOUT
Murmur HiFi Lounge will open later this year in downtown Providence on the ground floor of the WIT building. It’ll be a high fidelity, analog listening lounge, inspired by Japanese jazz kissatens from the 1920s, which were jazz coffee shops designed to enhance music listening and appreciation while providing a space for guests to enjoy music, drinks, and food. The space, located at 276 Westminster St., previously held Black Rep, Roots Cafe, and Aurora — all popular music venues.
Murmur’s co-owners Robert Troutman and Allison Johnson were inspired by this concept following Troutman’s visit to Tokyo decades ago. They also share a passion for music: Johnson plays the piano, and Troutman is a guitarist. At Murmur, they’ll feature a variety of genres.
The cocktail menu will be created by Parker Luthman, Murmur’s bar manager and beverage director who currently works at Gift Horse and Oberlin. The bar will have a Toki Highball machine, common in Japan, which makes a perfect, ice-cold whiskey highball that drinks more like a beer or glass of champagne than a mixed drink with liquor. The bar’s food program will be designed by Samantha Kundrat, who previously worked at North, the popular restaurant by chef James Mark that closed in mid-2022. The food will be loosely izakaya- and yakitori-based, with a series of skewers, dumplings, and sandwiches that will rotate seasonally.
Murmur HiFi Lounge, 276 Westminster St., Providence, R.I., murmurhifi.com.
Murmur HiFi Lounge will be located at 276 Westminster St. in Providence, R.I.Alexa Gagosz
Know of another great restaurant or bar opening in Rhode Island? Email alexa.gagosz@globe.com.
Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com. Follow her @alexagagosz and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz.
Dining and Cooking