Waterman Grille in Providence

To finish off our leisurely tour of waterfront dining in eastern Rhode Island, we ate dinner last Sunday evening at the Waterman Grille, on the East Side of Providence.

Situated on the western bank of the Seekonk River, the Waterman Grille has the look and feel of a chic, hip restaurant but yet it still felt comfortable and soothing. It probably was the water. In fact most of the indoor seating has a nice view of the river, in fact many tables were positioned right next to windows that opened up to the outside. Nice touch. And outdoor seating was available: a single line of tables ringing the water side of the restaurant.

We ordered two aperitifs while we studied the menus. For starters we split the cheese appetizer.

Susie ordered crab cake appetizers and the Waterman salad, while I chose the pressed sandwich: a grilled panini: rosemary ham, grilled chicken, sharp provolone, pesto, and peppers on a grilled ciabatta roll, with steak fries. We each had a glass of wine.

Ambiance was pleasant, service slow but friendly although in an oddly uncomfortable sort of way -- our waiter kept hunching over as if he were getting ready to impart some confidential story to us -- while another of the waitstaff near our table was very loud and quite chatty with customers. Oh, and our waiter told us one thing on the menu was no longer available yet 20 minutes later it was served to a table near ours. Strange we thought. Aside from the skimpy cheese plate -- ten bucks for very little cheese and even less "crisps" -- the food delicious and portions substantial.

We thought the drink prices steep. A third of the bill -- with tip mind you -- came from two glasses of white wine and two aperitifs. That's a bit high we thought. And speaking of prices we felt that charging more than five bucks for a side of fries was high as well.

Cost? $90 with tip.

Would we go back? With all the other places to eat in providence, I think not. Certainly not for the views. If I want waterfront I'll drive to Bristol or Tiverton. Nor for the service or food, which was pretty much like the menus you can find all over the state. and the prices we thought high.

I should also point out that reservations at the Waterman Grille are made through the Open Table dining reservation website. Very slick and easy to use they also send you a confirmation via email within minutes of making the reservation.

You can find out more online by clicking here!