Tucker’s Bistro

I have had a wonderful experience with Tuckers. I’ve only been once during a Restaurant week, with a great deal on a three course meal. It was delicious, I loved it. The host sat us right away and we got to meet Tucker himself. I still remember how AMAZING the food was.

Wouldn’t know. They closed the business :(

Delicious! We had Duck Spring Rolls to start. My wife had Chicken and Sausage (homemade) fro dinner. I had the Duck three ways. For dessert Cheesecake and Mousse Cake. All wonderful. Love the atmosphere, very cozy, good music. The owner himself waited on us! Definitely recommend to anyone.

This is my favorite restaurant and bar in Newport. The staff are professional and warm; the décor is totally Euro and elegant and cozy; when I’m alone I’ll go to the tiny bar there and read one of Tucker’s books that he has displayed on the shelves, by candlelight. The food is wonderful, but mostly I love the atmosphere. Every time I take somebody there from out of town they adore it.

My husband and I decided to try out Tucker’s Bistro for Restaurant Week. We have passed by the place in the past, but never had a chance to dine there. I called that same day to make reservations, and left a message, assuming no one will get back to me on time. I was wrong. Tucker himself called within half hour, and confirmed the reservation. I was pleasantly surprised!
The restaurant is everything previous reviewers described, and more. Aside from being cozy and utterly romantic, it is the attention to detail that Tucker’s Bistro nails. From carefully selected wall decorations, I’m not even sure from what era, (according to Tucker, he frequents yard sales and gathers collectibles), to the detail in the food preparation and the presentation, this restaurant is top notch.
We tried the Restaurant Week menu, which consisted of Mushroom Risotto and Thai Shrimp Nachos for our appetizers. Both were truly great! For our main course, we had the Slow Roasted Scottish Salmon and the Roasted Pork Loin with Fingerling Potatoes. We both really enjoyed the dishes. I only wished it was a little hotter, but once you see the presentation, you feel bad sending it back. I still really enjoyed every bite of it.
By the time dessert came around, we were really full, but all the desserts are made in house, including the delicious Irish cream, which is a must try. We were ready to pay for it, but then our waitress told us Tucker himself wanted to offer us a tasting, which we gladly accepted. Both Butterscotch Pudding with Cinnamon Whipped Cream, and Candied Pecans, and the Chocolate Mousse Cake with Caramel Sauce, Ginger Ice Cream was truly delectable.
We can not wait to go back again. Thank you, Tucker’s Bistro, for your ambiance and your food!

Tucker’s was great. Definitely charming if not a bit eccentric. Nice ambiance, not too stuffy; great spot for a date. I started with the bisque (butternut squash I believe) — it was outstanding (and I don’t particularly like squash). For the main course, I went with the duck which was mostly good.
Tucker’s is definitely worth checking out. Not a must if your time in Newport is short. But if you live in or regularly visit Newport, stop in and give it a try.

We arrived about 10 – 15 minutes early for our Sunday evening reservation and were seated immediately. The host sat us relatively close to the door initially but saw our hesitation (it was a cool night, and we were particularly chilled given that two of four of us were really pretty sick) he asked whether we’d like to be seated further back. We would. And we did. The restaurant is small yet never reached full capacity.
AMBIANCE
Dark, small, decorated with all sorts of unique and antique-​y sort of items. Plenty of tiny lights, both outside and woven into the very interesting light fixtures/​chandeliers. Music from, er, the 20s? 30s?, plays in the background, sometimes very charming, sometimes a bit odd, but always adding to the richness of the atmosphere. A couple times it was difficult to hold conversation when our server (who projects quiet nicely) was describing the menu to the tables immediately surrounding us but otherwise, I don’t remember it being too loud.
SERVICE
I liked our server. Maybe Tucker? No idea. He seemed to be handling the entire restaurant by himself with the help of the host only with serving bread, setting tables, etc. He knew his stuff and was efficient, not buddy-​buddy (he didn’t have time for that, now did he?) but still personable. I got the sense initially that he wasn’t too thrilled with us, as we didn’t immediately order a bottle of wine or any alcoholic drinks, nor did we figure out too quickly what it was we wanted to eat. In fact, I’d been hoping that we could start with just an appetizer or two so that I could figure out whether my stomach might settle down enough to let me indulge in some scallops, but when I started to say, «Can we start with…» he immediately intervened with, «Well, the kitchen prefers to get all the orders at once.» It was more of a question I think than a statement, but he wanted to be sure we knew how it was usually done. Our service was efficient and effective and nothing more.
DRINKS
The lack of wine-​ordering at a French-​inspired restaurant and the indecision really aren’t like us at all, but, you know, I knew better than to drink while sick — the others eventually did get drinks. But my parents both ordered 7&7s, which were HUGE and appeared pretty quickly after the order. My hubby had a delicious nutty-​brown ale, though I’m not a beer expert and don’t remember the name.
FOOD
First, gotta hand it to them for getting the nut allergy business straight. We told them my dad was allergic to nuts and they ensured then that all our dishes were free of nuttiness. I appreciated that, since we love to share food. Here’s the rundown.
Fresh (and free!) bread: YUM. My stomach needed this. Pretty sure they make it fresh daily, as that’s exactly what it tastes like. I think the butter might have a tinge of something sweet mixed in.
Tomato and rosemary bisque: topped with some gouda and other goodness. We had no problem polishing it off. I thought it was a little salty, but I think my taste buds were outta wack. My mom and dad commented that they’d like it better with basil than rosemary, but I thought the rosemary was a nice twist.
House salad: It was a little heavily dressed for my taste (though I like it incredibly light) but not anywhere close to drowning, so I gobbled it up in a second. Several around me ordered the pear salad, though, which looked even better.
Foie gras: The best I’ve ever had was in Hungary but this came dang near close. It’s a verrrry tiny serving and the server recommended we order more than one since we were sharing, but for $ 16 (or so), and with two of us sick, we opted for one. Upon tasting, we knew we could have finished two. Served atop a blueberry cornbread crumble and with a little sauce on the side, this dish was divine.
Duck Trio: Hubby and Dad ordered this one and I cannot say enough good things. When served, our server described every bite in detail. I think it included confit and prosciutto … I’m not recalling the third and final form, but whatever it was was probably delicious. The prosciutto was served over an incredibly smooth creamed corn and confit over roasted apple and sweet potato. Plates were wiped clean.
Roasted chicken: Okay, tough one here, since this was only tasted by the sick ladies. Again, I thought it was a bit salty but I mostly only had the filling, none of the breast, a bit of thigh. I think the general consensus though that it was still a good dish.
Spinach tagliatelle: Well, I wanted the scallops but couldn’t stomach the idea of seafood at the time of ordering, so I went pasta. I was not disappointed. Cherry tomatoes popped, pasta was fresh and chewy.
For dessert, we split the chocolate mousse (my favorite) with ginger ice cream (different but good) and the lemon-​blueberry custard tart, also a winner.
My only regret is that we didn’t splurge for the nachos. If only I’d been in good health, there would have been no question. Wish we lived close

Charming little boîte on Broadway’s restaurant row in Newport. Great spot to meet a date, or for a romantic dinner.
Scallops and pear salad were very good. But the salmon entrée was kind of gross.
Overall this is a fine spot, and I would go back. But in a town with so many four-​star restaurants, one bad entrée can really set you back.

The food was absolutely awesome here. I came with my boyfriend, my mom, and a bunch of her old college friends. The atmosphere was romantic and really fun! So many things to look at in the restaurant; crazy paintings, lighting and statues. If you are seated in one room or outside for dinner… be sure to walk around the rest of the inside and check out the other rooms. Id love to have dinner in the little private nook one night with my boyfriend.
*We started off with the shrimp nachos — superb!
*Then got a small (and by small, i mean SMALL) tasting of the foie gras — delicious, but wish there was more.
*I got the scollops — YUMM. I prefer the bigger guys than the bay scallops and these guys were cooked perfectly! Definitely a good portion, I almost had to force myself to finish.
*My boyfriend got the duck, which I got a taste of — tender and displayed beautifully.
Over all, I would definitely recommend. My only complaints I suppose would be that there was no A/​C, they did provide cute little Tucker’s logo’ed hand fans. And also that our server, who I late found out was Tucker himself, seemed a little distressed. I understand the hectic-​ness of owning and working in your own restaurant but at times he seemed bothered. Regardless, I will be returning!

I stopped by this place last week with my friends. It was cool, but I was not compelled by the holy dining ghost to order anything.
My friend was taking us on a culinary adventure through Newport. As we were going through the streets celebrating gluttony and all that was good in the world she decided to take us to Tucker’s Bistro.
The inside is quite adorable and very romantic. The owner seemed to have hit every cool yard sale in the land to find neat treasure to decorate the space. The walls are a warm red color and the walls have very interesting artwork. To be honest, if you sit at the bar in the middle, there is the creepiest picture in the world of a man just staring at you with a snarl. (I did not like this)
We ordered the house made Baileys. It was very creamy and delicious. If you order this drink, you will not need dessert. It is so decadent. I am a big fan.
However, I felt as if the bartender was annoyed with us. We asked for a menu and she never asked if we wanted food. It just seemed a little cold and standoffish for a fine dining restaurant. Since there are so many other good restaurants in Newport, I do not think I will be going back for a meal.

Five well deserved big ones here. Best dining experience I’ve had in Newport.
Celebrating a birthday, we had a party of 5 with a reservation and walked straight in to our table. It’s a very fun and eclectic décor which matched the food nicely. I dislike fun food with stodgy decors and vice versa.
We started off with a cheese plate that seemed way to expensive, but we found out quickly that it deserved it. Amazing cheeses artfully displayed with some amazing local honey and very old balsamic.
The dinners were all fantastic. Two of the group had the ribeye, which looked a lot like a filet, though not really eating it I couldn’t say for sure. I had a bite and it was a well prepared steak, though not particularly inventive. Another member got the Black Truffle Tagliatelle, which was delightful and complex while still being rather light. My wife got a seared tuna special that was cooked beautifully and had excellent seasoning. It was apparent that it was a very high quality piece of fish.
And finally we get to the masterstroke that was my meal. The Duck Trio. Perfect in every way. A perfectly seared duck breast, medium-​rare tending toward rare exactly how I asked for it, sitting on top of some fantastic lentils provided the biggest meaty bites of the meal. It also had confit that had been pulled like good barbecue, though it had the most amazing hit of pure duck flavor. I could eat this stuff all day, any meal, on top of anything and by itself. And the third preparation was probably the most amazing thing I have ever eaten: Duck Bacon. Let me restate that just to let it sink in… Duck Bacon. It is the end all, be all, food. It was a consistency closer to prosciutto, and had a similar strong salty flavor, but the fat was closer to the fat in panchetta. In a word, it was astounding. I only wish they gave you more.
The deserts were all fantastic as well, though after that duck I was in such a blissfully catatonic state they could have fed me anything and I would have been happy. We are already strategizing going back and doing one of their tasting menus. Awesome place.

My wife and I walked to Tuckers from the Viking hotel. I had read rave reviews on tripadvisor, later suprised to see the lack of rave reviews here. Its a small, dark unique setting. We ordered the oysters app, which was so good, we ordered the mussels app as well just to see if was as good. I have never experienced either prepared this way. I had the scallops, my wife had the steak. The scallops were nothing short of amazing. The steak was almost venison like in taste, truly amazing. Yes, its not high dining service, just nice people, serving unreal food.

You have to have dinner in this restaurant if you come to Newport.
I had mussels in a wine sauce with chorizo and then as a main dish i had a duck special served 3 ways. The person i was dining with also had the same entrée — cooked to perfection.
Also, the chef prepares the menu according to season — which is always the best and freshest.
The food is french contemporary with exotic flavors — measurable to eating dishes by the most experienced chefs right out of a cooking competition… you feel like the chef is cooking just for you.
We had a bottle of red — the waiter can recommend a wine that will complement your dish. The servers know the menu and wines like the back of their hand.
The interior of the restaurant is like a 30s cigar bar/​library — old antiques and bookshelves with dark lighting — its truly romantic and the food is fantastic.
When i return to Newport, i will definitely stop here for dinner!

We had one of the best meals ever here… I had the Salmon and pear salad and my husband the Scallops. We had the Shrimp nachos app. Everything was really wonderful, and next time we make it out to Newport, we’ll be back.

–From May 2010, sorry for the delay–
I was with a group up at the Naval War College. A few of us professed to be foodies, so we formed an ad hoc supper club. Tucker’s Bistro was a last minute decision and we were not disappointed. We were seated and cared for by, well, Tucker himself. The food was tasty and well prepared. The kitchen even created a custom dish for a finicky member of the group. The wine list was impressive and we found a few great bottles of Pinot. The service was great. The décor is eclectic and favors nudes, so look at the art. It was memorable. Definitely recommended.

We had a great meal at Tucker’s. Particularly, my meal of duck and farro was fantastic, preceded by a quality salad. The prices really did not seem unreasonable, but we were coming from New York. The décor is deliberately tacky, not really my thing, but it works. Service was very friendly.

I wish I had a boyfriend so I could take him here. This dimly lit gem in Newport is so cozy and romantic. Well, maybe not all that romantic but it’s cozy, well decorated, and friendly service. But above all — great food.
My sister and I came here for dinner my first night in Newport to avoid the busy downtown area. We took a chance on Tucker’s and glad we did. The food here is freshly prepared and cooked which I loved. I ordered the duck with spinach fettuccine. They make the fettuccine noodles in house which made the flavor truly pop. The duck pieces in the dish were not fatty but very tender. Overall a good dish. Sissy got the striped bass which I wish I would have gotten. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce was light but filling. A great dining experience.
They make a variety of specialty martinis which were delicious. Too many people offer specialty drinks but not many can make them memorable. I highly recommend trying one of their specialty drinks.
Sadly, we were both disappointed with our desserts or I would have given Tucker’s 5 stars. I got the strawberry shortcake which unfortunately was bland and sissy got the chocolate pecan pie which was more chocolaty than pecan-​y. Sadness. Out of all of my Newport dining experiences, Tuckers was the best. I heard a server say Tucker’s was for sale so get here quick to try this Newport gem before it goes away!

Tucker’s is awesome.
I came here with some locals and we were treated to a fantastic meal. Tucker brought in a really nice table cloth from home especially for our outside table, the Moon was really bright that night and one of the party managed to use the mood to pick up a girl…
The food was fantastic. I was impressed with the thoughtful menu — all allergies and diets are catered for and they can change items to suit you — and the dishes were all well presented and tasted great. I had a Thai noodle shrimp starter and some delicious local fluke fish for my main, followed by an exquisite white chocolate crème brûlée with homemade Bailey’s for dessert. YUM.
From what I’ve seen and heard I’d put Tucker’s the number one restaurant in Newport. Try it!

This place was highly recommended by a man who worked at a local vineyard. He spoke very well of this place and made my group very excited to try it. In fact, we waited an hour and a half for the place to open (even though we were starving) because this man spoke so well of it.
The food was good, the lighting was dark and intimate (they give you a flashlight to read the menu), and the walls are covered in paintings and French posters but the bad thing about this place was it took forever to get our food. We were the first ones to be seated at the restaurant and it took us nearly 2 hours from the time we ordered to get our entrees. The appetizers came at a fair amount of time but the entrée wait was nearly ridiculous. We waited patiently only to find out our food was given to another table (lucky them). Our waitress gave us some sorbet to ‘cleanse our palate’ and said that by the time we finished it our entrees should arrive. We waited another 20 minutes or more until our dishes finally arrived. When they finally arrived one of them was undercooked so it was sent back. By the time the rest of us finished our meals, the undercooked meal finally arrived (it took maybe 30 minutes for the dish to finally arrive back at the table). The diner whose dish it was decided to not even take it since it was taking too long and we were on time constraints. The waitress apologized and took the dish off the bill since it was hardly touched.
All-​in-​all very disappointing for a first time experience but the food was good (although nothing palate-​blowing good). I must note, their foie gras appetizer was delicious. I had the scallops w/​pumpkin risotto and apple buerre blanc– the scallops were tasty but the risotto had some sort of chalky-​like after taste that I wasn’t fond of. I also think I had some sort of allergic reaction to the dish because my lips and my tongue became itchy after eating it.
I won’t be coming back here again.

Tucker’s will always be one of my favorite restaurants in the country. It is an annual tradition at this point for my family to go to Tucker’s around Christmastime for an always exciting and delicious meal. Every trip there is a multi-​sensory experience, and I always leave feeling satisfied and relaxed.
The décor and ambiance is unlike any other place I’ve been! Almost everything in the restaurant (including the flatware, the chairs, the paintings on the walls) were bought secondhand. I’m always discovering something new! The food is amazing; simple French-​style cuisine with an exciting twist. On my most recent visit, I enjoyed a chicken dish with goat cheese polenta, and for dessert, a mixed berry sorbet.
For a special meal, Tucker’s is definitely the place to go in Newport.