The Ocean House resort sits like a citrine jewel on the long East Beach in Watch Hill, R.I. Not only is the resort a premier East Coast travel destination, its flagship restaurant, Best of Award of Excellence winner Coast, is a must-visit for lovers of fine dining and great wine.
With more than 12,000 bottles in the cellar, wine director Jonathan Feiler’s wine program is stacked with gems from California and France, notably Burgundies and Bordeauxs. There are, altogether, more than 2,000 labels on the list. Aficionados can indulge in verticals from each of the Bordeaux first-growths and from Napa Valley’s Dominus Estate and Harlan Estate. For by-the-glass options, Feiler uses a Coravin preservation system to offer pours of Domaine Leflaive Mâcon-Verzé and Opus One’s Overture bottling.
Well-experienced with seafood, executive chef Terence Feury (formerly of Le Bernardin in New York and Striped Bass in Philadelphia) takes full advantage of the Atlantic's bounty. The results are dishes such as halibut topped with osetra caviar, Maine lobster accented with pearlescent scallops and umami-rich black garlic. Feeling more earthbound? Sample the Vermont quail soaked in brown butter or the Wagyu strip loin from Iowa’s Snake River Farms, accented with Armagnac jus. The prix-fixe menu is spread across four main courses; those looking to taste more of what the area has to offer can add an optional course of local cheeses. (A separate vegetarian menu is also available.)
Opened in 1868, Ocean House underwent renovations in 2010, which brought the historic estate back to its full glory. Inside, the Coast dining room is at once comfortable and elegant: Long linens blanket each table, armed wicker chairs are adorned with embroidered pillows and bay windows let in sunshine from the beach.
If you’re looking for a longer visit, Ocean House boasts 49 rooms and 20 suites with ocean and garden vistas. During the summer, resort guests can enjoy freshly caught seafood at the Verandah Raw Bar or Mediterranean cuisine at the Dune Cottage; and on Fridays, Ocean House hosts lobster boils and beach barbecues after sundown. For those wanting to dive deeper into wine or to hone their kitchen chops, Ocean House's Center of Wine and Culinary Arts hosts wine and cooking classes guided by Fieler and the culinary team.
