There’s always such a sense of community around traveling for a specific interest—from art at TEFAF in Maastricht to antiques in Brimfield to the annual Concours d’Elegance in Pebble Beach. The common ground you share with anyone can set you off on the fast lane to friendship—or, at the very least, a solid martini rec. And I definitely got a few of those while I was in Newport for the Audrain Newport Concours. Lucky for me, I was invited by A. Lange & Söhne, one of my favorite watch brands, to this car show, which is such a nice size—compared to some of the big ones, it’s human scale. For the unfamiliar, A. Lange & Söhne is a small German atelier that makes a very limited number of watches completely crafted by hand. Their watches are works of art and, in many ways, they’re like the vintage cars at the show: rare, meticulous and built to be admired. Their niche sensibility is something I’ve always appreciated, and it’s not unlike the focus of my magazine, WM Brown, on select, specialized passions.
Seeing daily drivers and museum-quality vintage cars up-close is always a highlight, but it’s the whole spectacle—walking around the streets of Newport where these beauties are parked, meeting fellow enthusiasts, drinking icy German beers with the A. Lange & Söhne crew—that helps me understand why people come from near and far for these shows. For me, it’s a throwback to some of my fondest memories—weekends spent in Upstate New York with my dad, checking out small fairground shows near us—and a reminder that a car is never just a car (as I wrote in my book A Man & His Car)! At these events, cars are just the shared passion that ends up being a shortcut to connecting with strangers who quickly become friends.
Since I was only in Newport for a short trip, I relied on some of those new friends (and old ones!) for help putting this list together. With that, here are my personal discoveries, plus everyone’s perennial favorites, and a few places that were recommended to me by some of the like-minded characters I met throughout my short stay. I can’t wait to go back for longer next time and try the off-menu cocktails at the Macallan room inside The Vanderbilt, or the “Snowball in Hell” that Zach Weiss raves about at Clarke Cooke house.
Hotels + Stays
I stayed at The Chanler, a historic mansion with rooms that are each inspired by different designs of the past—English Tudor, Greek Revival, French Provincial, etc. It’s in a great location, just steps from the Cliff Walk.
Zach liked the Gardiner House, which is right on the wharves with great views of the harbor.
And WM Brown contributor John Munson checked into The Vanderbilt earlier this year to scope out the new Macallan Reserve Room for us. The red-lacquered bar has plenty of bells and whistles, but John says don’t sleep on the Vanderbilt martini, their take on a vesper that’s always prepared tableside.
If you want more seclusion, Castle Hill Inn has private cottages that were a favorite hideaway of Grace Kelly’s.
Food + Drinks
Clarke Cooke House – Everyone’s favorite restaurant and watering hole on Bannister’s wharf. I had a perfectly steamed bright-red lobster.
Annie’s – A real-deal diner next to the Tennis Hall of Fame. They serve breakfast all day, and as a bonus, it’s BYOB.
La Forge Casino Restaurant – Right next to Annie’s, I thought this old-school spot looked cool in passing, so I bookmarked it for next time. If you go, let me know what you think!
Empire – For a solid cup of coffee on your morning walk.
Flo’s Clam Shack – Famous for… you guessed it.
Castle Hill Inn – Go for drinks on the lawn, not in the dining room.
White Horse Tavern – America’s oldest tavern, they’ve clearly been doing something right for the last 350 years.
The Black Pearl – Aside from Clarke Cooke House, this was one of the other highly recommended places to eat. Apparently their chowder—New England style—is spectacular.
Bar Cino – Roman-style pizza (that comes with scissors!) and fantastic aperitivo cocktails in a beautiful setting with old-school caricatures on the walls.
Shopping, Outdoors + Culture
Royal Male – Small, eccentric men’s store in a beautiful historic building, specializing in English country dress: a lot of Barbours and Belstaffs, old-school soaps and colognes, and accessories. Zach prefers the location up the street to the one right on the wharf.
Wald & Sea – Yolanda likes this nautical homewares store that is Newport meets Newport Beach in a very Nancy Meyers way.
Zach says you should definitely do a sailboat ride—there are lots of service providers, but the America’s Cup team is the best and least touristy.
The Cliff Walk – A great running/walking route along the water to sweat out any of the prior nights overindulgences, and is conveniently right next to the Chanler, where I stayed.
Newport Mansions – These Gilded Age mansions are really unbelievable. Stepping inside The Breakers, the Vanderbilt family’s “summer cottage” is a completely transporting experience.
Audrain Auto Museum – If you’re not in town during the Concours and still want to dive into Newport’s rich motoring history, the Audrain museum feels more like an art museum than a car showroom.
International Tennis Hall of Fame – Perfectly maintained grass courts and starched whites, it’s tennis at its best.
New York Yacht Club – If you can’t angle for an invite to this historic club, they do tours of the exterior for the public a few times a month.
Redwood Library– America’s first library is also part-museum, and has an exhibit of Slim Aarons’ New England/Newport photos on through December 15th.
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