Tallulah on Thames

Amazing — beautiful — delicious — delightful — the best dinner I can remember in RI (not cooked by my family) in a long time. A lovely & special family dinner

I booked a last minute trip to Newport with my wife and came here for our anniversary dinner.
This place was great. We sat near the kitchen. The kitchen staff was engaged, in sync and pumped out beautiful and flavorful plates of food.
The waitstaff were attentive and service was great.
I’m not sure what a fellow Unilocaler is talking about when they say they left hungry. Go to a buffet next time.
The food came out at a good pace. We left full, drunk and VERY happy.

This priced fixed restaurant exceeded all expectation. Space is small but charming in the lower Thames area. Lovely waitresses and very personable. The food by chef Rojas is superb. Even the small extra courses were just as delicious as each course on the menu. If you don’t want the usual fare in Newport and you want something that will surprise you and your palate go!

Charming place. Exactly the kind of restaurant I’d be delighted to eat at in Paris, Rome, LA, NYC, but we were bitterly disappointed in the dining experience. The kitchen was not in the least bit accommodating despite assuring us at the time of booking that meeting the specific special dietary needs we outlined would not be a problem. When we sat down to dinner there was not a single main course that a member of our party could eat and the kitchen refused accommodation beyond subbing in one of the appetizers. The promise: it would be double in size – not a great solution, but the only one they would offer. The kicker? It was almost identical in size to the appetizer. (Not a substantial main meal even for the tiny young woman who it was served to.) What a joke. When we mentioned this to the waitress she came back and said the kitchen told her it was a much heartier portion. This was untrue (one of us had ordered the same dish as an appetizer) and incredibly rude.
(And to the owner/​chef (?) As we struggled to find a main course option, our waitress informed us that the kitchen told her the Pecorino on the menu was a pasteurized cows cheese. Done in by that point, we didn’t have the energy to say that Pecorino is an Italian cheese made from ewe’s milk.)

4 of us had excellent dinner during restaurant week. The presentation is excellent and the food to match. Great friendly service. Great range of wines. Thoroughly enjoyable.

This restaurant is incredible! Beyond my expectations and those were high to start! The owners graciously greeted us… I asked if they could just send us out dishes… With paired wines… So accommodating, I’m a vegetarian and my partner isn’t so they sent out different dishes for each of us! Each beautifully prepared dish and amuse Bouche was a bite of heaven! Cannot wait to go back!

Went there on the first night of our honeymoon last year. We had the tasting menu and while each course was fantastic, their roasted cauliflower was ambrosial! The quaint setting made for a lovely intimate dinner. Very much looking forward to going back.

Excellent experience my husband treated me to. I tried many things that I normally wouldn’t have. I think we had the four course meal. Overall an excellent memory, but not something I would enjoy regularly.
The staff was great and they all wished us a Happy Anniversary multiple times.

Tallulah’s was recommended by my daughter, and on short notice in the busiest week of August we were able to snag an early reservation, which was fine with us. We were day trippers from Ct and wanted to be sober and alert driving home.
I would have given this restaurant 5 stars, (although even at all of Danny Meyers restaurants in NYC which I frequent, I have never spent so much on a meal, and I did not have wine… more on that later), but there were two things which really were disappointing: the wine list and the loud thumping disconcertingly dystonic music made it difficult to enjoy the very delicious food.
The portions are very small. Not a problem for me. I could have eaten three portions of the scrumptious fried green (cherry) tomatoes. 4 to a plate, and called it a day. They were the stand out for me. The smoked avocado was ok, but not outstanding, (half an avocado). My main course was the tagliatelli which was a vegetarian dish and very well prepared, although as I like my pasta al dente and fresh pasta is never al dente, it wasn’t my favorite. My dessert was upside down peach cake with ice cream and there were two half inch slices of cake, 2 inched long, with two very small scoops of ice cream. That was ok too, but I would have enjoyed more cake, skip the ice cream. I share the size of portions for those of you who need BIG food. This is NOT the place for Big food, but it is a very creative menu.
My husband had the fois gras, one of their specialties and it seemed a large portion to me. He said it was as good as he had ever had. The Gazpacho soup is more a liquid salad, with a vegetable broth and chopped cucumber and cherry tomatoes. He ordered the swordfish as his main course and enjoyed it very much.
I tasted three glasses of white wine, (did not want a bottle or the wine pairing), and couldn’t find one that was even palatable, so I skipped it. My husband had the wine pairing and 4 courses, for $ 108. My four courses were $ 67 without wine. But with water and a cup of coffee, the tab came to more than $ 200, gratuity not included.
The wine: many choices by the bottle which were very expensive and I did not recognize any of the labels. I know my wine. Many «organic» wines which are sort of mediocre.
My husband was disappointed that the wine pairing did not include a dessert wine, which he really enjoys. The wine pairings were unremarkable.
The music made me want to run out of the place, honestly. Not at all conducive to relaxed dining. My head was thumping.

Undoubtedly delicious food. Tallulah is young, aspirational, modern. Overall it’s very good, and top tier in Rhode Island for whatever you want to call a restaurant that offers a tasting menu/​serves small plates created with advanced cooking skills that aspire to dazzle through presentation and exceptional front of house hospitality.
A couple of notes:
1. Très cher. Per plate pricing is on par or even more expensive than some other of my fave small plates or tasting menu spots in cities like NYC (Degustation, Contra) or San Francisco/​Oakland (Commis, State Bird Provisions).
2. Volume. It’s quality over quantity here. With the richness of the plates, I found the portions adequate over multiple visits. Some friends I’ve been with, however, have had to get more food elsewhere afterwards to feel satisfied. I wouldn’t come here starving.
4 stars overall. If the portion sizes were a little larger or if the tasting menu came with another plate for the price (even if they charged me a bit more total), this place would be a 5. I eat out about 4 – 5 times a week and it’s a little too expensive for me to justify regular visits. However, I’d come back more often for their more casual and equally delicious family style supper and burger nights. I haven’t had Sunday brunch yet (offered on the second Sunday of each month), so I look forward to returning and getting to know this cozy little spot better in the future.

Great service in a small space. If you don’t have any dietary restrictions go with the chef selection and the wine pairings which are very well done and generous unlike some places. You’ll definitely get some interesting and unexpected combinations but they all work so roll with it. My favorite of the night was probably the roasted broccoli with garlic hummus and pickled onion and my wife enjoyed the dessert of blueberry sorbet with popcorn and other goodies. Being from LA were used to places only serving the menu but this was more like our experiences in South Africa with palate cleansers and chef «appetizers» that add a few more courses.

Our dinner at Tallulah’s on Thames was a gastronomic indulgence like no other.
First, the exterior and interior are tastefully renovated with a commitment to maintain the Old World charm with ornate fixtures and beautiful glass chandeliers through the dining area.
The Chef and his crew can be observed through an opening into the kitchen, where the magic occurs.
We decided to do the 6 course dinner with wine pairings. This, though an opulent choice, proved to be genius.
No fuss or muss… bring us our meal without having to figure what is what or which is the most versatile wine.
The magic begins…
Corn fritter pre-​dinner delight. Yum!
1^st course– beautiful gazpacho with a perfect blend of fat content in the delectable broth and brininess surprises with the pickled veggies. Every spoonful was heavenly… I don’t particularly like cold soup either. Surprise.
2^nd course-​broccolli with deep fried“crunchy” mushrooms on a hummus spread. Too good to be true!
3^rd– Foie gras– smooth decadent and rich… almost too much to handle.
4^rd-​Scallops perfectly cooked
5^th-​filet Mignon was the most tender piece of meat I’ve ever eaten in my life. With purple potato cubes that paired perfectly.
Pre-​desert treat deserves it’s own recognition.
Zucchini bread, vanilla gelato and other tiny treats to compliment. Unbelievable that this wasn’t the 6^th desert course. Ridiculous Pre-​desert treat!!!
6^th course was a chocolate mouse that was a worthy followup to the Zucchini bread the service was outstanding… friendly cordial and efficient. Big props to the staff!
Let’s not forget the wine pairings. …they seemed to be expertly selected and either the chef is a genius or his collaboration with the sommelier is symbiotic.
In total this was without exception… THE BEST MEAL OF MY LIFE.
Mami, perdon! Don’t tell my mother please.
If you have to wonder about cost… don’t bother. Pricey but dare I say… worth it!
Salud!

This had the potential to be a good restaurant but it fell short in many ways. Service was inattentive at best and while the food was imaginative the portions were small enough that my 17 year old daughter asked to stop for dessert after the meal. Additionally the whole experience took over two and a half hours on a relatively quite Sunday night. There are better in Newport.

The food was excellent. We did the 4 course menu with the wine pairing. Everything was great, but we left there hungry. So if you want to eat enough, get the 6 course tasting instead of the 4.
Plus, the ambiance was too casual. I get that they are trying to not come off as pretentious, but they could at least get some kind of carpet or nice chairs or cover up the metal pipes in the ceiling.
Also, I was glad that I did not dress up to go there, because it is not a dressy place (though they charge prices as though they were).

The food was amazing. The tasting menu served up great delicious courses.
The seafood dish I had was amazing. The presentation of the meal was beautiful as well. We also had great service. If I ever am in Newport again I will return.

We had an amazing dinner here for my birthday. 4 courses with wine pairing. Every course was delicate and incredibly well thought through elevating our pallets. Great atmosphere, not overly loud with an element «front room» feel. Well worth a look if you’re coming to Newport, but book ahead!

A special restaurant. One of the owners is the chef in the kitchen the other owner is out front. So everyone gets special attention.
They put a lot into each dish and it shows. The food is always special and something I couldn’t make at home — which is what I want when I go out to dinner. A smallish restaurant, they can’t seat a ton of people, but I think that keeps the quality of the food high. If you like higher end restaurants this is a good choice.

Another great foodie experience in Newport… their 4 course tasting menu is $ 68 and is well portioned and timed. We were there for about 2 hours. I’ve never eaten this much micro greens in one sitting!
All the dishes were beautifully made and everything on it had a purpose. Most noted are the roasted broccoli and the roasted cauliflower starters– I couldn’t imagine either of those to be capable of so much flavor but they were delicious. Also loved the stuffed squash blossom tagliatelle 2^nd course!
We were given complimentary tastings from the chef at the beginning and the end of our meal which was nice. They have two separate floors. we were seated upstairs where it was a more intimate setting compared to downstairs which had more of a bistro vibe with the open kitchen. If you’re here celebrating something special or if you’re looking for a top notch dinner experience, don’t pass up on reserving a table here!

I really hadn’t done any research on Tallulah before eating there, other than a recommendation given by someone I ran into at a local wine and food show. But I was absolutely blown away from the second I walked through the door. The atmosphere, food, wine, and service were all top-​notch.
Located in a converted storefront, Tallulah on Thames’ atmosphere is intimate (I doubt it seats more than 40 people) and more relaxed that many restaurants that serve food of this caliber. They offer two dining options: a four course pre fixe or six course chef tasting menu, both availble with or without wine pairings.
I opted for the four course meal with wine, and was extremely pleased with each of the four dishes, as well as the wine pairings. I thing my personal favorite was the first course steak-​tartare with fried oysters. It was incredibly flavorful, and the Chardonnay served alongside was perfect for cutting the richness of the dish.
And finally, I have to mention the outstanding service. Everyone on staff was attentive and informative, and extremely friendly.
I would highly recommend Tallulah to anyone looking for a tasty (though admitedly pricey) dinner in Newport.

Had an amazing anniversary dinner here with my boyfriend. I have to say that the food was almost too pretty to eat. We’ve been to some great restaurants in NYC and I’ve never seen such an amazing presentation like I did at Tallulah on Thames. There were probably edible flowers on every dish but I wasn’t complaining (I love flowers!) We sat upstairs where there was only one or two other tables occupied so there was much more space than downstairs. Overall the flavors were so unique at this restaurant. For example, I had white chocolate powder over my roasted cauliflower and a pink peppercorn sauce in my dessert.
Our meal started out with an amuse bouche of carrot gelee that had granola and golden raisins on top. It wasn’t my favorite. The butter had microgreens and herbs which were gorgeous. My boyfriend and I did the 4 course tasting menu where we shared everything. We had the following:
–Striped Bass Crudo
–Roasted Cauliflower
–Quinoa Crusted Chicken
–Soft shell Crab
–Striped Bass
–Wild Salmon
–Almond + Anise Panna Cotta
–Chocolate Tort
The highlights for me were the soft shell crab, striped bass crudo, striped bass, and almond + anise panna cotta. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a nice occasion.