The name says it all when it comes to Fun Company (39 High St.), with cool finds for adults and kids alike at prices that will make you equally giddy. Bibliophiles, be sure to head to Savoy Bookshop & Café (10 Canal St.), an independent bookstore that feels like a trek back in time with handsome bookcases, high ceilings, and cozy reading nooks (pro tip: be on the lookout for fairy doors!). Across the street, find Christina’s Ltd. (1 Canal St.), a boho-style clothing boutique. For fine jewelry and trinkets, check out OMO Jewels & Gifts (95 Watch Hill Rd.) for a curated collection of artisan pieces and apparel and Compass Rose (271 Post Rd.) in Spindrift Plaza. Nearby William Wright & Co. (95 Watch Hill Rd.) is a charming place for produce, flowers, and baked goods. Find home decor and gifts at HŌMbädi Boutique (91 Franklin St.), with a second location in Watch Hill (104 Bay St.). For the essentials, there’s Seaside Pharmacy (224 Post Rd.).
Rivaling Providence and Newport, Westerly is a foodie’s dream town – so it’s no wonder James Beard award-winning chef Jeanie Roland (who also beat Bobby Flay in the Food Network series) chose this coastal town to open her premier eatery, Ella’s Food & Drink (2 Tower St.). A large Italian population has given the town its own iconic food, too; soupy is a dry-cured Italian pork sausage descended from the soppressata of the area’s Calabrian heritage. Every family has its own recipe, but the sausage is available for sale at places like Dipper’s Packing Co. (55 Ledward Ave.) and Dunns Corners Market (5 Langworthy Rd.).
Additionally, Westerly is home to most any restaurant that fits your taste, from farm-to-bun offerings at Graze Burgers (127 Granite St.) to chef-driven, adventurous small plates at The Shallows (54R High St.) and Irish-American fare at Kelley’s Deli (116 Granite St. #8). Noodle Revolution (87 Oak St.) serves some of the best Asian street food around, and Koi (65 High St.) offers creative sushi. If you’re craving Italian food, Vetrano’s (130 Granite St.) offers homestyle pasta and pizza while Casa Della Luce (105 Franklin St.) puts a fresh spin on the classics. Catch the game at CC O’Brien’s Sports Cafe (8 Mechanic St.) or for a light treat, don’t miss Pompelmo Gelato (31 High St.) and fresh-squeezed sips from High Tide Juice Co. (55 Beach St.). Amigos Taqueria Y Tequila (2 Canal St.) is a lively spot with an impressive selection of authentic Mexican drinks. Nana’s Bakery & Pizza (82 High St.), whose first location is in Stonington, CT, specializes in cold fermentation to make their nutritious organic breads. Dine on the water at B&B Dockside (19 Margin St.), a snug eatery with approachable fare. Pooch’s Pour House (42 High St.) is the new neighbor in town.
Westerly has also become a beer lover’s haven. The town’s first brewery, Grey Sail Brewing (63 Canal St.), offers beers like their signature Captain’s Daughter imperial IPA and Flagship cream ale at their tasting and taproom, and at restaurants all over Rhode Island. On the same campus, and co-owned by a Grey Sail founder, South County Distillers produces top-quality spirits in house.
Take a wine tour of Westerly beginning with an afternoon at Langworthy Farm Winery (308 Shore Rd.) – with tours and a historic bed and breakfast offering picturesque views for a longer visit. Locally inspired bottles include Charlestown Cabernet Franc, Weekapaug White, and Pawcatuck River Red. Tapped Apple Winery & Cidery (37 High St.) offers tastings and activities like shuffleboard.
For visual arts, explore The Artists Cooperative Gallery of Westerly (14 Railroad Ave.), which maintains a fine arts gallery in the town’s train station and typically offers a new exhibit each month. Science lovers (or even Jaws fans) will be enthralled by the Living Sharks Museum & Research Center (47 High St.), a no-charge destination all about sharks. To really get the lay of the land, catch River Glow on August 5 to see the Pawcatuck River ablaze, downtown businesses vending their wares, local eats, and performers.
Westerly’s exciting arts and entertainment scene is brimming during the summer. The Granite Theatre (1 Granite St.) is a small theater with a community focus and stages Guys and Dolls and The Boys Next Door this season. Catch a movie at The United Theatre (5 Canal St.), and watch for upcoming special events online (UnitedTheatre.org), along with The Cafe (3 Canal St.) for elevated snacks and mains. Along with being a pristine place to walk, Wilcox Park (44 Broad St.) is where The Colonial Theatre’s Shakespeare in the Park series takes place July 22 through August 13, presenting The Tempest.
The famed Knickerbocker Music Center (35 Railroad Ave.) is a great evening spot for live music and dancing, while Tunes on the Dunes runs Monday nights through August 14 and Blues on the Beach happens Wednesdays at Westerly Town Beach (365 Atlantic Ave.). Vintage Cigar Lounge & Club (47 High St.) serves a full bar and over 375 varieties of cigars. In need of a little R&R? Indulge in a facial at Pure Eco Spa (18 Franklin St.), plus other skin and body treatments, and Breathe Massage & Wellness (116 Granite St.) offers massages, facials, and more.
This vibrant sandy strip of Westerly has some of the most popular beaches in Rhode Island, and it’s easy to see why.
Traditionally, Misquamicut has been one of the only places in South County where servers bring you lunch, complete with cocktails, while you’re actually on the beach. Paddy’s Beach Club (159 Atlantic Ave.) has lounge chairs available on their private beach area, as well as several outdoor bars. You can walk straight off the sand, have lunch, and hear some live music in the afternoon at The Andrea (89 Atlantic Ave.). The Windjammer Surf Bar (321 Atlantic Ave.) offers live music and sweeping ocean views. The Pleasant View Inn (65 Atlantic Ave.) is a beachfront resort with a private beach and on-site restaurant. The Hotel Maria (132 Atlantic Ave.) is just steps off the beach and serves Mediterranean-inspired seafood at Maria’s Seaside Cafe.
From Misquamicut State Beach, head east on Atlantic Avenue to discover the scenic beauty of the Winnapaug and Quonochontaug salt ponds, each opening to the Atlantic Ocean via a breachway lined with rock jetties. A couple of turns later, find the rustic grandeur of the Weekapaug Inn (25 Spray Rock Rd.), a coastal boutique hotel with onsite restaurant, naturalist, and a Hunter boots lending library.
Atlantic Beach Park (321 Atlantic Ave.) is an oceanfront family center offering carnival-style rides and a century-old carousel. Weekend nights bring the Misquamicut Drive-In (316 Atlantic Ave.) to the beach, featuring classic movies under the stars.
Taylor Swift’s squad famously descends on this part of Westerly for the Fourth of July, but any day is perfect for a visit.
Shops along Bay Street and Fort Road offer beautifully curated summer shopping, from the colorful – and covetable – summer prints at Lilly Pulitzer (31 Bay St.) to nautical-inspired bags made from recycled sails at Sea Bags (101 Bay St.). Reinvent your summer style with curated resort wear from Coppola’s Boutique (97 Bay St.), swim and beachwear from Golden Collective (124 Bay St.), men’s and women’s apparel in batik prints and cheerful colors from Three Islands (99 Bay St.), the latest trends and classic fashion at Rochelle’s Boutique (117 Bay St.), fun size-inclusive styles at RI Boutique (108 Bay St.), and apparel by a Boston-based designer at Sara Campbell Ltd. (1 Bay St.). JC’s of Watch Hill (62 Bay St.) offers an unmatched selection of women’s swimsuits. Be awed by the large-scale, colorful paintings on display at Jeanette Vertentes Studio (147 Bay St.).
St. Clair Annex (141 Bay St.) is Watch Hill’s iconic ice cream parlor and clam shack. Olympia Tea Room (74 Bay St.), even at over 100 years old, continues to put a fresh spin on classic New England fare. For sweets, head to The Candy Box (14 Fort Rd.), a quintessential coastal candy shop. Feeling luxurious? While staying at Ocean House (1 Bluff Ave.) can be pricey, the hotel is visitor friendly, especially the expansive Verandah Raw Bar that’s perfect for people-watching over cocktails. Restaurants range from a more casual gastropub and patio snacks to a fine dining experience and champagne garden.
East Beach is the little strip of white sand between Ocean House (1 Bluff Ave.) and Taylor Swift’s mansion. Parking can be a challenge, but it’s worth it. Watch Hill’s Napatree Point (Ford Rd.) is a popular spot for beachgoers, and it’s also a nature preserve where endangered piping plovers nest, so it’s a great spot for bird watching, too. Sandy Point was once attached to Napatree, but hurricane erosion separated the two. The 35-acre island also has a public beach and is a nature preserve.
The small downtown area of Watch Hill is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Flying Horse Carousel (151 Bay St.) is the oldest continuously operating carousel in the country, and The Watch Hill Lighthouse (14 Lighthouse Rd.), a 15-minute walk from downtown Westerly, dates back to 1856, and its museum is open to the public in July and August.
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