Dining Review: River Bar in Westerly

Stuffed haddock. Photography by Angel Tucker

River Bar, which sits on the edge of the Pawcatuck River, lives in a storied location. The brick building at 37 Main St. in Westerly is the century-old remains of the old Solway Mill, where the bar room once housed a water wheel that powered electricity for the mill. Since then, it’s housed several restaurants, a handful of cuisines and one central community. Now in the hands of Aaron Laipply and James Wayman, who own the nearby Nana’s pizza and bakery, that neighborhood — not just of diners, but fishermen and farmers — continues to be the driving force in this seafood-focused restaurant.

Rhode Island cherrystone clams and Sea Smoke oysters. Photography by Angel Tucker

The restaurant has a sprawling, slightly haphazard layout, an imprint that feels a bit like walking through history. The bar conjures a vibe even older than the building’s age, supported by brick walls and massive beams that conjure Revolutionary-era cocktails doused in twinkle lights. The romance of the room is matched only by its aged patina, and one would be hard-pressed to think of another bar that manifests the spirit of Colonial Rhode Island better (even though it sits several paces from Connecticut).

There are several adjacent dining rooms with no prevailing aesthetic other than wide-planked wooden floors that pay homage to the building’s origins and wide windows to the water outside. One room pairs brick walls with white chair rails and floral wallpaper, while two others are painted a deep green-gray with plants hanging from the ceilings, Scandinavian-style chairs and a central farm table. All of this is in addition to the outdoor seating, which has its own energy: convivial but also attuned to the river’s languid pace.

Pan-seared Stonington scallops. Photography by Angel Tucker

Visually, the restaurant reads like a small town, each corner unique but tied to the spaces around it. It’s clear that Laipply and Wayman saw all of this as a prelude to their purchase.

Deliveries don’t arrive on the river these days, but the kitchen is intrinsically linked to local purveyors, with oysters, fish, meat and vegetables sourced from a dozen nearby waters and farms. There are also a handful of items that come directly from Nana’s; though small, they’re among the best things at River Bar. Sourdough bread is served with softened roasted garlic and blue cheese butter, and a thick slab of cornbread is topped with oozing hot honey butter.

It’s worth noting that the corn comes from Davis Farm and the recipe is from its late owner, Whit. The 400-year-old farm grows corn from seeds given by Indigenous tribes with a lineage dating back thousands of years. Debate may continue over paying for table bread, but this is exactly why diners should: Both options are deeply flavored and textured — so far above a bland basket that might be given instead of ordered.

This is also a fine spot for raw oyster lovers, with four varieties from Rhode Island and Connecticut, as well as an Old Bay-roasted version that pools like Southern butter.

There’s a lot of seafood in the small plates, mostly raw and paired with very strong (often Japanese) flavors. Tuna crudo is sliced thickly, paired with tahini mayo, smoked tamari and fried garlic. Tuna may be a hearty fish, but it tends to fall into the background of the intense accoutrements. The same goes for a petite bowl of diced raw scallops that sits alongside bitter black citrus, miso and tomato oil. Even the halibut, which is preserved in spicy tamari and mixed with garlic and fermented hot peppers, eats more like kimchi than fresh fish.

Interior of River Bar. Photography by Angel Tucker

The result falls to personal predilection: Those looking for the ocean itself will lean toward oysters and clams; those in search of innovation can find it in several places.

Chicken piccata. Photography by Angel Tucker

Entrees tend to lean more traditional, though the reach extends past New England. Piccata and Marsala show up in colder months, the former pairing a large paillard of chicken with a plate full of roasted vegetables. The latter is one of the only vegetarian options, this one an amalgam of mushrooms and Mafaldine pasta.

But it’s here that the seafood really does its thing, without rambling too far from expectations. Scallops are heavily seared and, regardless of what seasonal sides they’re paired with, delightfully sweet. Lobster rolls sit squarely between Maine and Connecticut — with miso brown butter on the toasted buttery brioche roll and a bit of lemon mayo on the lobster itself. Sprinkled with crispy shallots and served with fries and a bright slaw, it’s a keeper. If you’re sitting on the water while you’re eating it, then it’s heaven.

There are always variations on old-school favorites, like the stuffed haddock that vaguely resembles the Ritz-stuffed cod of our childhood. This one is rolled around miso sourdough crumbs with lemon and garlic butter and is a very good update, though the white fish served on top of jasmine rice makes for a relentlessly monochromatic dish.

Lobster roll and macaroni salad. Photography by Angel Tucker

For a kitchen that’s clearly itching to walk away from the trodden path, drinks and dessert offer ample opportunity to riff on classics in small portions. Cocktails juggle opposing flavor profiles really well: smoky mezcal with just enough strawberry to cut the intensity without being too sweet or a healthy dose of basil to highlight an herbal gin. These are the spots where even purists will welcome a bit of wandering and readily celebrate the freshness of local produce that can change a plate (or glass) for good.

Nana’s plays a big role in the dessert menu and that’s an unmitigated win. Pies change seasonally but look for the olive oil cake and the house chocolate chip cookie. Served warm and thick, it’s the size of a small tart. But it’s the koji and bay leaf that make this a modern classic. Yes, it remains predominantly sweet, but the underlying earthy notes are a testament to the evolution of our archetypes.

It’s just a cookie, of course. Just like a seat on a centuries-old river that runs between two states is, indeed, a seat. But occasionally the confluence of time, ingenuity and heart will make for a space that feels like community in the making. Just in time for summer.

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River Bar

Nana’s sourdough plate with Whit’s cornbread. Photography by Angel Tucker

37 Main St., Westerly, 561-7050, riverbarwesterly.com

Open for dinner seven days a week; lunch on Friday and Saturday; brunch on Sunday. Reservations accepted. Wheelchair accessibility on the first floor. Lot parking.

CUISINE: New England seafood with a Japanese streak.

CAPACITY: 150, with seventy-five more on the patio.

VIBE: George Washington has lunch with Masaharu Morimoto.

PRICES: Appetizers: $6–$75 (for a raw bar platter); entrees: $18–$38; dessert: $8–$15.

KAREN’S PICKS: Lobster rolls and cookies for everyone.