A visit to one of Newport’s historic mansions is like a stroll back in time through America’s opulent Gilded Age. These massive estates, built by American railroad, steel, tobacco, and oil tycoons, showcased the immense wealth of the country’s upper class at the turn of the 20th century. A trip to Newport, RI, without a visit to one of the Preservation Society of Newport County’s mansion museums is a miss.
At The Elms, the summer experience just got even more immersive. Tour ticket holders and Preservation Society members can now enjoy a Gilded Age dining experience at the decidedly French-style café tucked inside the large and lovely Carriage House at the back of the property.
Designed for Mr. and Mrs. Edward Berwind by architect Horace Trumbauer, The Elms was modeled after the 18th-century French Château d’Asnières outside Paris. Berwind was a coal magnate, and the property—completed in 1901—was a reflection of the couple’s desire for European sophistication and a show of their extraordinary wealth.
Trumbauer built the large, limestone-clad carriage house and stables on the edge of the property, with apartments above for gardeners and stable hands. It was converted in 1910 into a massive private garage. Today, absolutely bursting with French charm—its entrance flanked by a gorgeous, ornate fountain and twin staircases—it now houses the warm and welcoming Carriage House Café, with indoor and outdoor dining areas and a lovely lunch menu to match, presented by the Stoneacre Group.
Menu items range from Cobb and Caesar salads and two soups to a selection of club sandwiches and four pasta dishes. Indulge in a tasty Kaluga caviar dip paired with a glass of Cava, a mimosa, or a curated selection of beer, wine, or bottled cocktail selections from New York City’s West Village Italian staple, Via Carota. Proper ladies can enjoy tea with fresh baked macarons, brown butter chocolate chip cookies or cinnamon swirl coffee cake.
On a recent visit, I ordered the New England chowder and the lobster salad club. The soup hits the sweet spot for texture—lightly creamy but not thick or pasty—this version studded with leeks, smoky bacon, cubes of potato, and bits of clam, then topped with fresh dill. The sandwich, served classically on three slices of white toast, was layered with sweet, dressed-just-right lobster salad, offset by salty bacon, crisp lettuce, a tomato slice, and herby mayo. It arrived with a green salad topped with shaved radishes.
With its classical symmetry, ornate interiors, formal gardens, pavilions, and fountains, The Elms was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1996. And if all that doesn’t quite get you there, the newly minted Carriage House Cafe might be just the ticket to a true taste of the Gilded Age
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