Transportive Cocktails at Gardiner House and Studio Bar
On a recent Friday night, fresh from a gallery opening at House of Waves Newport, my jolly gang of three sauntered down Lower Thames Street onto Lee’s Wharf and ascended the stairs to the grand entrance hall of Gar-diner House. The hum of laughter and clinking of glasses lured us through the hotel lobby into the bustling Studio Bar, revealing a beaming Nick Aprea, the food and beverage director, building an impressive round of floral spritzes.
Without skipping a beat, Nick welcomed us with the familiar refrain, “Every night’s a party in Newport!” as he whipped up another round of their signature spritz, The Gardiner, with its delicate rose syrup, fresh lemon and edible blossoms that he refers to as “the best cocktail for any occasion.” Drinks in hand, we made our way past the salon-style wall of Victorian caricatures toward the plush oasis of green velvet couches and cushioned window seats to ring in the start of summer.
Since opening in 2023, Gardiner House has become a hot spot for well-heeled locals, hotel guests and tourists in the know; home to what I like to call the Newport hat trick: beautiful drinks, great food and stunning views of Newport Harbor. The prior week, I enjoyed an early dinner at Flora, the hotel’s elegant Mediterranean restaurant upstairs, with a round of oysters and a perfectly dressed tuna tartare paired with the eye-catching tangerine-hued Katherine Mae cocktail, which Nick refers to as “mezcal in a silk dress,” featuring smoky mezcal, lemon, Aperol and a creamy egg white foam.
If you find yourself in Newport this summer (or any season), I encourage you to visit Gardiner House and dally in the entryways to take in their notable art collection featuring the works of Slim Aarons and illustrious works by the hotel’s grand patriarch and namesake, Howard Gardiner Cushing, the American impressionist painter known for his Gilded Age portraits of family members and the likes of the Vanderbilts (including Flora!).
Willa Van Nostrand is an award-winning mixologist, beverage consultant and owner of Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails and World’s Fair Gallery. Visit her at LittleBitte.com.
