The Baker's Table

The Baker's Table opened in Newport's historic Monmouth Street district and drew national attention early, landing on Eater's Best New Restaurants in America list. Chef Dave Willocks built his cooking over a 16-year career in San Francisco and Oakland, where menus grew out of weekly farmers-market trips, and that produce-first instinct carried east: the restaurant runs a monthly-changing six-course tasting menu built on Ohio Valley ingredients, house sourdough, hand-made pasta and whole-animal butchery. In 2026 Willocks was named a James Beard Foundation finalist for Best Chef: Southeast.

The beverage program treats non-drinkers as full guests rather than an afterthought. Its centerpiece is a four-course Spirit-Free Pairing ($45), offered alongside the four-course Wine Pairing ($60); both accompany the canapes, starter, pasta and main course. Beyond the pairing, the kitchen always keeps a rotating seasonal mocktail and Athletic Brewing non-alcoholic beer available. Seasonal mocktails have included The Petal -- hibiscus, chamomile and egg white -- and The Partridge, a wintry mix of cider, pear and cinnamon. Guests who don't drink note that the alcohol-free pairings receive a great deal of thought and preparation, as much as the wine.

The dining room is open Wednesday through Saturday, with seating from 5pm (last seating 8:30pm Wednesday and Thursday, 9pm Friday and Saturday) and closed Sunday through Tuesday. Because this is a prix-fixe tasting-menu format, reservations are effectively required, and the spirit-free pairing is chosen as an add-on when you book. There's free parking in the county lot next to the restaurant or on Monmouth Street above 10th. Reach the restaurant at (859) 261-1941 or [email protected].