The White Horse Tavern has been named one of the top 100 romantic restaurants in America by OpenTable, the online reservation platform announced in its 2026 rankings.
The historic restaurant at 26 Marlborough St. earned a 4.8 rating from diners and was one of just two Rhode Island establishments to make the national list. Boat House Waterfront Dining in Tiverton also earned a spot.
The recognition adds to the tavern’s accolades. Newport Life Magazine has previously named it the city’s most romantic restaurant, and Rhode Island Monthly Magazine once called it the best place to impress a visitor.
Operating since 1673, the White Horse Tavern is considered the oldest tavern in continuous operation in the United States. The building, constructed in 1652 as a private residence, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972.
The restaurant features contemporary American cuisine with ingredients sourced from local farms and Narragansett Bay, including fresh seafood, artisan cheeses and prime cuts of beef. Diners can enjoy meals beside colonial-era fireplaces in one of several historic dining rooms.
OpenTable’s rankings were based on more than 9 million verified diner reviews collected between Dec. 1, 2024, and Nov. 30, 2025. Restaurants were evaluated on ratings, five-star review percentages and other metrics, then ranked by the percentage of reviews tagged as “romantic.”
The list is presented alphabetically, not in ranked order.