TRAVEL GUIDE | CABANA TRAVEL | WORLD OF CABANA

Bustling with a young arts and culinary scene, Providence is an unlikely but undeniable gem, according to Rose Farman-Farma. A student at Brown University, Rose shares her favorite discoveries and the hidden treasures that make up the city’s quirky charm.

BY ROSE FARMAN-FARMA | CABANA TRAVEL | 19 DECEMBER 2025

My Favorite Place to Stay: The Beatrice

As a student, I’ve only ever stayed on campus, but I know that many parents and visitors would recommend The Beatrice. It’s walking distance from everywhere I’ve mentioned on this list (read on to discover) and also has a fun rooftop bar.

My Favorite Restaurant: Al Forno

Providence’s infamous Mafia past has left its legacy in the form of life-changing pasta. Al Forno is my absolute favorite spot for a delicious Italian dinner on a special occasion. I battle for a reservation whenever my mother visits, and I’ve started to think it’s the main reason she comes to see me. The grilled pizza is unbelievable, and the chocolate bread pudding might be my favorite dessert of all time.‘ New Rivers, on Steeple Street – the historic house where Al Forno first opened – is also a treat.

My Favorite Coffee Shop: Coffee Exchange

There is a string of adorable cafés along Benefit Street that take turns at the top of my list. If you’re in the mood to grab a perfect coffee and breakfast sandwich, Dave’s, with its homemade English muffins, will never let you down. But my favorite neighborhood place is Coffee Exchange: a family-run business with organic, speciality roast coffee and brilliant pastries. You’ll often find professors reading here and students on coffee dates.

My Favorite Cozy Pub or Bar: Glou

Glou is definitely the bar for a candlelit catch-up chat with friends and dangerously delectable drinks. It’s small enough to always bump into someone you know, but has a cozy outdoor space, brilliant for larger gatherings. There are also a lot of great dinner options nearby on Ives Street, which makes for the perfect easy evening out.

My Favorite Gallery or Museum: The RISD Museum

Has to be the RISD Museum! A huge part of Providence’s magic is owed to its arts school: The Rhode Island School of Design. The deceptively large museum was co-founded with the college and includes both fine arts and decorative arts from all periods of history. It always has an interesting exhibit. (You may also find the best matcha of your life in its café.) Right across the street, a beautiful Greek revival library, The Providence Atheneum, was a frequent meeting spot of Edgar Allen Poe and his lover.

My Favorite ‘Hidden Gem’: Aleppo Sweets

My friends and I are obsessively loyal Aleppo Sweets–goers. This familial Syrian restaurant is the coziest walk-in gem for a casual bite. They have the best mezzes, grape leaves, fatayer, and kabobs. It’s also lovely to come just for tea and baklava.

My Favorite Antiques Shop: Rocket to Mars

Rocket to Mars on Federal Hill has an extravagant collection of vintage furniture and clothing, mostly from the 60s and 70s, that feels representative of Providence’s oddball charm. It’s a great place to find knick-knacks and posters. My roommate is especially proud of an ornate Kimono she found here, if that offers a sense of its variety.

My Favorite Park or Green Space: Prospect Terrace Park

Prospect Terrace Park is a beautiful lookout point from which to watch the sunset over the Providence skyline.

A Perfect Day in Providence:

Get brunch at Frank and Laurie’s, order the pancakes. Then go do some people watching on the Main Green (the hub of Brown’s campus) and wander over to Wickenden Street. There you will find all of College Hill’s cutest shops and cafés conveniently concentrated on one street. I’d recommend popping into Nostalgia, Urban Thread and Project Attic. You’re also guaranteed to see a gaggle of students having lunch at Amy’s (which is also one of my favourite spots to eat.)

Then I’d walk across the river towards Westminster Street for a peruse through another great vintage shop, The Vault, and Symposium Books, an excellent bookstore which, for some reason, also sells English sweets. If you stay on Westminster, you should then grab dinner at the magnificent Oberlin (a Johnson & Wales alumni restaurant) and drop into the stylish cocktail bar, The Eddy, next door. For me, the perfect night would end at AS220, a local bar where I’ve seen some of my favorite bands perform.

All images courtesy Lola Byrd from The Optic Magazine