Aurelia at Castle Hill

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Born Out of the Bay

Aurelia at Castle Hill occupies the historic Agassiz Mansion on a private forty-acre peninsula minutes from downtown Newport, Rhode Island. The setting alone is extraordinary — dining rooms overlooking Narragansett Bay, sailboats passing in the distance, the Newport Pell Bridge on the horizon — but what happens at the table is equally serious. Forbes Travel Guide has awarded Aurelia its Five-Star distinction, placing it among the most rigorously recognized restaurants in the country.

The restaurant traces its roots to The Dining Room at Castle Hill, a long-admired destination in New England fine dining. Its current name honors Alexander Agassiz, the Harvard marine biologist who built the mansion in 1875 as a summer residence and field laboratory. He studied the bay's abundant invertebrate life from these very grounds — including the moon jellyfish, Aurelia, which now lends the restaurant its name.

The Menu

The experience centers on a six-course prix fixe tasting menu, built around the local bounty of Aquidneck Island and the surrounding New England coast. Seafood is sourced from waters just offshore; greens and produce come from Castle Hill's own kitchen gardens and greenhouses; artisanal cheeses arrive from regional producers. The menu shifts with the seasons, and each course carries the story of its ingredients.

Sample dishes from the current menu illustrate the kitchen's sensibility: Shy Squid arrives under an ink-thyme veil with Alsatian gnocchi; The Lobster is inspired by the forest, paired with asparagus and nettle soup; a Spring Tribute features Hopkins Farm lamb with watercress and rock seaweed. Dessert might bring a delicate French meringue with chamomile and hibiscus, or rhubarb in a thin tartlet with arugula ice cream. A full vegetarian tasting menu runs parallel, with equal care.

The contemporary New England cuisine here is precise without being cold, rooted in place without being provincial.

The Wine Cellar

Beverage Director Shawn Westhoven oversees a wine program that spans five cellar rooms within the 1875 mansion, housing over seven thousand bottles across eight hundred selections. The list has earned Wine Spectator's "Best of Award of Excellence" for more than ten years consecutively. Curated wine pairings and house-made non-alcoholic pairings are both available to accompany the tasting menu.

The Atmosphere

Inside, Aurelia is spread across four distinct spaces in the mansion, each lively yet intimate — rooms designed for easy conversation in a relaxed, sophisticated setting. On The Lawn and terrace, the mood shifts toward something more casual, where guests settle into Adirondack chairs with oyster martinis and lighter fare. The Forbes Five-Star description captures it well: quintessential New England, with the full sweep of Narragansett Bay as backdrop. Elegant attire is encouraged; the experience runs approximately two and a half hours.