Newburyport Restaurants: Waterfront and Downtown Guide

Newburyport restaurants are packed into a walkable waterfront city where the Merrimack River meets the Atlantic, and you can eat on a deck over the water, in a former sailboat bar or at a table of Persian small plates within a few blocks. Five places show up in North Shore Magazine's list, and four of them also in the North of Boston tourism board's guide.

Menus and seasons change, so treat this as a map and check before you go.

Which Newburyport restaurants come up most often?

North Shore Magazine's list of the twelve best Newburyport restaurants and the North of Boston tourism board's restaurant guide agree on four names, and Boston Magazine backs a fifth:

• A New American restaurant with a sushi bar has a second-floor deck over the waterfront.
• An Italian and seafood grille has a four-season deck overlooking the Merrimack.
• A downtown oyster bar is known for fresh New England seafood, with a back deck over the river.
• A small-plates bar is known for shared plates rooted in Persian cooking, and for live music.
• An oyster bar and seafood spot is listed by North Shore Magazine and by Boston Magazine's clam shack roundup for its fried fish menu.

What is a Newburyport waterfront dinner like?

Mostly about the view. Three of the five places have decks or patios facing the river or Waterfront Park, so the best seats go early on warm evenings. The tourism board's guide says the Italian and seafood grille has indoor seating and 116 outdoor seats overlooking the waterfront, which helps with a group.

The New American restaurant adds a second-floor deck and a sailboat-turned-bar on the first floor, according to the tourism board. Walk the boardwalk before or after dinner to see the river traffic, and bring a layer, since the wind can turn cool after sunset.

Where can you get a downtown Newburyport lunch?

The downtown oyster bar sits near the Firehouse Center for the Arts, according to the tourism board, and North Shore Magazine says its menu runs to popcorn shrimp, tacos and stuffed lobster. That makes it a lunch you can pace in an hour or stretch for two.

The tourism board also names a coffee and pastry cafe and a gelato shop for a lighter stop, though check their hours before you rely on them. A lunch downtown leaves the evening free for a deck. If you want to compare with a fried seafood plate, see the fried clams guide for Ipswich and Essex, a short drive south.

What is Merrimack River deck dining like?

Casual, and weather dependent. The river decks are the draw, and a rainy or windy evening changes the plan. the Italian grille has a four-season deck, according to North Shore Magazine, while others may close their outdoor areas in cold months.

Check each place's own page for deck rules and seasons. If you are visiting in the colder months, choose a place with indoor seating by the window and keep the deck for the next trip.

Where do you find Newburyport Persian food?

At the small-plates bar. North Shore Magazine describes shared plates rooted in Persian cooking, with Street Fries and hummus, and weekly live music. The tourism board calls it Mediterranean small plates with contemporary takes on Iranian family recipes.

It is a good choice for a group that wants to share many dishes rather than order one each. Ask the staff how many plates suit your table, and rate each plate separately, since small-plate menus vary a lot from dish to dish.

What about oysters and raw bars?

Newburyport has several, and one is worth its own page. An oyster bar, a downtown oyster bar and an Italian grille are the three the guides tie to oysters and raw seafood, and the oysters in Newburyport guide compares how each does it. For a hot seafood option on the coast, the Gloucester seafood guide is a half hour away.

How do you plan a Newburyport food day?

The city is compact, so a plan can be loose. Start downtown with coffee, walk the waterfront, and book your evening place first, since the deck seats go early on warm nights. Between meals, wander the old brick streets and the boardwalk by the river, where the boats and the light change by the hour.

If you arrive by train or car from Boston, give yourself a full afternoon, not a quick stop. A late lunch at one place and an early dinner at another keeps the day relaxed. In winter, choose a room with a window on the water and let the heated spaces do the work. Walk off the meal with a loop along the river, and carry a layer, because the wind comes straight off the Merrimack.

How can Mosey help you remember a Newburyport meal?

Mosey is a food app for rating places by the dish and keeping lists you can share, which suits a city with many small rooms. Name what you ate, add a tag such as Sea View or Date Night, and tag the friends who came. Friends you follow see what you rated.

Start a list called Newburyport weekend, add a deck, a lunch and a late plate, and invite someone to add their own. Places new to Mosey are added when you rate them.

The US food guides link the other towns we cover.

Heading somewhere else in Massachusetts? The Food in Massachusetts page links the rest.

Before you leave the waterfront, open the Mosey app, rate the dish that stood out in Newburyport and add the restaurants you missed to a list for your next visit.