Bywater — Restaurant in Warren

EDIT Our meal was refunded after this and my partner's reviews. I do appreciate the gesture very much, and I will say that the make-good is much more than I could have asked for. I can't in good conscience give this place 5 stars now for that because of the service and treatment we received while there, but I can very much say that their after service was nice. I still strongly doubt I will be back, but the whole experience has been salvaged somewhat by that treatment. Thank you to the management for trying to make this right.

Original Review I called ahead to confirm that there was seating for myself and three friends, and was told that while indoors was reserved, there was space outside. We had checked the weather before going out a few hours prior, and it looked clear when we headed out. We arrived to a fairly empty restaurant, and while it didn't look fully reserved... I gave them the benefit of the doubt. We were greeted by a rather rude server who questioned immediately why we were there and berated the person we'd spoken to on the phone to the point where I was forced to apologize to him on her behalf. First red flag right there, and had I just listened and changed my mind there, we would have been saved 2 hours of waiting for drinks, food, and being rained on in the cold while we waited for the most expensive joke portions I've ever seen. We waited for service, then drinks, and then when it started to rain and we decided instead to take our food to go, it took a small age to get done. Our server was on his phone about as often as he was serving tables, came to check on us exactly once throughout the whole experience to bring drinks, and berated us for even choosing to dine outside. We were okay with it, if not a bit cold, but it was okay until the rain started... And then his snark came in full force and us deciding to leave seemed to cement the fact that we were 'beneath' him. It was infuriating, and while I decided not to engage... I know for a fact he was a big part of what made our experience so terrible. The small portion size for the very large price also hurt, especially when I had time to take a 30 minute work call, bring our car around, finish the one drink we were allowed to order which was the one and only good part of the experience, and chat with our out-of-town friend to repeatedly apologize for not going to somewhere we knew was good and daring to take this chance. Top that off with a nearly 200 dollar bill for 4 small drinks and 4 'meals'... And needless to say, I will be avoiding this place like the plague. Save yourself the trouble and go anywhere else; there are many, many better food options. Or just do what we did and order pizza once you've made the same...

Personnel: Hostess Jules absolutely amazing I just flew in from San Diego and found this spot. She was able to squeeze me in at the bar and even recommended a few items which were amazing.

Jeff bartender took my drink orders and food orders. He was super busy but attentive and got the orders in quickly. And attended to my drink orders instantly.

Other customers to left and right of me started conversations with me. Customers that come seem very friendly and welcoming like the staff.

Location: Small location Great atmosphere. Not too loud. I would say it’s good for couples or groups of 4. I would say always book a reservation but especially with a group 4-8 hit definitely need reservations.

Drinks: To drink I had 2 different white wines Forgot to write these down. But both very good.

The mixed drinks I saw Jeff make looked amazing and reactions from other customers looked very pleased with what they got. Definitely will try when I am back.

Food: Ordered the oysters and clams Very fresh plump. Clean and tasty.

Ordered the mushrooms and onions Rich soup many layers of flavor. Kept saying wow every scoop. Must get!!

Squid Cacio e Pepe Amazing thinly sliced squid mixed in with the pasta. Amazing umami of flavor. For me i would say to share a half order is good. Definitely need to add other dishes to try. Everything here has been an absolute hit. I don’t think you can order anything bad. ( definitely want to try the lamb Carpaccio and the steamed little necks next time.)

“Crudo” amazing each plate has its unique taste. It’s a plater of flavors . Very fresh local fish. Fluke Tilefish Scallop Mackerel

To finish: Desert was amazing with like a sponge like cake topped with nuts. Not overly sweet but packed with flavors

My first time in RI and this place has set the bar really high.

I will definitely be...

Amendment: I have been in contact with the staff since my last visit, and has since been a positive experience. The staff at this restaurant are very helpful, professional, and are willing to help you if things go wrong with your visit. Overall, this is a beautiful restaurant with a nice view and location. I enjoyed the food and I confirmed with my friends that went with me that they enjoyed the food as well. Be sure when you make a reservation or call ahead that you plan in advance as there is limited seating inside. I am updating my review, as a result. Thank you Bywater!

We were out spending the evening in Warren with a buddy from out of town and found this place online while looking for food. We called ahead and asked if there were any tables open. The lady on the phone told us to come sit outside, as there were plenty of tables. We got there, sat outside, and ordered food and drinks. We waited for a long time for our food, and it started raining pretty bad. I went inside and told them to just give us our food to go, as there were no tables available inside. The waiter decided to tell me that it was not a good idea to sit outside and he would have advised against it as he knew it was going to rain. I said, “sir, we were told to come sit outside when we called ahead”. He had a bit of a snarky attitude. The food that was brought back with us was decent, despite the price tag for the small amount of food. That’s the only reason this place didn’t get 1 star. If you guys are booked and the weather is bad, you are booked. No need to tell your guests to come sit in the rain. It was quite the embarrassing experience. Needless to say, we...