Seafood is Newport's strength. Local Ocean Seafoods on the Bayfront — owned by a fishing family who source much of their catch off their own boats — does the cleanest, sharpest plates in town: pan-seared rockfish, Dungeness crab cakes, and a fish-of-the-day that changes with the boats. Mo's down the strip has been ladling Pacific Northwest-style clam chowder since 1942; it is a tourist institution, not subtle, but reliably warming on a wet afternoon.
For Nye Beach, the Panini Bakery does excellent breakfasts and the wood-fired pizza at Cafe Stephanie holds up well. Tables of Content at the Sylvia Beach Hotel is the romantic dinner choice — fixed menu, communal tables, table games — and needs booking. South of the bridge, the Rogue Public House feeds you ahead of or after a brewery tour.