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Giusto Restaurant

Newport, Rhode Island
Date 2020
Size 5,500 SF
Client Kevin O’Donnell, Chef & Owner
Awards

Giusto is a “freestyle Italian” concept restaurant at Hammetts Hotel. At the core of Giusto’s menu is the authenticity of familiar Italian ingredients rendered through the lens of local inspiration and fun.

Collaborating with Libby Slader Design and chef-owner Kevin O’Donnell, the team had a design goal to imbue characteristics of the cuisine into the physical restaurant, providing guests with a familiar intimacy yet grander connection all at once.

 

Positioning the doubled-sided bar at the center of the indoor-outdoor transition allows the indoor dining space to expand and be activated by the lively courtyard and delightful harbor breezes. The outdoor dining area, shared with the public and hotel decks, allows for serendipitous moments with diners, local passers-by, and hotel guests alike.

To achieve the design goal, the restaurant has expansive windows facing the bustling courtyard of Hammetts Wharf and the comings and goings on Newport Harbor. A third of these windows fold away to provide an open-air connection to the outdoor dining area and deck.

Inside the restaurant, a beautiful show kitchen is a highlight for inquisitive patrons, while the thoughtfully designed nooks of the main dining room offer opportunities for a more intimate experience. Giusto, Italian for “quite right”, is a decidedly fitting term for this splendid spot along Newport’s waterfront.

Giusto's from the shared deck at Hammetts Wharf.
 
Hammetts Hotel Newport, Rhode Island
 
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