If ever you're looking for an Irish pub, potentially with an Irish band comprised of Irish men, then the Fastnet is your spot. With its open-air façade, slightly dingy, but affectionately so, wood paneling and well-worn bar with the weathering of a sliding drink groove, this pub is as non-pretentious as any.
The bartenders are friendly enough and will gladly pour a perfectly frothy Guinness, zippy red ale or a fresh Jameson on the rocks. The pub fare is typical enough, but the onion rings are something special. With an exterior as bready-bready, crispy crunch, goldenly delicious as a pot-of-gold, these are ring perfection...especially when dunked in tub of sweltering buffalo sauce.
I had a great experience here recently.
I was able to watch the 2013 Men's Wimbledon finals (Murray and Djokovic) with a bunch of friends whilst imbibing a mimosa or two. All. of. my. favorite. things. in. one. place.
The service is friendly, quirky, and not overbearing. It's a sports bar of sorts, but not limited to traditional sports.
I'm a big fan of Broadway bars in Newport--I like anything that's a bit off of the tourist track. Give it a try.
Made a quick stop in here for a pint. Â For some reason, I hear 'Fastnet' and the first thing that pops in my mind is an old Internet Service Provider that I used back in the 90's. Â Thought it was odd that they were now running pubs in Newport :) Â Obviously, the name must mean something else that I could not be bothered to research. Â This place is an irish pub through and through.
Place looks to be a little rough and tumble and more focused on locals vs. tourists.  Fine by me.  Bartender chatted us up a bit and offered up some tips and stories while we knocked our beers back.  Love a place that has that old, dark wood feel and opens up the windows  to let the air flow through the place...Best of both worlds...this place has it.
If you're looking for a quick pint and some Irish charm, this place hits the spot.
The inside of this pub reminds me of your typical dark and dingy college bar. It's the sort of place where it's so damn dark you're afraid to place your hands on anything for fear of it being "sticky". So in other words, if you're looking for a classy and sophisticated joint, this ain't your place.
Also, I don't understand how people can say this is a good place to get food. It's clearly not. I think out of the 40 people inside the building, I spotted only one person eating food. And it was around dinner time when I visited. Everyone else was just standing around drinking beer. So order some food if you want to stand out in the crowd. I didn't feel like getting standing out, so I got my fish n' chips to go. And how was the fish 'n chips? They were alright, but no where as great as the others have hyped them up to be. Plus, the fries weren't anything to write home about either.
The one big good thing about this place is that it's not located on touristy Thames Street. It's located directly behind the old court house on Broadway. From the looks of it, I'm guessing a good portion of its patrons come from the local neighborhood.
Went here for a draft beer - sun shining in my face as I sat outside on the "porch" - Waitress says they are expanding the outside to include a ping pong table! Â Great place for pool, darts and Wi-Fi stations near the back! Â Voted "Best Night Spot" by Newport Life Magazine - good job Butch and crew!
Review Source:On our whirlwind New England trip we really wanted to enjoy fish n' chips, so in transit to Connecticut from Rhode Island we came across this little gem on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Unassuming from the outside we nearly passed it. The door was open and the crowd inviting so we cozy-ed up to the bar. The beer selection was great - husband ordered an IPA of some sort and I continued with my pumpkin ale kick (Shipyard) and it came with a cinnamon sugar rimmed glass. Delicious.
The Fish n' Chips did not disappoint! Each serving came with two large fillets (I couldn't even finish all of mine) and tasted like it was caught fresh that morning. The fries were golden and equally as tasty. Service was fast and courteous and the old pub ambiance is charming.
If you're in the area I recommend stopping in for a pint and an order of the fish n' chips!
Great food, great beer selection, and great scene! Â This place is just as awesome eating lunch during the day as it is going out for a few drinks with friends. Â Definitely my favorite pub in Newport and one of my go-to spots when it comes to an exciting Newport bar crawl. Â
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Great beer, great pub food, great atmosphere, what more could you ask for? Â I come here most Thursdays (for Run and Chug...yeah, Brendan K that's us!) and Sundays (for the Irish sessions) so it's as close as I have to a regular watering hole. Always a friendly greeting and an interesting clientele to meet/talk, watch soccer, or listen to music with. Plus pool and free darts! Get the steak tips...they're great!
Review Source:Authentic beer, TV soccer and beer-soccer atmosphere.
Minus the random Irish tchotchkies, Fastnet might be the closest approximation of an authentic Irish pub available in the state. Â With good food and an excellent selection of beer, this would be an excellent pub by those characteristics alone - what sets it apart is the clientele it attracts.
On Broadway, up and away from the main tourist drag, I visited Fastnet to catch the end of the FA Cup after a meeting on Goat Island. Â The bar was buzzing Chelsea's impending victory over Liverpool - with knowledgeable soccer fans (including my roommate Mr. Proscuitto), it was clear this was a self-selecting place for the EPL aficionado.
Interestingly, this is one of the rare bars that will happily serve up a half pint - as they do in Europe. Â I suppose half pint is a misnomer - it's probably closer to 2/3 pint, at 2/3 of the price ("half pint" of Allagash White was $4).
Street parking available, though time-limited.
I went here a few nights when I was in Newport. I prefer real Irish pubs to bars so I like to seek them out. This place does not disappoint. They've got musicians playing Irish music on Sundays. I went three nights when I was in town and all three nights were cool. The bartender on Tuesday night was from Limerick Ireland and was one of the friendliest bartenders I've ever met. The place was pretty dead but he made it really fun. This place has pretty quick service and they're friendly. I tried the beef tips and they were a bit rough though. The owner needs to change his playlist. An Irish pub should never be playing Kesha. All in all, I would recommend this place.
Review Source:This is our neighborhood spot. Try the beef tips or a codfish sandwich. Fish and chips from the takeout window are great. The fries are addictive.
Service is friendly. Have a pint of Guinness and a game of darts. Outdoor patio, pool table and fun music. Family friendly during the day. Don't forget to greet the owners and enjoy an Irish brogue. Relaxed. Bring friends and be there for St. Paddy's!!
This place is really not good at all- not sure what all the hype is about. After sitting through traffic to get to Newport, my BF and I were starving and decided to come here because the entire front was open to the outside and it was a gorgeous day out.
I was turned off as soon as we walked in... there was a drunk guy sitting on a chair in the middle of the bar, sucking down beers, just staring at us. There was no bar employee in sight and we decided to choose a place to sit down and wait... and wait... and wait...
We saw several people who we thought were customers but would periodically go behind the bar and get their own drinks.... still no one came over to us. Finally, the bartender appeared with menus.
The food was below average- I got a burger and my BF got a fried fish sandwich. He liked his but I thought everything was quite heavy and greasy. My burger and fries were tasteless.
All in all, just not impressed with the place. By the way- did I mention we witnessed a heated bar fight in the middle of the day at like 2pm??
This is honestly the absolute worst place i have been in years if not all my life. To begin it smells of urine the moment ypu walk in. And may i add that all the doors and windows are open. The service is absolutely horundous! Sat here waiting for at least 20 min before i went up to the bar to ask if we could order food. Finally the food came. Wish we never ordered it. They forgot the sauce and when i tried to ask the waitress she walked away. The food was so below par. Dont even know what else to say. Honestly there are soooooo many places to go on newport. Please do ypurself a favor and go to any of those places. This place should be ashamed of itself.
Review Source:This place was awesome. Â Live band on Sunday nights, and a very happy upbeat atmosphere. Â We skipped over a few places before settling on this bar, and we definitely made the right choice.
Bangers and mash, a few pints of Guinness, and an old school Irish band were the perfect way to finish off our day trip.
Wow, what a surprise. Not only is this practically the only place in downtown Newport that serves food between 3pm and 5pm, but it's actually good!
First of all, the overall vibe is great. Our server had the cutest Irish accent and had no problem attending to both the boys at the pool table, the rambunctious three year old at one table, us, and some peeps at the bar.
Our chicken Caesar and honey mustard chicken wraps were both huge and tasted fantastic. The fries are also great, not soggy like other Irish pubs.
Great place with a casual and friendly atmosphere where "everyone knows your name".
Six Nations Rugby and beer, at 9am? Â For that fact alone: how can you NOT be a fan of the Fastnet?!
We only go during the non-crazy-Newport-tourist-off-season. Â I don't think I would like this place in the summer. Â But then again, there are very few places I do like in Newport in the summer without a Xanax. Â But during the winter and fall I will absolutely drink from their amazing selection of beers on tap (tons of accents heard throughout the employees and patrons give their beer selection credibility in my book), non-Newport prices, and okay (not great) food.
Tip. DO NOT GO HERE THURSDAY NIGHT.
My wife and I like this place a lot. Good food, nice atmosphere, pleasant and attentive servers. And the 4 stars represents what I would normally give. But we just had the worst thing happen, and I felt it needed to be shared with my fellow yelpers.
Apparently there is a large group of runners that come directly to the pub after a weekly run. Luckily we were finishing up dinner and could bail in a hurry, but the smell this group put out was revolting at best. Apparently, according to the restaurant, they come in like that every week, and every week it smells that bad.
I mean, who does that? Goes to a restaurant after a work out? That isn't just a gross thing to do, it is downright impolite. I work out, but i make sure I shower and put on some fresh deodorant before other people have the chance to smell me. I certainly don't go out to a dining establishment. Let alone with 15 of my equally smelly friends. Â
If you are one of the runners, and reading this... please stop. It is disgusting and ruins everyone else's dinner.
big fan of the fastnet, and like it much better than when it was aiden's. it's much more fun now! gets a little crazy at night, but has really great vibes... not like some of the lower thames bars where you feel like a fight's about to break out after someone's twentieth shot of tequila.
FANTASTIC selection of beers, including smithwicks, ten penny, magners, to name a few. and they have a nice selection of irish type foods (some fun curry dishes (you know they love their curry out all over the UK) and fry ups). Â also an irish music night, with some VERY talented and inspiring musicians, every sunday night. really enriches the typical newport scene, i feel.
in the summer, the windows come right off of the frames, allowing for a beautiful, newport breeze to flow in while you eat your lunch, enjoy your libations, and watch some of the crazies from the Y across the street raise hell with the tourists. Â in the winter it is warm, and cozy, the way an irish pub should be.
love the set up and the bar; everything is just beautiful. the bathrooms are always well stocked, and even at 1 in the morning, aren't totally effed up, which is impressive.
don't forget to try a BIZZ BUZZ (a shot or a tasty cocktail, i believe) from the world's sweetest and most lovely bartender... bizz! she's the one with all the tattoos.
The atmosphere of this place was great, and feels very warm. Â My wife & I went there for lunch in November, so there weren't many people dining with us. Â We sat next to a warm stove and loved the atmosphere. Â
The waiter seemed like the owner, and he had an Irish(?) accent. Â He couldn't have been friendlier or more attentive, and the prices were very reasonable. Â I had the fish & chips (~$10, highly recommended) and my wife had the veggie burger.
If you're looking for a good, casual meal then give this place consideration.
We stopped here on our way out of town, having spent a great weekend at the Newport Folk Fest.
I am not an expert when it comes to Fish and Chips but my BFF has spent quite some time in London and declared the F&C to be top notch. I don't usually love friend food but this was GREAT. Service was also good and the cold beer delish. Will definitely go back!
Fastnet is a LARGE pub on the corner of broadway in downtown Newport, Ri. I've been here many times and have always enjoyed myself.
The bartenders here are courteous and attentive.
Regardless of the crowds, Fastnet is a fun spot to grab a pint and crowd watch in Newport. The food is standard pub fare, but features a very palette pleasing fish and chips. Live music entertains the mostly towny crowd that gathers here and provides an authentic touch.
Open air bars in seaside towns are always going to be a great place to try, at least once. The only reason I dont give Fastnet more stars is that it's just a regular spot; beer selection is standard and the food is nondescript. In a smaller town, it would be GREAT; in Newport, it's a good spot to grab a beer, but little else.
5 stars because of the Sunday night session. Go get a pint, fish n' chips,  and tip the musicians well!! AND PLEASE....be considerate of them and don't shout. Great atmosphere, except that it gets  too loud.
I wanted to clobber an idiotic woman next to me, who was practically yelling into the the ear of the wonderful singing, drumming, piping fellow. He kept giving her sideways looks, but she didn't get the hint. They need to hear EACHOTHER you know. GEEZ.
Come for the football
Stay for camaraderie
Expect sumer crowds
Had drinks the other night with little fanfare. There are always a few locals around, unless there's a football (european) match on, then all the hooligans fall out of the woodwork. It's a very noticeable bar on the corner; I'd try and avoid it in the summer when there's a million and a half fat tourists squealing 'Oooooo, that Irish place looks authentic!'
There is a ton of room to spread out, but the layout of the room has more pub feel and less banquet hall bar. There's a small raised area with pool table and a few high tops, some tables lining the window, and a few in the back by the dartboard. There's plenty of standing room in the middle for when the place is packed. Most of the folks are friendly, even if a group of strangers is raking you over the coals in a game of pool.
The staff here is attentive, although it could be every time I've gone it's been relatively calm. Still though, I have never been seated more than a few seconds before someone comes by to take the order.
They offer a standard pub tap selection, with Guinness, Magners, etc. representing the emerald isle offerings. Notable among the brews is Dogfishead, a Delaware favorite that's getting ground in New England. Of course, I'm sold on anywhere that has Murphy's Stout, so I'll certainly be back here. The selection of bourbon, gin and scotch is more diverse than most.
My favorite hang out in Newport. It doesn't get much better than sittin' back on a Sunday evening sipping a pint of Magners, toe-tapping to some lively traditional Irish tunes and conversing with friends. After returning to the states from a year in Ireland, I longed for that friendly, laid-back pub atmosphere I came to love. The Fastnet is the closest I've found. The owners, if I'm not mistaken, are from Cork, Ireland themselves.
Music's great, the pints are class, and the food's not bad either!
This is a great place in the winter. Its cozy AND they have a wood stove to heat it! They have a good beer selection, and the pub food is pretty good. Its always a mixed crowd, so you never know who you will see in there. Its a mix of locals, yachties, and tourists in the summer, but in the winter, its pretty much just locals.
I was there on a sunday night a few weeks back and they had some old irish dudes singing irish music, playing violins and accordions sitting in the couch area. I felt like I was IN Ireland. So that was cool.
I'll debate the best pint in Newport, I know of another local's nook where it's tres legit with the shamrock and all.
Fastnet Pub is named after a lighthouse in the English Channel, near where the Liusitania was sunk by a German U-Boat. Â It's very well decorated, dark woods and whatnot and 22 beers on tap.
Prices are moderate, tonight I had a pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon (which is basically water) and they took $4 for that. Â Come on now! Â The cleanliness keeps this place from being a great bar for me, I'd just like to touch ONE SURFACE without sticking to it, please.
Overall the kind of place you could see yourself coming back to - over and over (if you're not across the street at Pour Judgment).
A real Irish pub with an excellent selection of fresh beers on tap and the best pint of Guinness in Newport. (I've done my research!) Darts, pool table and free wifi. Popular hang-out for sailors & yachting fans. Entire families congregate on Sunday evenings to enjoy live traditional Irish (seisiún) music.
Review Source:Smithwicks on tap. Â Enough said.
I like the Fastnet - I've only been there a few times, never for music, but there's always a nice friendly crowd. Â It's pretty darn close to a traditional Irish Pub in appearance, have people with genuine Irish accents working there, and I love that it's open to the street when it's not cold out.
They have a Fish n Chips walk up window! Â I've never eaten the food there, but it's always looked good going by. Â Fish and Chips are all over Newport, but theirs is on my list to try next. Â And it's on Broadway, so off touristy Thames.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
