The Fifth Element

Earth...Water...Wind...Fire...Spinach Balls

Yup. That's the Fifth Element. Beyond the wacky new age-meets-modernist interior complete with a giant orange Buddha and minimalist semi-industrial booths is a kitchen that holds within it the magical touch to create Newport's best artisanal pizzas and the famed Spinach Balls.

The spinach balls are simply that: round balls of spinach bound together by some sort of agent, whether its bread, tempered egg or mild cheese, we may never know because the flavor of sautéed spinach permeates every chomp. When dipped in the savory brown sauce (something like a vinaigrette) that adorns the plate, these food bites are so delicious that even the pickiest kid would probably enjoy the green asteroids of awesome.

The pizza crust at Fifth Element embodies everything that any flatbread pizza crust aspires to. It's just bready enough to provide substance and lift, grilled just enough so you're confident that you're not consuming raw dough, and tasty enough that if given the opportunity, you'd probably welcome a round of it as a bready appetizer. The pizza specials are always inventive - ranging from hard smoked salmon enveloped in succulent béchamel cream to asparagus and spring onion with a blend of white cheese. These daily specials are creative enough to tempt you to come back every night in a single week just to see what the new offering is.

Mediocre at best. The location and atmosphere are wonderful. Unfortunately, this restaurant falls short on all other fronts. Upon walking in, a large Dunkin Donuts cup was on display at the hostess booth. The hostess then offered to seat us away from an older drunk man who was passed out on the table during dinner hours. My friend and I both ordered one of their specialty drinks. Mine was overly sweet and his was watery. Certainly not a good mixture on either drink. The food menu is limited, and not appetizing. The burger was average. I will not be returning as there are much better options in the Newport area.

We came here for dinner after researching the menu and seeing some pretty interesting choices. The restaurant is just off the beaten path and away from the bustle of Thames. The area is actually still pretty active though, surrounded by other restaurants, bars, shops, etc. The food was fantastic; the wine list was limited but unique and good. The restuarant is very open and airy. One side it strictly more of a dining area while the other is more of a bar area. Once dinner ended, a band showed up and started playing on the bar side. They were awesome, people were up dancing. It was a great scene.