Gift Horse takes its name from the old saying about not looking one in the mouth, setting the tone for a room the restaurant itself calls playful and slightly irreverent. It operates as a raw bar and bar in downtown Providence, centered on local shellfish, seafood, and daily catches from New England waters. The oyster program is a defining feature, pulling bivalves from all of the different growing regions across Rhode Island, and the menu reflects Chef Benjamin Sukle's commitment to seasonality and his relationships with regional farmers and fishermen.
Behind the bar, Jen Davis makes low-ABV cocktails and fresh takes on classics, including spritzes and martinis inspired by the Italian coast. Beverage Director and Partner Bethany Caliaro runs the wine program, built on small-scale producers and Champagne meant to pair with the raw bar format.
Gift Horse was named a Rhode Island Monthly city magazine favorite in 2024, with RI Monthly's Karen Deutsch writing that "everything is exuberantly unorthodox." The James Beard Foundation named the restaurant's chef the winner of Best Chef: Northeast in 2025, after a finalist and semifinalist nod the same year and an Emerging Chef semifinalist nomination in 2024.
Behind the bar, Jen Davis makes low-ABV cocktails and fresh takes on classics, including spritzes and martinis inspired by the Italian coast. Beverage Director and Partner Bethany Caliaro runs the wine program, built on small-scale producers and Champagne meant to pair with the raw bar format.
Gift Horse was named a Rhode Island Monthly city magazine favorite in 2024, with RI Monthly's Karen Deutsch writing that "everything is exuberantly unorthodox." The James Beard Foundation named the restaurant's chef the winner of Best Chef: Northeast in 2025, after a finalist and semifinalist nod the same year and an Emerging Chef semifinalist nomination in 2024.