Gay Travel Information: Paragon & Viva – Providence, RI
Paragon & Viva / 234 Thayer Street / Providence, RI 02906 / 401-331-6200
There are many aspects that make Paragon / Viva great, one being it’s central location on thriving Thayer Street near Brown University.
Then there is the alfresco dining. The beautiful interior. Their huge Sunday Brunch and incredibly delicious food.
Café Paragon opened in 1994 serving guests in a friendly European Bistro/Café style atmosphere. In 1997 they expanded to create Viva offering a more sophisticated dining experience including Mediterranean dishes, specialized martinis, and extended bar selections in a comfortable lounge. On weekends the restaurant transforms at night with club music.
Their healthy and appetizing interpretations of American and Mediterranean cuisine have won several awards in RI Monthly and the Providence Pheonix for Best Burgers, Best Salad and Best Octopus. They have also been featured in Yankee Magazine, Providence Journal, and Vanity Fair.
My partner and I recently went here and enjoyed, or shall I say feasted, on their Sunday Brunch which is served 10:00am to 3:00pm.
There were so many options! The Brunch Buffet here is definitely one of the best brunch buffet spreads I have ever seen not to mention the beautiful environment!
For my first course, I started with French toast, waffles with strawberries, scrambled eggs and bacon. I knew I was going back so I did not overload my plate. Everything was cooked perfectly and stayed hot and fresh in the buffet trays.
My partner was leaning more toward lunch and started off with garden salad, pasta salad, ham and fresh bread. The pasta salad was so full of flavor and made with fresh ingredients, she couldn’t wait to go back and get a second helping of it.
For my next course I wanted to try fruit and some selections from their pastry display. The pasties are beyond amazing and the fruit was super fresh.
My partner could not resist getting a pair of cannoli and we wanted to smuggle the rest out of the restaurant they were so good. 😉
The bread, pastries, and fruit display is just magnificant with so many delicious options. I love that the pastries are petite so that I could try a variety of things.
Hours of Operation
- Sunday Brunch 10am-3pm
- Monday-Thursday 11am-1am
- Friday & Saturday 11am-2am
Kitchen Closes at Midnight Every Night
MENU’S:
EVENTS: Click HERE for a list of events at Paragon / Viva.
PRIVATE DINING: Paragon can modify its menus to accommodate any special event whether it is for a bridal or baby shower, rehearsal dinner, cocktail parties, anniversary, birthday, holiday party, graduation dinner, retirement party or any other special event. Whatever the occasion, you’ll be sure to have a memorable one! Their dedicated and talented staff can handle all the details so you and your guests can sit back, relax and enjoy! For more information click HERE.
Gay & Lesbian Factor: With the diversified Brown and RISD crowd and the lively Thayer Street atmosphere, Café Paragon Restaurant can be nothing by gay friendly. It is a great place to meet up with friends, go on a date (maybe even brunch for the extended date that carried over to the next day), or go mingle and meet new people.
Paragon / Viva is perfect whether you are looking to meet some friends for drinks, take mom out for brunch, have a romantic dinner or dance the night away. You couldn’t get a better location or, in my opinion, crowd! The Brown students is what makes Thayer Street and the surrounding area so magical.
See you there!
Desiree Sousa
Owner
Out & About Travel / Gay Travel Information
Gay Travel Information | Gay Travel Blog, Gay Travel Reviews, Gay Travel Blogger 
I absolutely loved this blog, I have been going to Paragon for years and I have never heard of the buffet. I think this is probably going to be one of my favorite places to go when I go back home. I loved how you took the reader on a journey and the pictures really helped me in vision what to expect for brunch there.
I really enjoyed you blog i have been going there for years and I never knew that they had brunch on Sunday. I am defiantly going to check it out when I return home to Rhode Island!