What’s new in Baltimore, from buzzy restaurants to hot hotels

Baltimore is abuzz.

From highly anticipated hotels to expanded water taxi service, here’s a look at the latest attractions drawing attention to Maryland’s seaport city, just under four hours from midtown Manhattan.

Buzzy restaurants

Rec Pier Chop House opened this spring inside the long-awaited Sagamore Pendry Baltimore (1715 Thames St., 443-552-1300, recpierchophouse.com), a hotel in a century-old building right on the pier in Fell’s Point. The restaurant features showy Italian fare from New York’s Andrew Carmellini — the Caesar salad is prepared tableside, while the chef’s interpretation of Baltimore’s beloved crab cake sits in a sweet tomato sauce.

Woodberry Kitchen (2010 Clipper Park Road, 410-464-8000, woodberrykitchen.com) opened 10 years ago, but has been in the spotlight after chef Spike Gjerde became the first Baltimore chef to win a James Beard Award in 2015. Gjerde’s rustic and rich menu features dishes like wood-roasted oysters and chilled buttermilk soup.

Food hall fan? Eat double-fried chicken sandwiches from BRD, pies and sweets from micro-bakery Blk // Sugar and more at the new food hall R. House (301 W. 29th St., 443-347-3570, r.housebaltimore.com).

For brunch, dinner or drinks, head to the year-old Gunther & Co. (3650 Toone St., 443-869-6874, eatatgunther.com), a gigantic restaurant that opened inside a former brewery serving seafood staples and wood-fired game.

Hot hotels

The new Sagamore Pendry Baltimore (1715 Thames St., 240-309-7487, pendryhotels.com/baltimore) features rooms built over the water and an infinity pool where you can watch passing boats.

Stay central at the two-year-old Hotel Indigo Baltimore Downtown (24 W. Franklin St., 410-489-1580, baltimoreindigohotel.com), housed within a former YMCA building with spacious rooms and swanky, urban decor.

New ways to get around

The Baltimore Water Taxi (tickets $8 one way, or $14 for all day passes; 410-563-3900, baltimorewatertaxi.com) is an easy escape to the water, with stops at popular destinations such as the National Aquarium. The service has had some recent improvements, with new sleek, black boats replacing dated vessels and a stop to Fell’s Point, a neighborhood known for its cobbled streets lined with boutiques and waterfront promenades, added to the route.

On land, the new Baltimore Bike Share ($2 per 45-minute trip; 848-218-7442, bmorebikeshare.com) features GPS-enabled rentals at more than 20 stations throughout the city, with more in the works.

Staple attractions

National Aquarium: In the waterfront hub of Inner Harbor, this aquarium has long been a draw, but especially so in the age of Instagram. Admission $39.95, $34.95/seniors, $24.95/ages 3-11; 501 E. Pratt St., 410-576-3800, aqua.org

American Visionary Art Museum: View pieces made by self-taught artists, including a showcase of Pez dispensers. Closed Mondays, admission $15.95, $13.95/seniors, $9.95/children and students, FREE ages 6 and under; 800 Key Highway, 410-244-1900, avam.org

Mount Vernon: Among the city’s oldest neighborhoods, Mount Vernon is replete with 19th-century homes and the striking Washington Monument.