Restaurants in Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth has one of the best cafe scenes in northern New England, nearly comparable to Cambridge’s or Boston’s. There are numerous places in the compact downtown alone where you can get a decent-to-very-good cup of coffee and better-than-average baked goods; new coffeehouses open all the time. There’s a Starbucks (of course), but my favorite spotsto quaff a coffee drink or pot of tea with a book is Portsmouth Book & Bar, 40 Pleasant Street (tel. 603/429-9197), which hits the trifecta: good coffee drinks, an outstanding selection of draft beers (mostly from Maine and New Hampshire), and a really nicely curated selection of new and used books. Comfy couches, and the sandwiches aren’t bad either.

Along with the dining options listed below, the Wentworth by the Sea resort a few miles south is a good place for a sit down dinner at either the Salt Kitchen & Bar or the more casual (and seasonal) Latitudes bar and grill. The fare at Salt is top-rate, served beneath a remarkable (and original) frescoed dome; entrees might include grilled swordfish, lobster with filet mignon, seared yellowfin tuna, a clambake, a lobster pie, or something more Continental. There is a moderate dress code: Men are asked to wear a collared shirt. The Latitudes grill has a simpler menu, but offers something the main inn can’t—an outdoor patio of tables, softly lit at night, with lovely views overlooking the water.