Settled in 1623, the beautiful seacoast city of Portsmouth, NH, holds the title of the third-oldest city in the nation. You’ll find that most of the many wonderful places to stay, eat and drink here are all within walking distance of the New Hampshire Film Festival’s venues. We have tried all of them, and recommend the following. We’ve also included a few of our faves from nearby Kittery, ME.
WHERE TO STAY:
There is a place to call home while in Portsmouth for every budget.
- AC Hotel at 299 Vaughan St., Portsmouth
- Hampton Inn & Suites at 23 Portwalk Pl., Portsmouth
- Hilton Garden Inn at 100 High St., Portsmouth
- Hotel Thaxter at 15 Middle St., Portsmouth
- Holiday Inn Portsmouth at 300 Woodbury Ave., Portsmouth
- The Hotel Portsmouth at 40 Court St., Portsmouth
- Marriott Residence Inn at 100 Deer St., Portsmouth
- The Port Inn at 505 U.S. 1 Bypass, Portsmouth
- The Sailmaker’s House at 314 Court St., Portsmouth
- Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside at 250 Market St., Portsmouth
- Water Street Inn at 6 Water S.t, Kittery, ME
- Wentworth by The Sea at 588 Wentworth Rd., New Castle, NH
RESTAURANTS AND BARS
The majority of our favorite restaurants have hopping bars.
- Black Trumpet at 29 Ceres St., Portsmouth is an intimate bistro with an upstairs wine bar.
- BRGR Bar at 34 Port Walk Pl., Portsmouth is known for its burgers and adult shakes.
- Cava Tapas & Wine Bar at 10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth serves delicious tapas.
- Flatbread Company at 138 Congress St., Portsmouth serves wood-fired pizzas.
- The Franklin at 148 Fleet St., Portsmouth serves oysters and tapas.
- The Friendly Toast at 113 Congress St., Portsmouth serves all-day breakfast.
- Jumpin’ Jay’s Fish Cafe at 150 Congress St., Portsmouth is known for its seafood.
- Liars Bench Beer Co. at 459 Islington St. #4, Portsmouth
- Martingale Wharf at 99 Bow St., Portsmouth is known for its seafood and view of the Piscataqua River.
- Massimo’s at 59 Penhallow St., Portsmouth serves upscale Italian dishes and wine.
- Moxy at 106 Penhallow St., Portsmouth serves small sharing plates of contemporary cuisine.
- Nichinan at 15 Middle St., Portsmouth
- Ore Nell’s at 2 Badgers Island W, Kittery, ME
- Portsmouth Gaslight at 64 Market St. is a multi-level restaurant with a club.
- Puddle Dock at 66 Marcy St., Portsmouth
- Row 34 at 5 Port Walk Pl., Portsmouth is known for its oysters and seafood.
- Shalimar at 80 Hanover St., Portsmouth
- STREET at 801 Islington St., Portsmouth
- Surf at 99 Bow St., Portsmouth serves seafood on the waterfront.
- The Rosa Restaurant at 70 State St., Portsmouth
- Thirsty Moose Taphouse at 21 Congress St., Portsmouth offers a variety of craft beers and pub food.
- Toscana Italian Chophouse & Wine Bar at 3 Pleasant St., Portsmouth is known for its dishes and wine.
- Vida Cantina at 2456 Lafayette Rd., Portsmouth specializes in fresh Mexican dishes.
COFFEE/LIGHT FARE
Grab something quick and get back to the films.
Since most of the locations above can be easily accessed on foot from the New Hampshire Film Festival’s venues, you’ll only need to park once. If you are staying in a hotel downtown, most have their own parking lots. If not, a variety of parking options are available here.
If you want to get out of town, here are a few of our favorite locales outside Portsmouth:
- Beach Pea Baking Co. at 53 State Rd Ste A, Kittery, ME
- Clay Hill Farm at 220 Clay Hill Rd., Cape Neddick, ME
- CR’s The Restaurant at 287 Exeter Rd., Hampton, NH
- Ginger Fox Bakery at 100 Portsmouth Ave, Stratham, NH
- Joe’s Meat Shoppe at 229 Atlantic Ave, North Hampton, NH
- MILA by The White Apron at 1 Franklin St., Exeter, NH
- Robert’s Maine Grill at 326 US-1, Kittery, ME
- Seacoast Soups at 85 Lafayette Rd., North Hampton, NH
- Terra Cotta Pasta Co at 52 State Rd., Kittery, ME
- The Carriage House at 2263 Ocean Boulevard, Rye, NH
- The Islander Cafe at 52 Main St., New Castle
- Waterhouse Restaurant at 18 Depot St., Peterborough, NH
We look forward to seeing you at the New Hampshire Film Festival!
