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
- Ale House Inn at 121 Bow St., Portsmouth
- Anchorage Inn & Suites at 417 Woodbury Ave., Portsmouth
- Best Western Plus at 580 U.S. 1 Bypass, Portsmouth
- Courtyard by Marriott at 1000 Market St., Portsmouth
- Fairfield Inn at 650 Borthwick Ave., Portsmouth
- Hampton Inn & Suites at 23 Portwalk Pl., Portsmouth
- Hilton Garden Inn at 100 High St., Portsmouth
- Holiday Inn at 300 Woodbury Ave., Portsmouth
- Howard Johnson at 383 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 St, 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.
- Anju at 7 Wallingford Sq., Kittery is contemporary kitchen serving innovative Asian-style fare.
- Atlantic Grill at 5 Pioneer Rd., Rye serves seafood and locavore fare in a stylish setting.
- Barrio at 319 Vaughn St., Portsmouth is a funky neighborhood taco shop with a lot of personality.
- 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.
- Cure at 189 State St., Portsmouth specializes in American comfort food.
- The District at 103 Congress St., Portsmouth serves farm fresh American fare.
- 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.
- 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.
- The Oar House at 55 Ceres St., Portsmouth serves seafood on the waterfront.
- Old Ferry Landing at 10 Ceres St., Portsmouth is known for its lobster rolls, fried clams and shrimp.
- Portsmouth Gaslight at 64 Market St. is a multi-level restaurant with a club.
- River House at 53 Bow St., Portsmouth serves seafood on the waterfront.
- Row 34 at 5 Port Walk Pl., Portsmouth is known for its oysters and seafood.
- Surf at 99 Bow St., Portsmouth serves seafood on the waterfront.
- 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 Layfayette Rd., Portsmouth specializes in fresh Mexican dishes.
- The Wilder at 174 Fleet St., Portsmouth is s a modern New England gastropub.
COFFEE/LIGHT FARE
Grab something quick and get back to the films.
- Caffe Kilim at 163 Islington St., Portsmouth is a funky kilim strewn Turkish inspired hangout.
- Cup of Joe at 31 Market St, Portsmouth is famous for its doughnuts.
- Elephantine Bakery at 10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth serves bakery and cafe goods.
- The Goods at 29 Vaughan Mall, Portsmouth serves light fare, bakery and cafe goods.
- Kilwins at 20 Congress St., Portsmouth is bursting with chocolate treats.
- Lil’s Café at 7 Wallingford Square, Kittery, ME serves up airy crullers.
- M.N. Bakery at 121 Congress St. is an authentic French café.
- Popovers on the Square at 8 Congress St. is known for its airy popovers served warm with maple butter.
- Starbucks at 1 Market Square is known for its java with a kick.
- The Works Bakery Cafe at 9 Congress St., Portsmouth makes its own bagels.
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.
We look forward to seeing you at the New Hampshire Film Festival!