Classy and comfy atmosphere. Great cocktails- good selection-wine too. Food is good. Service is great!

Came to visit my son and enjoy a dinner out. The food was excellent (brick chicken was perfect - my son had the salmon and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed the brick chicken). Prices were reasonable and staff was friendly. read more

This place is hugely under-rated! I have no idea why it doesn't have 5 out of 5 stars. I spent 3 nights at the Exeter Inn and every night I had to eat at this place because the food was simply outstanding. Maybe their service slows down when they are busy, but what restaurant doesn't have that issue. I was served the absolute BEST duck I have ever eaten in my life. The green chili soup was out of this world. The Oysters Rockefeller were the best I have ever eaten. And this is all coming from a NYC foodie that has been to the best restaurants in NYC and some amazing restaurants all over the world. The bartenders and servers were incredibly friendly. I think i might make the 5 hour drive from NY just to visit Exeter and this restaurant again! Both the restaurant and the hotel are highly recommended! read more

What a happy accident finding this place was! My boyfriend and I had a table reserved at the Dolphin Striker in Portsmouth, but we could not find parking and missed our timeframe. On the way home, I pulled out the OpenTable app and found seating at Epoch, which neither of us had heard of. We decided to give it a shot. The decor is elegant and romantic, the food was delicious, and the service excellent! Our server, Angelle, was very sweet, helpful, and was able to recommend some good beers on tap. My boyfriend had the braised scallops, which were cooked PERFECTLY. I had the soup special, Button Mushroom and Poblano Pepper, and that was fantastic too. They even drew red wine hearts on the heads of our beers! We had a great, romantic evening and we will definitely be back again. read more

We were at Epoch on New Year's eve for the tasting menu. The ambience of the room was very charming, a vast improvement over previous incarnations in this spot but as the night wore on and the upper level bar became more boisterous it did get loud in the dining area. The tasting menu was interesting and probably worth the $55 price but the duck meatballs in the pumpkin soup were inedible and the dessert (a take on a rice krispie square) was uninspired. My waitress, though personable, was lacking in knowledge of the components of the dishes, understandable since it was a unique menu but inexcusable because it was a unique menu, also. I think we would try Epoch again some quiet night using their regular menu, though. read more

Pleasantly surprised how well everything tasted at Epoch. Terrific cocktails!App Highlights: wild boar sausage, mussels, shrimp n grits all perfect. Delicious Caesars & terrific entrees: short ribs, crab carbonara, ahi tuna. Additionally the desserts did not disappoint: chocolate cake, Creme brûlée, lime curd tartlet. Really a miracle for Exeter's sad restaurant scene. Will it keep this quality level??? The waiter assistants could be more on their game: lack of utensils offered, plates delivered/cleared on time. A bit more training needed. All in all, a definite return. read more

We ate here every morning for the three days us and our wedding party stayed here for the inn. We filled most of the inn with our wedding party. Everyone thought the breakfasts were amazing. We didn't eat here for lunch or dinners, but their breakfasts were pretty affordable and delicious. they had a corned duck hash confit under poached eggs. good god. It was amazing. I got it twice. They also went above and beyond on a Sunday night and kept the bar open 2 hours later than they were supposed to, so the wedding party could have a night cap after the wedding. I love the Inn, all the people were nice, especially for the way "some" of our wedding party behaved...they didn't bother us once about being loud or drunks etc. read more

We had a lovely dinner, great service, terrific atmosphere and live music. No complaints whatsoever! All those who served us were polite and attentive. Love Epoch! read more

The food was excellent. I had something simple, lentil soup (soup of the day) and crab cakes. We went for lunch. Only one waitress that day as it was a weekday. The place eventually got quite busy and she was looking pretty frazzled. I did not want to bother her to refill my coffee. She was friendly, but we did not see much of her. Later, it looked as though the hostess jumped in as a waitress. The decor is not exciting. About three or four cozy booths and the rest are four top tables. White curtains surround the room and were all closed, covering the windows that outlook a garden. I think it would have made a world of difference if they were open. Gawdy neon orange, brightly lit stairs lead down to the dining room from the bar. The decorator must have owed someone a favor to have installed them. Other than staffing issues. It was enjoyable. I might try it again for dinner. They have regular wine tastings. I was not disappointed, just went at an inoppotune time. read more

I went here for breakfast recently because I had a Taste of the Seacoast gift certificate. After reviewing the rather limited dinner menu, we decided to go for breakfast. It was a Sunday, and I guess the restaurant closes from 10 to 11, the hour between breakfast and brunch. This seems REALLY weird to me. We walked in at 9:50 and got seated, but spent most of the meal watching people show up to the hostess desk (no hostess to be found, btw), and then the waitress would tell them they had to leave. Seems like awful planning if you asked me. there was one waitress for several tables, so needless to say, we were there for a very long time. Food was average and very basic, but the prices were reasonable too I guess. But I think that the next time I go to breakfast I'll hit up Friendly's for a better experience. I will say however, the bar area looked really cute. I would certainly consider stopping in for drinks some night. read more

We just had drinks and fried pickles. The bartender Michael was on his first week. He did an excellent job. Wonderful selection of beers and food. read more

This review is based solely on Sunday brunch. Sorry Chef Hasty; I have read wonderful things about your cooking prowess, but none of your expertise shows in the Sunday brunch offerings. The raw bar is a nice touch, and I'm glad it was there, because the cooked food was mediocre at best. The soup had no flavor, the pancakes flavorless and soggy, the broccoli cooked to mush, and the penne equally as mushy. The frittata was well seasoned and prepared, but it lost its charm sitting on a rubbery English muffin. Points for attempts at creativity at the carving station - the minced pork/sausage combo had flavor, but was too dry to enjoy & same with the sirloin. My husband had an omelette, which he pronounced as "okay." So, if you're looking to have a $20 breakfast of a raw bar and an omelette, I would recommend this brunch to you. Servers need polishing. Our server forced the bill on us around 1:45 (the restaurant stops serving at 2). Since the restaurant probably serves quite a few foreign guests visiting PE Academy, I suggest someone tell the servers to wait until clients ask for the bill, instead of asking if patrons "want anything else" and then dumping off the check with a hollow, "No rush." I'm so turned off by the experience, I doubt I will go back to try it for dinner or lunch. read more

Went solo for brunch last Sunday. The breakfast quesadilla was outstanding and I was able to escape the knee deep snow in the Inn's light filled dining room for a respite from the cold - perfect. read more

What a great dining experience. The staff was fantastic. My wife had the steak dish and I had the duck. Both were excellent. We started with a half lobster tail risotto which I could have had two more. Would definitely recommend Epoch. read more

What has happened to the Epoch we once loved?! The photo of my breakfast speaks for itself...admittedly I'm a bad photographer but you can still tell that my breakfast was subpar. Everything was greasy and no attention was given to aesthetics. Service has always been great, hence the 2 stars but menu and food quality has gone waaay down. We have discovered this at not only breakfast but dinner too. We will be giving this once-favorite restaurant a long break. read more

Epoch Gastropub - 2 eggs to order, smoked bacon and home fries. - Bars Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

My friends and I dined at Epoch in December 2011 and all agreed it was a special treat. There is a new chef and he was adding different dishes to the menu than existed before so we wanted to try the restaurant again. One of the dishes was quail stuffed with wild rice, which was superb. The beef tartare that appeared as an amuse was fresh and full of herbs. The foie gras was light as air and perfectly cooked. The tea smoked duck was etherial. In fact, all the appetizers and most of the entrees were excellent. While the desserts were homey and scrumptious, they were not in the same league as the refined tone of the rest of the meal. Service was outstanding. The ambiance was formal and could have benefited from candle light or better lighting, but all in all we are going back for more! read more

My wife and I sat down at the bar to have a bite of food and a drink. The bartender walk by us six or seven times without acknowledging us. When she finally came over and asked what I wanted she said she did not have it and walked away. Did not even ask if I wanted something else. when she did come back again she told me she was too busy to be standing around while I made up my mind. That's when we walked out. Shortly before that she told another table that she couldn't make change for them and they needed to find another way to pay. I wont be going back. Jim K read more

Had Easter brunch here the past two years and will not be returning. The selection of food was poor for an expensive holiday brunch and most of the food was relatively low quality. There were no cold cuts with the cheeses, almost no selection of breads, no omelette station or eggs benedict and the French toast was dry and tasteless. And they nickel and dime you by charging for drinks at an all you can eat buffet. The bacon, smoked salmon and ice cream were good but I expect more for 50 dollars a person. You're much better off at Wentworth or Sheraton in Portsmouth for a holiday buffet. read more

Tell you what, I'm not a complainer, but my companion and I encountered the worst service last Saturday night at Epoch that I can remember any place, any time. Not unfriendly, mind you. Just totally inattentive, unprofessional and unmanaged. Granted, the place was busy. But, seated in the bar area, we waited 15 minutes for a server to arrive to take a drink order. Ten more minutes and the server returned, apologizing that he couldn't read his writing on the order pad and could we remind him what we wanted. (I asked to see his pad to see if I could perhaps decipher his writing. Naively, he showed it to me. I say "It looks like we ordered two martinis, one on the rocks, both with olives.) Drink orders reiterated, we forged on, asking for menus. Some 10 minutes later the redone drinks arrived, but, oops, no olives, no rocks, just two glasses of gin and, oops, menus were forgotten. If you're counting, we're into this well more than 30 minutes and have received only an initial round of botched cocktails. But, it's 8:30 and we're starving and so decide to hang in there. Another ten minutes elapse and still no menus, so I go to the bar and get them and ask the bartender for a server to replenish our drinks. About another 10 minutes elapse and the menus arrive. No cocktails, however. Ooops. We take the opportunity to place an order for cocktail shrimp, two salads and a couple of burgers. The server asked if we'd like the shrimp and the salads at the same time and then the burgers. Yes, we replied. About 20 minutes later a kitchen server arrived with the shrimp and one salad. I reminded her that we were missing one salad. Her response, "Yes, I know." She was never to be seen again. By now the bar is almost cleared out. We flag down our server who kindly delivers a beer. Fifteen minutes or so later, the beer is concumed and still no salad, no burgers and no signs of attention from the waitstaff. At the 90-minute mark we gave up. Paid the check for what we consumed and departed. The server thanked us for being so nice. My view: You have to blame management for this debacle. These young servers seem totally untrained and uinsupervised. Like I said, it wasn't that they were unfriendly. Just totally unprofessional. We ended up at the Academy snack bar and ordered two burgers and fries with a drink. This was served up in about 8 minutes and were quite good. The tab was $10 or so. Update on 04/05/2015: Some of the regular haunts were closed on Easter, so we happened into the Epoch bar for a late-afternoon cocktail. Wish I could report excellent mixology this time. However, the vodka martini was watery and less than icy cold. But, the second round was on my intrepid companion, so I ordered another martini. The nice young lady tending bar actually took the first glass with her, emptied it at the wet station and then poured the second martini in the now-warm, used glass. At $11 for the smallish pour of Tito's, perhaps they don't have enough profit built in to run the glassware washer more than twice a day? Too bad because the place is a pleasant, hotel-style bar. If they just made a decent martini (which is about the simplest prep there is,) I'd go there. Wish I could upgrade the rating, but not this time. read more

We've eaten here three times. Breakfast, Dinner and Brunch. Decor is decidedly upscale. Unfortunately, service-wise, they seem to be relying on their association with the Inn. All three times, the food has been good. Good, not great. Reliable, but a little overpriced for the quality. You can get a decent drink at the bar and the atmosphere is far more relaxed up there. In our three visits, one constant has been true: they have no idea what they are doing at the front of the house. We've always waited longer than necessary for seating and there is rarely anyone manning that post. This most recent time several servers were working the dining room, and seemed very busy. A woman passed through and informed us (my wife and I, and another party of two behind us) that someone would seat us shortly. It had been about two minutes; not a big deal, but we had not seen a body, yet. A party of six came in shortly thereafter as the woman passed through in the other direction, taking a detour to get around the mounting line. Several minutes later, I went to the main lobby to see if we could get service. The same woman said, "Yup. Someone in the restaurant will take care of your shortly." As I walked away, I said, "Well, that's not happening." She read my tone (as did anyone within earshot) and went to find us a host. She passed through about 2-3 minutes later and said, "They'll be with you shortly." Several minutes after that, a rather frazzled server arrived. "Do you have a reservation?" The place was well over half empty. "No." Okay, that shouldn't be a problem. Then to the party of six, "Are you the reservation for six? You can head straight back, you're all set." This would not be a big deal, but both us and the couple behind us had now been waiting ten minutes for seating. We were seated at a table right next to the entrance. Once seated, service was prompt and efficient. Our orders were taken, coffee and water filled and the server was very pleasant (this has been a constant on all three trips). As we sat next to the entrance, the attitude about reservations continued. The thing is, nowhere on their site does it say reservations are recommended. The solution is simple: we won't be back. There are some very good options not far away, and given the wait time to be seated, the difference in commute is only about 15 minutes. If you have extremely high quality food, you might get away with that nonsense. Epoch's food is only a tick above franchise in our opinion, and their front of the house service flat sucks. Too bad, because the servers work very hard and we've never had a bad experience on that end. If you're aim is a mediocre experience, Epoch is the place for you. read more

Wow,what an improvement! I have gone twice now in the past two weeks and Epoch seems like a different place, in terms of service. A new GM or maître d started two weeks ago and he is doing something right because the service both times was top notch ( after being abysmal for so long.) The food both times was outstanding. I hope the new attitude is here to stay! read more

Went in for a 9:30 AM reservation for fathers day. The dining room had two tables full and no staff any where to found. We waited for 10 minutes before anyone came to seat us. Once seated we were waiting on my wife so the waitress took our drink order and then disappeared for a very long time. After we had sat there for 30 minutes and my wife had been at the table for 15 minutes the waitress finally came for our order. Food came out quickly and was good. My daughter had blueberry stuffed french toast that tasted very blueberry and fresh. My wife had the breakfast quesadilla that had thick cut bacon on it and tasted wonderful. I had the Parisian omelet. The omelet was good and had a lot of asparagus but the duck and brie was not consistent but the overall flavor was really good. We had all finished and still hadn't gotten a second cup of coffee. The service was horrendous. We were at the restaurant for over an hour and a half and constantly had to search for our waitress. read more

A few months ago I was nearby this restaurant and stopped-in. It was about 1:30 so there were just a few other customers in the dining room. The decor and general ambience of the place looks like it was designed to be "casually elegant", and it worked for me. The bar is adjacent to the dining room and up about six stairs. It looks like it would a comfortable place to hang out in the evening. I ordered the Cape Cod Club sandwich, and asked that it not have the middle bread slice, and was happy to hear that their clubs do not normally have the middle slice. Although "Cape Cod" doesn't relate to me as turkey, that's what it was. Smoked turkey, cranberry jam, tomato, arugula and really excellent bacon on lightly toasted whole wheat bread. It was delicious and perfectly balanced flavors and textures. On the other hand, the fries would have been very good too except for being overly salted. I don't know why so many cooks/chefs don't understand that it's better to under-salt and let customers add more if they want to. I liked the food and the environment, but the spotlight must be on Bonnie, my server. If a restaurateur needs an example for their own servers of how to be gracious, humorous, friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and carry it all off with professionalism, send them here to watch Bonnie. read more

Friends in town-"where's a good place for a burger" Me-"Epoch. I know, I know...hear me out. It's a super burger...grass fed, great roll, solid fries. Full disclosure it is a $16 burger...but it's worth it!".... I used to tell friends that Epoch was THE place to go for a good burger. Sure, you're gonna pay for it ($16) but it's worth it. Sadly, can't say that anymore. Maybe I caught them on a bad night. But good grief, start to finish...all bad. Sat at bar after abandoning seats away from bar for complete lack of attention. Sitting at bar moved me up one or two spots on the "pay no mind" list...but not off of the list. How long is an appropriate amount of time to sit with the menu pushed away from you at bar, clearly ready to order? I don't know the exact answer, but we waited...then we ordered and waited a lot more. Draft beers (2 in a row) were served room temp or warmer as they were served in fresh, clean, piping hot pint glass, straight out of the wash machine...mmmm....you can really taste the DegF. But the burger, lets get back to that. Did I mention it's a $16 burger? Ordered it med rare. When food finally arrived, it was Med well. Much worse that being over, the texture was of a frozen patty that was cooked from frozen...or meat that was previously frozen....tight, tough, and overcooked. I may have let someone know that it was over and tough...had anyone ever asked. Not once did anyone check back and see how the food was...not even when the plates were being cleared! How does that (not) happen? Has that ever not happened? Yep, it just did! Didn't? Didn't it not? Then we waited with credit card on bar in plain view in front of us. Since that wasn't enough of an indication that we'd like our check, we had to ask for the check. Aaaaand when the check arrived?...the cover was put on the bar in front of us without a single word..."here you go"? Nope. "There you are"? Nope. "I hope you enjoyed everything"? Nope. "Thank you"?...at least there must've been a thank you?...sadly, no. A real bummer because I used to be happy to go there for a couple pints and a ($16) burger...no longer. It'll be a very long time before Epoch gets my money. Maybe I caught them on a really short staffed, bad night? Don't know. Saddest part was the burger...woof. Not good tonight. Not good. read more

overpriced food. limited selection. lamb meatballs were hard and dry, overcooked. my wife's crab cakes were undercooked.

Brunch disappoints Went on a recent Sunday at around 12:30...Got that sinking feeling upon walking in and finding fewer than 10 people. No hostess...1 wait staff who split her time waiting on tables and cleaning... Their is no buffet - only a menu. The menu is adequate - savory items, burgers and pancakes - but nothing inspired. Ordered two egg dishes that were nicely prepared but with bland (frozen) home fries and no garnish.... Ordered broiled ruby red grapefruit..got white grapefruit with no apology THe waitress was pleasant but not polished. Plates and utensils not supplied properly. The coffee was superb. We dropped over $60 on a round of cocktails and breakfast - I would have felt taken if it were not for the $50 certificate we had. Actually, I still felt taken You can do far better - for far less - on the seacoast. I really wanted this place to be a gem but sadly, it was very rough. Look elsewhere. Would give it 1.5 stars if possible. read more

Food was very good. Service was inconsistent and very disappointing. Upon arrival, guests were required to place their full order - drinks, apps, and entrees (fair enough considering everything going on). About half of what my girlfriend and I wanted to order was unavailable - no corn chowder, no chicken wings, no IPA craft beer... Prices were on the steep side. Apparently they don't have blue cheese and the honey mustard that I was promised never arrived. To round things out, our "server" stated she was unable to refill my drink. This came moments after I'd spotted another waiter bring an additional drink to a different table. That was pretty disappointing. I probably wouldn't consider going back. read more

Had a good dinner here last night. Food was very good. They have some good / interesting drinks as well. The service was solid. They could use some sort of divider in the dining room to make it seem less empty, this would also provide a "quite" area for folks who are seeking such an experience. The bar area is a nice set up. The menu has a lot of good selections. It's a bit pricey but all in all a very good place to dine. read more

Great service and food ... by far the best resturant around

My one experience at Epoch was a disappointment. First, the room is in need of soundproofing. The walls are made of brick and there are no carpets on the floor. The meant that sound bounced off the walls and made conversation difficult. Second, the food was good but did not warrant the price. The Greek salad that I started with was first rate. I was less happier with my "large" portion of Pork Bolognese ($22). It was far from "large" and came to the table lukewarm. It tasted good but I left the restaurant hungry. On a positive note, my server was attentive and eager. I would give Epoch three stars for their effort this evening but expectations are high at this price point. read more

As a local, my friends and I always enjoy coming to Epoch. The burger is one if the best on the seacoast with a garlic aioli that is delicious. Another favorite is a side dish, tomato panzanelle. Winter time they had an incredible mushroom short rib stew. But our favorite part is visiting with Bethany the bartender. She is always friendly, attentive and makes some great drinks. If we are having a tough week, let's go see Bethany the bartender, is what we all chime. Keep up the great work Epoch. read more

Well, Roger (Yelp reviewer of 9/23/19), we did try it for ourselves and were not pleased, but were totally disappointed. From the lack of visual appeal, to the tastelessness of the food, to the skimpy portions, every aspect of what we ordered was subpar. The Vegetable Flatbread had no taste and the flatbread itself was stale. The Seafood Tacos, despite quite a nice array of ingredients on the menu, again were tasteless, were only filled about 1/3 of the way, and the "Seafood" was almost nonexistent -- I had to use a magnifying glass to any. The price of $16 for the tacos was a super rip-off, actually criminal to charge that for basically two taco shells. The only good thing about Epoch was the $4 glasses of wine, so we each had an extra glass of wine after eating to help erase the memory of a lousy meal. read more

Best bar in exeter. Great menu, always have specials. Most recent chef is very talented. We had fried fish sandwich on wonderful roll, great sauce; great lunch. For dinner we have the Duck and risotto .... awesome. A half step down from Otis at 60% of the price. read more

The food here is great. But the customer service is definitely lacking. The waiters aren't very kind and were somewhat rude to my group and I. One waiter especially began heckling my sister because she wasn't paying attention to him. I would recommend this place for the food, because it's great, but be cautious with who is taking your order. read more

The food is generally quite good, and as it's local and convenient, I really want to like the place. But there is a disconnect between the front and back of the house. Generally, a wait to be seated, in a room that is seldom more than half-full. The service is spotty at best. Sometimes a wait before the order is taken. Sometimes a wait for the food to come out. Sometimes the order is incomplete or bungled. And my pet peeve, having the table cleared while someone is sitting there, fork in hand, food on the plate. Being asked if they are "still working on it??" Who says that? Where are we that there can't be some decent training for the servers? This could be a gem if someone paid attention to detail. For now, it's just okay. read more

We were out for my wife's birthday and planned on eating at a place in Portsmouth. when parking there was so bad that we missed our reservation we decided to head home. On the way we decided to look up restaurants on the way and maybe stop and grab something. We ended up at Epoch and it was a very happy accident. Let me start off by saying that our server was delightful and knowledgeable able both food and drink alike. We started off with some Dogfish head beer, and since this particular beer was brewed in red wine barrels, they drew red wine hearts in the head with Merlot. The beer was amazing and recommended by our server. The bread and olives with thyme was a delicious start and we ordered crabs cakes to start. They were perfect with a crispy outside and a hot tender inside. My wife ordered a button mushroom soup that was absolutely perfect. They didn't skimp on the mushrooms and it was very creamy and rich. She ordered the salmon and I the scallops, and I have to say I've never had scallops cooked so perfectly. They were so creamy I could have spread them on a cracker. The lobster mashed was also a wonderful side to complement my meal. The salmon was cooked well, although she did have to add a little salt. Overall, I would definitely return. The ambiance is nice and the food is amazing. The service is exactly what I want in a high end restaurant. I had time in between courses to talk to my wife and enjoy our drinks. I know some people might call the service "slow" but I don't like to be rushed. The food was hot when it was delivered, so I know it wasn't sitting. I think they just want you to have to the true dining experience that is lacking in many restaurants. Thank you for a lovely evening and we'll be back again. read more

So me and 6 of my friends went out on the town looking for a good place to eat and get some drinks , we happened apon this cute little restaurant. When we walked in we were greeted by a very handsome man ( I think his name was Andrew) who was very sharply dressed. We told him we had 6 people and that we wanted to be sat outside since they didn't have a table for 6 this man was setting up the table and I apologized up and down to him but he kept comforting me saying it's alright and its a beautiful day to be outside anyway , right when we sat dow he even pulled out my seat for me ( such a gentleman! ) . After that we ordered some wine and I got this very delicious lobster roll the food was so good my whole party had no complaints! On our way out every staff member in there said goodbye to us and it felt so good to be noticed by the restaurant definitely coming back! read more

William is the most knowlegable bartender I have ever encountered. He is confident and you feel good in his care. The food is great but the portions are modest for the price. it is a great place to unwind. We had Valentine's dinner this year here and it is the first time in 25+ years I done so. Great attention to details. We live a mile away and it is a beautiful relaxing upscale atmosphere. This is where I like to bring people who have never seen Exeter before. read more

Excellent meal and service. Great wine list veal and short ribs were delicious. Ferrow could have had a bit more flavor. Desserts were decadent. Always love a restaurant that has espresso and cappuccino. read more

The oysters on the half shell are very good. They always have a new shipment and various kinds. The lobster roll is very fresh and one of my favorites. read more