Valentine's day, 2026, the pre fixe meal was perfection. If Michelin was in New Hampshire, Ambrose…read morewould no doubt earn her stars. The menu changes so there's no point in reviewing particular dishes. Just know that Chef Stanley is a master and his unique creations are worthy of the highest acclaim. The cocktails are also top notch. Exeter is the best place for high end cuisine, not Portsmouth. Ambrose, Otis, Vine e Vivo, IL Cornicello, The Apothecary, we are so fortunate to have these places..... and free and convenient parking

Elegant setting indoor or out outdoor…read moreDelightful vibe when walking in the door. Service was as white glove as possible. Wine list amazing and reasonable price. Each dish was impeccably prepared with distinctive flavors combined perfectly. Tapas were generous Craft cocktails...Alice in Wonderland. Can't wait to go back

What a lovely restaurant. Just for a tip if you find the apothecary it's down the stairs right…read moreafter it. We did have a little bit of trouble finding it but that was kind of fun. Reservations recommended we were seated at a beautiful table for two right near the bar and started off with a Pinot noir and a cabernet. Both wines were delightful. For appetizers we had the braised lamb crepe and the octopus... Both dishes were delicious, presented well with sauces to die for. Followed by the pasta dish and the duck. These were the best dinners of the year for us. The blending of flavors were fantastic and it was augmented by the owner coming over and talking to us about how the food was prepared. I won't bore you with all the details but the octopus is slow boiled for 5 hours.. complete with wine. Corks it was tender and delicious with the Mediterranean flair. We go out to eat our fair share from high end to diners anywhere. The food is well prepared and delicious... This was the top for the year! From the service to the presentation to the wine to the ambiance, everything is top notch here. I will provide a warning. You will drop a pretty penny if you partake in all the courses, but we thought it was well worth it. Thank you to the staff and ownership. We enjoyed our evening.. a true date night.

So, we finally got to try the chef's table, or "Chef's Whim" as it's officially titled. Eight…read morecourses. In addition to the food, we added the suggested alcohol pairings. I say alcohol because it wasn't all wine but ... since it's a bit of a surprise in terms of what actually appears I'll just leave it at that. However, as to the food ... I'll give a taste, a flavor, a wisp of a whisper of the full culinary adventure. For complete details, see your local sous chef! Here's what we had. In the middle of my photo collage, a blood sausage slider with fennel/jalapeño sauce on toasted brioche bun. Then clockwise from top left - cornbread with maple glaze in a Barbie sized personal cast iron skillet; beet salad with goat cheese half spheres; a dessert tray of black apple cake with hay ice cream (yes, seriously), chamomile pot de creme and a duck fat beignet; an assortment of ice creams - fenugreek, fennel/maitake mushroom/burnt hazelnut (all tasted fabulous and in each you could taste the listed flavors); entree of duck and wild mushroom tart; white bean soup and finally a pasta dish of ravioli with two fillings. Just a note on what it would take to make it yourself. See that hexagonal white blob on the bottom row, middle pic? That's a potato foam. Forgive me for not recalling the full procedure but the prep is roughly 7 hours long. First, the cut potatoes are cooked in a sous vide for 2 hours so that no moisture is added to them. Then a succession of ricing, smoking, drying, undrying, mashing, placing in a foam machine that looked like a whipped cream dispenser and boom - a tiny dollop of potato. It tasted great. But man - that's a lot of effort for a mouthful of potato. I don't think I'll be trying it at home. Over two hours of eating and chatting. I brought a couple of my restaurant-based cartoons as my personal thanks for the meal and was shocked that Justin, their sommelier, had done a cartoon of his own ahead of time for me! Just stick to wine, Justin - I don't need any MORE competition with my magazine editors ... With Dylan ably providing the primary chef duties and Amaya and Justin handling the booze, the meal was a smashing success. The food pairings were masterfully chosen and timing of the dishes meant we were always primed for the next one. Although the succession of what I'd call dessert dishes made me start to feel like a Hobbit enjoying dessert, second dessert and then post seconds. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille (and they have a cute Reme rat under glass on a shelf) "I shall be returning, hungry for more."

It was such a warm and welcoming atmosphere on a cold winter morning. Pastries looked amazing and…read moreall the packaged goods on the shelves were authentic and well sourced. The delightful scent of coffee was in the air and the staff were absolutely friendly as you approached the counter. Despite a buzz of patrons trickling in and ordering, the coffee was delivered to the table shortly after I sat. The staff obviously had a strong momentum going as I watched other tables being served just as quickly. Before I could even really start sipping on my piping hot Cafe Au Lait, I was served my salad and crepe. It was fun to watch how each person worked their station passionately. The lady preparing the crepes meticulously cleaned her station as she cooked. The staff on coffee were brewing away and sending cups out to diners. Other items were coming out from the back kitchen. They worked in unison like a well oiled machine. I definitely enjoyed my coffee. My salad was generous and hit the spot. The crepe was acceptable. Would I come back? Yeah, definitely my type of breakfast spot when visiting Portsmouth again. I definitely will try their croissants next time as well as check out their wine bar in the evenings!

While in the area and looking for a sweet treat. We came across. MN. We had 2 options. We could…read morestand in line and order and sit in the general seating. Area or opt for service at the wine bar, we chose to seat ourselves at the bar after we placed our order. There was a line when we arrived. But service was very efficient, and we were quickly helped. There was a wait for our beverages. However it was well worth it. My mother was looking for a standard drip coffee and due to none being available.An excellent option of an americano was offered and she fell in love with it immediately. The deserts were also very well crafted and had excellent flavor. Definitely a place to stop. Relax people watch and enjoy a little treat with some great coffee options.

I honestly am not sure where to start and end with my wife and l anniversary dinner at Cava this…read moreevening. My wife and I have close to or more than 1000 dining experiences in our time together. If Cava wasn't the best overall, it was an extremely close second. Our server Dan was awesome from start to finish. On point, Attentive, professional, and exceeded expectations on every level. Cava is a very intimate dining experience with a warm comfortable indoor and outdoor seating option. It is also very practical as a stop before going to the Music Hall, an important date or like us an anniversary. Cava is unlike many of the places we have visited over the years in the food category. Every course was exceptionally prepared, thoroughly thought out and professionally executed with excellent plating. I won't go into detail on every dish but suffice it to say there was enjoyment with every mouthful of every course. I ordered: Espresso Martini An Italian Pinot Grigio (with dinner) We shared the charcuterie plate First course - Mussels Second Course - Italian Meatball dish Third Course - Braised Flank Steak Fourth Course - Torte My wife ordered: A wonderful Rum with blackberry cocktail An Italian Pinot Grigio(with dinner) First Course- Warm Potato Soup Second Course- Stuffed and wrapped dates Third Course- Shrimp with Polenta Fourth Course- Blueberry Cheesecake

Food and drinks are incredible. Great atmosphere for a date night. The waitress was attentive and…read morethe atmosphere was intimate. Great for dinner.

I enjoyed Luna Mare. My boyfriend and I order three small plates (tuna crudo, lamb lollipops, and…read morebriam) and shared the half paella for dinner. It was the perfect amount of food for us. The pistachio baklava was delicious, but it was very very sweet! Our waiter, Seamus was very attentive and friendly. He mentioned that the paella was spicy and we were able to change it to a mild flavor. It was really nice of him to mention that to us since it wasn't listed on the menu that the paella would be spicy.

Luna Mare Cuisine has opened in the former Brown Square Bistro in Ipswich. They also operate Ithaki…read moreMediterranean Restaurant in Peabody. The place was redone and the atmosphere is casual modern upscale with the bar/lounge area to the right side and dining rooms to the left side. There is also outdoor patio seating. The menu offers Mediterranean fare including tapas/mezze, charcuterie, large plates (meat & seafood dishes, pasta), sandwiches, burgers, salads, and dessert. The bar offers 4 draft beers, bottle/can beers, wine, cocktails, and mocktails. The prices are moderate high. I stopped by Luna Mare for dinner during their soft opening phase. The place was fairly busy and I took an open seat at the C-shaped bar. The bartender gave me a paper menu to look over Some menu items were not available. I ordered the Mussels Saganaki ($12 plus tax) and Fried Fish Sandwich with Fries ($18 plus tax). I was given a basket of ciabatta bread with olive oil dip. The mussels arrived first, 20 mussels simmered with white wine, peppers, garlic, feta cheese. Next, the fried fish sandwich arrived, which had Turkish tatare, beets & lettuce between chewy ciabatta bread, served with puffed potato curl fries. After that, I got the check which was $32.10 (cash)/$33.38 (card) with tax and before tip. Overall, the food here was pretty good and I would come back when the full menu is available.

We went to the restaurant next door but they had an hour wait…read more Our hostess suggested we try the bar next door. Great vibe, cool tables walls filled with dog art . Our drinks came out perfectly concocted and tasty. Our food was incredibly delicious and large servings that satisfied all our appetites. All the baked items weee made in house!

Fun staff, kind, inviting atmosphere and a fun vibe. The drinks are well done and creative, the…read morefood, delectable. Go, it's a place to write about.

I don't give 5 stars often but when I do, I mean it from the bottom of my very being…read more Let's knock out the queer o meter. A solid 10. Nice. The location had me hesitant. It's located in a little business section off the main road. We were at the eye place and decided to go there for dinner. BOY AM I GLAD WE DID! We got the chicken sliders to start - omg. Heaven. Lightly fried tenders on small brioche buns with perfect toppings. There were 3 of them standing tall on the tray, hot and delicious. We got an order of the mac n cheese to share - again, pure perfection. Homemade with the right hints of smoked Gouda, cream and topped with crumbs. I got the bourbon steak tips with mashed and asparagus done medium. If I could go back every week I would. The only down side is this place is in NH and we live in RI. That and the seats aren't comfortable at all. That's my only con. Food wise there are none. Zip. Zilch. The staff was nice and attentive without being overly so. Oh oh wait. Ok one other con. They don't have Bloody Marys. That's ok. I was more than happy to swan dive into the mac n cheese to chase my blues away. Go here. Eat everything. And enjoy! You won't be disappointed. Cheers!!

We went to Granite Tapas recently and were very impressed with the food. Very well prepared,…read morecreative and delicious! The drinks were good, but a little light on the pour considering the prices. Overall, it was a good experience, but we were somewhat disappointed when we got our bill. Everything was marked up by 3% if we used a credit card. Supposedly, this is in small print on the menu, but we failed to notice. I can't think of another restaurant that does this in the area and we go out to eat 4-5 times a week. It felt deceptive and like we got nickel and dimed after spending around $100. I won't say we won't be back, but didn't appreciate this tactic at all.

We made a same-day reservation at Moxy, not knowing it was restaurant week. The interior was cozy…read moreand colorful, and we were seated in the upstairs area, so we had a balcony view of the bar. For drinks, I got a glass of Malbec (which was very nice), but they also had many enticing cocktails and mocktails. The restaurant week menu consisted of 4 pre-fixe courses. For the first course, I chose the Salmon Tartare, which was fresh and tasty. It wasn't very salty, which I appreciated. I also tried my friend's carrot soup, which had a nice creamy texture with crunchy peas for contrast. For the second course, I chose the Mushroom Labneh. This one was awesome! Next was the Chicken Thigh, which was so juicy and paired well with the garlic sour cream. I also loved my dessert - Griddled Corn Muffins with wild blueberry compote. Service was friendly and seamless, and we left full and happy. Highly recommend for dinner!

Restaurant Week in Portsmouth was the perfect opportunity to try out Moxy. Plus an added bonus of…read more$42 for a 4-course meal made it more interesting. We found street parking close to the restaurant so that was great while paying close attention to the fact that street parking is not free in the area until 8 pm. I made a reservation and we were seated right away after we entered the restaurant. Our table was situated on the first floor so the area was small but we had enough space between table to have a private conversation. I started out with salmon tartare and it was my least favorite of all. I found the pita to taste somewhat stale and I ended up not eating it. Salmon was good but I did not find that cream cheese added to the dish. It might be a matter of personal preference but I wished I started out with something else from the menu. My shrimp scampi was delicious and I would come back for this dish. Pasta and sauce were great and shrimp were a nice size. I then went with the beef stew. I found the pastry to be somewhat salty but it balanced with the stew that was slightly underseasoned. Maybe it was intended to be that way. It was a decent dish overall. I loved the strawberry panna cotta. Their rhubarb chutney was beautiful and the dish was a great way to end my meal. I would come back to this restaurant in the future to try out their regular menu.

Ventured from Southern New Hampshire to do a little Christmas shopping in the White Mountains…read more Needed a halfway point for a late lunch. Found this gem on Yelp. Old style Tavern/pub. The first thing we noticed when we walked in the door was that Christmas smacked us in the face with the best smelling Christmas Tree candle , burning in a super cute entryway. I could hardly wait to get inside to see what else this place had in store. First, there was a fireplace and a couch and a table. In the rest of the dining area, we're all high tops. Not so high that a barely over 5 foot person such as myself couldn't sit comfortably. Our waitstaff (there were two) and were great about offering menu suggestions when I shared flavor profiles I might be looking for and they were attentive and so pleasant. They had super cute Christmas decorations, and were putting up more while we were there. The vibe is super warm and welcoming, and for a short while you feel like you stepped back in time. The tiramisu martini was delicious, as was the blood orange martini. I had the cauliflower with juju sauce at the recommendation of the waitress, and it was honestly the best cauliflower I've ever had! My husband enjoyed his macaroni and cheese with buffalo and bleu as well. The owner/chef, Leslie, came and chatted with us for a little bit before we were on our way. We learned that in the summer they hold concerts, and they have a golf course. There is a distillery on site as well. Everything about this place was excellent, and we are already planning a day date to go back and try more menu items!

Hidden Gem!!! Food was amazing and the bartender Ryan is exceptional!! Same great service and food…read moreevery time. Can't wait for the outdoor area to open.

We went in for girls lunch and had a great time. We got in around 1 pm, right before their next big…read morerush. Our waitress was super friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes. Restaurant was clean and had cute decor. The food was delicious and well presented.

Wow! Not what I expected! Outstanding spot! Great beer menu,…read moreeclectic a food, and great bourbon menu! Had the cod! Perfect dish ! Great hospitality! Karen at the bar was awesome!