I came here with my dad for lunch on a Thursday afternoon. It's a huge restaurant with both indoor…read moreand outdoor seating options. We opted to sit on the outdoor patio downstairs. I had the caprese chicken sandwich, which had grilled pesto chicken, mozzarella, and roasted tomatoes served on a focaccia bun. I subbed a side salad, which was a bit overdressed, for the default French fries. The sandwich was huge! So huge that it was difficult to eat as a handheld item. It tasted pretty good, though. Our server was really nice and was attentive despite it being fairly busy!

The best part of my visit was the seafood chowder, but every other dish was mediocre, and the…read moreservice was terribly slow. The seafood chowder was flavorful and full of chunks of seafood. The salmon bites were over saturated in sauce so much so that the panko was soggy, the pan seared scallops were decent but I found the bacon jam to be too sweet paired with the scallops. We could not flag down our waiter any of the times we needed her and every time we asked someone else for help they'd leave and not come back. When it started raining and we needed to move indoors she was gone for so long she was surprised when she returned and we had already had been helped inside by another staff member. We ended the meal when she said she'd come back with water only to disappear and we ended up asking another waitress for the check, and she redirected it back to our waitress, who finally came back with no water. The restaurant was by no means full so I'm not sure what the large gaps in service was, and at one point my friend noticed the waitresses chatting in the kitchen while we were craning our necks. I'd only come back to order the seafood chowder as the rest of the dishes weren't good enough to make up for this.

We joined friends for a quick pre-show dinner, and the staff did a great job accommodating our…read moretight schedule -- we made the show on time without ever feeling rushed. We started with cocktails and their excellent house-made rolls, then split a dozen oysters from a wide selection; the server's recommendations were spot-on. Entrées included shrimp rigatoni, salmon, fish tacos, clam chowder, and fries -- all well prepared, good portions, and enjoyed by everyone. It was fairly busy (and thus a bit noisy), so reservations are probably a good idea.

Great spot in Portsmouth with happy hour $1 oysters. Modern, clean and open. We were greeted…read moreimmediately and requested to sit at the bar. Our server came over and I wasn't sure about him, but he warmed up a few minutes later. Everything was delicious and cocktails were great! A great spot for happy hour and noshing.

Ambiance here is quite nice. It definitely has a colonial vibe and offers some early American…read moredishes. Our waiter was quite polite and offered some suggestions. The food however is overpriced and just doesn't fit the bill. I was surprised to sit down and see a simple steak and potato dinner was $72. I ordered duck and my wife ordered pork belly. The food was alright but neither were meals that we'd want again. Two entrees, two apps, and a single glass of wine. ~$180 with tip. I don't mind spending $200 on dinner - but if I'm spending that much dinner should be stellar. This was just mediocre and I'm honestly surprised it has a 4.5 star rating average. To each their own I suppose.

My partner and I rang in New Year's Eve at The Puddle Dock and couldn't have been happier with our…read moreexperience. We chose seats at the comfortable-looking bar, which was a great spot to start the evening and soak in the warm, antique, historical vibe of the space -- lots of character without feeling stuffy. We built our own dinner from a mix of appetizers, and everything we tried was excellent. The local cheese plate featured a soft, brie-like cheese that was rich and delicious. We also ordered the mussels, which were a standout -- especially the mustard component. I wouldn't have expected mustard to pair so well with mussels, but it absolutely worked and added a surprising depth of flavor. There was also a chicken dumpling special that was comforting, well-seasoned, and very satisfying. Every dish felt thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor. The service at the bar was fantastic. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful when offering advice on what to order, which made the whole experience feel easy and welcoming. We're already looking forward to our next visit and trying more of the menu.

I love this place the staff always goes above and beyond. The food and view are spectacular as well.read more

I love this place!…read more On Tuesday August 4th 2026, my wife and I visited Portsmouth for the first time and fell in love with the city. After doing some sightseeing, we worked up an appetite and decided to try The River House. I'm so glad we did! We were lucky enough to snag the last waterside table. What a great view! It was Happy Hour and they were offering shrimp, raw oysters, and oyster shooters for $1.50 each! How could I pass that up?? I had one of each. It was a fun snack. My wife ordered the Summer Berry Salad. It was excellent! Service was very good. If you are ever in Portsmouth I highly recommend The River House!

Last experience was 5 stars. This experience was maybe 3. I'll give 4 as my updated rating, to be…read moregenerous. This experience was so disappointing. The server kept running away, no time to give feedback. More attention to our plates and our ordering, than for us and our experience. Note to the wise: ask both people how their food is, and with enough time/follow up than only immediately after getting the dish. The tuna was very bland, it needed salt. I got the beef medallions. Though the beef itself was very good, the entire dish came off like a TV dinner - the sauce was supposed to be peppercorn. It was not. It degraded the entire dish, horribly. So sad for the elements to be buried in that slop. Potatoes were also very odd. For the price we paid, I would rather have had my money back and give my husband a much better birthday experience for somewhere else. Honestly devastating, and definitely cannot guarantee a recommendation from me, if this restaurant is not only inconsistent, but such a waste of so much money. Sad to think we could have enjoyed better food at a "lesser" establishment. Would much prefer to get my money back, at least for the entrees. WAYY overpaid. This was not worth it.

I was a bit I don't know when we went to eat here tonight due to a few iffy reviews. I am glad we…read morecame! If there were any bugs from the past they are all worked out now. We started with the calamari , lightly breaded, fried, tender and not oily... it was perfect. Two of us had the pan seared halibut with a tasty potato cake, another plate was the haddock on a bed of mashed potatoes and the final was the salmon dish, a nice center cut thick piece. Being we are local and our guest we're visiting I loved they said "this is so good, glad we came".. all the dishes were delicious and cooked perfect. See you soon.

This was one of the best meals I've had in a while. The food, the service, and the ambiance were…read moreall excellent! It was our first time here. I loved the menu from the first look. A great selection of seafood apps, and a variety of meat options in the entree section (steak, chicken, lamb, short rib, duck) and a couple of vegetarian items. Something for everyone. It was a Tuesday night and pouring rain. We arrived without a reservation. It was very busy. The bar and restaurant were full. There were two side bar seats available which we happily took while we waited for a table. We had a delicious cosmo and a glass of prosecco while we waited. The server let us know our table was ready, and we did not need to settle our bar tab before going to the table. I love that! I find it inconvenient when restaurants ask people to do that. The server even took our sopping umbrellas and put them in the umbrella stand by the door for us. So nice! We tried 2 appetizers, the Caribbean Curry Mussels and the Seared Ahi Tuna. I can't decide which one I loved more. Both were fantastic. The broth the mussels were in was so flavorful, rich, salty, not spicy, coconut deliciousness. I wanted to eat it all like a soup. There was no bread served with the mussels to soak up the broth...which I would have loved, but not having it did save me some carbs. The seared tuna was absolute perfection. Very slightly seared and served with a well dressed seaweed salad and two sauces (coulis style ) a charred jalapeño aioli and a mango coulis. For dinner we shared the arugula salad with strawberries and goat cheese (although there was very little goat cheese) in a delicious poppy seed vinaigrette, and the miso Marinaded seared salmon with sticky rice and mango salsa. The salmon was fantastic...perfectly cooked, very flavorful, the sticky rice was so delicious and chewy, and the mango salsa added sweetness. I love that they split the salad into two dishes for us. I love when restaurants do this. It's a nice touch to acknowledge the server was listening the we intend to share, and to make it easier for us to do so. And we shared a bottle of Pinot Grigio. I will be back!

Make sure to book a reservation as this place is really busy and popular!…read more Items I ordered (as of 5/2026): - Lobster Mac and Cheese - $34 - This was really good. Fresh lobster with a great cheese combination. The crisp of the ritz crackers really brings the entire dish together. Good amount for the price. Would recommend. - Baked Artichoke Dip - $16 - Deliciously cheesy without everything feeling too heavy. Good amount of pita bread too! Would also order this again.

My wife and I decided to dine here last evening, having not visited in approximately one year. What…read morea refresher. We dined outdoors with our ((very) small pooch. The service was friendly, attentive and very helpful with recommendations. Plus, they offered a bowl of water for our doggie. Moreover, the food was exceptional. Scallop crudo with watermelon. Drunken noodles with roasted duck. Both dishes were a big YUM. The part of our experience that felt a bit off was the place was only half full on a Saturday night.nI think this is one of the 3=best restaurants on the Seacoast and, should be slammed either way diners. We will return, again and again.

One of the best Thai restaurants we have been to in awhile! The atmosphere of the restaurant is…read moreamazing, presentations of the food are on point, and the taste! Must get the garlic rice and lemongrass chicken, and 1000% say yes to the dessert!

Fluffy chowder was delish!!! Will go back for a lobster roll and shrimp cocktail for sure!! So…read morefriendly too!!

I've lived near this spot for years and years yet for some reason I've never gone. What the heck!…read moreWhile I'm kicking myself for not coming earlier, I am now very happy that I know this spot is perfect in every way! So I got the hot lobster roll and my boyfriend got the cold lobster roll (not pictured sadly). Personally, I prefer a warm buttery roll, but he loved his cold roll and said it was perfectly seasoned. You get a good amount of lobster and it's $30. The line... omg it was out the door and soooo long. But trust me. Stay! It's worth it. And they move super fast. The pricing overall was really good. We also got the lobster bisque which had chunks of lobster in it (I dipped my roll in it and it was magic). Only $10! And a good portion. But they have all sorts of things--Mac and cheese, shrimp cocktail, steamers... and next door you can get fresh seafood as well. This is seafood heaven. And again, I was content with the price for quality food. Now let me quickly talk about the view because that was awesome. We sat outside and watched the ocean because it's at Rye Harbor (as the name suggests). It's so relaxing. Especially on a beautiful day. Here's the one thing you may be iffy on. $10 to pay for parking for the day. 30 minutes free. If you think you can do it all in 30 minutes, go for it. But we didn't want to rush so we paid $10 for parking which is kind of eh. But I get it because the whale watch leaves from the harbor. A minor thing to know, but not something to deter you from coming. Though if you don't come... that's more lobster rolls for me!