We were back again ! This place is so consistently great ! The wait staff got us seated quickly & waited on us quickly. The were fun & friendly. We got several items. The crab rangoon dip was excellent. We had drinks that were very tasty and great. The lobster fries were very good (not great) but nice. We had a cottage salad. It was absolutely incredible with lots of low carb/high protein. We had a sushi roll that was just as great. We had to pass on dessert but having tried several in the last two visits, they are a no-brainer. We are giving Surf a 9.8 out of 10 ! Also, note, 3 visits were all similar experiences. Some of the prices are a little high (but all seafood is) BUT the service & flavor are sooo good and consistent, you have to try it. read more

Enjoy fresh seafood and cocktails with friends at one of Portsmouth's most beautiful views. We started with the red sangria, a light but it too sweet drink, and some delicious sushi - Wicked Tuna (spicy) and the California roll. The Korean BBQ scallops were everyone's favorite, cooked perfectly, and with a wonderful soy miso flavor that did not overwhelm the delicate seafood. The pan seared halibut was perfectly cooked and delicious as well, and went well with the Ken. Wright Cellars Pinot Noir. Finished with the blueberry crisp and chocolate raspberry cake. The blueberry first was so good - Rich deep flavor and one of the best desserts I've ever had - and I've been all over the world during the last 50 years. The raspberry cake was excellent too - a fresh raspberry flavor with hints of vanilla. read more

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Food amazing, service excellent, location fantastic. We were sat by the water front and the ambiance was second to none! I will certainly go back! Even though we did not book a table they kindly made room for us. read more

Surf Restaurant - Surf Seafood Chowder, Wicked Awesome Tuna - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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We've visited Surf several times now, and what keeps drawing me back is the location. We usually manage to get a table downstairs overlooking the bay, and the view alone adds a relaxing, coastal charm to the whole experience. The atmosphere is comfortable, laid-back, and has a nice vibe that works for both casual nights out and slightly nicer dinners. The food overall is pretty good, though a bit of a mixed bag depending on what you order. I wasn't especially impressed with the sushi--most of it felt like oversized portions of rice with a small piece of fish on top. The tuna nigiri in particular came on such a large block of tasteless rice that it felt out of proportion, especially compared to a typical sushi bar. On the other hand, the futo maki special was very good, so it's not all misses. Pricing varies as well: while much of the menu is reasonably priced, the sushi leans on the expensive side given the quality. Outside of the sushi, Surf does offer a solid variety of dishes, and you'll likely find something that hits the spot. Their Surf Burger is consistently good, and the tempura fried haddock sandwich is another strong choice--crispy, flavorful, and satisfying. Service has always been friendly and efficient, and paired with the great setting, the overall experience is enjoyable. In short: excellent location, pleasant atmosphere, good service, and food that ranges from average to slightly above average depending on the dish. read more

Surf Restaurant, Portsmouth, NH We enjoyed the view and dinner at Surf Restaurant, especially the sesame seared tuna, crisply garlic & tuna, and maple bourbon glazed salmon. The baked trio dinner was overdone and bland; chocolate mousse cake for dessert made up for it. Restaurant has a nice beer and wine list. Service was good. read more

Surf Restaurant - Crispy Garlic & Tuna - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Good sushi AND lobster make this an absolute no-brainer in the area! Delightful atmosphere and exceptional service are the true draws here. The food is pretty good but not really great. Their lobster rolls have little flavor to them but the lobster is well cooked. Their cocktails are fun and varied which make for a nice addition to the meal. The prices are a bit higher than the quality would dictate, as they seem to focus more on presentation than flavor. 25% lower prices would be more in line with what you get here. It's worth a try when you are in the area, but be prepared for challenging parking options that are VERY pricey, even in the off season ($16 for two hours, or you WILL be towed) read more

Surf Restaurant - Great view - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Thank you to our friends who got us a gift card for this restaurant. The place was soo good from the service and it being right on the water here in Portsmouth. The ambiance depends on which side you sit on I truly believe and if you're at the bar or table. But overall no matter where they have an opening for you, you'll enjoy their food for sure. We started off with the calamari and crab Rangoon dip. The calamari was great but the dip was a so so. I didn't taste any chucks of crab which I thought I would but the calamari was good perfectly. For dinner we ordered sushi since we were craving it and got the red dragon which is spicy tuna, tuna sashimi, spicy mayo and sriracha. This was a really good one as it reminded us of spicy tuna back in NV. The crazy tasting sushi roll was the pressed spicy oshi tuna which is garlic crunch, jalapeño, tamari, spicy mayo, with a shiso leaf. You eat the sushi with the leaf and the leaf has a very unique flavor but went so well with the peace of sushi. I also ordered the crème brûlée which was mad sour of pineapples and coconut. I really loved this dessert being from Hawaii, it reminded me of home every bite I took. I'll definitely be back fkr sure. If you're looking for a nice evening out with your significant other be sure to bring them here. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Surf is one of my favorite restaurants in Portsmouth. First of all, the views of Old Harbor are unbeatable from the deck and window seats. I love grabbing some seafood here and looking out over the water - it's such a classic New England experience. I also love the menu here. It's very seafood-centric, with only a few non-seafood mains, which just makes sense when you have that that kind of access to fresh fish right on the ocean. The fish here is always extremely fresh and cooked extremely well. They also offer a nice sushi menu. Today I ordered a Lobster Christina, which is my favorite item here. The lobster was tender, small, cooked perfectly, and then smothered in a delicious creamy pink sauce. We also ordered mussels to share, which come in a decadent butter and wine sauce , with crispy baguette to dip. The service here is also very kind and helpful . They're always willing to do simple substitutions (sometimes I get my Lobster Christina over linguine instead of rice ). read more

Surf Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Consistently great sushi and drinks. Service is solid, too. Ocean view seating available. read more

It's tough dining out alone. You walk up to the front desk and instead of asking if you'd like a table, they just stare at you with a blank expression. Very rude. read more

We were immediately seated at 4:30pm on a Wed. They do not take reservations unless it's for a party of 6+. If you can get a table or a booth with the view of the water, that's the best! The raw bar sampler usually comes on 1 tower but we managed to have it split. The Wicked Awesome Tuna roll was delicious. They certainly take pride in their presentation. My cocktail was about $15. The rough avg cost for sushi rolls is about $21. The sampler was $62. Ultimately, on the pricier side but worth it. It's a classy place with options for water, as well (i.e. sparkling, flat or tap). read more

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Best surf and turf in Portsmouth, NH!! Of you are able to snag a table on the deck overlooking the water. DO IT!!! Delicious filet with chive mashed and asparagus. Yummy clam chowder! Sushi! Seafood, steaks. Lots of excellent choices. Friendly, helpful and accommodating waitstaff. Good cocktails. An enjoyable experience while visiting the NH coast city. Location! Location!! read more

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The view here is truly amazing, we were seated right by a huge window looking over the water and that made the dinner so good! The food was pretty good, but it did take a while to come out (the drinks did not haha!). To be able to get a table for two, we came here at 5pm, otherwise it's such a long wait because they don't take reservations. The staff cares a lot- for dessert we ordered the Tall Cake, which wasn't really to my taste and also it was HUGE, and they came out to see if anything was wrong it it read more

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Service was spot-on: attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable without hovering. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, portions satisfied

Almost 10 years later and still our favorite restaurant ever. We make excuses to head to the northeast and try and eat at Surf as many times as possible. read more

We stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. My husband ordered the seaweed salad to start. It was very good. Then he had the Spa Haddock which he really liked. I had the Tuna Nicoise which was served slightly warm. The tuna was cooked perfectly. Both fish servings were generous. We'd definitely go back. Our server, Matt, was very upbeat and attentive. read more

Surf Restaurant - Spa Haddock - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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What a great place. Seats overlooking the water, great staff and very friendly service. I had the lobster, and it was awesome! Also, they may have the tallest slice of cake in the state???!!! So glad we stopped in tonight. read more

I can't complain when I am spending the day with my family eating New England seafood. My lobster roll was great. My family's more fine dining choices were perfectly plated, seasoned and very delicious. The pier views were great too. read more

We were a group of 8 and the waiter was amazing. The food was fantastic - each person loved the seafood, and being a non seafood person there were good options. I will be back read more

Food and service was excellent and definitely a place where I will be coming back to. They are on the water and the view is wonderful though the flavors are unique and flavorful amazing. I had the prosciutto wrapped backed oysters to start with and then pressed spicy oshi tuna roll, hot honey salmon roll and the warm buttered lobster nigiri roll. Chef has done some amazing work with the flavors! Definitely a place that I will return to. read more

We had a nice dinner here at a table overlooking the harbor. My daughter-in-law and I had the lobster Kristina; the smaller grandson had chicken fingers while the older one had panfried buttermilk chicken breast off thew kids menu, one of the other adults had that too. And creme brulee was a nice finisher for dessert read more

Craving a lobster roll and yelp sent us here to scratch that itch and I'm not mad about it! The layout inside is very interesting. You enter what feels like a hotel lobby and the hostess was to the left. She didn't have seating on that side so she walked us back toward the lobby upstairs to another seating area. The decor in here was pretty bad, ngl. It felt like I was on a mermaid themed cruise ship. It did have a nice view of the water from here so that was a plus. But at the end of the day what really matters is the food and I have no complaints in that department. Edamame was a great buttery and salty start. Couldn't stop eating them! I ordered the cold lobster roll with fries. It was LOADED and the fries were really really good. My wife got sushi (I forget which rolls) but it tasted fresh and good too. Service was also great. Our waitress was attentive and friendly. Also helpful when deciding what to eat. If I'm in the downtown area again I would definitely come back to try other food options - they have a great menu. read more

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Always love Surf and the consistency of their food and service! Fantastic menu selections and server staff! read more

Great place to grab a bite to eat in town. There is a lot to choose from even for the pickiest of eaters. Everything sounded so good I had a hard time deciding. After much thought I decided on sushi since seafood would be fresh. I ordered California role and pressed spicy oshi tuna, the garlic was very good but I felt it had a lot on top. I did have to take some off but it was really delicious. My Jayant ordered a cold lobster role and he said it was exactly what he was looking for. Overall, great place to eat and if I'm ever back in town I will come here. read more

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We went here for lunch on a Sunday and had the best seat indoors right next to a large window on the water. I got the blueberry lemonade which was divine! We then shared a bowl of clam chowder, initially we were a bit unsure of the bacon before ordering because typically, we don't like bacon in clam chowder, but dang it hit the spot! It was so good. We then got a hot lobster roll with the brussels caesar salad and the blackened shrimp tacos. Everything was so delicious and our server was also great. It was an awesome first place to kick off our mini moon! read more

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This place blew me away. We found it while viewing the beautiful water views. We decided to go for lunch. Perfect time to go in my opinion. They sat us in a great location. The food was absolutely amazing. The service staff was so nice and extremely helpful. Fun atmosphere and view. I would absolutely go back read more

Went for a family birthday lunch and was absolutely floored by Surf. Every dish at the table was amazing. Not a single miss. But what really set the experience apart was the view, the atmosphere, and hands down the best service we've experienced in years. Attentive, friendly, and truly top-notch. That alone is enough to bring us back. read more

Wow! I thought this place was some kind of tourist trap, but I was blown away by the menu. A great selection of New England seafood dishes, as well as some great unique items such as a spectacular shrimp burger and a buttery lobster sushi roll. Honestly, I'm kind of shocked at how good this place is. read more

Surf was a decent experience. We were in Portsmouth looking for a place to live considering to move there (which we are!). We decided to try Surf at the last moment. We called for a reservation and got on the list but the wait was quite long. Glad to see a restaurant thriving! Albeit, I didn't want to wait, I'm glad to see a place doing so well. We went next door and had a cocktail while we waited. They did manage to get us in sooner than they estimated, we were happy for that! We were sat at the corner table in the bar, which was great for people watching. Service, was quite good. Wish I remembered the name of our server. He was very kind and professional. Drinks were good but a bit stingy with the pours when it came to the martinis but we survived that. The food was decent. I got the Lobster Roll. It was ok but the fries were cold which was disappointing. Side salad was good and my partner enjoyed his scallops. Little details could make this place a 5-star review, no doubt. However, it feels as though they take their long waiting lists as a guarantee these little details don't necessarily matter. We'll be back again and hope for just the slightest bit of improvement. read more

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Surf's menu intrigued us when viewing it online. Further looks at pictures from Yelp had us stopping in for lunch over our weekend stay in Portsmouth. Lovely experience all around and will definitely be a spot we go to again. We were seated a nice table overlooking the water. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive. We started with two specialty cocktails which were refreshing, strong and nicely balanced. My favorite was the blood orange bourbon drink. I forget it's name but it was so good!! We began with the Crabcake appetizer. It was tasty but with more breading than I am used to from all my trips to MD and DE. Great appetizer overall though and served with a side of Cole slaw done well. After we got sushi and a side of seaweed salad. WOW- the sushi was so fresh! Perfectly presented and just a knockout in our eyes. We especially liked the warm butter lobster sushi roll. The truffle mayo with it and caviar made it a perfect bite every time. So many interesting sushi rolls and pretty presentations it was hard to pick. The restaurant seemed pretty busy for lunch when we were there but service and food all came promptly. Very well run place! Wonderful lunch had at Surf and highly recommend! read more

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I'm weary of non Japanese focused restaurants making sushi, and Surf just reinforced it. Spicy salmon roll- for $18 look how little salmon and how much cucumber. Also look at how poorly sliced it is- uneven bites. I don't get how they can have such a sushi forward menu and can't cut the roll properly. read more

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Best fresh seafood as we drove down the coast of Maine. Sushi was fresh and not overwhelmed with sauces. Fish and chips were great too.

Right beside the ocean, this restaurant gives you a beautiful ocean view. Both indoor and outdoor seating is available. I decided to sit outdoors. The surf clam chowder was pretty good. It had just the right consistency, not too thin or too thick. Lots of clams and bacon bits were in the chowder. The crab cake was ok, but a little pricey for just one piece. Crispy fried haddock from the surf style tacos were delicious. However, the tacos really lacked guacamole. Some more guac or another sauce would have made them much better. Ginger scallion shrimp burger had an interesting miso sriracha aioli. The shrimp was fresh and flavorful. It would be great if they had put more slaw inside. The hot buttered lobster roll was the best dish here. I could tell that the lobster was fresh. There was plenty of both lobster and butter. They also have a cold lobster roll, but I can't imagine it beating the hot one. If you are visiting Portsmouth, give this place a try. Service was very friendly. They have a big menu and supposedly the best seafood in the state. read more

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Very tasty meal with lovely seaside ambiance and attentive, friendly service. We split the crab cake appetizer, which was 1 jumbo crab cake that had a lot of crab in it with a smokey paprika aioli and slaw. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and we enjoyed it. But the star was the Korean BBQ scallop dish - the sweet chili cream sauce is like crack - buttery, savory and sweet with a little kick. The scallops were tender and cooked nicely. The green beans had a nice mild char, which tasted great with the sauce and potatoes. I would return for this dish, it was very good and something I'll probably even crave once in awhile. read more

Surf Restaurant - Korean BBQ scallops - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I came here with friends a week ago and enjoyed the night. The food was nice, as was the ambience. I accidentally left my hat behind when I left, but getting it back was no problem. The Surf Restaurant's staff shipped it to my home address shortly after I called and asked about it the next day. I'm grateful for the great service, and looking forward to going there again! read more

Solid place. Really enjoyed the Roasted Haddock entree. Great piece of fish and came with lobster mashed potatoes. Fisherman's platter was underwhelming. Not a lot of food for the money and taste was just ok. Shrimp tacos were ok. Fish tacos are better. Service is quite good. Nice atmosphere inside. Many tables have great views. read more

Don't precook fry's. Don't have servers fold napkins instead of check back with customers. Ambiance is great.

Great place! On the water! Great food and yummy desserts. Best of all the service was the best we have had in a long time. Highly recommended! read more

3.5/5 it was good food but the bloody mary was interesting. Would come again for food though! read more

Surf Restaurant - Mary and the Boys- Bloody Mary - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

My husband and I recently dined at Surf Restaurant in Portsmouth, and unfortunately, our experience left much to be desired. Upon arrival, we waited to be seated and were placed at a high-top table. Due to a medical condition that causes me severe lower back pain when my feet dangle, I kindly asked our waitress if we could be moved to a lower table. Instead of assisting us or finding an alternative table, she directed us back to the hostess to sort it out ourselves. I found this response not only unhelpful but quite rude. After waiting for about 5 minutes at the hostess stand (as she was understandably busy), we finally got someone's attention. Thankfully, the lady who helped us was kind and promptly escorted us to a more suitable table. Our waiter, while helpful, was very dry and didn't smile once throughout our meal. We struggled a bit with deciding on our main course, so we opted to start with sushi as an appetizer and asked to keep our menus so we could have a few more minutes to decide. The waiter then informed us, "That's fine, you just can't have your menu at the table when your food comes." The way this was communicated felt abrupt and off-putting. A more courteous way to convey this would have been something like, "Of course, take your time to order, but please know that we ask our customers not to dine with menus at the table for cleanliness purposes." His tone almost made us want to leave. As for the food, the sushi was fresh and acceptable, the crab cake was delicious, and the hot lobster roll was tasty with a generous portion of lobster. However, the lobster fries were a disappointment. While the flavors were there, the fries were so soggy they were turning into mashed potatoes--clearly, they had been sitting for too long. We were originally going to pay for two hours of parking but added an extra hour (total of 3 hours) so we could find a dessert spot to walk to after dinner. Thankfully, we bought the extra hour because we ended up at the restaurant for most of that time due to the slow service. Overall, while the prices were reasonable, the combination of slow service, inconsistent food quality, and rude waitstaff means we won't be returning, nor would I recommend Surf Restaurant to others. read more

Surf Restaurant - Sushi - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire