Things To Do in Portsmouth
Activities
Drive the NH coastline (Route 1A) and see beautiful beaches and mansions. (Joe taught Louisa how to drive stick on this road.) Explore Downtown Portsmouth - get lost on the scenic streets and pop in all the fun shops and galleries. Explore Prescott Park - a scenic park downtown on the waterfront. There are free concerts here in the summer. Peirce Island - this is another lovely park on the water with walking trails, located near Prescott Park. (Louisa and Joe play volleyball here with friends.) Take a boat ride. There are a few options that go out of Portsmouth: the Gundalow (a flat bottom sailboat), The Harbor Cruise, and the Thomas Leighton. Explore the USS Albacore, a decommissioned submarine. Go to the beach, Great Island Common is a great beach near by, located in New Castle. (Louisa and Joe play volleyball here.) Explore Strawbery Banke - a living history village where you can explore homes of different historical eras. (This is really fun at Christmas.)
Ice Cream
Lagos - Louisa and Joe's favorite. This is not in downtown, but if you are willing to drive ~13 minutes you will have some of the best homemade ice cream you will ever eat at the best price point you will ever see. The sizes are huge, so stick with the kiddie unless you are ravenous. (Maybe you'll get to try Lagos if you come to the Welcome party on Friday night). Annabelle's - this is a downtown Portsmouth staple, overpriced but tasty, and you don't need to drive to it.
Breakfast
The Friendly Toast - this is a very popular sit-down breakfast place, with an eclectic vibe. Located downtown. Great bloody Mary’s. Join the waitlist online so you don’t have to wait forever. (Also a great lunch spot.) Tucker's - a short drive down the road. This is also a very popular sit-down breakfast place, they probably still have a way to join the waitlist online. (Also a great lunch spot.) The Works - if you've ever stayed over at Joe and Louisa's place, you've probably eaten from The Works. (There is a location near their house.) There is a location in downtown Portsmouth. Very casual vibe/counter service. The Getty Bagels- probably the best bagels in the area, if you are looking for New York Style. (Louisa loves bagels and vouches for the quality.) Nothing fancy, just good bagels. A very short drive from downtown or longer walk. Be prepared to wait. Elephantine Bakery- a beautiful French inspired cafe downtown. Amazing baked goods, coffee drinks, and food.
Coffee
Downtown Choices: Cup of Joe, Elephantine, Stroll, Ceres A short drive away: La Mulita (hands-down best coffee around, the owner is from Colombia, usually closed on Sundays), White Heron, Caffe Kilim, Lils (award winning crueller donuts...a must purchase) (best chai's: Ceres and White Heron...La Mulita has an awesome dirty chai)
Casual Dining
Ceres - downtown, delicious sandwiches made with freshly baked bread, (breakfast/Lunch only) Laney and Lu - counter service, delicious vegetarian food, quick service or grab a smoothie (there is also a coffee bar). A quick drive from downtown (breakfast/lunch only...closes at 6pm). Lils - great sandwiches and pastries. Short drive from downtown. You must get one of their cruellers, they are life changing. (breakfast/lunch only) Genos - Lobster rolls, downtown (lunch only) Flatbreads - pizza, downtown Lexie's - the best smash burgers and milkshakes (longer walk/short drive from downtown) The Kitchen - great food at a great price (longer walk/short drive from downtown) Vida Cantina - Mexican (James beard finalist chef), ~10 min drive from downtown Chauncey Creek - BYOB lobster CO-OP Anju Noodle Bar - delicious ramen and Asian noodles!!! (Very popular so get there early or be prepared to wait, it is a small place.) Short drive from downton.
Unforgettable Food
Reservations are highly encouraged for these restaurants! (the price point may be higher than the casual options) Cava - delicious tapas (downtown) Moxy - delicious tapas (downtown) Black Trumpet - delicious farm to table restaurant (downtown) Tuscana Chophouse - steakhouse (downtown). (This also has a great bar, Joe and Louisa sometimes go here for happy hour on Sundays to watch the Patriots.) Massimo - Upscale inspired Italian (downtown) Mama Luca - Classic Italian with a modern flare (downtown) Black Birch - This might be Louisa's favorite restaurant in the area. A short drive away. This place does not take reservations, go early or be prepared to wait. A farm-to-table restaurant. Botanica - French (a short drive from downtown) FIVE81NE - upscale Thai (short drive from downtown). Some of the best Thai food we've eaten, and Joe has been to Thailand.
Cocktail Bars
So many fun bars in Portsmouth. These bars have some of bride & groom's favorite cocktails. The Dram -our favorite cocktail bar, unbelievably creative and well crafted cocktails at a reasonable price. (Same owner and building as Anju Noodle bar.) A quick drive from downtown. We often put our name in at Black Birch or Anju to eat and then grab a pre-meal cocktail here. The Wilder - espresso martinis on tap and other inspired cocktails right downtown. Cup of Joe - espresso inspired martinis are their bread and butter. Fun local vibe. The owner, Jo, is a big local advocate and the assistant Mayor of Portsmouth. (This will be the location of the After party on Saturday.)
Breweries
Tons of breweries in the area, below are a few you may want to check out! Liars Bench - Did you know Tucker has been the face of one of their beers? Really fun local spot, but we may be biased. (short drive from downtown) Loaded Question - Close by Liars Bench in Portsmouth’s West End. Earth Eagle - a more funky vibe downtown brewery
Live Theatre Venues
Seacoast Repertory Theatre - this is a funky theatre downtown that has been around forever. Louisa grew up going to shows here and has shared the joy of theatre with Joe. It is now the home of a professional theatre group that puts on amazing quality shows for a very reasonable price. The Music Hall - this historic theatre downtown always is putting on shows (comedy, music, movies, lectures, musicals, etc). This is an iconic Portsmouth venue and must be on your list.
Live Music Venues
The Music Hall Lounge - owned by the Music Hall and across the street from the Music Hall proper. It is a small venue that sometimes has live music. Jimmy’s Jazz Club - a very cool Jazz club downtown in a renovated old school. This venue attracts great musicians due to its great acoustics. You’ll need a ticket to see the show. The bar area usually has much cheaper seats and you’ll have a great view if you pick bar seats across from the window (seats 1, 2, 6, 7, 8). They do serve dinner but we find it to be overpriced and you can get a much better meal elsewhere. The Press Room - A fun downtown bar that also has a music venue upstairs. Check out their website to see what they have going on. The Soggy Po Boys, the band that will be playing at our ceremony and cocktail hour, often play here.
Live Music - No ticket/reservation needed
The Gaslight outdoor garden - the Gaslight is a downtown restaurant. we do not recommend the food here, but in the summer they have live music in their patio area. It can be a fun spot to grab a drink and listen to music or even dance. Thirsty Moose Basement - The Thirsty Moose is a downtown sports bar. It is a downtown staple, very average food but is a fun place to watch a game and hangout. If you love to dance they often have live bands playing on the weekends in their basement. Check their website. We recommend this scene for the young and the young at heart (the basement can often feel more like a club).