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Interior - The Oar House, Portsmouth, NH

The Oar House

4.2 (497)
$31 to $50
Seafood
55 Ceres St., Portsmouth, NH 03801

About this restaurant

  • Romantic
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
Located in the historic "Merchant's Row" building at the edge of Portsmouth's old harbor, The Oar House serves fine food in a setting filled with mementos of the city's long and proud maritime heritage.

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Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Ray Guerin
  • Private party facilities
    For up to 100
  • Area
    Portsmouth
  • Cross street
    Bow Street
  • Parking Details
    We have a private lot that has valet parking on the weekends and in summer months.
  • Entertainment
    We feature live piano music inside Friday and Saturday. In season, we feature live music on the deck during Sunday brunch.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at The Oar House.

4.2

4.2
(497)
  • 4.1Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 0.8Value

Noise • Moderate

497 Reviews
  1. bellwood

    South Carolina13 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 18 June 2017

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Went here for Father's Day brunch. Sat on the deck by the water which is a great spot. Waitress was nice but forgot our order twice and had to be politely reminded that we had ordered a drink from the bar that we hadn't yet received. Food was very good. Kids menu is a little pricey, $12 for individual kids pizza. Overall a decent experience.

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  2. OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco Bay Area1 review

    4.0

    Dined on 12 June 2017

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Staff was friendly, helpful and prompt. Ambience of the outdoor deck was terrific, as was the food.

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  3. Squint

    Greater Boston14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 3 June 2017

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Though this restaurant is a little pricier than most in Portsmouth, we thought it was worth it. The food was excellent! I had the vegetable lasagna with Parmesan crusted chicken and will go back just for that dish. The dessert (coconut cake) was also fabulous. The only drawback is that the one window table, where we sat, looks out on ranks of trash cans from the restaurant across the street. That can't be helped, since the restaurant is at ground level. If you really want a view, try the upstairs bar at the Black Trumpet. We probably will revisit The Oar House in the winter for its cozy atmosphere.

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  4. KateLovesSeafood Gold

    Greater Boston10 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on 3 June 2017

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    First hostess we saw was a bit rude, our waitress was very nice but my friend was served a sandwich on moldy bread and we were not offered a refund.

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  5. EM56 Gold

    New York City93 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on 24 May 2017

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Always a bit of a concern to walk into a fairly empty restaurant. Granted it was a Wednesday night but other Portsmouth places were busy. So we were pleasantly surprised by both the birthday greeting, food and service (by Carla)! Enjoyed Salmon Crudo, oysters, pizza and "the best Bouillabaisse ever" to quote a lover of the dish. Will be back

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  6. Jmstep

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 20 May 2017

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The staff at the Oar House were beyond accommodating with making our son's college graduation dinner special. Chad worked magic to accommodate our large party, and to move our reservation to a more palatable time. The service and the food were outstanding, and we were so grateful that we could bring in our own special dessert. Thank you for the perfect end to a perfect day!

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  7. Stephanie

    Greater Boston8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 20 May 2017

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Our family ate at the Oar House following my daughter's graduation from UNH in Durham. We sat outside on a gorgeous spring day and had a lovely afternoon. Fried calamari appetizer was awesome and a must try! Signature cocktails were great as was the main course dishes! We will keep this restaurant on our list to return to when we are back in New Hampshire.

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  8. Robert

    Greater Boston15 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on 20 May 2017

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    We arrived early and were seated right away for a special occasion. They were very nice and wishing our graduate best wishes. However, we all felt like they were eager to feed us and get us out to turn over the table- very rushed. Food was average but overpriced. Nothing spectacular. My seafood bouillabaisse was luke warm, filled with lots of chewy mussels, 5 very overcooked rubber shrimp and an unshelled 1/2 lobster that seemed to have been cooked many hours previous. I was daring in that I'd worn a white shirt and ordered a red, brothy stew but I assumed, as with any other bouillabaisse, the lobster would be shelled and ready to eat. It wasn't. And I had to ask for a set of lobster crackers. Which, even though they're a high priced seafood restaurant on the Atlantic, in prime lobster country, they apparently didn't have. Instead I was given a pair of nutcrackers (which can suffice if you know how to use them but are difficult), no picks, no bib. Obviously, made a mess. Sad celebratory lunch.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston1 review

    3.0

    Dined on 19 May 2017

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Probably not the right time to go as it was UNH graduation. As a result the place was crowded, service was slow although friendly, and generally pricey ($80 Surf/Turf that was average at best). I would like to think that the captive audience was not purposely treated to higher prices. Ordered a 1/2 dozen oysters which were very, very small with little substance. I may try it again on a weeknight.

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  10. Fran Gold

    Nashville124 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 18 May 2017

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were there for dinner after a long travel day. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the Sangria was delicious.

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Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Ray Guerin
  • Private party facilities
    For up to 100
  • Area
    Portsmouth
  • Cross street
    Bow Street
  • Parking Details
    We have a private lot that has valet parking on the weekends and in summer months.
  • Entertainment
    We feature live piano music inside Friday and Saturday. In season, we feature live music on the deck during Sunday brunch.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. New Hampshire
  4. Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley
  5. Portsmouth

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?
Claim this listing
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