Travel advice: Exeter/Portsmouth NH

Any restaurant or brewery suggestions would be appreciated.

 

This will be of no value to you, but I spent one of the greatest half-summers of my life in Portsmouth.

Alas, I was only 19 so spent most of my time getting drunk on the beaches in Kittery Point.

And it was a long time ago, so if I had gone to bars they’d probably be gone by now anyway.

 

I loved oyster happy hour at The Franklin: https://franklinrestaurant.com/
It’s across the street from Gilley’s, which I didn’t make it to, but was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: www.gilleysdiner.com
There are some restaurants on Bow Street with nice water views. As I recall, some seemed like tourist traps but I don’t have any specific ones to avoid.
I got good coffee and pastry at Cafe Vonsolln.
Have a great trip!

 

Downtown Portsmouth is your typical small New England city center — cobblestones, shops, all the rest.

The original Friendly Toast is downtown. Their menu is interesting and the food is decent, but I’ve never understood the obsession with the place.

If you want good stuff, cheap, there are the outlets across the border in Kittery.

You can find Portsmouth lite about 20 miles down the road in Newburyport, across the state line in MA.

The greatest thing ever might be the New Hampshire state liquor stores in the highway median right after you cross the state line. New Hampshire, live free or booze it up.

 

I'll email you some suggestions. Have been there a few times.

 

I read that at first as Cafe Insulin.

 

When I used to frequent ME and MA, I ran a lot of handles of cheap gin across the Canadian border for my old man. For him it was about 1/3 of the price.

 

If I ever own a bakery, I have a name.

 

I’ll open the Diabetes Diner next door. Also known as “Pizza Hut.”