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The Puddle Dock, Portsmouth, NH

The Puddle Dock

4.8
4.8
864 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 10 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
Located on the grounds of Strawbery Banke Museum in historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, The Puddle Dock Restaurant proudly offers Modern Colonial feel and fare! Led by esteemed Executive Chef Derek Clough, the Puddle Dock Restaurant will take you back to Colonial America featuring English and American favorites, then snap you back to the present with our modern twists.

Chef Derek takes great pride in growing a lot of our vegetables, foraging our mushrooms, and presenting beauty for your palate. His care is evidence in some of our best-loved dishes, Yorkshire Pudding, Portuguese Salted Cod, Pan-Roasted Duck Breast, and our signature Hoe Cake. Be sure to save room for dessert! All our desserts are made in house - Cinnamon Rum Breading, Dark Chocolate Pudding, and Posset are among the favorites!

Enjoy the ambience of our historic exposed beam building, once a general store offering penny candy, or enjoy our front and rear patios for dinner in the open air.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed–Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 4:30 pm–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (603) 373-8192
  • Website
    http://www.thepuddledock.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Derek Clough
  • Location
    66 Marcy St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4650
  • Neighbourhood
    Portsmouth
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 864 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • New Hampshire

    Best Ambience

  • New Hampshire

    Romantic

  • New Hampshire

    American

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Best Ambience

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Romantic

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Puddle Dock is a must-visit gem in Portsmouth, offering "excellent food and service" in a charming colonial setting. Guests rave about the inventive menu featuring standout dishes like duck pie and chocolate pudding. The "friendly staff" and "cozy ambiance" make it perfect for special occasions. Reservations recommended!

864 Reviews

  1. Nancy

    Greater Boston

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful atmosphere. Bustling but not noisy. Food was outstanding. Several people in our party commented that it was one of their best meals dining out.

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  2. PatG

    Charleston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a great experience and convenient for after theater drinks and apps. Our server, David, was charming and attentive. We will be back.

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  3. Paula

    Greater Boston

    57 reviews

    5.0

    57 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We sat at the bar with bartenders Kyle and Liam. Fun and delicious time. Our 1st time here...will be back soon!

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  4. Elizabeth

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I had a date night at Puddle Dock, and it was fantastic. The food was delicious, and the atmosphere was perfect. Our server, David, made the evening even better with his friendly and attentive service. He gave great recommendations and made sure we had everything we needed. Highly recommend Puddle Dock for a special night out!

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  5. Leslie

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Don’t often write reviews; dine out a lot. This small, cozy hidden old colonial restaurant was fabulous. Food was superb. Service was classy—low key, but never missed a step. But really, one of those places where everything fell into place. We live in Boston area. Had eaten there once before. Made a special trip to Portsmouth to dine. Better than we remembered. At the end of the entrees, I said to my husband, “this is a home run.” At the end of dessert, I said, no, “a grand slam.”

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  6. Rob

    Sacramento

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    really good food and a really awesome space. very attentive staff!

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  7. Julie

    Los Angeles

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our friends and I make excuses to come from the Boston area so we can eat at the Puddle Dock (Usually we see a terrific show across the street at The Players Ring). There is nothing I don't like about this cozy place. The fireplace, the perfect lighting and noise level. Then there is the food. We've never had a bad meal. They have super delicious cocktails as well. I wish they stayed open until 10. It would be nice to go for a cocktail after the show. The service is also top notch. The dark chocolate pudding was so good, I want to sell my house in Boston and move to Portsmouth just so I can be closer to the pudding. Yes, I'm highly food motivated.

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  8. Jeanne

    Phoenix

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A cozy and inviting atmosphere with excellent service, ambiance and cuisine. Table service and bar seating was both very comfortable. Located in a wonderful historic district there is nothing about this spot that would disappoint!

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  9. robert

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food in a classic Portsmouth old world environment

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  10. Tony

    VIP

    St. Louis

    8 reviews

    1.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on January 9, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    We had what we thought was a 5 PM reservation. We arrive at 5 PM only to discover that our reservation was at 5:30 PM. Arriving 30 minutes early was severely frowned upon by the staff. We were seated at a table by the front door while other guests were escorted to the main dining room. At 6 PM, we observed that three tables were still vacant in the main dining room. I don’t know what the staff was thinking. We will assume it was simply bad training. Adding insult to injury, our salted cod was marginal at best. Our server was pleasant and it appeared. She was feeling our pain. We certainly would not return. 

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FAQs

The Puddle Dock offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (603) 373-8192.

The Puddle Dock is rated 4.8 stars by 864 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 10 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Puddle Dock

66 Marcy St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4650

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    Portsmouth
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed–Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 4:30 pm–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Derek Clough
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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