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The Oar House, Portsmouth, NH

The Oar House

4.2
4.2
571 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood
  • 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
  • Phone number
    (603) 436-4025
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Ray Guerin
  • Private party facilities
    For up to 100
  • Private party contact
    Chad Massida: (603) 436-4025
  • Neighbourhood
    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

What 571 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.2
4.2 based on all time ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.2Ambience
  • 0.9Value

NoiseModerate

571 Reviews
  1. bellwood

    Charleston

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on June 18, 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

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 12, 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. Stinkfaul

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 11, 2017

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    Nice location. We made the mistake of opting for the deck because of the warm weather and the proximity to the water. We were promptly seated and the wait staff was attentive. Positives: friendly, informative waitress Negatives: limited menu, not a good value, proximity of our table to the "live entertainment" made it difficult to converse

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  4. Squint

    Greater Boston

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 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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  5. KateLovesSeafood

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    9 reviews

    3.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on June 3, 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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  6. EM56

    New York City

    92 reviews

    4.0

    92 reviews

    Dined on May 24, 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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  7. Jmstep

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 20, 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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  8. Stephanie

    Greater Boston

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 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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  9. Robert

    Greater Boston

    15 reviews

    2.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on May 20, 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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  10. OpenTable Diner

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 19, 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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FAQs

The Oar House is rated 4.2 stars by 571 OpenTable diners.

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

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
Google Map for The Oar House

55 Ceres St., Portsmouth, NH 03801

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Bow Street
  • Neighbourhood
    Portsmouth
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    We have a private lot that has valet parking on the weekends and in summer months.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Ray Guerin
  • 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
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