Best Seasonal Restaurants in Portsmouth

I had the seafood of the day (sword fish) outstanding. My wife had the sirloin and fries (outstanding). Service and all were outstanding. Go there for any special occasion. We were fortunate to find parking behind the restaurant. Make sure you have reservations in advance (e.g. through OpenTable.)

Such a great find as a way to celebrate a wonderful Christmas visit with my mom and in-laws! Our reservation was at 4:30pm which, in December, gave us an amazing view of the sunset over the water. Everything was tasty- great cocktails, the best oysters I've ever had, and entrees we all appreciated. One of the stars was my mom's dessert- sticky toffee pudding. Posh, wonderful, and a great way to impress our Texas-based family members.

I have been coming to this location long before Newport Restaurant Group acquired it and have had a love and regretfully, hate relationship with this restaurant. Sometimes the food is good, sometimes not. Sometimes the service is fantastic and sometimes not. Tonight, for the first time in my experience,they have met at an intersection of wonderful! Our waitress, Svetlana was exceptional. Being Christmas Eve, I had prepared to tamper my expectations because as with most holiday dining, it's a lot to manage the parties varying in size and expectation along with the intensity placed on the kitchen and it's staff. She was personable, friendly and attentive the entire service. In addition, the food was exceptional! We had started with the creamy chowder and 6 oysters and 4 shrimp cocktail, then the tuna tartare and the crab dip. There was a slightly longer wait for the lobsters ( because we waited to place the entree orders until we were half way done with our second course and not because of our waitress). Still, the restaurant manager came over to apologize for the slightly longer wait, which was NOT their fault. Our 2 lb and 1.25 lb baked stuffed lobsters came out to perfection! We also managed to indulge in the bananas fosters cheesecake. A delightful surprise of an evening and now, we want more! The staff , front and back of house are to be commended as well as the management team, for what felt like a well prepared team ready to serve the masses!

Fantastic Christmas Eve lunch at The Mooring. Sat in the patio on the water's edge. Nice and warm with overhead heaters. Seafood Risotto - a special seasonal item - delish with lobster and shrimp. Pan fried sole with butter sauce very delicate and served with potatoes and some greens. Service perfect. Food exceptional. A great time by all. Definitely would recommend.

Everything was spectacular, from the crab cakes to the center cut filet (I recommend the bourbon cream as the sauce). Service was great. We went two days before Christmas so it was not very crowded. Great place for a special occasion.