visiting Portsmouth in July (Keene, Hampton: live, restaurants, store)

[nanciegord]

We'll be visiting Portsmouth for a few days in July. I've checked the online calendar, and there are some great activities planned for when we'll be there. I'd appreciate any suggestions for must-do or must-sees. Also, would love restaurant recommendations. We will be 2 late-50's people, 2 mid-30's people and a well behaved 6 year old.

[Pawporri]

Margarita's for good mexican food............

[Valerie C]

A harbor cruise, a whale watch or perhaps a cruise to Star Island on the Isles of Shoals Steamship Company.

[steveusaf]

Margarita's? It'll be "good" depending on where you're coming from. It's acceptable for New England. I do second the Star Island cruise though. Check out what's going on in Prescott Park.

[GregW]

This is a great time of year to visit NH. Anywhere in NH is nice but Portsmouth is choice. Attend the events, walk through Strawberry Banke, go to Odiorne Point and spend a day watching the tide, take a side trip to Maine and check out the DelOrme map store just south of Freeport, but mostly just walk around downtown and relax.

[Valerie C]

We've had a couple of good experiences at Agave (Mexican) and The Friendly Toast is not to be missed for their imaginative creations, and their eclectic collections of STUFF. Fun food at it's best

Restaurant recommendations: what do you prefer? Upscale? Seafood? Steaks? Tapas? Portsmouth has got them all...

[nanciegord]

Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone. I think we'll do a cruise of some sort. I did check out things happening at Prescott Park: live music and an outdoor performance of WIllie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which my granddaughter will love.
Is the Margarita's that was mentioned part of the same chain that has Margarita's in Keene?
As far as restaurants go, we are interested in unique-to-the-area ones if possible. Not terribly upscale.
Also, is it worth driving to Hampton Beach for a morning or afternoon?
Thanks for the help to everyone who responded!

[chris410]

Yes the margaritas is a chain, I would not recommend that to someone going to Portsmouth for the first time. ( I wouldn't recommend it at all quiet frankly)

I'mnot terribly familiar with all the best restaurants in Portsmouth, but a few places I have been and would recommend are the following

Jumping jays - seafood, casual/upscale (nice spot for a nice dinner)
Poppovers on the square - amazing place to go for after dinner desert and coffee or a lunch sandwich
Flatbread pizza company - i think this is a small chain, but a great spot for lunch if your looking for pizza
BG's boathouse is another good lunch spot to eat fried clams outside on the deck and watch the boats cruise by.

There are tons of other good restaurants as well, check yelp

Hampton beach in my opinion is worth checking out once, its definitely a good place to go people watching, not really my favorite place to go to the beach tho, its kinda like the jersey shore of the north. But i do recommend driving down along route 1B from Portsmouth through new castle, to 1A and take that south to Hampton beach, cruise to the end of the strip and then do 1A to 1B in reverse and see it in another direction, Its one of my favorite drives in NH. very scenic with great spots to stop off and snap photos and go see the ocean.

red hook brewery tour is also close by and is worth the trip if you have time (and like good beer)

man i wanna go to Portsmouth now!

Originally Posted by nanciegord

Thanks for the great suggestions, everyone. I think we'll do a cruise of some sort. I did check out things happening at Prescott Park: live music and an outdoor performance of WIllie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, which my granddaughter will love.
Is the Margarita's that was mentioned part of the same chain that has Margarita's in Keene?
As far as restaurants go, we are interested in unique-to-the-area ones if possible. Not terribly upscale.
Also, is it worth driving to Hampton Beach for a morning or afternoon?
Thanks for the help to everyone who responded!

[Valerie C]

Originally Posted by nanciegord;24799763[FONT=Century Gothic

Also, is it worth driving to Hampton Beach for a morning or afternoon?[/font]

Hampton Beach is OK, but only just OK (sadly... it was the beach I grew up going to, and it's become dirty, overcrowded and VERY expensive to park) I think it's more worth it to head to north, to the southern Maine coastline. Visit Cape Neddick Lighthouse (everybody calls it Nubble Light) and Bald Head Cliff in York. Visit Ogunquit and walk the Marginal Way. Just my opinion--let us know what you end up doing!!

[brk330]

Hampton beach in my opinion is worth checking out once, its definitely a good place to go people watching, not really my favorite place to go to the beach tho, its kinda like the jersey shore of the north. But i do recommend driving down along route 1B from Portsmouth through new castle, to 1A and take that south to Hampton beach, cruise to the end of the strip and then do 1A to 1B in reverse and see it in another direction, Its one of my favorite drives in NH. very scenic with great spots to stop off and snap photos and go see the ocean.

I second this drive and would add a stop at Petey's. Hampton Beach has a campy retro boardwalk feel I like, also the beach is considered one of the cleanest in the nation. The drive up into Maine on 1 and 1A is also nice but can have much more traffic. DO NOT try going north into Maine on a Friday evening, or come back on Sunday. I worked at the Kittery Outlets and the commute back to Portsmouth on Sunday would take 45 minutes.

It would help to know where you are from? I have always tuned my restaurant advice according to where the visitor is from. for example, if you are from Texas, you probably won't like Margarita's. But if you are from Nova Scotia, it might seem incredibly authentic.
My family is about to visit from Colorado (new england natives). We definitely will not go out for steak or mexican. They miss seafood, pizza/subs , chinese food, and dunkin'.