Great atmosphere, though it can feel a bit chilly if you're seated near the windows. The service was excellent, and our server was very knowledgeable about both the menu and the wine list. Everything we ordered tasted fantastic. That said, both the pappardelle and the ravioli were a bit heavy on the sauce. While the sauces were delicious, they slightly overwhelmed the pasta and distracted from the delicate flavors of the lobster. The standout entrée was the braised short rib. It was incredibly tender and packed with rich, savory flavor. The drinks were excellent, and dessert was the perfect finish. The pistachio cheesecake was absolutely outstanding. Added note: I ordered the Caesar salad...I was asked if I wanted anchovies. I did, the server said nothing about an additional charge for the anchovies and I didn't look on the bill. If they do charge for anchovies knock one star off this review. One other reviewer claimed they charged extra for anchovies. A traditional Caesar comes with anchovies! If they're charging extra; that's just wrong. Nowhere on the menu does it say extra for anchovies. Bon appétit read more

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As first time customers celebrating a very special anniversary & milestone everything was top notch from the glow of the fire when walking in to how we were greeted. The perfect seat, friendly & accommodating waitress & as they say "hostess with the mostest" and we haven't even had the cocktails or food yet. The drinks made to perfection & the food delicious & hot. The extra effort that is shown in this family owned restaurant shines. Our new favorite restaurant in Portsmouth. Coming from NY this is the best of the best. read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Dirty martini with blue cheese olives & blood orange martini. - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The food was amazing! Caprese salad, bruschetta, and baked salmon with lobster cream sauce and a side of lobster ravioli! Fabulous! Lemoncello gelato for dessert was the perfect ending of a delightful meal! And the service was fantastic! read more

Cute spot. Food and cocktails were very good. My Calabrese Pasta was amazing. Recommended by our friendly and excellent server Yvonne. Osso Bucco solid. Most really enjoyed their food. One guests Veal Marsala was overcooked and tough. For a restaurant of this caliber, I cringe when the auction off food, "Who had the Pomodoro?" (Wasn't our serve Yvonne; guy with shaggy blond hair). OK wine programs; would like to see a few more Italians. All in all we had a great time and recommend. read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We hadn't visited Cafe Mediterraneo for several years, based on recent reviews we decided to try it again. The room is wonderful, the service was very good, appetizer (bruscetta) was delicious and my spinach salad was good. The disappointment was the daily special, the bolognese -- it looked like watery jar sauce with VERY little meat. It was surprising (we have had MANY bolognese over the years) and mystifying that the special would be so bad when all of the other food we saw at other tables looked amazing. We gave 4 stars for the other aspects of the meal: service, atmosphere, the other dishes we tried, would have been 5 stars but for the disappointing daily special. read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Awful, watery bolognese - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Tha bar is cozy with an electric fireplace, the staff is fun, savvy and very experienced. The food was great. Do not leave without ordering the ribollita. The owners were eating dinner while we were there, made it so much fun. You feel like family right away. The restaurant is more reserved. We will return. read more

This was such a delightful dining experience. The bolognese special was incredible. Our server was so friendly and nice. The place felt intimate and we loved the entire experience. We would definitely come back. read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Always excellent food and service. The bartender, Nick is always top notch and the food extraordinary, A very pleasant experience.

Food was great as always. Problem with great food and great service and great ambience means it's always busy. Good problem to have for them. read more

Great place food service and ambiance are wonderful. Nicely located in downtown Portsmouth I highly recommend it.

The old owners have sold and the new owners have been raising prices and have now added a stupid 3% convenience fee on the total bill. What so convenient of not having parking close by the front door for handicap people and the slowest service ever. read more

Solid and tasty food, I got a chicken with apricots and raisins dish, nice atmosphere and excellent service. I'd return for sure. read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The food was pretty good. Our waitress, Ashley, was very attentive. BUT, she failed to tell us that there's a 3.00 charge for the chefs pasta x 4 of us. " Would you like anchovies on your Caesar salad she said."? Sure, I said .. but didn't mention they cost more. And, it was my brothers birthday .... Mgmt left a card on our table... very thoughtful but, can't offer a piece of bday cake at meals end? And, mgmt adding 5% to the bill because I used a card!?? WTF? read more

We had a great impromptu family night-Gwen was amazing We had the caprese ravioli special and it was amazing! read more

We went with friends before a show -- the special was amazing, as was the pasta dish and the dessert!

I'm sorry but this is one of the worst restaurants in Portsmouth. It all started with the host/manager who was scrolling his phone for over 30 seconds while I was standing at the podium waiting to be seated. No smiles, no "good evening", just a mechanical process that landed us in a hightop table by the bar where we were bumped as people passed by or waited for their table. We waited 15 minutes for drinks while the bartender and host flirted with some 30-something single ladies. The bread and dipping oil was great. Food, however, was inedible. The veal was impossible to cut and tasted worse than a frozen meal from Walmart. They overload their dishes with cheese, butter, and everything else to make you feel disgusting. We were comped a tiramisu due to the fact we didn't eat our food. Seriously, Hannaford is better. P. S. We made a reservation, it was not very busy, and we were not seated by Tricia. read more

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Went again last night, EXCELLENT FOOD, service , ambience & prices This place just gets better every meal. read more

From the moment we were greeted by Ava with her phenomenal personality, to spending time at the bar with Nick, all the way through our meal served by Ethan, this evening was a delight. The food was delicious, the service exemplary, and the staff were personable and professional. read more

Cafe Med is always excellent. They have great wine, delicious bread and such a great menu of delicious options. I have tried many meals there and they are all delicious. Can't wait to go back! read more

The food was delicious. My review is to say the restaurant shouldn't take reservations at 730pm if the staff wants to be out the door at 8pm. We booked for my daughter's bday dinner for 730 because that is when we could all get there. Immediately upon sitting down we were told the kitchen closed at 8, and we need to order. I assumed the restaurant closed at 9 at the earliest bc why would they take a 730 reservation? We were in and out very quickly and will not be returning. read more

Cafe Med? More like Cafe Mid. This place is.. not great. If you like waiting a full hour for your mediocre food then this is the restaurant for you. Everything is incredibly salty. The ribollita tasted like Campbell's tomato soup concentrate. I've given this place multiple chances and every time it's fallen flat. The waitstaff is very friendly though, at least they have that going for them. read more

Outstanding service start to finish.. and not only for us, watched them do the same for everyone. Food was fantastic / authentic and the drinks were legit. Highly recommend read more

Very disappointed. I go there often but tonight they lost a customer for life with their blanket refusal to help us out when 2 extra teenagers joined our party. We made creative suggestions and they just didn't want to hear it. Lost a part of 8 for the night and I simply just will not go there again - too many great places in town to bother with a place that wouldn't go the extra mile for their customers read more

We made a reservation and only had to wait a few minutes to get to our seat it was a busy Friday night,we were greeted by our server and ordered drinks and apps.We got our appetizer which were the mussels in red sauce,the sauce wasn't that good it was like a can of tomato sauce but the meals which were short ribs and a lobster ravioli were delicious.We did have to ask a couple of times for bread.Overall we enjoyed it and the birthday card on the table was a nice touch.. read more

We have been patronizing Cafe Mediterraneo for over 20 years even before it moved to the current location. The food has always been consistently good as well as the service and value. We just recently visited, and we understand that the restaurant has changed hands. Now all the prices have been raised by a 30-40% now they charge a percentage to use a credit card and reduced the portions significantly. We were totally disappointed and feel the new owner is only driven by money. So sad. We understand that everything has gone up but to hit the consumer in every way is just not fair. read more

Always in search of excellent Italian food, we followed the advise of many happy customers and finally tried Cafe Mediterraneo on a lovely Father's Day Sunday. The menu has so many classic and also unique items, with so much to choose from. We had the Gorgonzola mussels as an appetizer, and we used the absolutely wonderful bread to mop up the memorable sauce. We just had to order a second round of the hot, crusty bread ($2 for a second order, well worth it!) to finish the delicious sauce. Next time I'll have it with pasta as my meal! The Dad in our group had the Linquina Alla Toscana which had perfectly prepared seafood with a totally different but fabulous ginger pesto sauce. So good. The gnocchi was also out of this world, and the eggplant and chicken parmesans were excellent. We were stuffed but shared a yummy deconstructed cannoli and some delicious cappuccinos for dessert. With one beer and three soft drinks, our bill was a fair $174 before tip. And our server was top notch, as was the ambiance. All in all, a very memorable meal! read more

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Looking for a seafood restaurant and stumbled upon this restaurant. I was greeted with a smile and promptly seated. My server ( didnt get her name) was attentive and able to get my calamari with mostly rings. Oh..and the calamari was the best ive ever had outside of Italy. I ordered the seafood risotto and it was delicious!! If I ever return to the area...im coming back. read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Seafood Risotto - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Great place to go before a show at Jimmy's Jazz Club. Right next door. Great food, service and atmosphere. read more

I went there for a 1st date and the service provided by Ashley couldn't have been better. Her experience, her welcoming attitude and personality really helped calm the nerves of both guests down. The food was great and we left with a wonderful experience. Thank you. read more

The food is always delicious and the atmosphere very pleasant. Our recent trip came with a little surprise. It seems that currently if you pay with a credit card three percent is added to your bill. Unfortunately the server got a smaller tip because we had not planned on paying cash. read more

Delicious. Really good duck. And veal alla romana. Service was very nice. Would recommend. 10/10

In town for the weekend and checked out Cafe Mediterraneo. Four of us were able to walk in and sit at the bar, which is always our preference. (Note: Tables were reserved for the night.) Nice ambiance - lights down for evening service, terra cotta walls, lively conversation but not an overwhelming amount of sound. We were greeted promptly, and confirmed bar seats were open. Nick, the bartender, greeted us immediately and we had menus and drinks within 5-10 minutes. Cocktails were balanced and delicious, and he was super knowledgeable about the menu and made some great suggestions. Nick definitely knows his craft. The Man and I started with the Cafe Med soup. We split the bowl and the kitchen sent it out in two bowls, which was very much appreciated. The soup was tomato based with fresh vegetables and chopped chicken. It also had a bit of spice to warm it nicely. Entree portions were massive! I had the special bolognese with gluten free penne. Kitchen cooked the penne perfectly. (My pet peeve is that most kitchens undercook it or it's falling apart.) The bolognese was in a vodka sauce, and absolutely delicious. More than plenty to eat for breakfast tomorrow. The Man got the lasagna of the day, which was a traditional lasagna. Enough to feed a small village! Well prepared with just that right balance of charred bits in the edges and plenty of melt cheese, all in a bed of extra gravy. Our friends got seafood dishes: fruiting di mare and the baked haddock special. O. M. G. Giant portions! Tons of mussels, scallops, shrimp and squid along with a big portion of linguini in a red gravy. The baked haddock was stuffed with crab and other lusciousness, and served with asparagus and a mountain of mashed potatoes. Both were well received and devoured. We really enjoyed our experience and will undoubtedly be back when we return to Portsmouth. (As an aside, I read the negative reviews of Nick from months ago and completely disagree. Nick was busy, hustling and focused, but stopped to take the time to talk to a customer when needed. His sense of humor is a little gruff and dry, which, being from the Boston area, we enjoyed.) read more

Cafe Mediterraneo - Lasagna of the day - traditional lasagna. - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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My salmon over lobster ravioli was excellent however my wife's linguine with clams was disappointing, there was no sauce, was supposed to be white wine, garlic, olive oil, and crushed red pepper (sounded great but was nonexistent ). The service was very good and the food arrived quickly, all at the same time. Deserving of a healthy tip. Our 2 guests were very satisfied with their meals. On the expensive side at $250 for the four of us with 2 drinks. read more

Amazing atmosphere and food! So glad we stopped in. A definite return to restaurant next time we're in NH.

Excellent authentic Italian food. Really great servers. The menu has a lot of options and thank goodness the meatballs and lasagna doesn't have pork. One of the best restaurants in Portsmouth. read more

Food quality was outstanding. I had the Pappardelle Bolognese special that was superb! Huge Caesar's salad and tasty olive oil, parmigiana cheese with warm bread. My wife ate the house salad with salmon. She loved it. My sister had a vegetable pasta in white sauce. Exceptional food quality reasonably priced. Was disappointed with 2 issues- the first was that I was underwhelmed by the service. I made the reservation online noting it was a birthday celebration for my sister. Our waiter never acknowledged the birthday until we were leaving, yet the 2 tables beside us also had birthday celebrations and cakes with candles. All 3 tables were conversing about the birthday celebrants. The waiter asked if we wanted desserts but when my sister declined he just brought the check. AWKWARD! I would have expected a good restaurant like this to automatically bring a small dessert with candles lit. The second item was a credit card surcharge on the check. One price for cash another price for credit card users. VERY TACKY! Are you a gas station or a fine dining restaurant? Otherwise an enjoyable experience. It was pouring rain on a Monday night and the restaurant was busy, likely due to its proximity to Jimmy's Jazz & Blues club next door, who had a great show following our dinner reservation. Would have rated this a 5 star had it not been for the average waiter and the CC surcharge. read more

Overpriced and small portions I don't understand why these places skimp on pasta when it's so inexpensive to add an extra half a cup and make the serving size look so much bigger. Instead, you get ripped off and go home hungry read more

Beautiful inviting atmosphere and service was terrific from our waitress who was very busy. She was accommodating with any requests. Salad and appetizers were very good and served promptly. Entrees took quite a while to come to the table. This is where we were disappointed. Pasta was swimming in too much thick sauce. We all ordered different entrees yet the sauce seemed to be basically the same and not very tasty. We are Italian and have traveled to Italy many times. I had high hopes for this establishment but do not think I will return. read more

We had a reservation for 5:30. Upon arriving the hostess said that "someone had messed up" and they didn't have a table for us. She then offered to place us at a high top that is squeezed in by the bar. We sat at this table once before and it was awful. The servers jostle your elbows on the way by. The bar patrons have to scoot their chairs back into you and there is no room for 2 entrees. The hostess kept saying "you did nothing wrong" "someone else messed up" but she said it was that table or nothing. So we left. We will not be returning. read more

Had high hopes when we walked in and saw every table full and found seats at the bar. The bar seemed to have mostly locals and the teasing between them and the bartender was somewhat entertaining. Ordered fried calamari which was fairly good. Husband was recommended the pappadelli with bolognese. His favorite dish. It was no bolognese I've ever seen. It was pink sauce with no meat. He liked it but was surprised. If you're a true Italian I recommend not ordering it. I had a salad with salmon which was good except the bartender made fun of the fact that I was ordering that. 3 times. Honestly. Nothing seemed appealing on menu. I'm a bit of an Italian food snob. Worst part of the night the local at the bar who was on his 4th drink while we were there had a fowl mouth throwing the f bomb every other sentence. Unpleasant. Trashy. We did complain and he was spoken to but listening to his rants ruined the evening. The best thing is the bartender made a great aperol spritz. Would not go back. read more