What a cute place! Although it's been in business for over a decade, this was our first time trying it. We're glad we did. The decor and ambiance is romantic and charming. It gets a bit loud when fully booked, but not so much you can't talk. Outdoor patio seating is available in warmer weather and there's a small bar (6-7 seats) when you first come into the restaurant. Our server was amazing, came over right away, got us some waters, and asked if we wanted anything to start off with. She was always attentive to our table throughout our dining (sometimes servers seem to sort of fade away after entrees) without being intrusive. Best of all, she was personable and friendly. We were celebrating our anniversary, so we started off with some Prosecco. Ordered the field greens, bread for the table ($5), and some entrees. I had the duck while my wife had the braised short ribs. Salad was perfectly-sized, and bread was warm & delicious. My duck was cooked to perfection and the risotto was savory. My wife's short ribs was really missing the accompanying sauce it appears to usually come with, which is such a shame because it really needs a little of that to help balance out the flavor. Otherwise the ribs were cooked well and the meat could be pulled apart with just your fork. Delicious all around! We ended the night with a flour-less chocolate torte. It was delicious and a perfect way to end a wonderful and amazing evening here. We will definitely be back and would highly recommend! read more

Apps are five star everything else is two star. This was a waste of a meal and a night. Came in on Wednesday night 4/18. Servers and bartenders were drunk doing shots. Great sight to see when you sit down for a meal. Ordered the duck wings and crab cakes. Absolutely phenomenal. Got the pork chop dish. Absolutely awful. Pork chop was tough, Brussel sprouts not cooked and bacon on them. Pork chop had a ton of fat on it. The onion bacon jam or whatever was coveringgggg the whole thing it was disgusting. The biscuit was good though. Overall a pretty bad experience. But I guess I should have expected that when I walked in and the bartenders were slamming double shots of whiskey. Very bad experience I do not recommend going here at all read more

Cure - Pork chop dish. Brussel sprouts were not cooked at all and tasted awful. Pork chop was tough and extremely fatty - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We found this gem on our first weekend getaway to Portsmouth and couldn't be happier. The vibe is upbeat, yet intimate, and great for couples or a fun night with friends. The bar is located by the host station, allowing quick access to drinks as you wait for your table and every staff member is on point. Our server Kait had an amazing personality and did not hesitate to recommend the best dishes available. (Although I'm pretty sure they're all the best) We would not change a thing about our experience and can't wait to visit on our next trip! read more

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Intrigued by Chef Julie Cutting's appearance on Chopped, I decided to try out her creations and see if they lived up to her claim that they "brine and slow cook many of our meats to ensure maximum tenderness and flavor" I ordered the NY Strip for $39. What was put on my plate was the most unpleasant hunk of meat that needed vigorous sawing to cut through. I then had to cut each slice into tiny bits so that I didn't choke while struggling to masticate the meat gum. I left 90% of the steak over! I also ordered the New Old Fashioned. It was served in the typical rocks glass you find in the cheapest of restaurants. The flavors of the berries did not infuse the whiskey. Rather, they just sat at the bottom of the glass and served as straw cloggers. I think I've had over 100 variations of old fashioneds and this one was one of the least impressive. The $3 bread was also quite disappointing. It just didn't taste very good. We also had a chicken entree that was quite tender and flavorful, that was the saving grace. However, Cure is on the list of restaurants to which I have no desire to return. Sorry read more

My sister and I had a great meal at the cure. Charming small restaurant with cow art on the walls. The waiter had us laughing the whole time and we grabbed to-go cheesecake to eat in our hotel. read more

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Unfortunately, after many positive experiences at Cure over the last two years, our meals were not at the caliber we were used to. The halibut special was overcooked and dry, the duck was under seasoned. The mussels appetizer was very good though. Sadly, we won't be going back to Cure. read more

I came here on a visit to Portsmouth and it has surpassed my expectations. Food is phenomenal and portions are huge! This is what I got: Mushroom Forrester - MUST GET! It may not look like much, but the combination of the mushrooms, Dijon, parmesan and white truffle oil goes so well together. The grilled baguette was the perfect vessel to deliver the mushroom sauce into my mouth. I'm salivating just thinking about it. Pan Seared Duck Breast - Generous pieces of duck breast that are lightly seared on the outside. Spinach and risotto were cooked well and complimented the duck breast. I would've liked to see more sear on the duck skin for a crunchy texture but other than that, a great dish. Vegetarian Burrata Ravioli - We were debating between getting this or Crispy Skinned Organic Salmon and the waitress immediately recommended the ravioli. It did not disappoint! The raviolis were pretty big (the waitress told us that no one has been able to finish the dish in one sitting) and the pesto sauce was delicious. read more

Cure - Pan Roasted Duck Breast (front) Vegetarian Burrata Ravioli (back) - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The food was pretty bad, full of basic mistakes. If the head chef had served this slop when she was on chopped they would have laughed her out of the room. The French onion soup had burned cheese and burned bread. The chicken was dry. The steak was rare, not medium rare, with none of the fat rendered. The butter was split. The potatoes were overcooked mush. The green beans were charred to the point that's all you tasted. How can the kitchen look at something so basic as a split butter and decide that this is ok to serve? There's just no care here. I've never made food this bad and served it to my family and friends for free. Never mind asking people to pay for it. Oh and the dinner took an hour and a half. I could have gone to the store, cooked a better dinner, and served it in that time. read more

One of the best lobster mac and cheese I've had, by far. So so good. It was very hard to get a reservation here, even calling one week ahead they only had one last spot for two people, but I'm very glad we still got to try it. We ordered the mac and cheese and the toasted bread with butter and garlic, which was delicious. I really liked that the lobster sauce was mixed in the mac and cheese rather than just tossed on top like i've seen other places do. The reason why this place doesn't get 5 stars is the service. While the waitress was nice, the hostess kept checking on us and the table next to us very noticeably, and even made a weird and not tasteful comment, that it was "hard to see if there are bites left in our plate". This made us feel a bit uncomfortable because while I understand they have a business to run and more people to sit, the way they did it was not worthy of a higher end restaurant, and made us feel like they just wanted to kick us as soon as possible/we were not valued customers. read more

We enjoy a nice Friday night date night. We have been wanting to try this place for a very long time. First of all. It is absolutely adorable and cozy. The young host managing the front end, reservations, seating people, and help bus the tables was fantastic. If I ever had a restaurant of my own, I would need someone just like them. Extremely impressed. Great demeanor, very professional, quick moving, and as busy as the restaurant was, they handled themselves perfectly. Second. The food. We opted out of drinking because we were both rather hungry (we had a later reservation) and wanted to enjoy the food. We started with the Truffle Artichoke dip. It was fantastic. Packed with flavor. Extremely filling. Generous amount. And the amount of artichoke pieces in this dip, perfection. I did not feel as if I was eating just spinach dip... that's for sure. 10/10 We shared two plates. The short rib and the chicken statler. Both were great. I would say the chicken dish was by far the best. It was so "homey", perfect for a nice rainy chilly night. Asparagus were cooked to perfection accompanied by delicious Gouda mashed. 10/10. The short rib was great. I don't particularly love polenta so that through me for a loop but there was nothing dislikable with this dish. I think I was craving something more along the lines of the chicken dish and would have preferred mashed with it. Overall, 8/10 for the short rib dish in my opinion. Third. It was not the restaurants fault at all but put a bit of a spin on our experience. We sat very closely to the most obnoxious food connoisseur and she sucked! She had something to say from the size of the peppercorn to how much ice was in the complimentary water. I did not want to experience another second of my evening next to this human. Lastly. The place is obviously booked out for reservations so far out for a reason. Book well in advance. It is 100% worth it. We will be back. read more

Cure - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Wow! What an amazing meal at Cure..the food was beyond words. Beautifully prepared, fresh and delicious. Cure is a step above. Service was beyond what's expected. You feel like you're part of their culture. But back to the food..salmon was cooked to perfection with gnocchi and roasted seasonal butternut squash. Everyone in our 4 party group had amazing meals. Beautifully plated and delicious! I could go on..just go..it's exceptional read more

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Dropped in with no reservation about 5:15 pm. They were able to seat us with the stipulation the table had to be turned at 6:45 . Greeter, waitress and proprietor worked as a team. Ordered the Lobster Mac + Beef Short Rib and Pear salad with Arugula + burrata cheese + prosciutto. Salad was good mix of salt, sweet, crunch and soft. Beef was soft and tasteful. Sides of potatoes and carrots complimented the Beef. Lobster Mac - the CHEESE was sophisticated very savory overpowered the lobster. But overall considering the service ; ambience and the tastes/ textures this is a definite 5 star restaurant. read more

Dinner with new client was fantastic. Short ribs with mashed and butternut squash was to die for! Impeccable service with nice atmosphere. I'll definitely be back. read more

Service was below average. Food was tasty but too salty. We split one soup, one salad and one gnocchi dish. $60 total w/ tax and tip. Expensive for a quick Tuesday night bite. read more

- menu changes daily, so don't get married to a particular dish - perfect drinks - lobster Mac is large it was very lobster-y - cornbread was large it was very good on the ext day when mixed with short rib and sauce - short rib was the bomb - salmon was crispy and the bomb part 2 - I would have loved dessert but I was just too full - be sure to make that resey read more

one of the best restaurants in Portsmouth. Incredible server, ambience, and dinner. I was surprised at how tough my steak was to chew, but other than that 10/10. I'll be back. read more

Cure - blood orange cosmo - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Had a reservation for 8:30 but stopped in early and we were seated! Loved our flatbread, drinks, and dinners. The waiter was attentive and a super nice guy. Food was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

Excellent. From the service to the food, hands down will go back. Kate was a server who was awesome (and funny), the chef/owner...hands down applaud for hosting, bussing tables, and expediting. YES!!! Did I mention the food was delicious?? Everything was cooked perfectly. Please go here. Seriously. read more

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Amazing food and fun cocktails - the duck was wonderful. Service was solid and ambiance was very quaint.

Food is always wonderful, but I would just love to see more than just one vegetarian entree so I could choose something. Luckily have liked the one they have each time. The music was louder this time which made it less intimate. I would make sure we are not seated at the table right near the bar since it was crowded and quite boisterous. Sitting in the back room was much nicer for conversation. I would call next time and request that. read more

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Solid little restaurant that checked all the marks. Small little place with a chill ambiance. Food was pretty good but all the other reviews cover that. But for me, what separated this place from the others here is the service. Service was impeccable, from the hostess to the bartender to the server. They knock it out the park with that and if they don't, they find ways to correct it. It's surprising how many places don't even the do the bare minimum these days, but this place exceeds that. Worth it to put at the top of your food list. read more

Cute Portsmouth restaurant that is BUSY! Def get a reservation. Everyone was nice and friendly. The food is what will keep me coming back - some of the best mussels I have ever had and I order them all the time. The sauce had me asking for extra bread to dip! The French onion soup was good too, not the best I've ever had, not enough broth/too much bread - but the flavors were on point! read more

Cure - Mussels in a stunning sauce - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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This was my first visit to Cure and it was outstanding ! We had the escargot to start and they were delicious . The garlic broth and soft crusty pieces of bread for dipping were excellent. I cannot say enough about the duck ! So tender and flavorful . Our wait person highly recommended it and she was right ! And the black rice and wilted spinach were an excellent accompaniment . And the molten chocolate lava cake !!!!!! What a feast ! Service was great and the patio was a perfect place to dine . Thank you Julie Cutting !! You have a great restaurant ! I shall return ! read more

Cure - Pan Roasted Duck with Black Forbidden Rice - Mushroom Risotto - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

My husband and I had a great date night dinner here this weekend. Our 1st time at Cure and LOVED it. Mushroom app was amazing! Wedge was delicious! Sea bass/shrimp sprecial was really nice as well! My husband had the sirloin....yep, that was wonderful also! I need to try to recreate that mushroom app....it haunts me a little read more

We love the food here and the service is always good. They used to always have one vegetarian main dish on the menu, but recently that seems to have changed. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in allll of Portsmouth and I will never stop recommending it to people. Order the duck!!!! read more

Cure - The duck! 10/10 my favorite dish in all of Portsmouth - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The top restaurant in Portsmouth. It is our go to spot for consistently great food. Pricing seems reasonable to me. And on that point I would rather pay more for an overall fantastic experience than save a bit for absolutely mediocre food. read more

Came here on a Sunday night on Labor Day weekend. We made reservations beforehand - good thing that we did because it was fully booked. Had a few people come in after us and the hostess had to tell them that there was no availability. The food and service was really good! Everyone was super nice and friendly. We ordered the escargot, simple green salad, French onion soup and house special which was a halibut on a bed of asparagus and risotto. Everything was really good. The only issue that we had was with the special - the inside of the halibut wasn't hot and had an almost lukewarm temperature. read more

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Limited menu- need more choices. Food order was good but for the $$$ I think there should be more variety

I have been here several times. And the ambiance is always great. The staff is great. I have had the duck, land, and steak, they were all delicious. The French onion soup is really good. Everything I have ordered here has not disappointed in taste. You can spend $100 on one person with food and drinks. But you should come here for the food and experience not the price if that matters to you. read more

This place is great for what ails ya', if what ails ya' is a need for delicious food, interesting drinks, and fantastic service. I brought several friends here for dinner, and the evening was just about perfect. I cannot find a single fault with our experience. Even when this place is full, there's a relaxed atmosphere all-around. It's probably the auras of a lot of content customers. It happened to be Valentine's Day, so there was an additional special menu off of which we made some choices. The bacon-wrapped dates filled with cheese were enormous, more like second date dates. We knew the entrees would be a big deal when, after I showed one companion the menu, she said, "I hope you don't mind if I order 3 entrees." After we all exchanged samples of our entrees (beef, duck, halibut), hey, I would have ordered all 3 myself too. The lobster risotto accompanying my halibut had chunks of lobster the size of my pinky. Desserts were equally good, equally decadent. I bookmarked this place several years ago. I'm glad I finally made it here, but kicking myself that I waited so long to actually dine here. read more

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Ambiance is nice. It's a small building, but the food and service is great. Don't take a chance on walk ins; I recommend booking a reservation. read more

Absolutely phenomenal meal and service. 530 reservation we arrived around 5 and they were able to take us which was awesome. Atmosphere: warm, inviting. Exposed brick which I love. Great following of the current Covid precautions. Cocktails: cranberry margarita I had and my husband had the cure (bourbon drink) both delicious. Starters: French onion soup, butternut squash bisque, and the most amazing cornbread I've ever had. All of these were fantastic. Meals: I had the porkchop which has this amazing mustard sauce, delicious carrots, and an apple pasta. All very good. My husband had the duck breast over mushroom risotto and loved it. We would've loved to try their dessert but were far too full. Our server Bryan was the best server I've ever had hands down. He was charismatic, made great recommendations and was very attentive. Loved him!! When we return to Portsmouth, we would definitely return to Cure! Thank you. read more

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Cure was our top choice for a special dinner. My wife's birthday and Lynn wanted the best. They're menu is based on the best foods available that day. Our experience was so much more than we'd hoped for. We started with Escargot. The toasted bread was used for every drop of the garlic butter. EXCELLENT Lynn chose the Duck Breast. Tender and flavorful. I chose the Short Ribs. The meals came with perfectly cooked spinach, brocollini sweet potato. EXCELLENT We were so lucky to have Kate taking care of us. read more

Cure - The entrance - New American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Cozy spot with great food in Portsmouth. Innovative menu items from appetizers to dessert. Started with halloumi flatbread in their signature honey butter cornbread. Flatbread head a great char and interesting combination of garlic arugula honey and cheese. Cornbread is fantastic, served in a small crock topped with honey and butter. Also sampled their new fashioned cocktail that adds muddled blackberry. Definitely a must try if you're a fan of a traditional old fashioned. Our group of diners shared the duck, salmon, and vegetable gnocchi. Both the salmon and duck were a super flavorful and tender. Each came with fantastic sides including an earthy mushroom risotto. Vegetable gnocchi in a creamy sauce popped with fresh flavors and is a great vegetarian option. - 1/10 of a star for presentation as it was simply spooned neatly across a plate in the manner you would expect to receive in the army chow line. The Good night ended with a chocolate tort with peanut butter sauce and a blueberry creme brulee. Both hit the spot. Service was efficient and friendly. Menu items are attractively priced. I'd even go as far as calling it a bargain for Portsmouth. Would 100% return. read more

Great dinner after waiting a month to get a reservation! The best lobster bisque we have ever had! Drinks were very good, fast and effective service. Dinner was great , steak was cooked perfectly . Chicken Statler was awesome. We shall return read more

Small place so tough to get a reservation, when you finally do youd expect it to be fabulous but food was subpar. My pork chop was like hard rubber. Warm wine. Boring menu. Not impressed. Service not great, bathrooms stink. Could be so quaint and cute and romantic but they miss the mark. read more

We were excited to try this place based on all the reviews we read. We got the bread, Stuffed Dates, Lobster Mac and Cheese, and the Short Ribs. The stuffed dates were amazing! The Lobster Mac and Cheese had great flavor, but was a bit to sweet and runny for our tastes. The Short Rib didn't tastes any different from the pot roast I make at home. The carrots were also undercooked. Overall, I'd say it was ok, but not worth the money spent. read more

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Great food! Great service! I would go there every time I was in town. You will need a reservation though. The place is small and books up quickly. We walked in having just gotten to town, booked up but we were able to make a reservation for the following night. read more

Get there at opening to find a seat at the bar which is very quaint and friendly, or book ahead. Everything is delicious, fresh and beautifully presented every time all the time. The bartenders and staff are charming. read more