By far one of the best restaurants in Portsmouth, if not the best. Tapas style, so it a fun atmosphere and great for dates or with a group. My fiancé and I have pretty much tried everything on the menu at this point and everything has been unreal. Favs include the fried pickles, burger sliders, and the short rib. The food isn't the only reason we go there. We usually sit at the bar and the bartender, Kyle, is so awesome and treats you like royalty. Also, Im pretty sure he is a drink wizard. You can just tell him what flavors/alcohol you like and he will make you a magical drink that you've never had before. All the staff are super nice and you feel like you've known them forever. Moxy, you rock, please keep doin what you're doin! read more

Moxy - Beetylicious, a drink wizard original. - American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Food good however quite small portions. Bartender unfriendly, aloof, and way too busy. Somewhat noisy, but pleasant interior. We left hungry. It was restaurant week and the menu was changed. Food flavor was good, just not enough. Usually Tapas is sharable. There is not enough on a plate to share. read more

Food and atmosphere were fine, but its not a place I'd seek to try again. We went for restaurant week so the menu was different - a $29 tasting menu with bigger portions than the typical tapas sharing plate menu (per our server). No point in reviewing each plate, except to say the offerings are 'fancier' than I'm used to. I felt like I was on "Chopped" with the garnishes laid by tweezers, which was in stark contrast to servers wearing old jeans and flannel shirts. We enjoyed most everything, especially the bone marrow tartar. We didn't care for the poached sole course at all. Desert was huge - 3x more cake than I would have expected (3 pieces, and a small scoop of ice cream) Server was fine, drinks were fine, bathroom was 2 floors down steep and uneven steps. read more

I really wanted to give this small plate specialist 4 stars but it just didn't measure up to other tapas places we've been to. The menu is beautifully varied so there is something for everyone. Service was mixed. Recommendations were pretty good but she didn't guide us well in terms of how to order for a group of 7 people. Wine list was very mediocre. The rose I had was fine. The beer flight my husband had was creative but lacked execution in terms of quality of brews in the sampler. Some of the tapas were spectacular and others were novice in both presentation and flavor profile. I think this place is definitely onto something in the way they offer their small plate options but a little more consistency would go a long way. read more

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The unexpected surprise! We wandered through town before we found the right spot after a long day of travel. Food was 4.9/5 stars. Great flavor, presentation and reasonable pricing. Our server Katie was so friendly and knowledgeable. Please try the Moxy bread and the Rudebega. I do not enjoy fish and I found the haddock fantastic. We tried 6 of the small plates. We will be back to try the rest. The short rib tapas was delicious. And get the Portsmouth if you like a Manhattan. We fell in love with Portsmouth NH in 2021. The love affair continues! read more

I travel a lot for work and I try to find gems in every city I go to. I was really impressed with Moxy. I sat at the bar and the friendly bartender made some great recommendations. I ordered 4 dishes, which was more than enough for one person. I suggest going here with a group and trying 3-5 dishes/person as some are small. I thought the price was well worth what I had and the atmosphere was really fun. The food begs to be talked about. I even met some new people discussing what was good, picturesque, and unique. The short rib and Brussels sprouts were musts. I liked the truffle Madelines, but would skip it next time as well as the fried dough. I will definitely be back and I highly recommend this spot. read more

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I would give Moxie a 5 star review but The hostess with a straight face seated my husband and I seated at a table facing a brick wall. We were told that it was either there or a crowded corner at the bar. It appears that they have a loose interpretation of reservations and the next couple that came in was seated at a table. Sigh. The food btw was delicious. The drinks created were delicious also. read more

We were on our way up to Maine this summer snd made a stop in portmouth to refuel and get a snack. We ended up ordering the scallops to go and they were pretty good! I liked the tomato-based sauce and the abundance of vegetables. It felt like a well-balanced mini-meal and I'd definitely want to try some other dishes from this restaurant if I were back in town. read more

Moxy - Scallop appetizer - American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I absolutely love the small plate share focused orientation to this spot. The waiter recommended 4-6 plates for 2 people and 4 was brought for the two of us. The drinks are well thought craft cocktails. The ambiance is phenomenal and I loved the upstairs. One of the top spots in downtown Portsmouth. read more

I really wanted to love this place but it fell short considering the hype. My husband and myself visited Moxy when staying in Portsmouth for a long weekend. The staff were really friendly and accommodating. We didn't have reservations on a Saturday night and although we were told it would take about an hr it was only about a 30 min wait. We loved the vibe of restaurant, it has two floors and nicely decorated. Can I just say, the staff are quite amazing to climb up and down those stairs a million times! Near the bar you can see all the infusion alcohol they have in mason jars displayed. In addition they display all the local places where they source the ingredients from. The food: Maine Carrots - the carrots were cold which surprised us. The beet yogurt was yummy but it did not have enough flavor to carry the dish. Very bland and unforgettable. I wouldn't recommend this. Roasted Brussel Sprouts - these were very yummy. The Brussels were perfectly cooked, not too soggy and had enough crunch to them. The smoked feta perfectly complemented them although it did make them somewhat salty. Lacquered Pork Belly bites - these were delicious, melt in your mouth. Could have used just a bit bigger piece of radish. I would order these again. Beef Short Rib Marmalade - this tapa was also delicious. The pickled onions added on top really made it with the crunch and pickled tang. I would order these again as well. Whoopie Pie Sliders - these were very good mostly because the warm chocolate sauce took them over the top. I do have to say that I was somewhat disappointed that the three whoopie pies were not different. Either a different cream or a cake. Seems a bit lazy. Overall I thought there were some highlights to our meal but it's not a place that I am dying to go back to. Also a few small things that somewhat annoyed me. Presentation, the carrots & the brussel sprouts were just thrown in a bowl. The presentation was terrible. When looking at the dish you didn't think "yum I can't wait to try that". Also the Pork Belly bites, short rib and whoopie pies all came with 3 pieces. Why three? How many people visiting this restaurant come in groups of 3? They should either move it to 2 pieces and make the prices cheaper or make it 4 pieces. read more

Excellent meal. Creative and delicious. Spring salad was outstanding. Sausage sliders were incredible - perfect balance and the Dijon was intense - the flavor kept coming! Lettuce wrap chicken thighs hot/cool crisp/juicy combo - so good! Service was casual but attentive and timing of service was flawless. Recommended!!! read more

My husband and I agreed that this was hands down one of the most enjoyable overall dining experiences we've had in a long time! The service was great, the food was amazing, delicious drinks, and good value for the money. Definitely will be back! read more

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Outstanding! A must try and return. What a find. OMG the Marinated beets. Short rib marmalade to die for. New England dinner an amazing gastronomic pleasure. You miss this place, you lost out. read more

Outstanding service and the dishes were creative and flavorful. I went with a party of four and we order 3 tapa's and 2 desserts and it was plenty of food. read more

Everything I had was good. I think the crab fritters were my favorite. beet dish good, gnocchi had a lot of flavor. johnny cake entree w the pork and sauces and optional lettuce wrap was pretty good. better w the johnny cake than the lettuce wrap but to me it just seemed like standard slow cooked pork that can be made in a crock pot. read more

Holy moly! World class food in little old Portsmouth! Who knew?! We tried this place for restaurant week and our socks were knocked clean off. We cannot wait to go back! Arugula drink was amazing, lavender martini... sheer heaven. Each course was presented in such a timely manner and each one was as good or better than the last. We didn't want it to end!! You probably won't leave without spending about $200 for 2 people, but it's worth saving your pennies! Don't skip the cocktails. They pair amazingly well! read more

Moxy continues to be a favorite date night restaurant for my wife and I. We usually try to get out there at least once a year and it rarely disappoints. There is an inherent pretentiousness/hipster vibe to the place, but behind that there's a lot of really good food and a cozy atmosphere. Moxy is a tapas place which recommends 3-5 small plates per person. The menu is varied and is just familiar enough to not be intimidating, but will most likely show you something you've never had before. On our most recent visit, my wife and I had the fried pickles, the Moxy bread, the Potatos Portsmouth, the gnocchi, the pot roast, and the Johnnie Cake Community. Most plates are just a few bites, enough for 2-3 people to share. There are a few dishes which are larger, like the Johnnie Cake Community -- which I might add is a favorite of ours. All of the dishes are well seasoned and just seem to hit you in that comfort food sort of way. If I had to criticize Moxy in any way, I would say that their desserts tend to be a bit bland. This is surprising, considering that the rest of their menu is so inspired. The fried dough balls were warm and comforting, but let's be honest here -- the real stars of the show at Moxy are their small plates and entrees. My recommendation is to skip dessert here and look for other options in the area. Overall, a great visit which echoed many previous visits. We will continue to frequent Moxy, couldn't recommend it any more! read more

Outdoor thoughtful plan- heat lamps all along the street - Eat Here! Really wonderful menu. The waitstaff is spot on. The food is great and well proportioned for sharing. Portsmouth's Best! read more

Went during restaurant week without a reservation, but scored the perfect window spot by the bar. Moxy is always the best spot for awesome bites, drinks and perfect service. read more

Tried Moxy for the first time with a friend and now it's one of my top favorite spots! Amazing drinks and food. Highly recommend!

Highly recommend! I definitely recommend making a reservation if you're going to have dinner here, the place gets packed! The hubby and I decided to get a bunch of things and share. To start we got the chili pepper cornbread - WOW!! I wish we hadn't gotten it at the beginning of our meal because it was easily the best dish we had and I simply wanted to order it 6 more times and have nothing else As another appetizer we ordered the caramelized ricotta. While it was good, having it on the heels of the cornbread left this feeling under-seasoned. I would recommend starting with this because the punchier flavors of some other dishes could leave this one underwhelming. We enjoyed the beef short rib marmalade. Loved the blue cheese spread on it, I think it could have actually used a little more of it. I didn't particularly enjoy the Portsmouth rarebit so I wouldn't recommend that particular dish. Service was good and the place was super cute. But if you use the restroom be prepared, it's in dire need of a makeover. All in all, a solid 4 star experience and I am very much looking forward to the next time I'm in Portsmouth because I'm excited to try the rest of the menu!! read more

Moxy - American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We went to Moxy because we knew it was the same chef as the Franklin, but the food was more American tapas. We LOVE the Franklin so we wanted to give Moxy a shot. It was a little late when we got there but the service was still great. We weren't overly impressed with the food though. We got oysters but they came in a mini mason jar in a mixture of veggies and my partner wasn't a fan. We also got the mushrooms and they were also in the mini jar with some sauce and cream fresh on the bottom. I liked both. The mussels had a kick to them. We both LOVED the calamari. It had sweet tomatoes and was so fresh. We'd go back for just multiple orders of that. He got the short rib marmalade without blue cheese and that was also a second favorite. I enjoyed the warm bean spread as well. I got the chicken thighs and the thighs themself were delicious but something on the plate had a weird taste. My partner also got the burgers and wasn't a huge fan of the moxie flavor. Overall disappointed and would likely not go back (except for the calamari) and will be sticking to the Franklin. I think in this case it had more to do personal preference than the food itself. read more

This is a must go to. Bartenders and servers are hands on and amazing. Tapas are amazing. We didn't have a reservation and sat at the bar. That wasn't a bad thing. We will return read more

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From the moment we arrived it was not fun. It's partially our fault for making a bad choice. This is more of a bar serving food with your beer. Really loud, not to friendly or patient, couldn't enjoy the food. read more

I'm a one cocktail and done kinda girl. But, OMG the bartender(s) really know what they're doing. I've had the tastiest cocktails of my life there. Ordered two of the they'll craft you what you want based on what you like. The first drink was light, girly and refreshing. The next one had this rum and chai syrup concoction that was PHENOMENAL. The drink was like drinking on fluffy fluffy clouds. But okay, the food just that. Okay. Wish the menu had a bit more creativity. But, you got me at cocktails. The johnny cakes didn't blow my mind. The restaurant week menu was great though. Everything minus the dessert (rice pudding lacked flavor and depth) was tasty. Especially the Khmer crab stir fry and the pierogi! read more

After seeing this place on Diners Drive in's and Dives, I knew I had to check it out for my next trip to the northeast. The drive from Boston was absolutely worth it and this place really lived no to the hype. Every dish that came out, except for one, was unique and prepared excellently. The absolute must haves: - fried oysters - corned beef Short rib was the only dish i didn't really like that much due to saltiness. read more

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one of my favorite restaurants in portsmouth. the food and drinks are so thoughtful, creative, and deliciously executed, and the staff is super knowledgeable and friendly. read more

I always have high expectations for James Beard Foundation winners and have heard rumors that they have great desserts. The waitress was frazzled and had very limited knowledge of the menu. The after dinner cocktail options were limited and the desserts were disappointing. read more

Moxy - Amazing pumpkin pie dessert - American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Great service, great people. We were happy that we found this little out-of-the-way place while walking around Portsmouth, New Hampshire. We sat at the bar, and the bartender and the servers that we interacted with made the evening so much more fun than any standard entertainment we could've found. read more

Great and creative dishes, friendly staff and relaxing atmosphere. The small plates let's you try a variety of fun food!

The chef's here have been semifinalists for the James beard award a few times now, and after trying some of the food here it shouldn't come as a surprise. I ate family style with my...you guessed it...family...and every dish we ordered had incredible unique flavors. The roasted beep salad did things with root vegetables I didn't know were possible. The fries were fine, but definitely not the highlight--but the aioli was great, and I think that I could eat piles of the pork croquettes. Go for yourself and try anything on the menu-I'm sure it's spectacular read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants. That's it. Not in New Hampshire. Not in New England. Not on the East Coast. Just, y'know, of all time. You know when you've got plans to eat dinner at one place, and then go grab cocktails afterwards at another place, but the place you're eating dinner at ends up being SOOOOOOOO GOOD that you'd rather just stay there and keep eating and drinking and get to that cocktail place some other time? That was our first experience here. Cocktails - + Spring Into Fall: rhubarb infused rum, ginger, boiled cider, sumac ($12). This is the best cocktail I've ever had in my life. IN MY LIFE. It had elements of everything I love, and it really did feel like a loving goodbye to warm weather and a sexy introduction into autumnal weather. If I were a drink, I'd want to be this drink. This is my soulmate drink. + My partner had something called The Dankness. He felt the same way I did about my drink, so there was no sharing. Food I: Items I now can't live without: + A cheese, grilled tomatillo, ground cherries, and crisp thing: I've never had this combination before, but it's genius and something I'm incorporating in my life forever. + Fried Pickles (with honey mustard and spicy ranch): these are the best fried pickles I have ever eaten. Incredibly thick, flavorful, non-traditional (the pickle's used aren't the usual), and just an all around elevated pub food. + Hasty Pudding Frites (with molasses BBQ and buttermilk dip): hearty, delicious, and another amazing bite of what happens when summer foods meets autumn foods. + A grilled autumn squash thing: imagine an array of delicious squash, perfectly roasted, topped with like a crème fraîche. The garden these squashes grew up in are proud of what they became as adults. -/+ Portsmouth Rarebit (with anadama bread cheese sauce, caramelized onions, pear, and pickled beets): it's basically an open-faced grilled cheese that's classy a.f. (unlike me). Food II: Items I'm glad I tried, but wouldn't necessarily get again: -/+ Moxy Bread (grilled bread, grated tomato, hickory nut farm goat cheese) -/+ Warm White Bean Spread -/+ A warm corn salsa, soft cheese, crisp thing -/+ A roasted root vegetable, feta, fried sweet potato green, polenta thing -/+ Chili Pepper Cornbread (with maple butter) Space - + It's trendy, it's cool, it's hip, it's dark, it's sexy, it's current. And it's got a Dr. Seuss quote on the wall. I leave you with five pro tips as I wipe the drool off my shirt, keyboard, desk, life, etc: 1. Make a reservation. 2. Order all your food at once. 3. Know that's a bit pricey. 4. Know that's it entirely worth it. 5. Thank me later. read more

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With so many mouth watering choices on the menu, it was a challenge to choose the right one. Then again, all the options seemed right. My time was limited, so I couldn't stuff myself with the hearty southern dishes, but I did enjoy the light and righteous Lobster Mango Cannelloni. Thanks for making a believer out of a non-salad eater. Sometimes pictures are better than words, so allow to share my food porn with you. The presentation was ready for a magazine spread. I gather that the 106 crowd is local, fun, and sophisticated. The vibe is classy and smart, but remains hidden from the typical camera-over-the-neck tourist. Thanks for letting me in on a great secret. A must-go if you are in Portsmouth. read more

Moxy - Lobster Mango Cannelloni! - American Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

We would eat here again in a heartbeat. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was really fun, and the staff were great. An added benefit is their support of Seacoast Outright and the LGBTQ community. We each had a cocktail and we shared 5 small plates - our bill was $66, relatively affordable for all that we enjoyed. Get the Portsmouth Rarebit - anadama bread, smuttynose finest kind cheese sauce, caramelized onions, pear, and pickled beets. It was perfection. Also great was the Lacquered Pork Belly Bites with rhubarb and radish. So tasty. I wish I had room for dessert because they sound excellent. Next time, for sure. read more

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Spent the weekend this summer in Portsmouth, visiting for the first time, and of the multiple places we dined and drank, Moxy was definitely our favorite. Sampled several delicious small plates and the atmosphere was great for our loud, large group. read more

Man, I really wanted to like Moxy. They started out pretty strong too. We got seats at the bar, each got tasty glasses of red wine and enjoyed the lively yet romantic vibe. We only ordered 3 tapas (we had just gotten apps at another place beforehand). To start we had the homemade sausages between bread which were AMAZING. We could have eaten a whole plate of those. Next we had the warm white bean spread with toasted bread and the crispy calamari, which both came out very bland. Considering all the hype, you'd expect every dish to be a stunner. Perhaps a different combo of tapas would have been more satisfying. read more

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Fun little place with big flavors! Had a fantastic time here with a friend. We sat at the bar and ordered drinks and a couple of their recommended tapas - Lacquered Pork Belly Bites and Beef Short Rib Marmalade. Both were delicious and artistically assembled! Food: The pork belly was unbelievably tender with a light crisp on the outside. The beef short ribs was so good that I am now on a mission to hunt down the recipe! Drinks: The bartenders were very friendly and inviting. They made us delicious custom drinks that I will for sure to order again the next I'm there. Overall: Love love love! read more

Yes, 106 has closed. A new restaurant is coming in May and a new listing will be started after someone checks it out. I'm sorry to see 106 go but after looking at the lineup for the new place, Moxy, I think it's going to be even better. I'm letting them go out with four stars because I liked the 106 quite a bit. Roughly two years ago, 106 and The Chef's Table nearby opened with better prices for a slow economy. They're both gone now and they both left without warning, but new restaurants are going to fill both spaces soon and I'm looking forward to trying them both. That's Portsmouth. If you like a restaurant, go as much as you can because you never know what's going to happen next week. read more

There are a lot of restaurants that can easily and deliciously serve people with no dietary restrictions. I was elated (and touched) by Moxy's ability to accommodate someone with quite a few of them. I'm on a restrictive elimination diet, so called ahead to find out the best way to go about dining with a group at Moxy. The host said he'd talk to the chef and have a menu waiting for me - and that he did. They'd annotated the entire menu, so instead of me picking the two most innocuous looking small plates and asking questions about them, I knew exactly what I could eat. They'd warned the server, who asked if the restrictions covered the whole group and was knowledgeable about what I could and couldn't have. The best part? Every item was delicious. Maybe it was because I've had so few positive experiences at restaurants lately, but I felt like it was a great restaurant experience and didn't even feel left out. Thank you Moxy for a delicious meal and for making things so easy for me. read more

We looooove moxy!!! They are very accommodating and everything I try is delicious. I love their pan seared salmon!