My family has been in the Fairlee VT / Orford NH area for over 40 years and Peyton Place is a favorite. Heidi and her husband have created a welcoming, cozy space where farm-to-table meets fine dining. She put it best as we were recently visiting with a group of our closest friends..."we serve real ingredients, real food, made by real people." Her attention to the menu, service, and her patrons was palpable and genuine. We will most definitely be back! read more

Peyton Place is a 5 star gem in the category of a quiant country place in an historic tavern with amazing food and owners who want you to be happy. We had the great occasion to host a dinner for a group of visiting professors here this past week. It was a beautiful sunny evening and Heidi (co-owner with chef husband) suggested we have cocktails in the garden. It was such a treat for our visitors--and then had the good fortune to have one of the waiters come out to point out to us that a bear was lumbering (at a distance) in the field across the street. The menu is always a treat---with amazing soft shell crabs and out of this world broiled oysters. Desserts were amazing----the group decided to order one of each dessert on the menu and we passed them around---all fabulous. In addition to a great place for a special dinner and a group celebration is it also a wonderful place for a romantic dinner---cozy in the winter and a delight in the summer---It is a real pleasure and one you shouldn't miss! read more

This place is evidently a "Once was great" place. We had eaten at their restaurant in Vermont years ago. With this knowledge and a recommendation from friends who had recently eaten at Peyton Place we made a reservation. We went with another couple who are part of our local gourmet club. The place is charming but in poor repair. The staff was very pleasant and helpful. The menu was varied and interesting. We each chose different appetizers and main courses. We all agreed that the food was mediocre at best. The portions were tiny. One of the entrees chosen was a Lamburger and fries. There were only 8 fries on the plate. We are putting this on our "must miss" list. read more

Went to Peyton Place for dinner. We've always loved that place and it was our first time there since their remodel and the revamping of the menu. Lots of options for veggie, vegan, GF, fish, etc. It was fabulous! So happy they kept the chorizo dumplings (with house made duck chorizo)! The service was outstanding. The patio was packed on this lovely evening. It is now Tapas style. Our party of 7 tried the majority of the items on the menu and nothing disappointed. True farm to table. Especially loved the 2 types of ravioli (veg & lobster), strawberry gazpacho, amazing cornbread with pomegranate butter, house salad was large and unusual and the chocolate tuille dessert. read more

Enjoyed a FANTASTIC New Year's dinner (1/1/16). Homemade Beef Wellington (layers of foie gras and duxelle on top of filet mignon all wrapped in a homemade puff pastry with bordelaise sauce). Just frigand AWESOME. They do this every New Year's. Plan ahead! As recommended by the owner, I enjoyed this with a wonderful wine, a Cotes du Rhone 2012, which paired beautifully with the rich meal. Peyton Place is one of the Pearls of the Upper Valley. Do not be mislead by the merely critical. Peyton Place remains an icon here, as it has been for decades. read more

I love this restaurant! After a 9 week break for renovations and revamping the menu the grand reopening with a Tapas menu was fantastic. I'm an "out of towner" who has been enjoying this spot for years when I visit family in the area. I've always loved the quality and creativity of the food. Now with this Tapas menu, I can enjoy multiple items at one visit. Once again the chef has created remarkable creations while the staff on the floor are knowledgeable and very welcoming. The care of food choices extends to the full bar where high quality and wide variety brands are meticulously prepared. Heidi and Jim Peyton have created a much needed, yummy and delightful spot in Orford. read more

This place is kind of a classic now. They've been doing their thing for maybe 15 years now and it is consistent and good. The food isn't revolutionary but it is really tasty. The relaxed atmosphere is nice but even though it seems informal (and in the middle of nowhere!) the prices don't exactly match this. It's worth a splurge for a special occasion (or if someone else is paying). read more

If you are looking for an amazing meal/evening, this is your place. Always something on the menu that hits the spot. Favorites being the salad bergere and chorizo quesadilla, but honestly you can't go wrong with any selection. Check this place out and you won't be disappointed! read more

I just joined yelp and thought I would add my reviews from tripadvisor over to yelp... here is my experience at Peyton Place: I'm a graduate student at Dartmouth College and saw Peyton Place advertised on a free map of "local attractions and restaurants" in the area. My family and I love to try local quaint eateries and after browsing their well organized and inviting web site, decided to make the 20 minute trek up to Orford NH. Just after the host welcomed us (7:00pm), the phone rang and he booked a reservation for 7:15pm. The host then informed us that there were no available tables (maybe he should have sat us BEFORE he booked that reservation???) Instead, we were offered a seat at the small, but cozy bar, which was fine by us; as the host noted "the food is just as good sitting here at the bar". Shortly after we received the wine menu, Mrs. Peyton approached us and quite abruptly informed us that she could not take our order for at least an hour. We replied that it would be no problem and all, and would enjoy a bottle of wine during the wait. That's when we began to feel un-welcome... Mrs. Peyton aggressively went on to inform us that she "needed to protect her chef (her husband) because he was very busy" and that she would do so by serving all other tables in the restaurant before us, including the 7:15pm reservation the host made AFTER we had arrived! We pleaded with her that it didn't make sense for a reservation to be taken before we were sat, and how serving patrons who were not yet at the restaurant, before taking our order seemed quite illogical-the order of the meals would not reduce the amount of cooking for the chef. Needless to say, we had had enough abuse for one evening and headed back to Hanover for dinner where we were treated with respect. Although the website states: "Heidi Peyton is a natural host who welcomes and accommodates her guests with ease" I must beg to differ. If you're looking for the warmth of a small 'Mom and Pop' operation, this is not the place for you-there are many restaurants in VT and NH with both delicious food AND hospitality! read more

Fabulous night! Wonderful ambience, incredible food, excellent wine and seriously great music from maestros Ted Mortimer & Glendon Ingalls. Thanks, Heidi and Jim, for your gracious hospitality! read more

I don't have much to add that hasn't been said here already. I love a good slow meal service when you enjoy wine and company in between. Unfortunately even getting water required multiple attempts at flagging down the staff, who made me feel like a petulant child for needing attention. Service was cold and unfriendly along with slow. I don't mind the chalkboard menu, but I do mind that you have to ask them to explain all dishes. The food was good, and portions are small, but plating was poorly timed as things came out at a variance of temperatures. In a nutshell: you'll enjoy a decent meal but I wouldn't go out of your way. read more

My husband and I are foodies from Boston and stumbled on Peyton's Place thirteen years ago just before moving to the Upper Valley. It is hands down our favorite place to go for dinner. Mind you, you can't be in a rush. Like in Italy, this is a place where you sit down, relax and enjoy - your table is yours for the evening. You'll enjoy a warm, eclectic atmosphere, great drinks (the best martini I've ever had) and fabulous farm to table food that is reasonably priced for fine dining. read more

Peyton Place was the worst dining my wife and I have experienced in our four years in the Upper Valley. The food appetizers fell short on flavor and substance. The veal that I had was overdone and devoid of flavor. When I notified the hostess of the lack of flavor in the meal, I was informed that it was not overdone and it was in fact just fine....did I want it back? The rest of our evening was uncomfortable and other dishes we tried (in an attempt to salvage the evening) were also quite disappointing. Yes the setting is beautiful and our server (not the hostess) was attentive. But the bad food, poor treatment by the hostess and large bill made this my worst dining experience in many many years. read more

Recently tried this restaurant. While the food is good, the service is S.L.O.W..... We arrived at 7:35, order taken at 8:00. Food arrived at table at 9:00. So, be aware of the really slow service if you go. read more

Went there with my wife, our son and his fiance. The idea was to scout out a place for their upcoming rehersal dinner. Although it was a quiiet night, service was VERY slow. When my son found a rusty, square nail in his French Onion Soup we were appalled. We showed it to the waitress, asked her to take it to the chef and that was the last we heard of it...No apology from anyone, no waiving the charge, total avoidance. We finished what we had ordered, paid the tab and left, never to reccomend them or return. Food was ok, other than the suprise nail. Waitress was slow and frazzled, we pretty much were avoided and ignored once we reported our find. Less than impressed. Rehersal dinner was elsewhere! read more

This is my all time favorite restaurant for so many reasons. The atmosphere is perfect; romantic, charming, homey, with a country setting that makes you feel like you could be in Europe. If you want white linens and matching plates, this is not the place for you. Each table is uniquely set with candles and color. The food is fantastic and made from scratch with herbs and vegi's from the garden. My absolute favorites are the cherizo dumplings, crab cakes, broiled oyesters, spring rolls and salad bergere. You really can't go wrong with this restaurant, there's something for everyone from lamb burgers to flat bread wood fired pizzas (with fun toppings of fresh herbs, chanterelle mushrooms, chevre, cherizo) to seasonal soups and deserts. All are well worth the money I know because I'm a cook myself and I know the amount of time and care that goes into each dish! Relax and enjoy this unique and charming restaurant! read more

We have dined at this restaurant on three occasions and after the last time we won't be returning. Our first experience,my wife and I had the pleasure of having Heidi greet us and as our server. Heidi was very knowledgable and pleasant. The meal was very good but took extremely long. I don't know if the were under staffed or if over one hour from being seated to the first coarse arriving is acceptable. The menu we were told was written every day on a portable chalk board and was quite nice. Three weeks later we returned expecting a great meal that we had prior and were ready to spend some additional time dining based on the previous experience. Seemed to be the same menu which was fine, however we did not get Heidi this time ( Heidi is one of the owners) we did get a waitress that was not only not attentive but kind of rude. The food was great , the service was horrible pairing the two would be a definite failing grade. Having very good food experiences both times we booked a end of summer dinner on a Sunday evening with two other couples, a ten year old and my father. This dinner was very out of sync. We had made reservations and were on time and the table was ready but we stood in a small entrance way while dodging the employee after employee while receiving looks that I and our party interpreted that why are we in the way. It seemed as though everyone had tunnel vision. We were finally seated and this is when I can positively give a recommendation to owners of this restaurant, replace you staff they are horrible. They are driving business away, in a restaurant that has the quality of food that you serve a professional server is a must. To shell out $50 to $60 per head with drinks, wine, apps, main, and desserts deserves a professional server. read more

The food here is local and delicious. It is true that the service is slow, but for us we enjoyed the time in each others company and were happy not to be somewhere that as soon as you finished one course your plate was whisked away and replaced with a new course before you even digested your last. read more

The best ever! You may want to get in early if you want to get out in a less than leisurely amount of time. The busier the night, the more "leisurely" your evening may be. The food is organic, locally sourced, incredibly fresh and expertly prepared. The kitchen staff doesn't cut corners to get the meal out faster. Staff is just right, knowlegable and friendlly. They don't hover but they make sure you are well taken care of. Comfortable, charming rooms. Drinks are excellent. Lobster and feta salad? Yum! The broiled oysters can't be matched in the upper valley. Soft shell crab? This is the place to have it! Light crisp crust. Short window when it is available. Like fish? No other chef around can match Jim Peyton's potato crusted haddock. Let's not forget the coconut crusted scallops of winter, now blackened with ramps and lemon butter. My daughter is gluten inolerant and as we discovered a long time ago, all of Jim's sauces are gluten free and the food is never cross contaminated. He will even make gluten free pasta and chorizo if you call ahead. Steaks are perfect. Taco's new to the menu are fabulous! Yeah i know a lot about this place and I'm definitely biased. I've been a customer for 20 years and have yet to find another establishment that can begin to match the food, service and atmosphere of Peyton Place. You are missing out on something special if you don't make the time to get there. Dessert? Don't get me started....creme brulee, key lime chiffon pie (you have never had key lime pie like this - no sweetened condensed milk here) puffed pastry made to order with a variety of seasonal friut fillings and homemade ice cream! I could go on and on.....Just get there and try it for yourself! read more