Exeter has been longing for something like this forever. A classy escape that would feel at home in…read moreany great city in the world. Fantastic selection of alcohol complete with an always evolving cocktail menu worthy of some the world's greatest bars. (And yes, I've been to plenty!) Service always friendly. Locals appreciated. And every bite of food I've had has been top-notch, too. This has become my go-to place for meet-ups and solo end-of-a-long-day wind-down drinks as well. Makes me happy.

Cocktail Lovers, this must be the place!…read more Calling all cocktail lovers, make Exeter Apothecary your next place to visit. Located right above the beautiful Vino E Vivo restaurant (see prior review), it's the new HIT spot in Exeter. Only about 20 minutes or so from Portsmouth but a fun spot for cocktails, wine and dessert. Ambiance is chill with comfy bar seats, side tables and bartenders that can shake, sitr and whip up almost any cocktail to your liking. We did share their Amaro Flip which was fabulous. I know we will be back for sure since they offer small plates and decadent desserts too. Cheers~

We tried Sea Dog with some friends for a lunch and had a good time. Pleasant hostess and waitress…read moreand comfortable dining room, there is a nice option for outdoor seating with a view of the river when weather cooperates. The menu is standard pub fare, and about what we expected. Friends enjoyed their meal, sandwiches and burgers were nice. I tried a french onion soup which was really average, as well as the bar pretzel (which turned out to be pretzel bites). I felt nothing exceeded my expectations. That said, overall a good choice when in Exeter.

Visiting my sister, she took me here to help me (celebrate?) (commemorate?) (mourn?) (come to grips…read morewith?) my 65th birthday. Located in an historic storefront and waterfront building, the Sea Dog has a classic seacoast vibe. Part of a New England chain I would love to further explore, this location is considered a "go to" for lunch or drinks. I am told the outside dining area is awesome. It was cold and snow-covered, so I could only look out the windows. Naturally, I got a burger and fries, which was phenomenal. The service was quick and friendly. Since it was my sister's treat, I didn't notice the prices. I MUST return when the weather is nice, so we can dine outside!

Tailgate Tavern has become one of my mother-in-law's favorite places to eat, so last night Cheryl…read moreand I joined her, along with my sister and brother-in-law, for dinner in Stratham, New Hampshire. From the moment we walked in, the restaurant felt bright, clean, and welcoming, with a fun, lively atmosphere that made it the perfect place to gather around the table and catch up with family. Our server was outstanding. She was friendly, attentive, and always seemed to appear at just the right time to see if anyone needed anything without ever making us feel rushed. As we looked over the menu, my mother-in-law highly recommended the Loaded Maple Bacon Burger, so I took her advice. I'm glad I did. The burger was cooked to a perfect medium-rare just as I had requested, and every bite was packed with flavor. The amazingly delicious, well-caramelized onions on top added a rich sweetness that perfectly complemented the savory bacon and beef. It was one of those burgers that makes you immediately start thinking about the next bite. The crispy fries were excellent too, and I loved that they were served in a miniature shopping cart, which added a fun touch to the presentation. Cheryl ordered the Caesar salad with salmon and commented on how perfectly the salmon was cooked and seasoned. My brother-in-law had the Reuben, another of my mother-in-law's favorites, and said the juicy pastrami and beautifully grilled rye made it one of the better Reubens he's had. My mother-in-law decided on the pastrami sandwich with mustard and, to everyone's surprise, finished the entire thing. That's saying something because she almost always brings home half of her meal for the next day! My sister-in-law also enjoyed her steak tip salad, mentioning that the steak tips were cooked perfectly to medium and were tender and flavorful. Between the yummy food, outstanding service, and relaxed atmosphere, Tailgate Tavern delivered a wonderful dining experience. It's easy to see why it's become one of my mother-in-law's favorite spots, and after our visit, I can definitely understand why. If you're looking for a great casual restaurant with delicious food and friendly service, Tailgate Tavern is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back!

Good food, drinks & friendly service. Very busy bar with a good vibe. Very welcoming.read more

Dropped in at 4:30pm on a Saturday and were happy to beat the rush. Seated immediately by our…read morefriendly waitress. Food came out promptly and was delicious. Be advised the salads are huge-a great value!

I've been to Front Row many times and haven't ever been disappointed with anything I've ordered!read more

We dined at Epoch many years ago, and found the experience to be unremarkable. We noticed that it…read morewas relaunched as Epoch Gastropub in the last year or so, and decided to give it a shot. Overall we had an enjoyable meal. They have a really nice outdoor patio which we hoped to enjoy, but it seems to be raining every weekend this summer, and so we had to sit inside. It was a Friday night, and the dining room was not very busy. Hostess and our server were incredibly friendly and made sure we were comfortable (there were some very cold AC vents near our table). We started with a fried cauliflower appetizer, which was good. Certainly not the best I've enjoyed, but tasty. Portion size was enough for a party of 4 or more! The cauliflower was a tempura batter style with a general gao's like sweet/sour sauce. It was served piping hot! Lobster roll was massive, cold mayo style and served with fried shallots, rather than onion rings. A nice twist and something I've never had before. Unfortunately, the fries served with this dish were limp. I'm pretty fussy about my fries and I just don't understand why some restaurants don't fry them to order. If you don't, you end up with luke warm, soggy fries that honestly are not worth eating. For me, that ruins the entire dish and I have to wonder what the kitchen is thinking sending out coldish limp fries. Another entree we tried were the Gnocchi with wild mushrooms. This was a nice dish and the gnocchi were light and fluffy, with plenty of mushrooms. A nice plate overall. We finished dinner with an orange granita dessert which came with plenty of carmelized orange peels on top, one of my favorites! In fact, I enjoyed the candied orange more than the Granita itself! Exeter is really having a moment with a number of great dining options. With just a tad more attention to the dishes, I think in time Epoch could be among those option restaurants. Give them a try

Great, clean, crisp decor in an historic Inn. We had a wonderful time with a variety of menu…read moreofferings and perfect service.

What a lovely restaurant. Just for a tip if you find the apothecary it's down the stairs right…read moreafter it. We did have a little bit of trouble finding it but that was kind of fun. Reservations recommended we were seated at a beautiful table for two right near the bar and started off with a Pinot noir and a cabernet. Both wines were delightful. For appetizers we had the braised lamb crepe and the octopus... Both dishes were delicious, presented well with sauces to die for. Followed by the pasta dish and the duck. These were the best dinners of the year for us. The blending of flavors were fantastic and it was augmented by the owner coming over and talking to us about how the food was prepared. I won't bore you with all the details but the octopus is slow boiled for 5 hours.. complete with wine. Corks it was tender and delicious with the Mediterranean flair. We go out to eat our fair share from high end to diners anywhere. The food is well prepared and delicious... This was the top for the year! From the service to the presentation to the wine to the ambiance, everything is top notch here. I will provide a warning. You will drop a pretty penny if you partake in all the courses, but we thought it was well worth it. Thank you to the staff and ownership. We enjoyed our evening.. a true date night.

So, we finally got to try the chef's table, or "Chef's Whim" as it's officially titled. Eight…read morecourses. In addition to the food, we added the suggested alcohol pairings. I say alcohol because it wasn't all wine but ... since it's a bit of a surprise in terms of what actually appears I'll just leave it at that. However, as to the food ... I'll give a taste, a flavor, a wisp of a whisper of the full culinary adventure. For complete details, see your local sous chef! Here's what we had. In the middle of my photo collage, a blood sausage slider with fennel/jalapeño sauce on toasted brioche bun. Then clockwise from top left - cornbread with maple glaze in a Barbie sized personal cast iron skillet; beet salad with goat cheese half spheres; a dessert tray of black apple cake with hay ice cream (yes, seriously), chamomile pot de creme and a duck fat beignet; an assortment of ice creams - fenugreek, fennel/maitake mushroom/burnt hazelnut (all tasted fabulous and in each you could taste the listed flavors); entree of duck and wild mushroom tart; white bean soup and finally a pasta dish of ravioli with two fillings. Just a note on what it would take to make it yourself. See that hexagonal white blob on the bottom row, middle pic? That's a potato foam. Forgive me for not recalling the full procedure but the prep is roughly 7 hours long. First, the cut potatoes are cooked in a sous vide for 2 hours so that no moisture is added to them. Then a succession of ricing, smoking, drying, undrying, mashing, placing in a foam machine that looked like a whipped cream dispenser and boom - a tiny dollop of potato. It tasted great. But man - that's a lot of effort for a mouthful of potato. I don't think I'll be trying it at home. Over two hours of eating and chatting. I brought a couple of my restaurant-based cartoons as my personal thanks for the meal and was shocked that Justin, their sommelier, had done a cartoon of his own ahead of time for me! Just stick to wine, Justin - I don't need any MORE competition with my magazine editors ... With Dylan ably providing the primary chef duties and Amaya and Justin handling the booze, the meal was a smashing success. The food pairings were masterfully chosen and timing of the dishes meant we were always primed for the next one. Although the succession of what I'd call dessert dishes made me start to feel like a Hobbit enjoying dessert, second dessert and then post seconds. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille (and they have a cute Reme rat under glass on a shelf) "I shall be returning, hungry for more."

I swear, Exeter seems to be the new foodie spot in NH. The trifecta of Cornicello, Vino e Vivo and…read moreOtis really set the bar. Only two seatings per night and being late isn't on the cards. Once they start ya gotta be there. And be there is what you'll want to be. A memorable five course meal with a choice of two different items for each. So if you're part of a couple you can sample everything. That's what we did. All the courses were masterfully done, the flavors superb and the amounts well chosen. At the end we were both full, for sure. The wine list isn't at the same level as the food. I'd have given a 4 1/2 based on that but wouldn't want to go down to a 4 so I'm up to a 5. The price is completely reasonable for the quality and variety. The ambience is cozy and perhaps a bit of a country feel. But just a bit. Well worth your hard earned dinero.

Five courses of deliciousness. Lots of creative servings with something for everyone, each one more…read morebeautiful than the last. The service is good. The mocktails are excellent. I recommend.