We love coming here every chance we get! This time we skipped the food and just enjoyed a few cocktails. The bartender was incredibly friendly and even gave us some great recommendations for places to check out around town. Great drinks, great service, and always a great experience--we'll definitely be back! read more

The Press Room - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Stopped in while riding up the coast. Food was very tasty and the staff were super courteous and helpful with making things easier on what we wanted to order. I HR outside seating was plentiful and comfortable. Great location to people watch too read more

The Press Room - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Stopped here for a few drinks before having dinner at a nearby restaurant. My husband described this place as an upscale dive bar with craft cocktails, what looked like fantastic bar food with large portions, and an age-diverse hip crowd. Our bartender was friendly and the drinks were great. I had the Mango Crazy (a perfect mix of sweet and spicy) and my husband had the Fiction 101. read more

The Press Room - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

See all

Came here for a drink after eating at a sushi restaurant down the street. Fantastic live music upstairs and overall a great vibe. The bartenders had great taste and their recommendations were great! Everyone that has mentioned that they are coming to this town. I have told them to go visit the press room for great live music and a good time. Hopefully I will make it back up sometime and get to enjoy this place again. read more

See all

Came here for late night drinks, had a jazz band playing, great atmosphere, very mixed crowd but friendly people and drinks were also good. Would definitely come back. read more

The Press Room - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I went to the Press Room last night to watch my boyfriend's band play. Even though we (all the bands and their people) arrived before the music venue was open the staff couldn't have been nicer or more attentive. Once we were finally ready to order food (our chaos, definitely NOT theirs!) it was DELICIOUS! I got the Brick Chicken and it was so good that I couldn't wait to be hungry again so I could eat more! The rest of my party all seemed to feel the same way! I wish I had gotten the bartender's name so I could give her a personal shout-out, she was fantastic! I will definitely be going back if I'm in the area! read more

Stopped in for a drink, it was packed on a Saturday night. They have an upstairs that seems to do ticketed events on Friday and Saturday. They were doing an emo night but it was sold out. We got a couple drinks and ended up getting a seat. Overall fun bar, with good vibes. read more

The Press Room - Inside - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Do not recommend. My mixed drink was not good or balanced at all, and a very rude staff who wouldn't let me try to resolve a misunderstanding. Think they are tough but really just looking for drama. Avoid, much more and better places in Portsmouth. Rude staff who doesn't deserve your business. read more

02 November 2024 Nice bar.... good atmosphere. No soap in the restrooms...... informed a member of staff and used the bathroom an hour later and still no soap. The irony was they had all those "Staff must wash hand after using bathroom" posters plastered about the place. Pretty disgusting really.... the place was buzzing, prices aren't cheap..... they must have made a fortune on a Saturday night and couldn't be bothered to take care of the restrooms. read more

See all

Went here for the cure cover band show. Decided to have dinner there as well. Had a sandwich and it was very tasty. Drinks were good and service was good but all business. The band was great, and the DJ afterwards was pretty awesome. read more

Definitely a quaint little bar hangout spot. The service was fantastic even though it was crazy busy with an event ongoing. The staff was incredibly helpful with some guests who needed assistance getting in as well. read more

Had the fish & chips. Chips were good but fish definitely needed a bit of salt (and I really don't like salty food) but the kicker was the batter - it wasn't the usual beer batter but a denser one which seemed good but it wasn't cooked through so the inside of the batter was raw dough. Had to just eat the fish. My gluten-free friend was not happy that both the chips and nachos are (unnecessary) cooked with wheat. So beware that the gluten-free options are very limited. read more

Had a nice pub food and also happened to be there at lunch for their specials. Everyone that served us was wonderful.. read more

Fun little concert venue. Super intimate setting for shows, good sound and light shows. They allow re-entry which is awesome for set break. Affordable night out. 18$ to see the Magic Beans. read more

The Press Room - Magic Beans drums - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

See all

Cold drafts, bartenders friendly and efficient, open and full length windows that open to the street. read more

See all

A quaint jazz themed cocktail bar in downtown Portsmouth. The cocktails are always excellent here. Haven't had food yet as I usually stop in before dinner elsewhere, but the menu looks great I'll have to come back sometime for dinner. Overall I'd say it's a chill vibe with soft jazz music playing and it hasn't been overly crowded each time I've visited. read more

The Press Room - A rye old fashioned on the left and fiction 101 on the right. Very well made cocktails. - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

If you're looking for a bar that lets obliterated patrons stumble into traffic with no issue but refuses entry to people with legal IDs just because they "look young," then congratulations, you've found the perfect spot! We weren't even trying to drink--we were just there to retrieve our friend who was upstairs, drunk, and alone. We explained this to the bouncer (the one with piercings and tattoos), who had accused my friend of having a fake ID, called us bitches, and threatened to call the cops. In response, we literally told him to go ahead and call the cops to verify that the ID was real. Instead of doing his job like a rational adult, he flat-out refused and told us to get out. Meanwhile, multiple groups of absolutely wasted people were stumbling out the door, clearly past the point of reasonable service--but apparently, that's not a problem? So just to be clear: Blackout drunk patrons falling over themselves? Totally fine! Young-looking person with a legitimate ID? Immediate threat to society. If this place spent half as much effort enforcing responsible alcohol service as they do power-tripping over legal customers, maybe they wouldn't be such an embarrassment. Avoid this joke of a bar. read more

Great improv the night we went. And the food was delicious! We were going to eat downstairs in the main dining room but they had a guitar player and it was so so loud we couldn't even hear ourselves talk. Thank goodness we got to eat upstairs. read more

This looks like a bit of a dive when you walk in. But it is actually decent. I would have loved to give it 5 stars, but the food was in need of some help this evening. Ordered the Down East Cider. Very good. Sweet with a tart finish. Next ordered the chili. Came out nice and warm, full of meat. Decent taste, lots of heat. Red pepper flakes in my teeth after eating it. Yummy. Entrees for both of us were the steak tips. They were served with a potato and seasonal veggie. Tonight was grilled Brussel sprouts. The sprouts were good. Not a big fan of them so congrats there. The steak tips were ordered medium. Some parts were medium well, others were barely medium rare. Not very warm either. Likely sitting in a cool area too long. Cook did not flip the pieces right either because one end was over cooked and one end was under cooked on multiple pieces. Did not catch that until digging into our second pieces each. I order medium in hopes things come out on the plus side of medium rare. Seems no cook can get the cooking right on these. Service was good. Frequent checks with us. Do not come here looking for a lot of variety. Come here for a decent priced meal but make sure it is cooked right. read more

It was open late, that is what brought us. The service was terrific and the food good. It was noisy in a good way.

Have been going here for many years. Happy to see they are still having music--upstairs and downstairs. The veggie burger was still fine but the wine prices are too high. $14 for a small glass of house wine (the menu doesn't even tell you what it is) is a bit much. read more

Interesting place. Asking around in town, Press Room was recommended for live music. However, it is not accessible for mobility challenges. No elevator. No one was at the door so there was no one to ask until stepping up into the bar. The gentleman I spoke with was very nice. It turns out that concerts are up several flights of stairs. If you only want to sit curbside and eat, then it's fine but no live music or air conditioning (summer). Plan ahead to avoid disappointment. We didn't stay. read more

Great spot for a great cocktail. Clean tables and friendly staff made for enjoyable quick stop for a post dinner drink.

We came in from out of town and popped in here. We got to see strangers connecting on common ground and had great drinks made by Tristan, who was working solo for the entire downstairs on a Monday night. Pretzels (not pictured) were fantastic, and their queso had a nice little kick. If you're looking for a good neighborhood bar, this is it. read more

The Press Room - Damn You Robert Frost cocktail - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

See all

- my favorite bar in portsmouth - open late - it gets college-y at night on weekends - I'm told by staff it its more for grown folk in the early evening - theres a large variety of activities in this bar on any given day, check the IG - soul church is a dancing good time! everybody was dancing so carefree I had the time of my life - upstairs and downstairs are different vibes - good beer selection - apparently they have a kitchen, I had no idea read more

Great atmosphere. The music was wonderful, the server was attentive and very kind. We have many allergies and they were extremely accommodating to our requests and even substituted Aquafaba for the egg whites in our cocktail. A great place to hangout in Portsmouth. Lovely even on a Tuesday evening. read more

The Press Room - Waffle fries Haddock wrap - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

See all

Go there sometimes, super crowded. Guy with slot of tatoos that flirts with every girl in front kinda doent pay attention. I brought like 4 girls with me and am wearing gucci head to toe., hes like wait.. i mean i could care less.. I dont really want special treatment but a little common courtesy. Its not Rochester after all. Bartenders cant make anything common Example ordered on nov 12 2022 Pina colada... Didnt know or wouldn't make mojito.... No clue I just said f it give me a martini. Which was mostly ice. Its a shame that they have a great bar and location and cant make drinks. Ill just drink before I go. Usually I can get a few Chambords or some 14 year old whisky for bout 3-7 per sample bottle. Dont waste your time at the bar Take glass of free water. Club is nice upstairs and open late If you want the common riff raff, i would recommend Press room and Daniels tavern 11-1am Don't wear gucci lol. Nobody cares. Because we live in NH and all people know is tjmax, Walmart and all you can eat wings lol read more

Always fabulous, but top-notch Guinness on draft, corned beef Reubens,, & boiled dinner on St. Patrick's Day. My 1st day out via wheelchair after surgery & the servers & staff were beyond kind. Thank you ‍ read more

See all

I had a blackened sandwich not great, they have a great beer list,they to improve the food.

Nice rainy day pub. Had the Press Room cocktail which was really good. The girl next to me at the. At said her espresso martini was phenomenal. Bit of a splurge read more

Good sound, small venue, friendly people, great location. Also my favorite band in the world (The Sheila Divine), did I get pulled over by the popo on my way back to the lake ? You bet your ass I did, was I drinking and driving, absolutely not. This place is similar to the Sinclair but about a 1/5th of the size, which is fine by me. Portsmouth really is an amazing little town. read more

The Press Room - The Sheila Divine in lovely downtown Portsmouth NH - Jazz & Blues Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Always great food, atmosphere & cocktails! Have been here just for a bite and also concerts, both are great experiences.

Fun atmosphere and the staff was great. My 3 stars are for the portions. Fried fish had more Panko coating than haddock. My friends dish had exactly 3 steak tips. My $14 martini came in a wine glass and without the usual extra in a small shaker. We were both hungry an hour later. read more

Bacon bacon bacon. Found this by chance after all the typical breakfast places were packed. Sat at the bar and they crushed it. Did I mention the bacon? read more

This place is FUCKING awful. Their drinks are overpriced. The music is hot garbage. Every song played by their "LIVE BAND" had 0 relevance to anyone in the crowd. After a while, they get tired of you and try to steal your money, telling their busted ass bouncers to throw you out of the bar for nothing after you just ordered 2 more beverages at their establishment. I will harass this establishment like they harrased me until I get my money back. Calling them has no luck....just tell you to call back. read more

Wandered on on a rainy evening without a reservation on their soft opening. Had some incredibly crafted drinks and amazing nachos. The drinks were well balanced and very delicious. The nachos were flavorful and had layers of fresh salsa, cheese and beans on every chip. Hands down Best nachos in a long time. And let's not forget about Dan our server, he was attentive, easy to talk to and never forgot about us! I highly recommend the Press Room. We will definitely be going back. Thank you for having us! Kimberly & Alex :) read more

I've been a patron of this community minded restaurant/bar for decades! Such a warm and welcoming space. Great music; good eats; fabulously friendly staff and diverse clientele. The by-donation (not required) Jazz Jam and open mike is not to be missed! Excellent! Open to all ages and levels of talent. The older more experienced musicians are often seen mentoring and supporting the youngsters. A feel good vibe all around. read more

Our very first visit to the press room! The staff was extremely friendly and quick. I ordered a vodka and cranberry juice, lets just say there was way more vodka than cranberry, so I ordered an additional cranberry juice to even it out a bit. My husband ordered the braised short ribs and they were cooked perfectly. I had wings and fries and both were perfect. The overall feel of the place was warm and inviting. It appears to cater to all ages. The one down fall for me was the very limited menu read more

See all

The press room is an interesting night life spot. An upscale hole in the wall, hipster hangout, karaoke night, live music, private events...you name it. They seem to have a bit of everything for everyone. The three story bar offers food and drinks downstairs, drinks upstairs and a balcony overlooking the stage. It's a nice place for a mid week drink with a friend or a show on the weekend. A wide variety of beer, wine and cocktails are available. Recently had a sangria topped with champagne and it was delicious! read more

Things were fine until the end of the night. Won't be back. Apparently they allow lots of cocaine to be done in the bathroom. If you love blow, this is the place for you!!! read more