I love this place! On Tuesday August 4th 2026, my wife and I visited Portsmouth for the first time and fell in love with the city. After doing some sightseeing, we worked up an appetite and decided to try The River House. I'm so glad we did! We were lucky enough to snag the last waterside table. What a great view! It was Happy Hour and they were offering shrimp, raw oysters, and oyster shooters for $1.50 each! How could I pass that up?? I had one of each. It was a fun snack. My wife ordered the Summer Berry Salad. It was excellent! Service was very good. If you are ever in Portsmouth I highly recommend The River House! read more

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The food was decent--not great, not memorable--but fine. The service, however, was awful!!! 1 We walked in and asked the host if we could sit outside at the empty table. She said "No, there is a 30-minute wait for that table." We sat elsewhere. After 15-minutes sitting elsewhere, we noticed the outside table was still unoccupied and we asked again. We were then told that the kitchen was behind, so they didn't want to seat anyone outside yet. 2. We were seated at a sticky table without menus, when I went to the hostess to get two, she did not look up at me or acknowledge me. She simply grabbed the menus and held her hand out in my direction. No response to my request. No civility--never mind service! 3. Our waitress rolled her eyes repeatedly when we asked her about the menu items. She was visibly irritated when we didn't immediately know whether we wanted drinks. She was irritated when she served us the wrong drink, and she never once came to check on us. Our waters were left without refills, every time we interacted with the waitress, we were treated as though we were annoying her. 4. On the way out another server was running downstairs, and held her hands out and pushed me out of the way to run downstairs. There are tons of other restaurants in this town; you would be well served to eat at any of them besides The River House. read more

We really enjoyed this place, everything hit the make. We weren't necessarily dazzled by anything but as far as Portsmouth food goes this was above average. Lobster artichoke dip - solid, we liked it Chowder - I really liked it, good seafood taste and creamy Cuban Sandwich - needed more meat, but good roll and execution Fish tacos - again, they were fine and above average, a little overdressed with sauce, but fine Chicken Tenders - kids enjoyed them, no complaints read more

The River House is one of many restaurants on Bow Street that sits just above Portsmouth harbor on an elevated deck. Each of these restaurants serves their own deck punch, which is a must try. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Each of these restaurants also has unbeatable views of the water from their decks.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered happy hour oysters, tuna bites, and shrimp, plus two deck punches. Each food item was $1.50, which is very affordable. They offer one kind of oyster for happy hour, which they told us would be on the sweeter side, but I found them to be briney, which I prefer anyways. They were fresh and delicious. The shrimp cocktail was plump and super fresh. The tuna bites were basically deconstructed tuna and were absolutely incredible for $1.50. The deck punches were slightly weak for my taste but still super nice to sip on the deck on a hot summer day. read more

The River House - Happy Hour oysters, shrimp cocktail, and tuna bites with a deck punch - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

What a cute spot! Searched google for waterfront dinner and this was where we landed. They gave us a shaded spot where we could still enjoy the view. Got seated right away even though they were pretty busy outside. I had the salmon. Delicious flavor and cooked perfectly. The mashed potatoes and broccoli paired incredibly with the miso glaze over the salmon. Key lime pie for dessert was a great choice. Good size slice to fill us up. for a cocktail I got the blood orange paloma, definitely wouldn't order again. I only had a few sips. , the flavor was off and extremely strong. Other than that, great experience! **Didn't get any photos because we were sooo hungry but I did love how they marked my food with an allergy pick!** read more

The River House - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I was on a solo trip and stopped here for dinner. Everyone was very nice and the wait staff was super attentive. I sat outside there was no wait. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I will say it's a light tight and I could hear the whole conversations of the tables next to me but it was worth it for the view.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was delicious. A bit of a small portion but good and filling none the less. Overall it was highly enjoyable read more

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Lobster roll and chowder, 'nuff said! Friendly and fast service too Was in town on business and stopped here for my seafood fix read more

The River House - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Do not eat here. I lived in Portsmouth till 2019 & The River House was ok for business lunch, etc. It is now extraordinarily poor. I live in Utah and get better seafood there. Seafood chowder was cold and horrible. Fried seafood dinner was obviously frozen. Service was inattentive and disengaged. There are dozens of better choices. If not for their location, they would be out of business already. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]If the weather cooperates, eating on an outside deck is nice.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Happily we ate a bit early and were immediately seated. Make sure to have the seafood chowder. Like most similar seafood restaurants in Portsmouth, raw clams were NOT an option. Portions a bit on the slim side for this hungry diner. read more

I'll start with the positive. The view from the upper deck is very nice. Our server was friendly and attentive. The chowder and lobster dip appetizers were enjoyable. The cocktails however were weak and uninspired. We ordered a whole belly clam plate. The clams were very small and were more batter than clam. The fish in the fish tacos had a strange chemical aftertaste and smell. We sent them back and the waitress removed them from the bill. We have never had an experience like this at their sister restaurant, The Atlantic Grill. Leave this place for the tourists and take a short walk up the road to Surf for a great meal. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Beautiful deck to watch the sunset and views.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great food and drinks with fresh seafood. Service so so.

They don't take reservations but we were quickly seated at an indoor high top with a view of the port. The service was fast, friendly and attentive. We enjoyed a their mixed seafood chowder. Then a nice fish entree and a lobster on pasta main. Oddly the quinoa salad had no quinoa, but was good and varied anyway. Some Key Lime pie was a good wrap-up. read more

The food was amazing. The lobster pasta is to die for and the lobster roll is hugeee. Alex, our service, was amazing and super knowledgeable about the food. My friend scratched herself and was bleeding and he got her a bandaid. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance is obvious amazing, music is good, scenery is beautiful.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] request Alex if you want a great experience ! read more

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Perfect spot for our lunch after checking out the sites in Portsmouth. Super location with a covered deck overlooking the harbor. Based on Yelp! reviews, we decided this was the place. We chose wisely! Our party of 4 was warmly greeted and immediately seated outside over the water...killer view of the harbor and the daily goings on (watched a tanker being guided out to sea, not something you see in Reno...just awesome!). Our server, Kyle, was friendly, funny and knowledgeable about the menu and the area (not always the case). Started with a refreshing local IPA, Stoneface...crisp, not too hoppy and perfect after our sojourn around town. Being a chowda fan, opted for their award winning seafood chowder. Thick, buttery and full of seafood (what I abhor is clam or seafood chowder that is mostly soup and potatoes...not this one!). Was going to try try the lobster roll, but at $42, opted for the fish tacos (I know, it's the location but just had a few days earlier for half the price that was spot on). Tacos were decent, a little light on the fish (see photo), but hit the spot none the less. My wife went with the quinoa salad, topped with the crab cake app. Delicious! All in all, a nice lunch experience and will certainly be back on our next trip to NH! read more

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DONT GO HERE. Service was no good and I've never written a yelp review but I was compelled. Problem arose when a friend stopped by to say hi which is "outlawed". The manager (man) was hostile and rude. And don't try to get drunk - they won't give you a double. Need to be more accommodating especially since it is a so called "tourist trap." We are old btw.. and this was lunch on a Monday! P.S great chowder read more

Over priced drinks. No air conditioning. A $33 scallops dinner with more pea puree than scallops and it came with nothing else. Not impressed... read more

I went here for a quick snack after walking around shopping in the area. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I was seated quickly in the heated outdoor patio area![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was visiting back in April and it was still fairly cold out. The waiters were quick to give me a drink and get my order in. Id say less than 5 min later I had my chowder. I enjoyed the food and I would go back on my next visit! read more

We chose this restaurant because of their reputation for care in dealing with gluten free needs. My partner was not disappointed. The fryer used for the fish and shrimp basket with fries is always gluten free. Like my lobster Alfredo, the gluten free meal was a large and delicious serving. Along with a nice river view, we enjoyed the friendly and fast service. Having Heineken 0.0 on hand was an extra bonus. read more

The River House - Lobster Alfredo - delicious - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

10 stars for the food -2 for service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Good view outdoors.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Went with a tall ship. Some of best clam chowder I have ever had ! Chips & an excellent fully packed lobster roll. Tasted incredible. 2 stars for service. Wasn't very crowded- waitress was nowhere to be found for refills- actually asked her in passing- still took a long time ,as did receiving bill read more

The River House - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

[[HIGHLIGHT]]On the water dining experience![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Atmosphere was great, a perfect place for the summer.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Hard to beat the view at the River House, or any of the restaurants along the river here in Portsmouth. We had not been to this restaurant in many many years, and decided to give it a try. Overall a positive experience, but as others have mentioned, the price is fairly high for the quality of the food being served. We started with a few cocktails, and while pleasant tasting, they did not seem very strong, more juice than alcohol. They provided a menu of daily specials and we sampled the bang bang calamari which came to the table crispy, piping hot and quite delicious. For my entree, I had the crab cake BLT which was pretty disappointing. The crab cake was mostly filler with very little crab to taste, and smothered with an aioli sauce and a couple of strips of very undercooked bacon. I will say the fries on the plate were cooked perfectly, which many restaurants don't seem to get right. Service was fine, slightly rushed and I sensed they wanted to turn out table. Don't expect to spend more than 45-60 minutes for your dinner. So overall a real toss up. Fast and friendly service with some dishes hitting perfectly and others a real miss. read more

The River House - Bang Bang Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Two different locals recommended River House for their seafood chowder so we figured we try it. Sadly, it was a typical tourist trap. All the food was served cold or lukewarm. The chowder was okay. It was clearly the best thing on the menu, but it certainly didn't carry the menu enough to warrant another visit. There are plenty of better restaurants to choose from in Portsmouth. The crab cake sounded great with the pretzel breadcrumbs, but that too was cold and the crust was soggy. The berry salad was nice, but nothing to write home about. It had standard berry medley and a raspberry vinaigrette. The basket of whole belly clams had a decent crisp, but that too was cold and didn't have a ton of flavor. That confused us since it doesn't take that long to cook. The fries were cold and bland. My husband also got the spicy blood orange Paloma and it was so spicy that he couldn't finish his drink which is very unlike him. He maybe drank a 1/8th of his drink. All and all, we would recommend going somewhere else. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The view of the river is nice if that's your thing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] However, there are tons of good options in Portsmouth that provide a better culinary experience. read more

We go there about one a month from our office. Service is always friendly and quick. Smash burgers are a solid pick

I went here for lunch and needless to say, I will not be coming back again. Let's start off with the water cup that he brought me which was dirty. I didn't notice it until I drunk The water down. Wasn't paying too much attention, because of the type of restaurant I was at. The seafood chowder was amazing. When it came to the entrée, I asked him should I get the muscles or should I get the pasta? I don't think he even knew what he was talking about or even care. He suggested a pasta that he said has a hint of redness to it due to the spice, but it was a creamy Alfredo spicy creamy Alfredo to be exact. The sauce is very delicious because you can tell that it was homemade tomato based sauce, but I can't eat it. He explained the pasta to me as if it was a cream sauce with spiciness in it. Which this was not the case the sauce, a tomato base sauce, which I cannot eat because of acid reflux. The pasta looks like something out of a children's menu not even worth what I spent on it, but I paid for it. I would have tipped him anyways, very well as I always do. I ended up tipping him his 25% but I should not have. The only reason I tip this was because you offered to take it back in a sarcastic manner like most Service do awe no trying to play dumbfounded! When you could have just said well, this is a red base sauce. Or I'm not sure ma'am, and I would have ordered the muscles. I probably would've tipped you more just because was honest. When I said you just got your 25%, which was not even worth it cause my food went in the trash. You even saw I did not eat it. You never even offered a second time to say hey I noticed you didn't eat this can I just get u something else? Let me take this off your bill or let me take it back. Not wanting to send the food back I just kept it and dealt with it and ate the seafood out of it. This was a waste of $30 for something I can't eat and did not eat. You guys should really make sure that your Service know they're menu you and know what's in it. The sauce was a full base tomato sauce no spiciness to it. No cream sauce. I asked for no salt in my margarita, but the margarita clearly was salty. Or maybe it was the mix I don't know it tasted salty. This restaurant was just not for me maybe for others, but it just didn't work out for me one and done! I was very clear on the sauce that I wanted, and you still gave me red sauce. This is what the food look like before leaving read more

The River House - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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We stopped in for light dinner while in the Portsmouth area in April. The River House was a great find, nice location on the water and comfortable tables looking out to the view. We opted for salads and an appetizer and both were tasty. I especially liked the tuna cucumber appetizer- fresh and nicely done. Family friendly as well with a children's menu. Prompt and friendly service! read more

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Good service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great views.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Everything is always good here. Chowder is the best ever. One of best places in Portsmouth. read more

I took guests to The River House last week and I'm glad I did! The four of us sat outside on the restaurant's deck overlooking the river, bridges, tugboats, etc.... My guests who faced the river had a great view and very much enjoyed it. The food was also excellent and better than I expected. I figured a place with a very nice view over the river might not need to have great food. But, The River House had very tasty food, as well. I had asked the waitress for her food recommendation and she didn't lead me astray. Overall, I highly recommend The River House for its great views from the deck, excellent food, a perfect place to take out-of-town guests, and very good service. read more

The River House - View from restaurant deck looking towards the Piscataqua River with bridges between New Hampshire and Maine, tugboats and other vessels. - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I really loved this place. When you're on the water and paying a premium for location sometimes the food is just "ok" but I thought the food was great and everyone loved their meal. We sat outside at a high top on the deck right in the water which was amazing! Our server was fast and friendly. I got the Mediterranean salad with grilled chicken and the portion was awesome and I shared with my friends. For adding on grilled chicken I thought the portion was good and the chicken flavorful. I liked the crunchy chickpeas too. My friend got fish tacos she loved and my other friend got a fish sandwich she said was great. We also all loved our drinks. It was a beautiful day to sit and have a great meal with great friends. I'll be back to The River House for sure! read more

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Stopped by for a late, quick dinner on our way to Maine. Service was friendly and luckily it wasn't so busy at 8:30. The seafood chowder was excellent, rich, savory, full of seafood. We also shared the pappardelle fra diavolo, it was okay, made with homemade pasta, small portion, good sauce but not spicy enough. It's a good place and if you're lucky you can find street parking. Instead of the parking lot across the street that's about $30!! read more

The River House - Pappardelle fra diavolo - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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My friend and I passed for an appetizer and drink. We ordered the lobster artichoke dip and she got a cocktail while I got a soda. The dip was good, the cocktail was average, and the soda was flat. Our server had an attitude and clearly did not want to be there. Just a lot of personal issues going on with him and I do hope he finds happiness one day because he ruined our experience. The view is beautiful and the ambiance is fun and lively. Except, of course, for our waiter. read more

This place is fantastic! River House has the best chowder we had out of any restaurant we tried in Maine or Boston. It's actually creamy! And flavorful! And chock full of seafood. The calamari is deliciously tender and the peppers add the perfect touch of flavor and spice. It's a must try to meet your seafood expectations when you visit New England. read more

The River House - Seafood Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Quick and friendly service. Kinda pricey for a lobster roll but it was very delicious! The clam chowder was also some of the best I've ever had read more

The River House - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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The view and historic buildings along the waterfront make this the reason I visit when driving thru the area. Seafood Chowder bowl was fine. It's thick and creamy but I wanted more chunks of scallops or lobster. The shrimp cocktail was fresh and the cocktail sauce was good and extra horseradish. On this cold day the Irish coffee hit the spot The service was very good given the low afternoon crowd. We heard two older gals departing the restaurant saying that was their last time as it's gone downhill. I assume they didn't like the loud blues music during their lunch but we went not sure. I'd probably try the place near by next visit, but I do love the stop view. read more

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Food in Portsmouth is low tier in general but [[HIGHLIGHT]]this restaurant is Consistently decent with a great view and nice outdoor seating along with amazing staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I came here as my first stop in Portsmouth. I really enjoyed our view of the waterfront and the food was amazing. I got the oyster poboy and the crab cake. I will definitely come here again to try the oysters. Our server was super friendly and helpful. read more

The River House - Oyster poboy - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Draft beer taps broken on a Saturday afternoon. Needed an electron scanning microscope to see the oysters. Fries and fried fish were very meh. Screams tourist trap. Move along... read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]The food was good and the place was very beautiful[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]], unfortunately, one thing ruined it all. I asked where the restroom was while with my wife and while I was in there all hell broke loose. Maybe they thought I was going to dine n dash but I guess every 30 seconds they started asking if I was gonna pay, if I was ready, there's no rush but please pay when ready, etc... I left to use the bathroom for 5 min and you harass my wife like this? Absolutely not! The food was decent but if you are Hispanic and might need to go to the bathroom, don't bother. read more

First off, the lobster was fresh, chunky, and clearly living its best life before becoming my dinner. No rubbery bits, no questionable textures--just tender, sweet lobster that hadn't been massacred by over-dressing. The mayo was present but not too present--like a supportive friend who enhances your life without taking over. This chowder was so rich and creamy, I'm pretty sure it qualifies as a luxury skincare treatment. Packed with tender seafood! read more

The River House - Tall ship - Seafood Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Came in with a group of 8 and apparently our wait time was up. But the manager that was working still accommodated us and we all had an amazing meal. Would definitely go back! read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Service was fine and ambiance was nice being on the balcony over looking the water[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] but man the food was TRASH. The gluten free smash burger was horribly dry and tasteless and my Paloma mocktail had way too much blood orange in it. We got the lobster artichoke dip and there were tiny bits of lobster in it. Would not recommend and as a girl with celiac disease, I appreciated all the gluten free options but I would've rather been hungry. Sorry! read more