Wanted to update my review as the Rosa is now under new management and I believe much improved. Now part of the MT dining group (Surf, Buckleys Great Steaks, etc...), I felt that the food was substantially better than our prior visits. The staff is pleasant and we had a great waiter. Somehow the room felt nicer, cleaner and brighter. We dined with friends and started with cocktails which were very good. Our waiter brought out complimentary bread and oil, which we all enjoyed, and was replenished during our meal. The small Caesar salad was generous and easily enough for two. The meatball appetizer was also quite big, with 3 delicious meatballs and several pieces of garlic toast. We shared a Lasagna entree which was very good, and was more than enough for two people. In fact, we could not finish and brought home a small portion which I enjoyed for lunch. The menu offers both classic comfort Italian dishes, as well as pizza and more modern Italian fare. Our friends were pleased with Chicken Parm, again more than they could eat. We all felt prices were fair and reasonable given food prices these days. Further, unlike a few other spots in town, no unpleasant surprise surcharge for using a credit card. We were too fill to try dessert, but I expect they will be as good as those offered at other Buckley restaurants. I think Michael Buckley has done a great job reinvigorating this long standing Portsmouth restaurant. Be sure to make a reservation, the place was packed and with good reason. read more

The three of us headed to the Rosa a few Sunday afternoons ago for an early dinner. Apparently the Rosa has been in business in Portsmouth NH for almost 100 years, which is pretty nuts. New ownership recently took over and updated the interior and the menu. Here's what we ordered: Meatball appetizer- Excellent, would definitely order again. Also came with a complimentary basket of house focaccia which was exceptionally good! For mains- The house lasagna al la bolongese--solid and of a generous portion, and, two of us shared a special of Cacio e Pepe pasta with steak tips, which was really good. For dessert we all dug into warm brownie with ice cream which was 100% We all hope to return to the Rosa, there are also several wonderful shops along the street walkable from the Rosa. read more

Good experience - very friendly service, the bread & oil to start was delish! We got the chicken parm and carbonara and really enjoyed both! Would come back read more

The Rosa - Carbonara w/ Sausage - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Lots of gluten free options. Generous portions. A nice selection on the menu of starts, salads, pizza and entrees. We look forward to coming back. Service was prompt and friendly. It was relaxing and we could carry on a conversation! read more

The Rosa - The refurbished 'bar area' now has more comfortable seating. Service is friendly and attentive. Food on the new menu is delicious! - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Beautiful interior with outdoor seating too. Unfortunately the cocktails were one note, extremely overpriced, and the food menu was completely underwhelming. Better Italian elsewhere. read more

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I came here with a large group of friends for a birthday dinner on a Saturday night. Overall, everyone was generally satisfied with the experience, and we had excellent service. Later that evening, when speaking to someone who lived locally, I was told that the restaurant use to be a "more traditional" Italian restaurant, but the current owners of the restaurant are trying to "kick it up a notch." I saw some evidence of that, I feel they can do some more. Our table ordered wine with dinner. The specials, including featured wines, come on a smaller page given with the regular menu. All of the featured wines were more expensive, but they also have a nice variety of wines generally at lower prices on the regular menu and we enjoyed the one we ordered. What I found interesting is that someone else at our table ordered an single pour of the same wine, and we all noticed what a generous pour it was, clearly something of note when ordering wine here. I suspect the bread baskets (nice, dense, flavorful bread) are made in advance, because our first basket did not have enough for everyone at our table, but more bread was available on request. It is accompanied by a small ramekin of olive oil, but if you order house salads, you get decanters of oil and balsamic vinegar which can also be used for the bread. Dinners came out reasonably close together, typically all of one entree delivered at a time. My chicken and sausage cacciatore, while tasty, was not what I expected. Typically, a cacciatore is served either with a side of pasta, or on pasta, but this was mixed in with the pasta (which was a bit chewy). Also the sauce was unusually sweet, which led me to believe this was a somewhat generic sauce used for several entrees. Several people at my table ordered the short rib on polenta, and I was able to sample some. I thought the polenta was delicious, but I felt the short rib, while tender, lacked flavor. For me, The Rosa is one of those restaurants that I feel I will enjoy more after visiting a few times and finding just what items on the menu will appeal to me the most. I'd certainly return. read more

The Rosa - Chicken and sausage cacciatore - tasty but an unusually sweet sauce - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Really good experience with a party of 4 on a Sat night. Food is much better under Buckley. Service was excellent. The only reason for not giving 5 stars is the coffee was cold when arrived and was 16 bucks for 4 cups of room temp coffee. Other than that issue it was a great experience read more

Went there last night. My wife had Shrimp Scampi and loved it. I had Chicken Parm. Chicken was great, but pasta was horrible. Had Rigatoni which should be little tubes of pasta. This was so overcooked it laid flat and was a big pile of mush. very disappointing! read more

My second review in a few days! Went to The Rosa again on my stay in Portsmouth and I always sit at the bar. Today I got the Caprese Salad for a starter and it was delicious. Chicken Marsala which was amazing and came with a side Caesar Salad YUM! I want to note that I tried one of their speciality drinks called the Lime Rickey. This was one of my favorite drinks so far, it was a great summer drink. Highly recommend. I had the pleasure of being served by 3 different bartenders, Jess, Matthew and Ally. I cannot say enough about this staff. They are professional, attentive and always great conversation. The Rosa is highly recommended. Great laid back atmosphere and beautiful decor. read more

The Rosa - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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After hearing great things about this place, we decided to try it. We walked in on a weekend evening at dinner time and there was no wait. We were immediately greeted by our super outgoing and kind server (I cannot remember his name). He seemed very knowledgeable about the menu and dietary needs. We instantly got our drinks and placed our entree orders. I got the pan seared salmon; well done. It was the perfect portion of creamy risotto which is usually on the heavier side, but I didn't finish feeling like I ate too much. Salmon was crispy on top, just how I like it. Paired well with the risotto (didn't care for the salsa so I got that on the side). All of the staff was friendly and welcoming. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area! read more

The Rosa - Pan seared salmon with risotto - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Great find. Excellent food, service and atmosphere. We came across this restaurant on Tic Toc the food looked amazing and It delivered. The online reviews were mixed and we were skeptical but everyone can have a bad day so we gave it a shot and pleased that we did. The staff even made an entree as a kids meal so we could sample additional meals. We were told they are under new ownership and it appears to be doing very well. Definitely will come back read more

Nice place. New owners. Great atmosphere. Very pleasant staff. Pasta primavera not so good - pasta way overcooked. Other dishes were ok. Overall grade: C read more

Great ambience with exceptional staff. We were treated with a smile and continued professional service. Food was delicious! The house made bread came out warm with olive oil for dipping....yum. Salad came with our dinner and pasta was fabulous. Excellent wine and cocktail list. We will definitely be back again soon! read more

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The only good thing about this place is the service. Overpriced pasta and pizza. Fettuccine Alfredo is bland, pizza is just basic, not a single person in my party enjoyed their meal. Drinks are pricier than The Wilder's. read more

So it's definitely your hometown family in Italian restaurant made a very long day and it had some good items on the menu so we thought we'd check it out I think for majority of my family. The food was really good on the other hand had the vodka, pink rigatoni with sausage. While the sauce was delicious, Toney was great, I had to go fishing for the sausage I swear to you there was probably only like five pieces of sausage in the whole dish. It was quite pricey to begin with sausage at least made it, but whatever piece of sausage was in the dish was very thinly cut. I did not enjoy the meal and it definitely ruined my dinner cause I was looking forward to the sausage subsequently my son just ordered the pasta with red sauce. I didn't have any meat in it which we ordered some additional sausage for weill. We ordered a side of sausage. It was plentiful. I wish that much was within my own dinner instead my son ate the sausage. It was a sweet sausage. It was really good if they had added more sausage into my pink vodka, rigatoni dish I believe it would've been outstanding. I did mention this to the waitress and she said oh OK and then walked away the staff at the front door really nice. They got us into a table real fast, which was great they're water and the restroom is scolding hot so just be aware of that. The bread was delicious. It seemed like it was homemade with some virgin olive oil. Delicious my mom had the beef with gnocchi. The breeze beef was delicious, but the gnocchi was nothing to talk. It was chewy and hard and didn't have a very good taste to it overall we had a good time. It was really nice atmosphere just a little pricey. read more

We came here in a recommendation. It's a quant nice place. The service was lacking and a little inexperienced. The food was not what we expected from all the good reviews. I sent back my shrimp scampi because it had no garlic at all. I was told it was made with garlic butter. read more

Not sure why the lower score... But my team mates and I had a great dinner after work. Everyone was happy with what they ordered from pizza and calzone to chicken and broccoli and veal parmesan with housemade fresh pasta. Friendly service and prices were decent. read more

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Went again last Saturday night & sat at the bar. Bartender was very cordial & knowledgeable, the service was excellent, specials & off menu amazing. Everything we ordered was as usual excellent. One of our fav places for many years read more

We stopped at Rosa with some family that lives in the area on a Thursday night. The service was good and the restaurant is beautiful. My aunt told us about the history of the restaurant before and during her 30 years in Portsmouth. The food was pretty average for Italian restaurants. It's filling with big servings. read more

The Rosa - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Had a very mixed experience tonight at The Rosa. The patio seating was lovely, the service was excellent, the drink pours were ample, but the food was totally mediocre. I had the Caprese salad: hardly any arugula for the salad part, scanty portions of Mozzarella and tomato, and completely overdone chicken as an "add on." It was also overpriced. The previous iteration of The Rosa was much better! read more

Stopped by to test out the menu as they also have a catering menu. We will be hosting friends in a couple of weeks. The chicken piccata was the 1st choice and I tried the chicken. It was very good and the service was friendly and quick. The atmosphere was perfect for a table for two and large groups. The bar was ideal for a quick drink with friends. We plan to order for our party. Looking forward to the experience. Really enjoyed the meatballs. As you can see started eating them before the picture. read more

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Garlic bread not crispy just wet toast. Mussels cooked in pepperoni. The flavor of pepperoni towered over all else. Chicken Marsala came out too dry with very little marsala flavor. The solution? Some additional marsala sauce on the side was $2.00 each. The price point is too high for this level of quality. Service was good. Ambiance was good. read more

I love the Rosa. I can always get delicious food and the ambiance is cozy. I have taken my grandparents there quite a bit but also love a date night there with my husband. Love their house salad but the pasta is always incredible. read more

The appetizers were really good and they make good drinks. Where they fall short is the entrees. I ordered the chicken cannelloni and it was dry, had no flavor and it was cold. Others in my party of 11 received cold entrees and were disappointed in the flavor of their food. The service was good. It could have better ambiance for sure. read more

I have experienced the Rosa a few times now and have left happy every time! The food is good and as far as Italian food in the area it's one of the better options. The service is friendly every time, and the ambiance is great! It's a classy establishment and the espresso martinis are one of my favorites! My only complaint is I have been in a few times and wanted to experience the risotto but it comes with mushrooms. I ask if I can have it without mushrooms they say of course, and each time it has ended up coming with mushrooms. Not a massive deal for me but for sure something to think about if they were to have an allergy! read more

The Rosa - Espresso martini - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

for many this has been our "go to restaurant" when in town and just need dinner. It has had its ups and downs unfortunately this visit was more down than up. The service was excellent, our dinners "Not so much". I had veal parmesan the spaghetti was most likely reheated the veal was overwhelmed by the breading my wife had haddock dish dry and tasteless. On our way out I mentioned to the very nice hostess that service was excellent dinner Not spectacular. She acted concerned, regrettably an IDIOT waiting to be seated overheared my comment and asked me how old I was and at my age shouldn't I know that restaurants aren't their best on the weekend. What a terrible finish to a marginal dinner. read more

Food was absolutely delicious, with great drinks- especially the seasonal Carmel walnut old fashioned! Travis was a great waiter and it was a great experience! Definitely recommend read more

The Rosa - Food was absolutely delicious! - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Visited for lunch today and was surprised it was so quiet when so many Portsmouth restaurants are closed during the day on weekends. This place is a bit special, as my husband and I had our first date here six years ago. We had only been back once since it reopened under Portsmouth Hospitality, and were glad we got a chance to come back on an impromptu date lunch for the holiday today. Our server Alicia (apologies if that's the wrong spelling!) was awesome. We started with the mussels appetizer, which was overall good but I felt like it was missing some acidity... until I got to the bottom of the plate/bowl with the side of grilled focaccia - I think the size/shape of the bowl does this dish a disservice. We both got side salads with our lunch - the optional addition of anchovies on the caesar salad was a nice add. My husband ordered the veal parm and I got the carbonara, both were great flavor-wise but the carbonara was VERY saucy, which I wasn't expecting. The pasta with both seemed to be made in house, and was cooked to a perfect al dente. Finished the meal with some cannoli! Overall was a great spot for a meal, but would caution my pretentious pasta peeps that this is more of an American Italian menu and not so much authentic Italian as it maybe once was. read more

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After a debauched Bermuda cruise due to a hurricane, I wanted to take my brother and his girlfriend to The Rosa for giving me a ride to the airport. It was a very busy Saturday night and without a reservation, we were sadly sent away. The GM; Krystal Sanborn was so apologetic, she gave me her business card to try back in a while if we couldn't find an alternative. We were sitting out front for several minutes making calls to other local restaurants when Krystal came back out. She said " Oh Heck, I don't want your vacation to end on a sour note, please come in, I set up a table for you in the back room" ! We were so happy that we stuck it out while searching for a place to eat. We sat in a room that was so pretty and still had the charm of days gone by. We ordered Calamari, Meatballs, Chicken Parmigiana, Salad, the food came with amazing warm Bread and infused oil for dipping. My oh My was the food ever delicious, their house Pinot Noir was a perfect accompaniment to an extremely enjoyable dinner. Our server was attentive, kind, friendly and just a delight. Now I only had the good fortune to eat there years ago under different owners because I don't live in the area anymore, and seeing a complaint on Yelp was a bit of a shock to me. Our food was perfectly prepared, and so delicious. When the opportunity to visit Portsmouth arises again, I will surely make The Rosa one of my stops for dinner. Thank you Ms. Sanborn, your empathy for a spoiled vacation was such a kind gesture and I appreciate your hospitality. read more

Amaaaaaazing food / service every time we go ! Love it !! Definitely my families favorite Italian restaurant in the area!! read more

The Rosa - Chicken Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The waitress was very attentive and polite. The food was very good. The restaurant was cute and clean. The kitten was slightly slow given the number of people in the restaurant. The pasta fagioli was very tasty although the noodle selection seemed odd. The chicken cannelloni was delicious. I would have preferred the chicken to be shredded instead as some pieces were large chucks. The cannoli are made in house to order. Long and shinny but completely filled. read more

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Food was mediocre. dishes were either overcooked or with cold sauce. Salads were good but too much dressing

I've been back about 3-4 more times since our disappointing dinner after they opened. I spoke with management who informed me that they had changed the kitchen management because of other complaints. A noticeable difference. With the exception of one evening for dinner. They brought out the wrong meal for my wife and sent it back. 21 minutes later she finally received hers. I'm a gentleman so I waited to eat until her dinner arrived. By that point mine was cold. No apologies either. However, the food is outstanding, especially the Rosa Special. Service is fantastic. read more

The Rosa - Fettuccine Alfredo with grilled chicken - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

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Stopped here for lunch. Staff was super friendly, service was prompt-they even brought us delicious warm bread and oil! I got the short rib, the flavors were interesting not my favorite short rib I've had. My husband got the chicken cannellini it was good but the chicken was a tad dry. read more

Everything was really good but some things to know. Fruiti de Maria has shrimp, clams, fish and one mussel (that didn't open). The seafood is soaked in red wine so has a purple tint. It looked kind of odd so we asked. The eggplant Parmesan is one single ling piece of eggplant with cheese on top. I'm used to layers. The salmon on risotto and gnocchi with bolognese sauce were perfect. The tiramisu was delicious! Geat espresso flavor. read more

The Rosa - Salmon and risotto - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

I think I was most impressed with our server, Adriana. She is literally the friendliest, nicest person I have met since being in New England. She is very knowledgeable about the menu. I have some food restrictions and she knew just the right adjustments to dishes so that I was able to eat them. The food was so good that my taste buds were definitely doing the happy food dance. read more

The Rosa - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Wow this place is so good! I've been coming here since I was a little girl, and though I understand it's under new ownership, the food is still just as good. It's fresh and simple, with delicious flavors. They have food the whole family can enjoy while still being homemade and a more upscale experience than your average family restaurant. read more

Great service, very cozy. Great bread and oil. Food was very good as well. Was very convenient to walk over to the Player Ring Theater.

My partner and I came here after a performance downtown. We had a wonderful dinner for a very affordable price. We each had a drink and a full entree and the bill ended up being $53. Very basic Italian and pizza place but the food was quite good. I got the Alfredo pasta with chicken added in for $6 (made perfect sense and didn't feel like an over charge compared to the rest of the menu) and that sauce was delicious. I've been craving a true Alfredo sauce for a while now and this really delivered. Shout out to our server Ellen B who was an absolute joy! read more

They have dog friendly outdoor seating and are wonderful overall! My sweet pup couldn't sit still and was anxious being there, and when I told my waitress she went and had my food prepped to go with a free dessert for me and a treat (meatball) for my pup! I love this place! I go every time I am in the area and will continue to do so. read more

The Rosa - Italian Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire