Great cozy spot with perfect views of little Squam Lake. Had a late lunch at about 3 o'clock. Lunch menu was good size. I chose the smoked chicken salad sandwich with blanched almonds and cranberries and light mayo. It was absolutely delicious!! . Husband got the pulled pork which he loved. Daughter got grilled cheese which I thought was pretty expensive at $7.50 for just bread and cheese melted! I mean for a kids menu it should be about $5. Regardless, she loved it and devoured it. Slightly on the pricey side for lunch but at least it was delicious. I would return read more

Last summer (2012) we had a few bad meals there and had chosen not to return. I was sad about that as the view is wonderful and it's close to our place on a neighboring lake. We decided we would try again after not being there all summer. I do want to say that it was like eating at a different place. We enjoyed our meals and the server was good and everything was exactly as we wanted it. I'm glad we gave them another chance. I would recommend it again and we hope to be back again before we close up our place for the season. read more

I had the seafood casserole, loaded potato chips, coconut shrimp, chocolate cake, and key lime pie. Also some pretty good white wine. Everything was really good. read more

Our go to spot in the lakes region. Great food. Good drinks. Spectacular view. Get the chowder and fish tacos. You won't be sad.

Love Walters. The service is amazing and the staff always friendly. They are doing a fantastic job during this situation and can't wait to see them again. read more

Went with extended family plus two active kids under 10. Service was quick. Food excellent: crab cakes, burger, special sea food pasta dish, fish & chips, ... They offered and did submit the kids meals on a separate ticket so that they would come out sooner. Will definitely return. read more

What a great place to just drive by and make the decision to have lunch here. Before I mention the food I must say the hostess and waitress know exactly what it means to provide service to customers in an outstanding fashion. Recommendations and just the discussions about the restaurant reassured us that we had made a great choice. Also the location and the view of the lake where we sat was outstanding so peaceful and relaxing. While it was a great location and great service the food was outstanding both of us had cup of the soup which was as good as any that we have had in all our travels. For our lunch course my wife had the kale and blueberry salad which was very unique and the flavors made it unique and a dish that she would like to have again. I went a little more traditional with lobster salad sliders. The amount of lobster in the flavors of the salad was spot on and what one would expect and hope for in that dish. We are already looking at the dinner menu and hoping to go back in the very near future and try some of the dinner entrées. read more

I've been a looong time Holderness summer resident. I've seen this location go from a duck bowling alley - to an ice cream/soda shop place to an earlier version of Walter's Basin to its current restaurant/bar. Every summer we make a trip to Walter's - either to eat casually at the bar or for a nice sit down meal in the restaurant. We are always pleased and never disappointed in the food or service. read more

Our FowlSchmidt family felt very much taken care of throughout this fantastic meal. We blacked out so we'll be back for some more memorable memories. To another foul forty Sid! X read more

Went to the science center with the family, which was located in close proximity to this restaurant. We got there a bit early, as they opened at 11:30. I think we were there at 11:15, my wife saw folks in the kitchen and asked when they would open. They immediately sent someone to unlock the doors and take our order, wow! We sat at a table overlooking squam lake. Kids enjoyed seeing the loons and the boats come and go from the marina. All of our food was good. Kids got fish and chips and pasta, which was obviously fresh and was very tasty! The fish was awesome, not as greasy as typical fried fish. My wife ordered a cranberry walnut chicken salad sandwich, which was fantastic! I got a turkey panini, which was good. They were also very accommodating and brought us fresh vegetables instead of french fries. We would go back if in the area again. read more

Went there last night and the food was amazing and the view was great. Mackenzie was my server and such a nice young lady who took her time to make sure everything was great. I have been in the restaurant business for 30 years and never have I had a server like her. I would go back here time and again!!!!! read more

My family and I had dinner at Walters outside on picnic tables with the most incredible view of the lake. The food was awesome. We started with the kale and blueberry salad which has brussels sprouts cranberries with a maple And apple cider vinaigrette. It was enough for all three of us but I have had it as my dinner. My daughter had the scallop And succotash dinner. She gave it five stars. I had a small taste even though I am striving to eat plant-based. I plan to order it on my cheat day. My husband had the steak tips which he enjoyed also. We ended the dinner by splitting the snowball dessert which is ice cream dipped in coconut flakes. It is to die for. Since I'm eating vegetarian I love Walters because they have several options like the mushroom ravioli I had that day. They also have interesting salads and butternut squash tacos. Plus several more options. Can't wait to go back when they fully open. read more

Food was fantastic. The only thing that was better was the lake views all the way around. Great place. Would definitely go back. Service was very good also. read more

Wicked fun pub, featuring the magnificent Steve tending bar. Food is ok - those who know me know how I feel about pub food, but Steve can mix an Ice Cold martini, control a rowdy crowd of 40+ers on the loose, and not loose his "basshole shirt" to the crowd that tried hard to buy it off of him! A group of my favorite bassholes and I spent the day lounging on Squam Lake and then headed over to the pub the locals love with a passion - yes, right of the pier that Walter (Henry Ford) from Golden Pond movie days launches off. Appropriately named "Walters Basin" this is a place where everyone - snow birds and locals know each other. Pub food is ok, its plenty - bison burger hubby had was cook rare as he likes it, flavorful, and my french dip was pretty good (I found my steak a tad overcooked and a bit on the cold side) Onion rings are REALLY good. Overall, a good time was had by all, including the vegetarian of the group and we did wind up getting 1 Basshole shirt of the few left behind by the greedy tourists!!!! Fun place, decent food, nice view of the lake. Party time!!! read more

The food is okay, service was sluggish, the view of the lake is spectacular.

We go here a lot, we love eating at this friendly restaurant. Anytime we have any problems (although not frequent) they correct it fast and nicely. That is a rare quality for a restaurant these days. Very kid friendly also. read more

Had dinner at Walter's Basin while on vacation at Squam Lake. What a wonderful experience! I am from Maryland so I am a little leery about ordering seafood out. But this place knows how to do seafood! I had the Fisherman's platter. Haddock, shrimp, clams and scallops. Everything was cooked perfectly. Just the right amount of breading and not overcooked! It was served with French fries and coleslaw, both excellent! And the view of the lake from our table was just what you would expect from a restaurant on the lake. If you are in the area don't miss this place. But call ahead for reservations! read more

We love Walter's one of the absolutely most reliable dining experiences here in the lakes region. The Basshole Lounge is always awesome, Thursday night entertainment is fun, food in the dining room or the Lounge among the best anywhere. Last night's special scallops with coconut curry sauce was as good as any anywhere. I travel for a living and enjoy fine dining and Walter's delivers in this little town of Holderness, NH. At the same time the fish tacos are fantastic, in the summer their lobster rolls beat out many others, Parmesan panko haddock is an awesome dish, the ahi tuna appetizer incredible- Walter's is close to a never fail place to eat, hang out, meet friends old and new. read more

Went here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. I have been there many times but my gf had not been. The restaurant was fairly busy on a nice early fall Saturday. We were promptly seated and greeted by our waitress. I ordered the squam burger and she ordered the chicken tenders. The burger was cooked as I requested and was excellent. Gf's chicken was also excellent. Truly enjoyed coming in. Fyi- our Saturday lunch cost less at Walters than a pizza and chicken fingers did the evening before in Lincoln. Definitely better food and value. Will definitely return. read more

When we walked into Walter's Basin, we were very surprised at how clean and modern the restaurant was. On the right (across from the bar) is a room with sofas and big screen TV's and smaller bar, which would be great to either relax and have a drink, or stay while you're waiting for a table. (No wait when we arrived!) We were seated next to a big picture window with nice views of Little Squam Lake. Our waitress was extremely pleasant, and very efficient and attentive. I ordered the garden salad ($5) and it's wasn't worth the money. It was a big bowl of iceberg lettuce, topped with a couple of cherry tomatoes, red onions and shaved parmesan...nothing special, and it didn't include the cucumbers mentioned on the menu. The bleu cheese dressing was thick and creamy and served on the side (which I like). They brought a basket of crusty bread...very good. My spouse and I both ordered the Wild Mushroom and Walnut Sautee * mushroom ravioli, garlic, shaved parmesan & candied walnuts for $17. I thought the portion was very good, while my husband left the restaurant hungry (Of course, I'd already eaten part of the salad). The ravioli itself was good, and I really liked the candied walnuts on top. However, the sauce tasted vinegar-based and I didn't care for it at all. Perhaps some kind of maple sauce would have been better. The meal was okay, but we were both underwhelmed. Would we try it again, but order different entrees? Only maybe... read more

I got the lobster roll here and it was good. They have a big and very diverse menu with some nice pool tables and a bar room. Definitely a good place for all occasions! read more

More than 5 stars for the FRIED CLAMS !!! Light batter, juicy clams, perfect. I'll be back!!!

The view is spectacular and the bar is nice. However, our experience was less than enjoyable. After we ordered we never saw or heard from our server until it was time to pay the bill. We received all our meals except one. We had to go find the server to ask about our final meal and by the time we got it everyone else was done eating. We ended up sending it back since we were ready too leave. Not an apology or concern from the waitress. I have never been to a restaurant where the wait staff never checks on you or asks if you want another drink. Looking around it seemed everyone else was enjoying their meals and the other servers were friendlier and attentive so our experience is probably not the norm. It seems for us there are just to many good restaurants in the Lakes Region to visit so the Basin is off our list for a while. read more

We love t here. We can just boat over if we get hungry while out on the lake. Great pub food best burgers in the area. The bar is fabulous and they are very well stocked and make a mean Cosmo. Don't miss Walters. Also they are very allergy aware and do not use latex gloves keeping all of us safer read more

We arrived at the perfect time where it wasn't too crowded.. My and my boyfriend got a perfect seat in tha back room near the window and tha foliage looked beautiful.. Our waitress was a little bit scrambled and off on timing which seemed to make out diners upset for getting there food late but for us it seemed to be perfect timing when our good had arrived.. We both ordered the fried clams, they were out of this world good.. I will definitely return when I am up here again!.. I took off one star because thy needed at least some type of music because without it I could feel the tension from the other diners and their conversations. read more

The view here is nice. You can see the waterfront from any seat. There's also a bar and kids lounge area. Aside from the view and the different aspects of the restaurant, the food was of fantastic quality. I myself got the Duck, which was a nice portion and had just enough sweetness. My sister got the lobster Mac and Cheese. There were huge pieces of lobster in a deliciously creamy cheese sauce. I snuck a piece of cavatappi it was magic. My mother got the seafood casserole, she liked it, as the casserole dish was full. My father got a huge bowl of seafood called Sautéed Seafood. That was the star dish. It was loaded with so many huge pieces of seafood. He loved it. The only downside was the Jasmine Rice, it was dry and quite flavorless. Other than that everything was phenomenal and our waitress was very nice, great at what she did, knowledgable and provided us with fantastic service. We will come back! read more

See all

I really enjoy the bar/pub area. Try to get there early to insure a table overlooking the lake. Menu is decent enough and the food is pretty good. Beer selection and staff are good as well. Prices are par of other restaurants. Overall, I highly recommend trying this place out. read more

Only our 2nd time in the Lake Winnipesaukee area and we always look for highly rated, local establishments. We visited this place 3 years ago and liked it enough to go back. Not disappointed. The food was generally tasty, well prepared and plentiful. The service was excellent and very attentive and the views from the main dining room of Little Squam Lake were impressive. Good selection of wines and beers (would've preferred a few more local beer selections). Some street parking right in front of the restaurant, tho on a really busy night I could see parking being a challenge. Overall good experience and a place we would visit again. read more

We went for lunch and had soup and buffalo burgers. The view was great, the service was decent, but the food was just OK.

Walter's Basin Pub is a great place to enjoy and wonderful sandwich and chips overlooking Squam Lake.

We had a lovely window seat in the main dining hall just after sunset and it was beautiful. The maple glazed Brussels sprouts were very good. I liked my orange Thai glazed salmon. For dessert we shared the NY cheesecake with berry sauce on top. It was delicious. Nice wait staff. read more

We frequent Walter's Basin each trip up from DC and love the local flavour, service, food and atmosphere of the Basshole bar. Topher and Emily are a mainstay behind the bar and ensure a good pour on drinks and attention to all your needs. Note: Don't expect cell service while dining but that's a good thing. WiFi service is available. read more

Lovely view of the lake. Nice, clean environment in the restaurant, didn't visit the bar. A little pricey, but not insane. Husband ordered the lobster cobb salad. It arrived as basically a pile of cold lobster pieces on a bed of iceburg lettuce with a few sprinkles of blue cheese. Not so bad if you love lobster, but this lobster didn't smell fresh. They took it back and brought him a very nice plate of steak tips. The manager came and apologized. So they handled it well. I had shepherd's pie. Large, filling, needed some rosemary. (IMHO) French onion soup and clam chowder both nice. I got a watermelon martini that was nice and strong, but tasted nothing like watermelon, or any other recognizable thing either. To sum up, enjoyed the view, the food was OK, the staff was nice. Would def check out other restaurants in the area before returning here. read more

A last minute decision by my boyfriend to come up on Saturday night for dinner. Mind you the ride is just under 2 hours but the views are breathtaking here and the food is usually really good, along with service. He got the Elk Meatloaf, which was amazing. i opted for the Rib Eye and wish I hadn't. We absolutely love their smoked prime rib in the winter and the portion is always well worth the money. Sadly Saturday night's Rib Eye was no where near a steak worth $26.00. The manager walked around inquiring and I let it ride and said it was fine. I did this not to cause a fuss and so my boyfriend new i appreciated the effort to take me there. I figure i'll post it here and they'll see it and make a few minor adjustments to what they serve as their Rib Eye. I don't have a photo to show so i'll do my best to explain it. The steak came to the table with 4 pieces attached by veins and fat. It was not a very thick cut and like having a steak puzzle on your plate. It was extremely fatty and for some, that designates with more flavor. BUT, not when you're paying $26.00. The sauteed string-beans were perfectly cooked, still firm, but a very small portion, and I mean small. There was an ample amount of mashed potatoes to make up for it. Since is was nearing 7:00 PM I figured they were running low on the veggie of the day. What made up for the whole night was the waiter, Michael (Ziggy). He made every table he had smile and was so entertaining. Anyway, my boyfriend had a wonderful time, and loved his meal, which made it worth it.. read more

My daughter worked the summer of 2009 at the nearby Science Center, so whenever we went to visit her, we ate at Walter's Basin. It's AWESOME! Fantastic view of the lake, great food at moderate prices, very clean, nicely decorated and great service! Will be going up there again this summer. read more

Nothing special. Has a beautiful view, but the food and service are nothing to brag about. I went here twice, once to get just drinks and another for dinner. Our server for drinks was not friendly and made me feel like I was bothering him. Dinner was a better experience but our server didn't seem like she has very much experiencing serving. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience. read more

The food, the view, the drinks, and the service are all incredible. Walter's Basin is the kind of place that makes me wish I lived in Holderness year round instead of just visiting each summer. On my most recent trip I had Death by Lobster for dinner. I mean, if you are gonna die eating dinner, you might as well be eating lobster, right? It was amazing. Lobster ravioli with so much lobster meat on top and delicious butter and shallot sauce. The portion was generous, which allowed my to take some home and avoid the aforementioned death. I am sure that if I finished it I would have suffered a food coma at the minimum. The man got the seafood casserole, which I snagged a bite of and it was excellent. We both had clam chowder before the meal and it is good here, not my favorite, but really good. It is very thick and has lots of bacon and clams in it. We split creme brulee for dessert and it was creamy and delicious with a perfectly bruleed top (my favorite part). If you are in Holderness you should visit Walter's Basin. And if you planned a trip to Holderness just to visit Walter's basin I would not judge you for that. read more

Great spot and really turned there menu around. Beautiful location, view and friendly staff!

Came here a few times during our trip to NH. This place never disappoints. Would highly recommend the teriyaki steak - just perfect! My wife had the blueberry salmon - very unique and tasted great! As always, we'll definitely be back next time we are in the area. read more

This place has a great view of Squam Lake while you sit at the bar, good sandwiches and burgers and a menu of creative cocktails. On the down side this place was completely empty when we went, granted it was the offseason for this area and it was the middle of the day on a weekend. They only have about 5 beers on tap and nothing too special in bottles. I wouldn't go out of my way to return but it wasn't a bad experience. read more