River House

We ate on the outdoor patio, but it was decently warm because there are canvas and clear plastic covers that enclose it, plus a big heater running along the ceiling the length of the patio. We had the buttered lobster roll with seafood chowder and homemade potato chips - it was outstanding and enough for two of us to share for lunch. The view of the water was excellent. I’d recommend to anyone!

Got the famous seafood chowder. It came out quick, a little too quick. The soup was almost cold, kitchen staff should know better. Our waiter was awesome, he remedied the situation quickly. Once we were served hot soup, I was very impressed, it was really good, seasoned perfectly👌! Atmosphere and our waiter (including hostess that was very friendly and welcoming) deserve five stars. Kitchen staff gets 3 stars. To the cook's outback: why don't you sit down and eat a cold bowl of seafood chowder...... or try not serving cold soup.

Early dinner. Water view. Cup of chowder. Lobster Mac & Cheese special for dinner. Pro tip- get a spoon with that Mac. All was so good. Exactly what a New England experience should be

seafood chowder-Gold Ladle Award Winner- GF- A hearty, rich, creamy soup with lobster, scallops, shrimp, clams, and haddock. A house specialty…and Gluten Free! cup 10 | bowl 13                           quart (served cold to-go) 25 calamari GF- fried calamari with rings and tentacles. tossed with cherry peppers and served with marinara sauce.   16 Gf fried haddock & clam strip basket market price (current $36) Clam strip basket is currently $40 Our dinner was in total $62 with tax. Compliment your self love lunch or dinner by going to Red Rover Creamy at 150 State St Portsmouth, New Hampshire 03801 and getting Gluten free cookies and cream ice cream and gluten free peach cobbler ice cream or by going to Annabelle’s Natural Ice Cream (49 Ceres St, Portsmouth, NH 03801) if it’s fall and getting NEW HAMPSHIRE PURE MAPLE WALNUT and Yellow Brick Road (vanilla ice cream with pecans, praline pecans and a Carmel swirl.

Amazing happy hour menu and service! $1.50 oysters, shrimp cocktail and spicy tuna bites from 12 to 4 pm, with no limit! Excellent service.

Visited from out of town during a work trip, nice place to grab a bite to eat on the water. Drinks were good. We tried the oysters which were on the smaller size but good 8/10a The lobster pasta was pretty good 7/10. Friends had the lobster roll and said it was okay it’s more bread than lobster, 5/10. The blood orange margarita was pretty good. View 10/10

We were on a long weekend away, 1st time to the area. This restaurant checked all the boxes we had listed. By the water, fresh seafood, the food was amazing. Jillian was our waitress and she was the nicest person, answering all our questions, checking in but, not making us feel rushed!

Had a great and refreshing time visiting Portsmouth! We enjoyed a beautiful lunch at the River House on the riverside. The atmosphere was lovely, and the food—especially the chicken tenders and fries—was delicious. A bit on the pricey side, but the view and vibe made it worth it. Highly recommend for a scenic, relaxing meal! 🌊🍽️

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.

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

Had lunch there today with our grandson. He had the clam and haddock plate ($38), I had the oyster po boy ($26) and my wife had the Cup of chowder ($10). Small bottle of root beer @$5.50. Hard to imagine that this overpriced place would ever get a repeat customer. Batter on the oysters and clams was very mushy and not flavorful. The po boy was served on a sub roll loaded with lettuce, tomatoes, peppers and topped with 8 oysters. $103 later and I just want to scream. Enough French fries and sweet potato fries to make it look like you got a lot of food. Not!!

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!

10 stars for the food -2 for service. Good view outdoors. 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

Perched on a deck, overlooking the harbor, in the best part of town, I recommend River House to any friend who visits Portsmouth. First of all, the vibes are unbeatable, especially when it comes to the outdoor seating. The River House's outdoor seating consists of one long deck suspended over the water. Each low top and high top has a clear view of the harbor water, and the classic Portsmouth tugboats in the near distance. The Deck Punch and the Clam Chowder are must-tries. This weekend I ordered those, along with fish and chips and the Mediterranean mahi-mahi. The fish was cooked perfectly and we had an amazing view of the water the whole time. The service is fast and friendly, and even helped us relocate seats to get out of the hot sun!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!!

Food and service were fantastic. Oysters were fresh and lobster rolls hot and cold were delicious. Drinks were great.

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.

Had the broiled haddock sandwich with sweet potato fries for a total of $19.00, plus hot cocoa with Bailey's. Had the GF (gluten-free) bun which was so terrible! Like it was made of chalk and styrofoam - or maybe just had been sitting around for 2-3 weeks. So dried out I almost choked to death on my first bite (did not continue with the bun!). The fish was good but such a tiny piece of fish; like 3 bites worth. The fries were way over-cooked and burnt looking; had to choke those down too. The hot cocoa was the only saving grace.

Service was excellent, food came out in timely manner and good portions. Heater was not working but had a jacket. Just couldn't pass up the view

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!

Service was solid. The fish was all low quality or not so fresh. Fried seafood platters were 7/10 fries, which were pretty good. Paid market rate for whole clams but it seemed like 3oz serving and the more plentiful haddock was very dry and somewhat hard. Batter of the fried items tasted good. Scallops were hard as rocks in the clam chowder and it wasn't very good. The fish was all low quality or not so fresh.

Definitely request to sit on the dock by the water. Great views and the service was quick. We loved the lobster rolls, quinoa bowl with salmon and summer salad. Also, don't sleep on the sweet potato fries they were randomly amazing?!

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!

We just happened upon The River House on a recent New England road trip and gave it a try based on reviews. We were starving and decided why not? We chose to sit outside on their deck which was pretty cool feeling despite the June heat. Inside did not seem to have air conditioning. Our waitress was pretty young and training someone else, but they did a good job. My husband opted for some fish and chips and fried shrimp while I ordered a chicken Caeser salad- I am allergic to some seafood and opt to stay away from it. My husband has NOT STOPPED raving about how good and fresh the seafood was from this place. Everything was flavorful and the views of the water were incredible! If we wind up back in Portsmouth I would for sure eat here again!

Great local spot with the best views of the harbor and tugboats. Even in the winter, they have outdoor seating with headlamps to take it all in. Whenever you go the chowder is a MUST! It's a thick seafood chowder with lots of fish that truly eats like a meal. The riverhouse will always be one of my Portsmouth favorites!

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.

Saw a line outside and decided ro check it out.. then saw their happy hour on the raw bar and that was enough to seal the deal. The oysters are solid and for 1.50 a pop it's a steal. They also have jumbo cocktail shrimp and a spicy tuna app at $1.50 as well, so we had plenty of each. Everything was tasty, service was great, and it's always nice to sit by the water.

Beautiful view of the water, nice covered patio section (fall 2025). Happy Hour is currently $1.50 oysters after 12pm-?. The seafood chowder was really flavorful! We came for the lobster roll and not only was it the most expensive we've had in all of New England at $42 (included fries), or $54 for the lobster roll, fries and chowder) it was barely full. We got the 'lobster salad' style and the mayo was really lacking. I do want to give some credit to the great and quick service.

The Lobster Roll and seafood chowder combination (called The Tall Ship) is easily five stars for both. I had three lobster rolls from different restaurants here in Portsmouth this weekend and The River House lobster roll was the best of the three by a long shot. 4.5 ounces of lobster meat overflow the buttery toasted bun. The seafood chowder was filled with mouthfuls of seafood. Every scoop offered chunks of lobster, scallops, shrimp, clams, and haddock. Pure bliss in a cup. Highly recommended.

Beautiful spot to have a beer and look at the water on the deck- beyond that, I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. We ordered mussels as an app. Many of the mussels came closed- should have been caught by kitchen staff. My mother made the mistake of saying something to the waitress. She told her not to eat them and then the mussel dish was left on our table (as punishment we can only guess). Clam and shrimp plate- market price was $36 on August 7, 2025. Only a few clams (5?). Shrimp were small, presumably frozen shrimp. Plate had a mountain of fries to give it the illusion of being a typical New England fried basket. Portions and quality are likely average for Portsmouth as a tourist town, but if you are from New England and have a choice, there are much better places to go.

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.

I have high standards so my review may be somewhat biased. The service was very good. The food was average but enjoyable. I am thankful that I stopped by. Drinks were a bit weaker than usual.

YUM!!! I am recently gluten free, and stopped here on my ride from Maine back home to CT. I got gluten free chicken tenders and a bowl of the clam chowder prepared GF. Best Clam Chowder I have had in a long time. They have whole belly clams and shrimp in their chowder. This will be my new go-to place to stop on my frequent trips up and back from Maine

Service was impeccable!! Sat outside on the upper deck for a chilly dinner (our request) and enjoyed watching the boats go by. Lobster rolls wasn't my favorite but my husband's ravioli was delicious.

Beautiful views of the water! This place was recommended but someone working in one of the shops, and it did not disappoint. We sat outside and each got a different salad for lunch. The salads were fresh and well-made and absolutely delicious. Service was great.

First clam chowder of my New England trip and boy it did not disappoint! The flavors were spectacular, our server vas very sweet and helped us to decide how we wanted our lobster roll. We sat on the lower floor patio, nice views. Definitely recommend if you are in the area

My first time in NH and the food was amazing! I had the crab cake sandwich and it was sooo goood! The service was amazing and so was the ambiance.

Seafood Chowder is amazing! Highly recommend. Nice location right on the water. Great stop if you are in Portsmouth

Stopped for a quick snack because the menu was nice labeled gluten free. I enjoyed the crab cake

Good food, great service incredible view. The lobster roll was as good as any Good food, great service incredible view. The lobster roll was as good as any in the area. Very attentive and friendly.

Like everyone says, the ambiance is nice. I'm not a big fan of stools with no back support but that's what we had. We ordered a lobster roll, seafood chowder, and a fried clam basket to share.. The seafood chowder was delicious and the lobster roll had plenty of meat. But I'm here to talk about the clams. I had to wait three days so the act of typing the words wouldn't create gastro trauma from the memory. At first, I thought they had mistakenly sent a plate of raw oysters. There was little to no batter. You could see the little clam strip sticking out and the round 'belly'. When I ate one, the belly portion oozed. I don't mean custard like ooze, I mean yellow liquid ooze. It stained my fingers and was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen and certainly eaten. The waitress recoiled at the sight of the squished clam belly oozing bright yellow 'pus like' liquid and later told us the kitchen agreed they were under cooked. Honestly, we were sick to our stomachs for the rest of the day from the sight and taste and worried for 48 hours we could be sick. It was disgusting and I never want to write a negative review but this needs to be addressed. Whomever is cooking your seafood HAS to know how to bring the food to tempertature, otherwise you are risking the health of your patrons. Ugh, I've got to stop typing this. The memory is making me sick. Go for the views but bring your own digital thermometer.

We were both looking for a vegan meal and wanted to sit on the water. Most of the restaurants in this area don't have much in the way of vegan or even vegetarian choices, but this place had a nice sounding Mediterranean salad. It was a gorgeous day so we checked in and the host told us it would be a 10-minute wait and took our name an phone number to text us when the table on the deck was ready. We got seated in about 10 minutes, ordered drinks and salads and they came out promptly. The salads were large, very fresh, and had a great assortment of ingredients. The dressing was great. The service was top notch. They had plenty of people working there and everything was done very efficiently. We were impressed and happy with the whole experience.

Went to The River House tonight. Has a great laid back atmosphere and beautiful views! I sat at the bar and was greeted by Kylan. He's a great bartender with great eye contact and knowledge. He made me an unbelievable White Russian! Delicious! I had the shrimp cocktail and it was phenomenal. I also had the chicken tender and the honey garlic sauce was amazing. Elyssa also helped me at the bar and everyone there was super friendly and attentive. Very clean in there. I highly recommend The River House and I'll be back again soon! Thank you Kylan and Elyssa!

Wow! Go down to the Raw Bar. We don't know what was better--the food or our amazing server Kylan! Don't skip the Paloma or the Spicy Tuna & Cucumber! Such a vibe! Can't wait to go back.

Supposedly the best clam chowder in Portsmouth was served cold. Not very tasty under seasoned. Same goes for the rest of our food. Only ordered appetizers all came out cold so we went to another restaurant for our dinner super pricey for cold food. Sat at the bar bartender was friendly.

My husband and I came here for lunch. We started with oysters which were perfect! I had a lobster roll with mayo- it had just the right amount of mayo, and celery. Buttered bun . It was one of the best I have had in long time. My husband had the southwest salmon. He LOVED it. Tons of flavor! The best part of our meal was our server, Bella . You can tell she really cares about making her guest happy with her recommendations and how attentive she was . Bella, thank you so much for making our lunch just perfect . We will be back!!

Excellent experience at The River House, and 100% will be back when I am in town next! Our waitress (forget her name, ugh!) was a firecracker and was awesome. Ended up starting the meal with oysters and a cup of the seafood chowder, which was AMAZING, and ordered the lobster roll (hot with butter!) for my entrée. As a lobster roll connoisseur, this one was up there with some of the best I have had in my life (and I've had them fresh off the boat in Maine) - awesome flavor and excellently presented. The waterfront deck seating was great as well and really contributed to the ambiance. A full five stars for The River House, and visiting this place should be on every Portsmouth tourist's list!

We ordered mussels to share. I pointed out to the waitress that one of them had not opened. She says don't eat it. (I knew that already) I said I want another to replace it. Didn't come. By the time we finished we had 4 unopened mussel. I pointed it out to waitress when we reached three. No reaction. Cook should have noticed. Bill not compensated. Tourist trap. View is beautiful. I do not intend to ever go back.

Everything was so amazing! Will be returning. Best berry salad I've ever had! The ambiance is great and the service was impeccable!

This restaurant was amazing with kids. They had crayons and a color sheet and got her meal out right away. The service was quick and friendly. We were able to get a seat on the porch facing the water. It was a beautiful view with dinner. The lobster roll was delicious and so were the fish tacos!

Always 5 stars. Clean, friendly and worth every dollar. Love the outdoor seating option, even in colder weather.

We had an amazing night at the river house. The food was fantastic. The fried shrimp and hadick is so delicious. We had great service and a great view of the river. If you are ever in town, you should make your way to the river house!

Delicious and fresh Maine lobster role. Incredible flavor and just the right amount of lobster. Service was great - our waitress was very kind and attentive. Loved sitting out on the porch overlooking the water. Building looks a little outdated but great stop for a casual lunch or dinner.