The Wilder

This was a fun find in Portsmouth. My fiancé and wanted to grab a bite to eat somewhere unique and this was it. It has good vibes walking in and the food/drink was delicious. This place had one of the more unique drink menus I’ve seen. I tried one of their dill/pickle drinks. Even though I love pickles, that drink didn’t do it for me. But it was so creative so definitely work a try! I’d come back to try more things on the menu.

This may be my new favorite spot for cocktails. We got the Bazooka Jane and Well Of Radiance. OMG!!! So good. Sat at the bar and had an excellent bartender. Great service. Very warm and personable. Will definitely be back.

This place is trash. The pour on a bourbon was half of what it should be. There were flies all around our table trying to get in our food. Landed in our drinks. My husband ordered the burger medium and it was over cooked. The gnocchi was SWIMMING in oil. First and last time visiting, sad because the menu sounds amazing but isn't executed well. I emailed the manager weeks ago, on 11/16. They couldn't even bother to respond. Would not recommend. Owners response proved my point. We were pleasant in the restaurant, tipped normally despite the horrid food because it wasn't the waitresses fault. Even she looked embarrassed to bring the food out. I emailed you privately not even asking for anything just to make you aware, but you never responded. Only when you are called out in public do you respond. I hope others sort by newest comments and read the owner's responses to all. It was a bison burger, not a smash burger. There is no way that was butter, I know the difference. $197 for garbage. I look forward to coming back to check on your reviews in a few months and seeing not only your score dwindle, but hoping to see "under new ownership" or "permanently closed". You aren't cut out for this business.

We came for a NYE dinner. The service was super slow. The drinks, when they finally came, were weak and glasses weren’t full. For the price, I expected more. We ordered a few apps and a few rounds of drinks, and then decided not to eat because everything was taking too long. I did enjoy the $30 nest and cheese board. Apps and drinks for 6 people was almost $300, I left hungry and not buzzed.

I would have thought a flank steak for $32 was a meal, not a handful of slices. Great flavor though. Nice fingerling potatoes and greens. Water in the fancy square milk bottle smells like chlorine. I guess this is upscale pricing.

Super fun and lively place upstairs. Looks like a popular place for younger locals. Great food, good service, wide drink selection of beers, wines, and cocktails. No complaints.

Only been here twice, just on the way to Maine from Nashua, but we’ve had consistently great service, food, and drinks here. Great brunch, the mushroom toast was killer. Can’t remember what I had the first time but we’ll keep coming back. Recommend to reserve, never tried walking in but both times we reserved it was super smooth.

Delicious dinner and great drinks. Love the atmosphere! We had a burger and Nashville chicken sandwhich!

We had an exceptional experience at The Wilder this past weekend! We wanted to escape the Portland area for a day and decided to do a little cocktail tour of Portsmouth. Even though it's easy to miss, it is NOT to be missed! You duck into a little doorway in a back street, head up some stairs, and voila, vibes galore! Local art on the wall and a huge bar with plenty of table seating as well. We arrived just around the changeover between brunch and dinner, but they were kind enough to let us know that we had limited time to order food. We ordered the poutine and chatted with our awesome bartender (Jeff, I believe? I'm sorry for forgetting your name!) He made us a great riff on a painkiller - definitely less sweet than most, the proper balance of brightness from lime and richness from a homemade coconut concoction that was to die for, and overall a good celebration of rum. The poutine was seriously out of this world - super crispy thrice cooked potatoes, short ribs, gravy, and ooey gooey cheese curds. The only issue I had was that it stopped our snacking right in it's tracks. It just sticks to your ribs and gives you all the warm fuzzies. This visit was a relatively quick stopover, but I'm so glad we checked it out. It was the best cocktail we had in Portsmouth, one of the best bites, and definitely the best bar experience overall. I recommend visiting with an open mind - maybe have the bartender make you something unique, if they're not too busy? You might discover your new favorite cocktail!

Such a good experience! We went for drinks only, so I can't speak to the food but the drinks were great! Best espresso martini!!! Our server (and other staff) were very nice & attentive; They answered our questions and gave good suggestions. I would definitely go back.

I'm giving this place 4 stars and it's a very generous 4 stars. The service was quite poor, the dude who seated us seemed upset that we had a large party and made half of our party sit next to the open window in an area which was very cold. They also didn't receive menus for over 30 min. Our waiter was decent so it made up for a little bit of this and the food wasn't too bad. There is potential here so I didn't want to leave a bad review just bc of my bad experience, but helper beware for sure

The drinks were a solid 5 stars and the food a 3.5 for me, so a 4 star overall seems pretty accurate. We ordered the falafel and the poutine. Falafel should be light and fluffy inside and these were nearly as dense as meatballs. I'm not sure if they're overworking their batter or using canned chickpeas, but they just weren't right. The poutine was quite nice though. It was extremely generous with the braised beef and the cheese was perfectly melty. I'd have loved more potatoes and a little less meat, but it's worth ordering again. It's very LOUD here at night. Just like all of the other bars in Portsmouth. I envisioned a more loungy experience and it felt more like I crashed a college party. That's completely on me though. It's no one's fault that I'm old and don't care for that anymore. Perhaps brunch is a more relaxed atmosphere. Drinks were excellent and an average of $13 a cocktail. I'm used to $17-$20, so $13 was a really nice surprise. Excellent drinks and excellent prices. It was a very crowded night at the bar, but our food and drinks came out pretty timely. I never felt rushed and I wasn't forced to linger forever waiting to close out my tab either. I liked the Wilder overall. It's worth checking out if you're in Portsmouth

Great place, and great find for a Monday night! We had the smash burger and mortadella panini and cauliflower app. Everything was delicious! Very friendly staff. We will be back!!!

Came for brunch because we had a big group and some of our fave spots couldn't accommodate so stumbled upon this spot! We loved the $10 brunch cocktails (our men enjoyed the beermosas and ladies loved passionfruit bellinis! Bloody Mary was perfect with a little kick). Definitely recommend the brunch special (open face brisket sandy with breakfast potatoes, $19). The biscuits and gravy were okay but biscuits were pretty crumbly and serving size was small for also being $19. Overall, brunch food was pricey but decent and location was good for a weekend large group without a rez!

Natasa is a wonderful server, very attentive and friendly - a real delight. Here on NYE, staff was all dressed in festive garb, great music. Food and drinks were delicious as always. I really hate the art but I like everything else about this place so it's ok.

We heard about their Espresso Martini. We stopped in during happy hour and ordered up two. The art on the wall was the highlight for me. We did not eat.

It was our first time here and we enjoyed it a lot! The vibe is different than most places in Portsmouth but enjoyable. My fav was the chicken sandwich and the poutine. My husband didn't love the fish and chips but we will definitely be back and try other things.

My wife and I got off the beaten path of Congress Street last night and found this great place across from Gilley's. What a surprise! Fresh, sweet oysters, grilled shrimp, a local hot cheese and jam dish with toasties. Great cold beer and cocktails. We were on our way to see a show at the Music Hall so we were in a bit of a rush. But we'll be back when we have some more time to explore more oyster varieties!

The fried chicken on a Japanese pancake was delicious and huge! My wife loved her Benni as well. Service was fast and friendly, space was cozy on a cold day

Stopped in for drinks on a cold day Christmas shopping. Good atmosphere- eager to come back for the food

My first visit back to The Wilder in 3 years included dinner this time instead of just drinks. I was concerned I might have to downgrade my opinion of the place because I had enjoyed the cocktails so much and was apprehensive about dinner. It turns out my apprehension was for naught, dinner here was just as enjoyable. It was Thursday, so we took advantage of the $2 oyster special and ordered a dozen PEI oysters. These were well prepared and delicious. Others at the table shared their pretzel bread and poutine. My dinner was the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich. It had just the right amount of "hot and spicy" in the sauce/preparation, and the chicken breast was large and crisp. I thought the fries could have used slightly more salt (a rare thing for me to say, because I usually find fries too salty), but that was my only fault with the dinner. Drinks continue to be reasonably priced, decent amounts, and well prepared, though on a busy night such as this, we actually got our drinks at about the same time as we finished our appetizers. The beer list is interesting as well. The Wilder is also one of the few cocktail bars in the area open late on weeknights.

We stopped by late b/c we were hungry and wanted some drinks. We tried every gin drink and enjoyed every one of them. The espresso martini was amazing. The poutine was so delicious and my hubby enjoyed the beet salad too. Great place and our waitress was so attentive!

Overall a big nope. Mimsy wanted to get me out of the house so she made reservations earlier this week for brunch at The Wilder. Kind of nostalgic, since we used to go to the nightclub that was in that building back in the 80's (The Toucan). We got seated at a table near the drafty door instead of much better seating by windows. The dining room was empty too. Another party came in after us without a reservation and asked for windows seating which they got. We were stuck right by the doo. Brrr drafty and the place was cold because I guess turning on some heat is a problem. Cold ambiance too. Paintings of malevolent cats and bunnies staring at me with their dead eyes. The server told us that because his big party just left, we would be getting his "undivided attention" and then forgot we existed. After about ten minutes he came back and took our Bloody Mary order. Puny bloody Mary's at that. Another ten minutes and someone else drops them off. Sensing I'd never get a beer out of this guy to go with my burger, I placed the beer order with him when I ordered my bacon double cheeseburger/truffle fries. No matter, I still had to go flag him down at the bar for it after yet another ten minutes for the beer, asking him for a mimosa for Mimi then, so she wouldn't go dry when her poutine arrived. He did bring that over right away, and apologized for the slow service due to a "shift change". This was at 1:30 and they only opened at 10:30. I call bullshit on that one. The food did finally arrive via another server 25 minutes later. The burger was supposed to have griddled onions and a kimchi aioli, aioli was AWOL. Onions not griddled, just soggy and limp. There was some kind of mayo in there but kimchi flavor it was not. Beef was a Sysco patty. Mimsy's poutine was overcooked potatoes, dry short rib, and under-melted curds. Nobody checked on us to see how it was. Server did stop by when we were done to ask how it was. Mimsy said the poutine was "okay", and he walked off shaking his head. We were now his hostages. After another five minutes or so we asked the host in the " I HATE ALL LIFE" tee-shirt for the check, which he brought promptly and apologized for the missing server, saying how busy they were... the lounge was somewhat busy but we were the only ones in the dining room. Check was $88 for this imbroglio. Bring back the Toucan!

I'm a huge fan of Anju Noodle so I had to give this place a try. Highly recommend the espresso martini & it's on happy hour for $6 from 3:30-6. Delicious! The duck rillette was a bit difficult to eat since it came in a jar. I also wasn't a huge fan but this was a trial for me as I normally don't order duck dishes. It could be delicious for a duck lover! The French onion soup though...WOW. I think all the tables around me had at least one bowl of the soup and I see why. The service was a bit slow but understandable as it was busy. I will be back real soon for more espresso martini & soup!

Unfortunately the kale and Brussels sprouts fishes were inedible :( but the server was nice. I do not recommend for a business dinner based on food quality. Good selection of non-alcoholic mocktails

Came here for brunch and had a great meal. The espresso martini was to delicious and the Bloody Mary was spiced perfectly. Our server was great and we had a fabulous view of the beautiful sunny day and the cool art that's for sale around the interior. Can't wait to come back on my next trip to Portsmouth.

Was visiting Portsmouth for a friends birthday and stopped here for a drink. They have a large bar and the service was friendly. The drink selection was okay, wine was priced high and cocktails were average priced. I got a beer, but my friends got drinks and they were just average. I didn't try the food so maybe not a fair review, but I wasn't super excited about this place. May be back to try the food but would most likely try new places in Portsmouth.

I had the oyster po'boy and loved it. Peter had the hippie sandwich and loved it. The poutine was so so. The staff was awesome friendly, fast and fabulous!! The vibe was young and slightly hipster (NH style). Geat place to eat or just hang out.

Wow. I will never go back. Terrible service. After waiting 45+ minutes to come, I asked for a status update. The dialogue was completely unprofessional. I'm honestly kind of speechless about how to even describe the interaction. I will never recommend or return. So unfortunate the lack of customer service. After posting this i just read some other unhappy reviews... the owners response!!! Wow Julian has no concept of professionalism. Adding this to my reason to not support this business.

Jumped in on New Years Eve early to sample the espresso martini. Cool vibe and drink was ok, not a typical Martini but okay. I would definitely go back.

I've been to the Wilder a handful of times now and have never been disappointed. The craftiest cocktails in Portsmouth. I recently did their restaurant week menu which is pictured here, but the food on their normal menu is great as well. Great bartenders as well. Another reviewer said it's great if you're young and like a loud place which made me laugh, I guess that is kinda true on a Friday or Saturday night. Try them out for brunch as well!

The spicy brine on the pickles came at the back of the bite and the spice/heat of the falafel tots was spot on. Only thing better than the food was the service!! From our server to the one who offered a substitute wine selection...great people. Think the Wilder is probably lucky to have a great staff

This place is the funnest in the city. Great cocktail list and it's the only place in the world I'll order an espresso martini (it's excellent) but the rest of the list is great too (don't sleep on a Sneerwell with a hand-cut ice cube). Beyond cocktails, the food is always good. Brunch is one of the best kept secrets in town, but any afternoon/night you'll get good service and a great meal. Also, the always-present steak-and-cheese is better than you's expect. Don't overlook this place...

Actually came here because of reviews. Loved it. Very laid back cool vibe. Service was very friendly and attentive. Drinks were great, happy hour 7 days. Will come back for sure!

Fantastic stop for cocktail hour! We loved our drinks and got a couple rounds plus an appetizer here. I really loved the vibes. These were our favorite drinks we got in town, absolutely.

GO!!! I could stop there. But there's so much to say. First, the vibe. Think Cambridge MA, Dark wood traditional pub meets a bit industrial meets 80's sound track (Hall & Oats, Bee Gees, Abba on our visit). And I'll get this out of the way immediately. The staff are phenomenal. This past Saturday we had the pleasure (meant so sincerely) of chatting with David. Please tell him that Patte says hi! Now the food: Japanese pancake and chicken (my husband becomes lightheaded every time), Chicken Caesar Salad (I don't know the seasoning that's used on the chicken, but yummm), the omelettes (Brunch is served, and not just on Sundays between 12-3!), the burgers are BURGERS and four words...Fresh. Squeezed. Orange. Juice. Ok. Three more. Spicy. Bloody. Mary. (The 'Special' one day was the Bloody Mary with one perfect piece of their candied bacon along for the ride. Come on. My Dad would've said, 'An embarrassment of riches'. And he would be correct. The Wilder also has food far into the night, so there's another option outside of Gilly's (if you know, you know). Although, fairly, there's def a need for Gilly's. Again, if you know! This is one of my favorite places to be. All occasion, for any mood, any season. I'm certain that you'll be so happy that you stepped through their door!!!

Stopped in for happy hour cocktails this week. We started with happy hour Gimlets and a Moscow Mule. No complaints. Well made and tasty. We then tried some of the house specialty cocktails. Sadly, I can't recall the name of the drink my wife had but it was REALLY good. I had a lemongrass concoction that was not as good as my wife's drink but was still very satisfying and easy to drink. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was nice. The actual bar is very impressively big and the drink menu offered something for everyone. I wish we had stayed for dinner! Next time we're in town, for sure.

A fantastic establishment. They offer very cool meals as well as mocktails and delicious cocktails. Everyone has been very welcoming the multiple times I've been there. The vibe is great and the place is cute and well kept. Always will come back here

The food were very average did not really like. Portion were not bad! The nitro expresso martini was interesting but not my cup of tea

We were really excited to try this place because the unique menu offerings sounded like the type of culinary adventure we like to have, but found that while they are open at 2:30 on a Sunday, the kitchen is closed until happy hour at 3:30. This is not in agreement with Google which states brunch until 4:30, but their website does mention brunch ends at 2:30. There is no mention of a kitchen closure for an hour between brunch and happy hour on the website though. We sat at a table in the bar area, though not at the bar and it took a while (approx 10 mins) before anyone brought us menus and then another few minutes before our drink order was taken. As it was nearing 3:30, we placed our food order and were happy to be served drinks and food quickly. They didn't offer a happy hour menu that we were aware of which was strange since they made a big deal out of the kitchen being closed until happy hour started at 3:30. The cocktails were good and we enjoyed both the flavor and the appearance. The food was also pretty good, but left some room for improvement. The poutine had crispy potatoes and flavorful gravy, but the cheese curds weren't melted and the pork belly pieces were hit and miss. The ones that were good were crispy and flavorful; the ones that were bad were cubes of greasy fat. The burrata salad was served without burrata or vincotto. Seems weird that burrata salad would have no burrata. Unfortunately nobody checked back on us until about 35 minutes after we were served so there was no opportunity to have them fix it until I was basically done with the meal. They did remake my plate after explaining it was an oversight, but the remade salad was basically all tomato which was pretty disappointing since the first one was more balanced between tomato and stone fruit. The vincotto pearls were really a fun touch and the burrata rounded out the plate as it closed the gap we found in the first dish. The atmosphere was chill and the hipster/indie music was a nice backdrop. Overall this place was just okay. I really wanted to like it, but $75 for a couple small plates fraught with inconsistencies and cocktails was steep.

I was looking forward to trying their espresso martini. We didn't even go in due to the overwhelming fish smell. My husband is allergic and the fish aroma reached us on the landing.

Had never been before but was informed by another waitress about excellent Nitro Expresso Martinis. That they were. Place was packed on a Friday night.

Not a lot of options for food. When we got there the hostess said can I help you and obviously we were there to eat. Really didn't feel inviting. Our waiter was nice but the hostess needs more training on greeting all types of people.

We made a reservation for dinner (7pm) on a Saturday nearly two weeks before we went. We were in town for my birthday and were seated next to a 30 person birthday party in the bar area (not the much quieter dining area). They were not seated, but standing and had their own loud music. The ladies seated to the other side were screaming at each other because they couldn't hear one another, which meant we couldn't even have a conversation during our dinner. I felt like I was in a nightclub. Our waiter was rude, and never even checked on us, yet had time to mingle with the party next to us. My friend ordered a salad w/chicken. the chicken tasted like it had been doused in salt & made us both sick to our stomach. The drinks also took nearly 30 minutes and our food upwards of an hour. While the drinks were good when they arrived that was just about the only positive we experienced. Would not recommend! After further evaluation - a friend that lives in the area had a similar experience to us, so this was not a one off.

We made a reservation in advance for a Thursday. Milk bread appetizer followed by amazing steak and greens show in photo and the fish and chips was great too. We had espresso martini and chocolate mint mousse for dessert. Definitely save room for dessert! Staff was awesome and the vibe was very friendly.

This place is the best hidden gem I've found in Portsmouth to date!! Some friends and I had our first experience here during Restaurant Week, and I've been talking about it ever since!! The Welcome Trolley has become my go-to drink when I visit, and I've yet to have a bad meal or snack. The service is friendly and experienced, and the atmosphere is chill, swanky and industrial. It's a winning combo!

Stopped here for an after dinner drink mid week. The bar was busy on a Wednesday night. Great vibe, cool artwork and good selection of craft beers and specialty cocktails. Another gem in the downtown Portsmouth crown.

We really wanted to like this place. It has great atmosphere. But. . . It just wasn't very good. The drinks looked pretty but they were truly undrinkable. I have never sent a drink back but I just couldn't get mine down. They were nice enough to take it off the check. Service was slow although it seemed well-staffed. We had to get up and ask for silverware well after our food had arrived and we had stared at it for a while. We had a carafe of water but finally gave up and just drank from that after it became clear that water glasses weren't coming. The food was mediocre but not terrible.

Very nice space, I liked the ambiance. Food was good. I got the steak & cheese sandwich. It had a spicy sauce which I asked to remove but it's ok, I still liked it. My partner had the fried chicken, he said it was just ok. Service was good.

Came from out of town and was looking for a good vibes spot which it does offer but had high hopes for this place but Service was not great and food was ehh.

Stumbled on this place after looking around for late night food, and I was very impressed to find modern American food with awesome cocktails. It's exactly what I needed after a long day in the snow. The French onion soup might be the best I've had, and the short ribs are amazing. Whether or not it's late at night you need to check this place out if you're in Portsmouth!

My daughter and I dined here and enjoyed it very much. The server was great, fun, polite and fast. Food was fab. We had the poutine, a unique and delicious take, and the beet salad. Drinks were strong. Great atmosphere. Very enjoyable dining experience. Will definitely be back and recommend.

Great service, absolutely amazing food. The fish and truffle fries, the milk bread, the poutine, and the linguini in cream sauce were all outstanding. Do yourself a favor and get here!

We stopped in for a few finishing drinks to cap off our wonderful day grazing around Portsmouth. Being a Saturday, it was busy... as expected! This. Is a great, old school, funky bar with excellent mixologists serving great libations. We ordered a few different menu drinks and enjoyed them all. We wish we had a place like this closer to home. Next time up, we will defenetily be visiting again.

I have rated this four stars OVERALL. But similar to Earl's there were some 5 star elements and some that frankly fell short. First the service ... very solid. No complaints. Our server was prompt, informative and helpful. Second ... Japanese pancakes ... 5+ stars. This was freaking crazy good. The mixture of real maple syrup, goat cheese, butter and fried chicken can only be explained by the word "UMAMI". Huevos rancheros ... good. Properly cooked. But lacked a sauce to bring it together. 4 stars. And lastly ... bloody Mary's ... watery and lacked any sense of flavor or spice. Really surprising considering the level of detail in execution elsewhere. Overall, food is well above average and in some cases sublime. Drinks ... at least the bloodies ... take a pass.

I'll start by saying they had a decent happy hour, $5 craft cocktails with a little twist did not disappoint, and the business of the restaurant should've been the first sign that this is the place to be. Did not have any food while here but it looked like it was a hit!

I was really dissatisfied with the service and they don't honor the happy hour menu. They didn't even know it existed according to the bartender. And after One of the other girls realized they do have a happy hour menu they were happy to get me my drink but happy to charge me full price for it after we already discussed it was on the happy hour menu... Lol I also paid full price because it was just so disgusted. And I left and I'm never coming back It says everyday happy hour is from 10: 00pm to last call