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The Puddle Dock, Portsmouth, NH

The Puddle Dock

4.8
4.8
895 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 7 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighbourhood gem
Located on the grounds of Strawbery Banke Museum in historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, The Puddle Dock Restaurant proudly offers Modern Colonial feel and fare! Led by esteemed Executive Chef Derek Clough, the Puddle Dock Restaurant will take you back to Colonial America featuring English and American favorites, then snap you back to the present with our modern twists.

Chef Derek takes great pride in growing a lot of our vegetables, foraging our mushrooms, and presenting beauty for your palate. His care is evidence in some of our best-loved dishes, Yorkshire Pudding, Portuguese Salted Cod, Pan-Roasted Duck Breast, and our signature Hoe Cake. Be sure to save room for dessert! All our desserts are made in house - Cinnamon Rum Breading, Dark Chocolate Pudding, and Posset are among the favorites!

Enjoy the ambience of our historic exposed beam building, once a general store offering penny candy, or enjoy our front and rear patios for dinner in the open air.

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed–Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 4:30 pm–8:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Derek Clough

Experiences

  • Sunday Family Supper

    US$35.00 per person

    23 Feb 2025 - 6 Apr 2025
    Join us for a special 3-course Sunday Supper Family Dinner. We offer a salad course, entree course, and dessert course, designed for families ("Friends are the family we choose," - Ryan Lent, owner") to enjoy an age-old tradition.
    Sunday Family Supper photo

What 895 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • New Hampshire

    Best Ambience

  • New Hampshire

    Romantic

  • New Hampshire

    American

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Best Service

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Best Ambience

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Romantic

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Puddle Dock in Portsmouth offers a delightful dining experience with "delicious and creative" food, a "charming colonial" atmosphere, and "outstanding service." Guests praise the "exquisite menu" and "superb attention to detail." Highlights include the "best duck entree in the region" and "superb cocktails." A must-visit gem!

894 Reviews
  1. Shannon

    Greater Boston4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sunday evening delight! The warm cozy fire, wonderful cocktails, and the attentive service from David made it a night to remember.

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  2. Eric R VIP

    New York City55 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful food, service, and atmosphere. Our go-to place for fine dining and celebratory dinners in Portsmouth. Wonderful chef: great dishes and creative dishes featuring local cuisine.

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  3. Ken VIP

    Greater Boston7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of the best dining experiences we've had in Portsmouth, NH, and certainly a cut above the rest. The ambiance perfectly blended high-end charm with a delightful old-fashioned feel, complemented beautifully by soft instrumental music. We enjoyed a cozy table by the window, enhancing our evening. Our server, Mattie, provided fantastic service—attentive yet unobtrusive. Little details, such as replacing silverware between courses and pouring my nonalcoholic beer into a nice glass, made the experience memorable. The food presentation was exquisite, matched only by its exceptional taste. We particularly appreciated the thoughtful presentation of our after-dinner coffee in charming and cozy cups. The highlight, however, was their signature dessert: the cinnamon bread pudding, which was simply amazing. Overall, this restaurant stands out as one of the top spots along the seacoast. We will definitely return!

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  4. MarcV

    Greater Boston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food, great service, and a wonderful atmosphere. Will definitely be going back.

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  5. Joseph

    Greater Boston3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Despite its extensive array of very good dining options, Portsmouth oddly has very few which reflect its rich early history. However, the Puddle Dock is an excellent achievement of balancing modern comfort in a preserved a colonial setting, including its wonderful wood burning fireplace. On top of that, the service by Natalie and other staff was very attentive and professional, and the cuisine was excellent in choices, presentation and taste (put another way, they are not relying solely on the great atmosphere of the place to draw business). The parking lot is a plus as well. And as an aside, our thanks to the owner for his support of the community.

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  6. Daniel

    Greater Boston1 review

    2.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    I so wanted to love this restaurant. The atmosphere is wonderful. David, our waiter, was very friendly and helpful. But but but. The pricing is over the top. The dishes are ridiculously small. My Ceasar salad was tiny and contained one 1/2 anchovy. My wife got the soup special (cauliflower) -- it was TINY and not hot enough. I ordered an appetizer. It never came. My wife ordered the duck -- it was TINY, expensive, cold, and unappetizing. The meal STUNK! Please please please. Reconsider your prices and portions. Don't serve food luke warm or cold when it is supposed to be hot. Start from scratch with the duck dish. It's terrible.

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  7. KimberleyT

    London6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A wonderful “neo-colonial” menu with a cosy atmosphere and excellent service. Can’t wait to return!

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  8. Mario

    Chicago2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 1 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great place and service. We went to celebrate my wife’s birthday. From the moment you waked into the restaurant the staff is providing standing service food was great even they solve a problem with one of our main courses . My personal favorite was the pear and blue cheese salad

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  9. Beverly

    Greater Boston3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 27 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A wonderful dining place near Strawbery Banke. A cozy historic restaurant that serves a modern version of colonial cooking from chowder to pot pies. Service is top notch and an eclectic beverage list. There is a small parking lot on site too.

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  10. Craig

    New Hampshire1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 22 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Went there with another couple and we had an amazing visit. The wait staff were amazing and really took great care of our table.

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FAQs

The Puddle Dock offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (603) 373-8192.

The Puddle Dock is rated 4.8 stars by 895 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 7 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for The Puddle Dock

66 Marcy St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4650

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed–Sat 4:30 pm–9:00 pm Sun 4:30 pm–8:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Derek Clough
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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