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Amy Hartle

Amy Hartle is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of New England With Love, a comprehensive resource for travel in the New England region. Amy has been exploring beautiful New England for more than 20 years, and has lived in both Vermont and New Hampshire, where she graduated from Plymouth State University. Amy has been a travel writer for more than a decade. On this site, Amy aims to share her love of New England and help you to find and experience the best adventures in all six states.

Bars in Portsmouth NH

Portsmouth Book & Bar

Absolutely one of the coolest bars in Portsmouth NH, Portsmouth Book & Bar is housed in a 150-year old Customs House & Post Office, with many original details still intact, so if you’re into historic places, this is a very cool bar to visit.

The concept at Portsmouth Book & Bar is a neat one: it’s a bar, restaurant, bookshop, and live entertainment venue all rolled into one! If you’re looking for unique bars in Portsmouth New Hampshire, this one should be at the top of your list. You’ll find soups, salads, appetizers, desserts, and more on the food menu, and the full bar features creatively named cocktails like A Clockwork Orange and Hemingway’s Daquiri. This is just a cool place for a Portsmouth NH night out!

Thirsty Moose Tap House

If you’re looking for a Portsmouth NH bar that has a great food menu and a wide variety of beers on tap, Thirsty Moose Tap House is it! The menu consists of traditional pub foods like dips, nachos, wings, sliders, and more, and there’s plenty variety to satisfy everyone in the group if you’re going out with friends.

There are over a hundred beers on tap in addition to the full bar, so there’s literally something for everyone at the Thirsty Moose!

Dwyers Pub

For a bit of a classic Irish pub feel, Dwyers Pub in Portsmouth is it. Fairly new on the bar scene in town, Dwyers is open for lunch, dinner, drinks, and even brunch on the weekends, with staples like fish n chips, Guinness Stew, and a chicken parm sando on offering 7 days a week.

With a full bar and local drafts on tap, there’s plenty of options for what to drink at Dwyers Pub at Trivia Tuesdays!

The Goat

The Goat is the only Portsmouth country bar, so if that’s what you’re after, this is where you go! With a downhome country feel, live country music 7 days a week, a substantial food menu (including all day brunch on the weekends), The Goat has quite a bit going on!

The Goat has a full bar and an excellent selection of whiskey, so if you’re a whiskey drinker, this is Portsmouth NH bar for you!

The Press Room

Three cocktails on a counter at one of the top Portsmouth New Hampshire bars — Enjoying cocktails at bars in Portsmouth New Hampshire is a part of any solid Seacoast visit

This very cool bar, restaurant, and live entertainment space is a must-visit on any trip to the Seacoast. As far as bars in Portsmouth NH go, The Press Room offers a great variety of food on the menu for a place that’s predominantly an entertainment venue, including options like a Porter Reuben, Blackened Haddock Wrap, and more.

There’s a full bar to choose from, too, and brunch on the weekends. Press Room is the longest-running bar, restaurant, and entertainment venue in Portsmouth, and it’s not hard to see why!

Daniel Street Tavern

One of the top Portsmouth bars for everything from karaoke to open mic, Daniel Street Tavern – or D Street Tavern – is the perfect place to go for late-night fun. With a great dive bar atmosphere and plenty of drink options to keep you satisfied, Daniel Street Tavern is some of the best nightlife in Portsmouth NH available.

Portsmouth Brewery

One of the leaders in the local brewery scene, Portsmouth Brewery is the place to go if you’re looking to sample the local flavors of the Seacoast, including their own in-house brews like their Bottle Rocket IPA. Portsmouth Brewery has a full food menu, too, available until nine throughout the week and 10 on the weekends, so if you’re looking for a Portsmouth NH bar for a bite and a brew, Portsmouth Brewery is a great choice.

Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar

Can’t decide if you need a hot cup of coffee or a strong cocktail? You don’t have to at Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar! This cute bar in Portsmouth NH has you covered on all fronts! Hungry? Check out their food menu. In need of caffeine? Order one of their specialty coffee drinks. Looking for something stronger? Then on to a cocktail, glass of wine, or a local beer. Plus, there’s live music on the weekends, so Cup of Joe is kinda the perfect place for a weekend night out in Portsmouth!

Portsmouth Gas Light Co

A soft focus bar in the background with Edison bulbs in the foreground at one of the coolest Portsmouth New Hampshire bars. — Definitely one of the coolest of Portsmouth New Hampshire bars!

When it comes to cool bars in Portsmouth New Hampshire, Portsmouth Gas Light Co sits high up on that list! You can sit inside for dining in the main restaurant area, head out to the deck for outdoor dining and live entertainment in the warm weather months, or head up to the 3rd-floor nightclub for the full nightclub experience.

Portsmouth Gas Light Co is definitely a place where there’s something for everyone, with different atmospheres throughout. Dinner options are eclectic, with wraps, entrees, appetizers, soups, salads, pizzas, and more.

Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club

Perhaps not traditionally what someone might think of when they ask about Portsmouth bars, Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club is an integral part of the Portsmouth NH nightlife scene, and here’s why: this gorgeous historic building is home to a bar, restaurant, and jazz club that is known for its original architecture, it’s incredible live acts, and it’s fantastic dinner and cocktail experience; this is a great place for a Portsmouth date night, with dinner, drinks, and a show all in one spot!

When you’re looking for Portsmouth New Hampshire nightlife, you’ve definitely got options. Hopefully this list of bars in Portsmouth NH will help lead the way!