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The Puddle Dock, Portsmouth, NH

The Puddle Dock

4.8
4.8
841 Reviews
$31 to $50
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
  • 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.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed–Sat 16:30–21:00 Sun 16:30–20:00
  • Phone number
    (603) 373-8192
  • Website
    http://www.thepuddledock.com/
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Derek Clough
  • Location
    66 Marcy St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4650
  • Area
    Portsmouth
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 841 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
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • New Hampshire

    Best Ambience

  • New Hampshire

    Innovative

  • New Hampshire

    Romantic

  • New Hampshire

    American

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Best Overall

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Best Ambience

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Innovative

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    Romantic

  • Portsmouth and Merrimack Valley

    American

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Puddle Dock in Portsmouth offers an exceptional dining experience with "delicious food, great atmosphere, and great service." Guests rave about the "excellent cocktails" and "fantastic desserts," particularly the bread pudding. The cozy, historic ambiance adds charm, and despite occasional menu limitations, it's a "must-visit" for its creative, high-quality dishes and attentive staff.

841 Reviews

  1. David

    Greater Boston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic! The Duck was so good and the Bread Pudding for desert…. To die for!

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  2. Troy

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Two dishes will be being made to order so there was a slight delay, which was communicated so it was acceptable. There was a chicken dish that was mixed with hot and cold elements on the plate so it was unclear if that was intended or just due to the delay of the other dishes, given the time for the dishes to arrive, it was just accepted. Overall food and service were excellent. Definitely part of our family tradition.

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  3. Joanne

    Greater Boston

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The service and ambience were excellent! Ribeye was not worth the price- it was a bit tough and tasteless, the potato was also a skimpy tasteless puree - I expected a hearty hot whipped/mashed potatoes to match the ribeye - the brussel sprouts were delicious and a good portion. The bread and butter was beyond fresh and yummy! The chocolate pudding dessert was the best! Also for the record, my nine year old niece reported her chicken fingers were the best she ever had in her life. Fries not so much - funny taste to her! I will definitely visit again, but try another entree.

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  4. Michele

    New Hampshire

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Squash soup DELICIOUS, very small portion $16 Duck dinner outstanding flavors, but should have side like fingerling potato and some vegetable... $45 Almond pear cake "ok"... too dry, needed a sauce Bread pudding fantastic each dessert $13

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  5. Steve

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service. The food is great. Wonderful on a cold winter night.

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  6. Ken

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was perfect, the restaurant has such a homey old time feel. All the staff was super welcoming and it had been noted on the reservation it was my wifes birthday and they all greeted her with happy birthday and the birthday card on the table was a very nice unexpected touch. The food was beyond fabulous!!!! Loved the fire place smell, and the environment was perfect, alive and folks having conversation but we could very easily have a private conversation at our table. Post dinner walking the Strawberry Bank grounds all lit up for the holidays was an amazing fun bonus.

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  7. Thomas

    Greater Boston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 15 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Attentive professional service. Great food preparation and presentation. Excellent atmosphere.

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  8. Leonard

    New York City

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was excellent. Service was very good, but could have been a bit more attentive. We sat for quite a while after finishing our meals before the waiter came over. We were seated at a table with one chair over a heating grate. That was not comfortable as it varied between too warm and too cold.

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  9. Deb

    New Hampshire

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our reservations were for 6:15 and we were seated about 20 minutes later. It was a fully booked night and the previous party was lingering and enjoying. Quinn, the Manager, accommodated our party of 6 by putting two tables together and was very apologetic for the delay. Service was very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. Most of us had the steak and potatoes. While tasty, the meat was a bit fatty and very marbled. There was a lot of waste. The port Demi sauce was sweeter than expected and I did not personally enjoy it on my potatoes. I prefer the more savory side of flavors. But that’s just really a personal preference. For the price of the plate, I wanted it to be more of an enjoyable experience. I would dine there again, but would make another entree choice. The cinnamon rum bread pudding was the star of the night. Absolutely amazing!!! The ambiance was wonderful, warm, and inviting. We had a lovely holiday meal with our family.

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  10. Korrine

    Greater Boston

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was fantastic! Thank you Michael. Food was fantastic. Will be going back.

    Is this helpful?

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 841 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 12 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Puddle Dock

66 Marcy St, Portsmouth, NH 03801-4650

Additional information

  • Area
    Portsmouth
  • Hours of Operation
    Wed–Sat 16:30–21:00 Sun 16:30–20:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Cocktail Bar, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Derek Clough
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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