Travel Guide: Portsmouth

You may have noticed on Snapchat (cedarandrush) or Instagram I was in Portsmouth, New Hampshire this week! It was so beautiful guys. You just HAVE to go! Only an hour outside of Boston, this cobble street town is right on the ocean. Peppered with one-of-a-kind shops and restaurants, its pure heaven in my book! If you are ever looking to get out of town for a weekend, I highly recommend this East Coast destination. And if you want to avoid cramped spaces and waiting in lines, check out the jet card programs at Jettly.

Sean and I were looking for a casual getaway. He had a few business meetings here so I decided to tag along. Sean used to frequent Portsmouth during college and knew I would love it. Given I am still dreaming of lobster rolls, salty air and nautical attire, I thought I’d make a few suggestions and share a few pics from our trip. Don’t worry – Work Smarter, Not Harder is still scheduled. Just felt like mixing it up a bit!

Lunch
River House
A casual, upscale bar right on the bay. Nothing better than the sea behind your back after a long flight. Smutty Nose IPA’s (a local beer) with a lobster roll. Done and done.

Caffein Fix
Breaking New Grounds
A bustling coffee shop in the town square. With a large outdoor patio, dogs were just as plentiful as humans! Sean and I walked here every morning. I also spent posted up outside and read The Girl On The Train. SO. GOOD. Finished in two days.

Romantic Dinner
Café Mediterraneo Ristoranti Italiano
With a seafood heavy Italian menu, I recommend sitting at the bar when traveling. It’s easy to strike up conversation and get the scoop. The fish is a no brainer and  our bartender, Nick, was a hoot. We made friends with a couple next to us who had been married for 39 years!

5 Thai Bistro
A very quiet atmosphere, but the fried noodles blew us away. A local favorite and just good cuisine!

Cocktails
Row 34
A modern swanky restaurant in town. Oysters off the raw bar and cocktails fit the bill. My favorite atmosphere of any place we went!

Martingale Wharf
Right on the water, watch the sunset from the deck. The blue umbrellas had me at hello. We were told to go here for cocktails and skip the food. A little more upscale and a fabulous atmosphere!

Portsmouth is just filled with adorable shops, bars and restaurants. You really can’t go wrong with walking around and exploring on your own. We love discovering spots by ourselves. But there are sure to be more!

Have you been to Portsmouth before? I feel like its a hidden gem for us Midwesterners. But clearly a popular destination for the locals!