Gosport Tavern — Restaurant in Portsmouth

I must say, I was utterly blown away by the new Gosport Tavern after eating there with friends and family. Having never been to the original, I have nothing to compare it to, but the fact that I come back again and again is a testament in itself, I believe.

The atmosphere is warm and welcoming with beautiful decor and cozy lighting. There is a large bar where I have found myself grabbing a meal and a drink after a day at work. The drink selection is extensive, with many a creative cocktail on the menu as well which I have yet to try. I normally end up having a glass of red wine; my favorite is their $5 Santa Julia organic cabernet. Very satisfying on the palate, and what a great price.

The food here is exceptional in every aspect. I can't emphasize enough how dissapointing it is to get an entree served at room temperature, when it is supposed to be nice and hot. That is no problem here; the food arrives fresh from the kitchen, and sometimes I even have to let it cool down before digging in - not a bad problem to have. They just changed their menu a few weeks back to a more fall-like menu, and it rocks. The butternut squash soup is some of the tastiest, hearty winter soup I've ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Not to heavy, not to light, with a perfect blend of spices (and molasses!). Their house-made chips are wonderful as well - crispy, not oily, and seasoned just right. I could eat those every day of my life and consider it a life well lived.

My lastest entree was the suryano wrapped salmon with sweet and sour bing cherry sauce. WOW! Who would have thought to put those ingredients together!? It works so well, though, that I think I'll try to recreate it myself at home, though I'm not expecting it to be as good. The savory pairing of bacon with the sweet/sour cherries complement one another without being overbearing. A highly recommended dish. I'm probably getting that again tonight when I go with friends, but then again I feel like I should branch out. At least one thing is for certain, the kitchen never fails to impress with both creativity and taste. Dishes to try: meatloaf fish and chips suryano wrapped salmon beer-b-q shrimp and grits (yes, it's as good as it sounds)

So give Gosport Tavern a try. You won't regret it AT ALL. Great job guys, and thanks for keeping Olde Towne wonderfully...

My fiancé and I frequent this place since we moved to the area. Eve P. Always has an attitude but we choose to ignore it because we like the lunch menu. Well, today my Fiancé found a piece of long Hair in his food. We asked for it to be remade and Eve originally agreed Then she walked back up to the table and said “where did you find the hair” we replied “the chips” and she said “ok, I’m just going to replace the chips” and walked off quickly before we could say anything else. When she finally returned to our table we kindly asked if the wrap could be remade (we’re still willing to pay full price at this point). She became visibly upset and said “he’s not remaking it”. We asked for a refund and she said “I’m not taking it off”. I asked to speak to the manager and again in a very rude tone she said “I’m the manager on duty”. So I said can I talk to anyone else and she said I’ll take your info down. She stormed off again. And came back with the bill and the box to go, that we never even asked for. You can tell she was just ready for us to go, I still had a full plate of food. She was extremely nasty. We will never eat here again. Not to mention she was only rude to the only other black people at the establishment. She was very nice and attentive to the white men at the bar that she was serving. As a black woman herself, she should be ashamed of how she treated us. I completely lost my appetite after this interaction. Nobody deserves to be treated how we were. I can’t believe she’s allowed to be in the...

I've eaten at Gosport perhaps a dozen times. Three of those times were during trivia night, which is a fun way to dine with a group of friends (bring your SMART friends). Today (Easter Sunday) we had brunch. Without fail the food is excellent, thoughtfully designed and freshly made, and fairly unique. The food is actually underpriced for the quality, in my book. Most of the ingredients are made in-house, including the thick bacon, inventive sauces, and freshly ground burgers.

The atmosphere is of a nice sea tavern, with a rich selection of excellent craft beer from all over the country. The large and interesting selection of stouts and porters made me very happy, but there are plenty of IPAs for fans of hops. The mixed drinks appear to be creative and unusual, such as the "bloody hipster" - a grungy, spicy approach to a classic bloody Mary.

The service is always attentive and pleasant, although on a few occasions a tad bit slow when busy. This doesn't bother me, I enjoy the company and a fine beer in the meantime - but impatient folks with a stopwatch sensibility might find a 20+ minute wait for food to be too much.

This morning I shared both the Beer BBQ shrimp and grits and the ham & cheese biscuits and gravy platter (with scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon) with someone. Both meals were equally delicious, and the waitress recommended a side of Sriracha aioli for the potatoes. Yum! Both of us were completely full, and will order either dish in a...