White Heron Tea & Coffee — Restaurant in Portsmouth

The perfect coffee shop, in a town full of coffee shops.

White Heron is a real gem. From the second you walk in, you notice the amount of work that's been put into making the place feel just right. Nicely spaced tables, plenty of outlets, some quaint table lamps, a couple floor plants, a meticulous display of coffees and teas, and of course the beautifully drawn chalkboard of food and beverage offerings. This is the kind of place in which you can get lost in thought and people watching for the better part of a day.

The service is impeccable. The baristas always have a smile, and they take the time to welcome you when you first arrive and say have a good day when you leave.

The food and beverages are delicious. There are so many things to try, from sandwiches to smoothies, and of course a large variety of coffees and teas.

There are two unisex bathrooms, which are always perfectly clean.

The place attracts all types. It can be a bit of a trendy crowd, grad students and the like, but it's just the right mix for people watching.

Parking is a problem, but it's not their fault. They have a few spaces right next to the building, but they're shared with other businesses. All together, there are maybe 8 or 9 spots. And there's an unfortunate lack of legal street parking nearby. Still, if you can't find a spot in the lot, you can just park down the street and walk a block or two. It's not a big deal, since you'll probably want to stay for a few hours anyway.

This is the perfect coffee (and tea) shop, undoubtedly the best...

Let's start with intention, for which the vibe I get here is clearly one of community. It's not just a place to get fresh food fast, or to suck up WIFI and couch space, which, clearly you can do both those things. The place is brightly lit out front and full of carefully curated provisions. The staff are warm and engaging; they have the timbre of a family. The dining room is full of a diverse group of professional types and artistic types, and occasionally professional artistic types( but I don't judge). It's also got the most babes per capita of any lunch room on Islington St(I still don't judge). If you like the evolution of hipster\yogi cuisine, toned down to a crunch factor accessible even to hardened CEO-types(not judging), you'll enjoy this place. Wraps, salads, baked goods, teas, coffee, and an organism environment which feels attractive in a healthy way, without the stench of elitist dietary condemnation. Local people doing what feels right. Also- they have their own record shop, which is unnecessary, I love unnecessary. Tea and...

We liked this little coffee shop so much, we came here both mornings during our brief stay in Portsmouth while passing through the area. The coffee is delicious, nice and strong americanos if you add an extra shot. My husband had a couple different varieties of the scones and he raved about them. I had the potato and egg hash and it was very good. We also purchased a couple of records here, as they have some for sale. There’s a really nice selection of tea pots and coffee & tea, as well as some merchandise. I also appreciated that the staff was masked and the 99.9% of the customers were as well, which made me feel a little bit better about having my 1.5 year old child inside with other people. It’s always a struggle for us to find places where we feel it’s at least relatively safer to take our child, and when I find those places I want to support them as much as possible. If I ever return to the area, I will definitely come back to this little gem of a...