Portsmouth

The Oar House

· Portsmouth · Seafood & American

The Reliable

The Oar House wine list is a workmanlike effort — short, safe, and priced fairly for what it is. If you're coming for the seafood and want a glass of Albariño or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to go with it, you'll be well served. Just don't come here expecting to be wowed by the wine program.

Moxy

Downtown · Portsmouth · New American / Tapas-Style

The Wild Card

Moxy earns its Wild Card badge not because we can confirm every pour, but because the bones of the wine program — an intentional regional focus, a menu built for wine-friendly snacking, and a room that draws people back — suggest genuine effort. If you're in Portsmouth and want something more interesting than a safe Napa Cab next to your tapas, this is worth the reservation. Come in curious, ask the staff what they're excited about, and let the list surprise you.

Nichinan

· Portsmouth · Japanese / Sushi

The Reliable

Nichinan's wine list is short but earns its keep — the presence of Pieropan, Grüner Veltliner, and Henri Bourgeois Sancerre tells you someone on staff understands that sushi and Chardonnay is not the only answer. Markups are fair across the board, and the by-the-glass selection is wide enough to keep the table happy without forcing a bottle. If you're in Portsmouth and want something better than the default wine-at-a-sushi-restaurant experience, this delivers.

The Rosa

· Portsmouth · Italian-American

The Reliable

The Rosa isn't trying to reinvent the wine list — it's trying to serve its room well, and largely succeeds. Twenty-five by-the-glass options with Italian producers mixed alongside California staples makes this one of the more thoughtful pours in Portsmouth. If you're after wine-bar ambition, look elsewhere; if you want a reliable glass with your gnocchi without any drama, The Rosa delivers.

The Library Restaurant

· Portsmouth · Steakhouse

The Reliable

The Library Restaurant is a Wine Spectator award holder that plays it very, very safe — heavy California Chardonnay, a prestige Champagne tower, and markups that favor the house. If you're here for a special occasion and want to pop a Pol Roger at $125 or a Veuve at $155, it's a fine room for that. But if you're hoping to find something unexpected or feel like the wine program is working hard for you, this list isn't going to surprise you.

Wentworth by the Sea – Salt Kitchen & Bar

New Castle · Portsmouth · Hotel Restaurant / New American

The Reliable

Salt Kitchen & Bar is a perfectly adequate place to drink wine if you're already staying at the Wentworth, but we wouldn't recommend driving out to New Castle for the list. Order the local seafood, pick something coastal to drink, and enjoy the view — that's the real value here.

Dolce Vita Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar

Market Street · Portsmouth · Italian

The Reliable

Dolce Vita is a reliable neighborhood wine bar with enough Italian depth to satisfy anyone who came to drink well with their dinner. The markups on the California heavy-hitters are a soft deterrent, but lean Italian and you'll leave happy.

La Maison Navarre

Downtown · Portsmouth · French patisserie, crêperie, and wine bar

The Wild Card

La Maison Navarre is a genuine Wild Card — a French patisserie and crêperie in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, that actually bothered to build a coherent, France-only wine list to match. It's not deep, it's not adventurous, but it's honest and well-matched to what's on the plate, and that's more than most places manage.

STREET Portsmouth

West End · Portsmouth · Global Street Food / Eclectic American

The Lazy List

STREET is a genuinely fun, globe-trotting neighborhood spot that deserves a wine list as curious as its food — instead it has six grocery-store staples marked up steep and left on autopilot. Order a cocktail, enjoy the Bibimbap, and don't overthink the wine.

Vida Cantina

Unknown · Portsmouth · Modern Mexican

The Lazy List

Vida Cantina is a genuinely fun spot for food and cocktails, but the wine list is on autopilot — overpriced California standards with no imagination and no connection to the kitchen. Order a mezcal cocktail, grab the Vinho Verde if you insist on wine, and don't come here expecting anything more.

Portsmouth Gas Light Co. – Rooftop

Unknown · Portsmouth · Bar / Rooftop

The Lazy List

Come for the rooftop, stay for the vibe — but don't come for the wine. The Wednesday half-price bottle deal is the one reason to order a bottle, and even then, temper your expectations accordingly.

Portsmouth Gas Light Co. – Grill

Downtown · Portsmouth · American Grill

The Reliable

Skip the Gas Light on any night but Wednesday — half off all bottles turns a steep list into a genuinely solid deal and makes this a legitimate downtown Portsmouth option. The rest of the week, order a beer.

Row 34 Portsmouth

Portwalk · Portsmouth · Seafood and Oyster Bar

The Reliable

Row 34 Portsmouth gets the fundamentals right — the right whites, the right bubbles, a couple of smart French picks — but the markups sting and the red selection is on autopilot. Come for the oysters and a bottle of Chablis, not a wine adventure.

Massimo's Cucina Italiana

Downtown Portsmouth · Portsmouth · Italian

The Rager

Massimo's is the kind of place that makes you wish you lived in Portsmouth just so you could work through this list one dinner at a time. The pricing is not shy, but for a collection that includes Gaja, Biondi Santi, and a 1994 Sassicaia, you're paying for access to something genuinely rare for northern New England.

Toscana Italian Chop House & Wine Bar

Downtown · Portsmouth · Upscale Italian Steakhouse

The Reliable

Toscana is a reliable bet for Italian wine in a steakhouse format — the Tuscan focus is genuine, a few bottles are genuinely exciting, and the room earns its positioning. Pricing leans steep across the board, so come with a strategy: go Italian, skip the California crowd-pleasers, and you'll eat and drink well.

The Puddle Dock

Unknown · Portsmouth · New American / Modern Colonial

The Reliable

The Puddle Dock is a solid wine destination for Portsmouth — real producers, real range, and enough BTG options to drink well through a full meal. The markups are steep in spots and there's nothing adventurous on the list, but if you want a confident, classic selection with your New American dinner, this does the job.

Black Trumpet

Waterfront · Portsmouth · French-inspired bistro / wine bar

The Wild Card

Black Trumpet is doing something genuinely worth supporting — a curated, sustainability-minded list in a city that mostly doesn't bother. The markups on the bigger bottles keep it from being a destination wine experience, but the Crémant alone might be worth the trip to Ceres Street.

Cava Tapas & Wine Bar

Downtown · Portsmouth · Spanish-inspired tapas and wine bar

The Wild Card

Cava is a genuine find in a market where most wine lists top out at Meiomi and Malbec. The markup stings a bit, but the list has real ambition and the setting earns it — send your wine-curious friends here and tell them to work the Spanish section.

The Puddle Dock Restaurant

Portsmouth · Portsmouth · American, British

The Reliable

The Puddle Dock is a genuinely pleasant spot to eat in Portsmouth, and the Wednesday half-price wine night earns real goodwill — but the list itself is playing it safe with steep markups on familiar names. Come for the room, the food, and the mid-week deal; don't come expecting to discover anything.

Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club

Portsmouth · Portsmouth · American

The Wild Card

Jimmy's is a jazz club first and a wine destination second — but for a live music venue in coastal New Hampshire, a California-focused list with fair pricing and a Wine Spectator nod is genuinely worth your attention. Send your friends here for a Stag's Leap Cab and a blues set; just don't send them expecting a deep-dive natural wine experience.