Manchester is situated on the banks of the Merrimack River. The bustling riverside city with plenty of choices when it comes to romantic restaurants, cozy cafés and intimate eateries for celebrating love. Head to Cotton in the Historic Millyard District for exceptional farm-to-table cuisine; enjoy delectable Italian favorites at Villaggio Ristorante or Piccola Italia, and tuck into traditional steakhouse at the Hanover Street Chophouse.
Cotton
Best known for its inventive cocktails, Cotton is a popular spot for fine dining and romance. Situated in Manchester's Historic Millyard District, the restaurant is helmed by award-winning chef/owner and author Jeffrey Paige, who is famous for creating exceptional cuisine prepared with local ingredients and artfully presented. The charming neighborhood eatery has a casual, inviting atmosphere and serves sophisticated and eclectic comfort food like Grilled Delmonico Steak, Creole Jambalaya, Pistachio Crusted Salmon, and Butternut Squash Ravioli. The cuisine is accompanied by an extensive wine list featuring over 40 wines by the glass, as well as innovative cocktails, top-shelf spirits and fine wines from around the globe. Cotton is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday and dinner only on the weekends.
Cotton, 75 Arms St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-622-5488
Firefly American Bistro
Firefly American Bistro & Bar is a contemporary American bistro situated in the heart of Manchester's downtown district that serves classic American fare in a warm, inviting atmosphere. The restaurant features a welcoming dining room with exposed brick walls, a lively full-service bar that serves a variety of libations from global wines to creative cocktails, and an elegant lounge with a relaxed ambiance that is ideal for post-work drinks or a pre-dinner cocktail. Created and presented by Chef David Becker, the seasonal menu celebrates American cuisine with inventive dishes prepared using only the freshest locally sourced ingredients and regional produce and bursting with flavors from around the world.
Firefly American Bistro, 22 Concord St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-935-9740
The Foundry Restaurant
Located in the historic Manchester Mill-Yard on the banks of the Merrimack River, The Foundry Restaurant is a trendy, industrial-chic farm-to-table restaurant with gorgeous river views that serves contemporary cuisine, craft beers, and creative martinis. Modern Manchester meets the Industrial Revolution in this hip, urban space, which boasts stylish designer décor, cozy riverside booths, a sleek bar with comfortable bar stools, a casual lounge for relaxing with drinks and enjoying live music, private dining spaces. The farm-to-table menu features market-driven dishes of ocean-fresh seafood, fish and shellfish, naturally-raised and grass-fed beef, lamb and chicken, and organic and handpicked where possible salads, herbs, and vegetables. The cuisine is accompanied by an extensive wine list, innovative cocktails, top-shelf spirits and craft beers on tap and by the bottle, and the restaurant is open for dinner nightly and Sunday brunch.
The Foundry Restaurant, 50 Commercial St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-836-1925
Fratellos Italian Grille - Manchester
Fratellos Italian Grille - Manchester is an unpretentious, family-friendly restaurant that serves delectable Italian cuisine and drinks in a warm and welcoming setting. Named after the Italian word for ‘brother,’ the restaurant boasts a charming, vibrant dining room, a Casual lounge with live music, and an outside deck for alfresco-style dining in the summer. Open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week, Fratello’s Italian Grille offers a variety of Italian dishes ranging from appetizers and fresh soups and salads, pasta dishes such as fettuccine alfredo and lasagna, specialty pizzas, which are available by the slice for lunch, and calzones, as well as hot and cold subs and sandwiches. Entrées include breaded chicken dishes like chicken scarpariello and chicken piccata, baked eggplant parmesan and delicious seafood fare such as deep-fried calamari and seafood risotto.
Fratellos Italian Grille - Manchester, 155 Dow St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-624-2022
Piccola Italia, Manchester, NH
Piccola Italia is a welcoming, home-away-from-home Italian restaurant with a rustic, old-country vibe, muralled walls, and a lovely patio for outdoor summer dining. The homely, neighborhood trattoria boasts a Roman feel with mottled walls covered in murals, comfortable décor and soft lighting and serves a menu of traditional Italian fare cooked from old-country recipes with such as antipasti plates of bruschetta, meats and cheese, handmade pasta and wood-fired pizzas, ample helpings of gnocchi and house-made sausage, and entrées like lamb shank and risotto. A wine list offers easy-drinking wines to complement the food along with craft beers and colorful cocktails. Piccola Italia is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday.
Piccola Italia, 815 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-606-5100
The Birch
The Birch is a warm, brick-lined eatery with quirky décor that serves small, sharable American tapas plates and inventive cocktails. Helmed by Executive Chef Nick Provencher and General Manager Joel Soucy, the charming bistro serves locally sourced, small creative dishes and globally-influenced tapas that push culinary boundaries like Seared Avocado with toasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate, blistered shishito Peppers, tempura fried house-made pickles, and their famous French-Canadian poutine. Soft leather couches, hardwood tables, and long hardwood bar serve casual wines, craft beers on tap and by the bottle, and craft cocktails. The Birch is open for dinner Tuesday through Sunday and lunch on the weekends. Map
XO on Elm
Located downtown in Manchester, XO on Elm is a stylish and sophisticated hideaway serving creative New American fare, Spanish-inspired tapas and inventive cocktails in a classic, lounge-like atmosphere. The award-winning eatery serves seasonal menus of market-driven fare sourced from local farms and craft food makers and artfully presented with a modern and international twist. Dishes range from Venezuelan arepas and vegetarian bowls to sharing plates and tapas, hearty entrées, and freshly made soups and salads for all tastes. The cuisine is accompanied by a selection of signature cocktails and martinis, local and global wines and craft beers and high-end spirits, and XO on Elm is open for dinner only Monday through Sunday.
XO on Elm, 827 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-560-7998
Hanover Street Chophouse
The Hanover Street Chophouse is an old-school steakhouse that is renowned for serving the finest cuts of aged steak, prime rib, and beef. Boasting traditional steakhouse décor with dark wood and leather accents, elegantly dressed tables and gleaming silverware, the steakhouse serves a menu of thick house-butchered cuts of USDA choice steaks, free-range chicken and pork, fresh seafood and a range of vegetarian options. A club-like full-service bar has an extensive menu of fine wines from around the world, which can be enjoyed by the glass or bottle, craft beers on tap or by the bottle, and handcrafted cocktails. The Hanover Street Chophouse is open for dinner only, seven nights a week.
Hanover Street Chophouse , 149 Hanover St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-644-2467
The North End Bistro is a charming American-Italian bistro with an intimate dining space with cozy inside and outside tables and a busy bar that is popular with neighborhood residents. The bustling, vibrant spot serves a menu of contemporary farm-to-table fare such as appetizers of arancini risotto balls, house salad with house-made balsamic vinaigrette, and entrées of Frutti de Mare packed with shrimp, scallops, mussels, and haddock served over linguine, and stuffed haddock with shrimp, scallops, and crab. A buzzing bar serves a curated selection of fine wines, craft beers on tap and by the bottle, top-shelf spirits and innovative cocktails, and the restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday.
North End Bistro, 1361 Elm St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-232-3527
The Crown Tavern
Located in the heart of Manchester’s central downtown, The Crown Tavern is a buzzy venue with a large outdoor patio that serves inventive New American cuisine in stylish, retro digs. The charming culinary gem celebrates the iconic history of Manchester from its North End Victorian neighborhoods to its industrial mill yards with a seasonal menu of contemporary cuisine. Signature dishes include inventive wood-fired pizzas, and shareable plates of oysters on the half shell, chicken wings, peppered bacon strips, and roasted garlic. The cuisine is accompanied by an extensive wine list, innovative cocktails, top-shelf spirits and craft beers on tap and by the bottle. The Crown Tavern is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday and dinner on Saturday.
The Crown Tavern, 99 Hanover St, Manchester, NH 03101, Phone: 603-218-3132
