5 Best Restaurants in Hanover, Lake Sunapee Region

With its stone fireplace, cathedral ceiling, and rustic-elegant barnlike interior, this inviting restaurant in the venerable Lyme Inn turns out farm-fresh modern American fare with international influences. Try the blackened scallops with an orange-chili-butter sauce or sliced-duck salad with shaved fennel and a ginger dressing, before moving on to herb-crusted swordfish with a saffron-sherry butter sauce.

With big windows overlooking a bustling corner of the enchanting little village of White River Junction, just a stone's throw across the Connecticut River from New Hampshire, this high-ceilinged space hung with gorgeous imported rugs specializes in Turkish and Mediterranean cooking. Serving flavorful egg dishes, soups, sandwiches, and pastries for breakfast and lunch, Tuckerbox shifts into a romantic dinner destination in the evening, specializing in kebabs and casseroles. 

This inviting restaurant in the lower level of a downtown retail-dining complex serves authentic, prepared-to-order Nepalese cuisine. Start with an order of momos (steamed dumplings) bursting with buffalo, paneer-and-spinach, wild boar, or several other fillings, and then try one of the easily shared tarkari (tomato-based) curries or chilies, offered with an extensive variety of meats and vegetables, from goat and duck to sweet potato and mushroom.

This softly lighted, conversation-filled space inside a converted freight warehouse just across the river from New Hampshire, is a refined yet unpretentious bistro and has helped turn White River Junction into a foodie hub since it opened in 2009. The kitchen sources significantly from local purveyors to create satisfying dishes like duck-confit strudel, mussels in a red coconut curry, and cocoa-dusted sirloin. 

Students, visiting alums, and locals regularly descend on this wildly popular pub, which has walls lined with shelves of old books. The varied menu features burgers and salads as well as meat loaf, lobster mac and cheese, and vegetarian dishes like crispy-tofu pad Thai and house-smoked tofu street tacos.