15 Best Restaurants in Lakes Region, New Hampshire

A legit contender in New Hampshire's fierce battle for the best pancake house, this rustic timber-frame roadhouse is run by a family who've been producing maple syrup for five generations. Open only on weekends, Benton's serves stacks of pancakes in several flavors, including strawberry shortcake, Mounds Bar, and Grandma's apple cinnamon. There's stuffed French toast, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches, too, but who are we kidding? This place is all about those fluffy pancakes.

Adjacent to the Local Work Marketplace at WREN, this homey art-filled storefront eatery and wine bar is one of the area's social focal points, with a welcoming staff and a thoughtful, international menu. Panko-crusted salmon with wasabi and pineapple compote, and heirloom tomato burrata caprese salads are a few of the best dishes, but save room for the flourless chocolate torte with strawberry-balsamic coulis.

Lobster-roll aficionados flock to this funky converted schoolhouse with screened-in and outdoor seating high on a bluff above the Pemigewasset River. Start with a cup of lobster bisque or clam chowder before digging into a traditional (lightly dressed, with mayo) or hot-buttered lobster roll—both come on a warm, buttered brioche roll, best enjoyed with a side of garlic fries. Burgers, fried clams, and fish-and-chips are also available.

Foodies from all around the lake flock to this acclaimed restaurant set in a warmly decorated Victorian house beside the Pickering House. Showcasing creative American fare sourced locally and seasonally as much as possible, the kitchen serves an oft-changing menu that might feature pan-seared scallops with spring-pea risotto and lemon aioli and house-made cavatelli with pesto cream, roasted tomatoes, and burrata. 

It may have the word "secret" in its name, but this artisan ice cream shop with a walk-up window and deck as well as a spacious indoor seating area has a devoted following—let's just say the cat's out of the bag. This is some of the richest and most delicious ice cream in the state, and there's always a great lineup of unusual flavors, such as Thai tea, roasted cherry chip, honeycomb, and strawberry buttermilk.

Just up the road in Center Harbor, this boathouse-inspired bistro sits high above Lake Winnipesaukee and has seating in both a quieter dining room and a convivial bar with an open kitchen. It's known for seafood, including wood-fired, bacon-wrapped scallops and a creamy, entrée-size haddock chowder topped with herbs and crushed Ritz crackers. Canoe also serves several varieties of gooey mac and cheese as well as burgers, steaks, and wood-fired flatbreads.

With tall windows as well as a large deck overlooking the historic Blair Covered Bridge and the Pemigewasset River, this rustic restaurant serves an eclectic mix of Asian, Mediterranean, and American dishes and is a favorite place to refuel after hiking in the White Mountains or boating on Squam Lake. Good bets include wild-caught salmon with a ginger-scallion vinaigrette and Cambodian chicken coconut curry steamed in banana leaves with jasmine rice.

In a countrified lodge on the south side of town, this friendly restaurant serves creative Asian cuisine, with an emphasis on Philippine fare, such as lumpia (pork-and-shrimp spring rolls with a sweet-and-sour fruit sauce) and pancit canton (panfried egg noodles with sautéed shrimp and pork and Asian vegetables with a sweet oyster sauce). You can also sample Thai red curries, Japanese tempura, and Korean-style flank steak.

With big windows overlooking the lake and timber posts and ceiling beams, this popular restaurant inside the Church Landing at Mill Falls hotel captures the rustic ambience of an old-fashioned camp dining room. Feast on classic American favorites with interesting twists, such as eggs Benedict topped with Maine lobster in the morning, and char-grilled steaks, chops, and seafood in the evening.

Proof that impressive dining in the Lakes Region isn't always near the water, this elegant restaurant is set beneath the soaring ceiling of downtown Laconia's historic train depot. Favoring local ingredients, the kitchen turns out inventive renditions of classic American dishes, like scallops and grits with a sweet-corn butter sauce, and coffee-rubbed pork tenderloin.

With seating on two elevated decks offering panoramic views of Lake Winnipesaukee and the White Mountains in the distance, this dapper downtown tavern is the perfect place to linger over brunch or sunset cocktails. The menu draws on street-food recipes from around the world, including Korean barbecue pork buns, grilled mahimahi tacos, ahi poke bowls, and lobster-corn hushpuppies. Refreshing spritzes in a range of flavors are a specialty from the cocktail list.

Situated high on a grassy bluff in Tamworth, this contemporary barn-style pub with soaring cathedral ceilings, big windows, and a spacious deck offers unparalleled vistas of Mount Chocorua and the White Mountains beyond. The approachable menu features farm-to-table-driven gastropub fare, such as pub fries with roasted garlic–rosemary aioli, fried haddock tacos with blistered jalapeños, and pesto-veggie flatbreads, and there's a well-curated selection of beer, wine, and cocktails. 

This artisan dairy is located inside a converted general store that now carries gifts and foods from a few other local vendors, which you pick out from shelves and refrigerator cases and pay for yourself with cash or Venmo (the shop is unstaffed). The creamery sells delicious farmstead-made cheddar cheese as well as ice cream and ice cream sandwiches in about two-dozen flavors, including cinnamon, blueberry, and ginger.

In this charming red Victorian house on Plymouth's bustling Main Street, with some seats on the front veranda and others set in a warren of cozy rooms with art on the walls, this casually elegant spot offers tasty American and international fare. Consider Szechuan-style salmon ramen, and blackened grilled chicken with honeydew-melon salsa and tzatziki sauce.

A former bowling alley in the heart of Holderness makes an unlikely but charming setting for meals overlooking Little Squam Lake—local boaters dock right beneath the dining room. Among the specialties on the seafood-intensive menu are shellfish paella, and sea scallops with a creamy bacon-corn-poblano succotash, while sandwiches and salads are among the lighter options.