7 Best Restaurants in Lakes Region, New Hampshire

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.