9 Best Restaurants in Lakes Region, New Hampshire

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.

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.

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. 

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.