The Press Room

Intimate music, gets crowded, always fun! Looks like complete make over with original vibe! We went to see a local band, Kings Highway from Hampton area. Great sound and light system. Although it was packed, service was great! Food was also delicious! Go and have some fun!!!!

The Press Room is the perfect place to be for a nightcap in Portsmouth. Serving the community for 5 decades, it is an institution, and a favorite with locals. The nightly live performances on the second floor are superb; the eclectic mix of bands and performers make this a great place to gather for a night on the town. The place has gone through extensive renovations in the recent past and has great acoustics. Set up in an old world brick structure, the atmosphere is very cozy and offers a very warm and inviting vibe. The service is outstanding; one of the Managers, Joe, in particular is very affable and brings great passion and energy in running the place. You do need to buy tickets in advance for the shows, and given the small venue size, most times they are sold out, especially with bands that have a local following. They have an interesting selection of cocktails, worthy of note are the Espresso Martini and Bananas and Blow.

The staff was super friendly and the music was great. From the moment I walked in I felt like I was home. Everyone was inviting and kind. The food looked great so i asked what time they served until and instead of hearing "I don't know" from the (clearly) new hire she said "hold on a second I'll find out". The bartenders smiled at everyone, handled the crowd, and totally hooked it up. Can't wait to come back! Super big thanks from RI.

I called and spoke with GM and Chef of the kitchen Zac. I work at Win Waste Innovations and talked them about catering for us and the food was nothing less than remarkable. The steak tips were perfect, cauliflower was tremendous, and they provided a perfect spread. They were about to accommodate with vegan dishes, gluten free options and much more. I will be ordering again as they were a fan favorite of ours and just wanted to make sure a huge thank you went out to the GM and kitchen team!!!

My gf and I came for lunch around 230, no problems with a bouncer and staff were all nice, professional, and courteous.
Now, the real star of the show was the food. We ordered the hummus board and the fish and chips. The hummus is made in house and served with a veggie mix and house made pitas. We both loved the hummus and pitas, both were very delicious. The fish was also very well done, nice and flaky. Only issue, very small, was the breading on the fish was, in places, a little oily.
F- the pain away, the mix drink I had, was very good.

Absolutely lovely. The servers were very friendly and efficient. The drinks were incredible and the music was excellent. This is a perfect evening to enjoy with a group of friends, a date night, or if you just need a good time yourself for some musical inspiration.

The atmosphere was a calm, hometown feeling with friends coming together to see each other, enjoy some music and have a drink . Just a fantastic evening.

Went there for the music but had dinner too, typical bar food menu BUT way better quality than most! Fresh ingredients cooked to perfection. Impressive draft beer list with local NH & Maine beers. The stage set up is awesome!

Randomly stopped in for brunch. Was lucky to get there before it got busy. Waiter was very nice and did a great job. Bloody Mary's were delicious and the food was fantastic!! Will definitely be back!

Second time being here. I've been meaning to come back, such a good time. Great food, music, drinks. Don't miss this spot. Dessert was a pumpkin ice cream chocolate chip sandwich.

Had a great time here last Friday! I was part of a thirty person surprise birthday party who needed to find a bar last minute. Upon arriving we let the bartenders know how many of us there would be and they were extremely kind about it, they just asked that we have patience with them as it was a large group of people.

We were patient, and they were superb! The bartenders were amazing with getting everyone their drinks and their food orders and were overall very friendly and welcoming!

I would definitely recommend this place for good cocktails, good food, and a great atmosphere!

Great spot for food, drinks and music. Lincoln was an incredible server and was extremely attentive even on a busy weekend night. Thank you!

This venue has become one of my favorites to work with and attend. Even at the height of the pandemic - the talent buyer for this venue was responsive, kept me updated and has continued to be a pleasure to work with. The install of the new sound system from a few year back is perfect for this 125 cap room and its location is clutch!

The food is very good, the vibe is cool, and the diversity of shows they have are great. In terms of the staff: they have definitely assembled a team of people who get how to run a bar/restaurant/venue of its size. It's not easy to do and meet all the expectations of others.

I stopped in last week and it appears they have a built in audience that just enjoys being at the Press Room in addition to those that are seeking out certain genres of music or a certain vibe for the evening.

They took a chance recently on having Dueling Pianos (which has been never there) and it was sold out way in advance and it crushed live. Super interactive, positive, and fun.

The up-and-coming shows to the room are an excellent combination of original music, cover bands, and DJs. They have something for everyone.

A place like the Press Room is the kind of room you want in every town! Keep up the good work and thank you.

Tristan organized my boss’s retirement party of 25 people swiftly. He responded frequently to my questions and providing his own advice. Was excellent to coordinate with. Once in the restaurant, everything was ready to go like we arranged and our service from Jamal was spectacular. Our group was over joyed by their attentiveness. Also the food was excellent! See you guys again soon.

The Press Room in Portsmouth NH is a very cool place to have a meal or just a drink. Fast and friendly service at the bar, indoor and outdoor table service. Great wait-staff. The interior looks was modern but reflected the classic brickwork that make Portsmouth special. I had a chicken sandwich and a hard seltzer after a day of photoshoots in town. Great food, great place, highly recommended

Great place in town to grab a bite and a drink. Brunch here is fantastic, best fried chicken sandwich in town. They host some of the best live music and DJs in Portsmouth at night. 10/10

Love these little hole in the wall venues you are able to actually see the band that's playing and interact with others that are there! Love the old building and all of its amazing features!

Ate upstairs, food was awesome the staff was friendly, and the music was from my era!! We will go back.

There are two jazz/rock/country venues in my city. One is big, expensive, and has a terrible sound system and acoustics. The other is the Press Room. It's small and has been around for 50 years. It closed a few years ago and underwent a long renovation. Now, IMHO, it's nearly perfect. Awesome sound system and sound engineer, amazing acoustics, and reasonable prices for some great lesser-known performers. This was a brunch event at the Press Room. I just paid the $10 charge and had a coffee. I'd love to add some photos but Google is rejecting all photos today.

Unique combination of bar, restaurant, and bilevel entertainment center. Nice menu with lots of vegetarian options complimented by excellent service and very reasonable prices. First floor offers a nice pub atmosphere often with live music. Upstairs is another bar and full music stage with food and drink table service. It's an unassuming location from the street view, but a special location within.
Update Mar '24: still nice vegetarian/vegan options including a real veggie burger and not an impossible or beyond burger which unfortunately seem increasingly to be the only options elsewhere. Great service - some really low beer prices too.

Go for a show here to see some gen z kids you’ve never heard of and end up having a quasi-spiritual experience. Honestly one of the best bars in America.