The Wilder

I pass through NH from Maine and I've ended up here randomly twice. It has been a very good experience both times. Having worked in the industry for awhile, I can usually tell a good establishment when I see it. This place seems consistently decent. Worth checking out for both visitors and locals.

Matt, maybe? The server with the cool and plentiful tattoos, was all around an amazing server and deserves a special shout out.

Incredible place! Amazing food, mock tails and atmosphere. I had the Tortilla Española - it’s was amazing. I will come here every time I’m in Portsmouth. Brunch, lunch and dinner!

Stopped in for happy hour cocktails this week. We started with happy hour Gimlets and a Moscow Mule. No complaints. Well made and tasty. We then tried some of the house specialty cocktails. Sadly, I can't recall the name of the drink my wife had but it was REALLY good. I had a lemongrass concoction that was not as good as my wife's drink but was still very satisfying and easy to drink. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was nice. The actual bar is very impressively big and the drink menu offered something for everyone. I wish we had stayed for dinner! Next time we're in town, for sure.

Great atmosphere, the door man was very friendly. He carried me up the stairs like an eager newly wed carrying his trophy wife across the threshold of their new home. The espresso martinis are to die for! How ever, I’m a little upset at the bar manager, he didn’t let me play mombo number 5 more than 3 times throughout the night.

This is a fun, casual place to enjoy a very unique menu. The cocktails were very delicious, and were all very unique and intriguing. The food menu was similarly unusual. We really enjoyed the Bonemarrownara meatballs. This is a hot spot for 20-30 year olds to have a night out, but is also a great place for anyone who loves interesting food and cocktail options.

We arranged a birthday reception at The Wilder and could not have been more happy. Making plans with Chynna Ratter, the GM, was simple, upbeat, and efficient. She was able to accommodate specific requests with a hassle-free ease and made the reserved space look spectacular. Unique and delicious bubbly in every corner, food creatively placed with aesthetic labeling, servers omnipresent and unobtrusive at the same time. They nailed it. Every guest commented on the venue, food, and cocktails. And most importantly, the birthday gal had a wonderful, memorable evening. Thanks!!

Outstanding food and drinks, service was a bit slow but well worth the wait. The espresso martini was incredible and the Nashville Hot Chicken was the best I ever had. Really cool art on the walls and friendly staff. The drink menu had so many cocktails that I want to try. I'm definitely excited to go back.

No pics because of the dim atmosphere but we had an absolutely amazing dinner Saturday night. We started with espresso n martinis, and poutine. Both are phenomenal. The crunchy potato wedges in the poutine were to die for. We then ordered the Mumbai tonics and with our main courses: and linguine entree and Nashville chicken (sub fries for a salad) and wow! We are tough food critics sometimes but we didn’t have a bad thing to say about anything. Will be back asap!

I was surprised how much I enjoyed my meal at the Wilder. Was expecting a good bar menu, but the quality of the food surpassed my expectations. From a simple order of salmon and potatoes came wonderful fresh green salad with well proportioned vinaigrette and crispy on outside fluffy on inside fingerling potatoes. Excellent bar service kept me flowing with a traditional rye old fashion and white wine. Place does become more of a loud bar on weekends, but during the week a nice spot for a quiet meal.

My wife and I again chose a restaurant we had never been to, so Saturday night we dined at....The Wilder on Fleet St in Portsmouth.

Upon entering and walking upstairs, we were struck by how nice it was with exposed brick, a large bar and plenty of seating. We had made reservations for 6:00. It was a good thing. The place was packed. We were brought to our table and realized how load it was. The place was hopping. Our waitress, Molly T was quick to greet us. After looking over the cocktail menu, my wife chose a dry martini with olives and I chose one of their house creations, The Jackalope(pic 2). This drink consists of fig and cacao nib infused bourbon, peated scotch, lemon, ginger, honey, garam masala, black pepper and ginger beer. The drink was bold, unique and I loved it!!!

After delivering our drinks to the table, Molly asked if we would like to order an appetizer. I told her we would have the Burratta. At the same time she took our dinner choices. My wife ordered the Statler Chicken Breast and I ordered the Linguine Vongole. It wasn't long before Molly brought us the Burratta(pic 3). The dish consisted of fresh mozzarella stuffed with toasted pistachios, sweety drop peppers, a balsamic reduction and Lil's sesame baguette crostinis. It was the perfect size and very light. It was a great way to start things off. Upon finishing, Molly was right there to take away the dishes.

Being given time for things to settle, Molly asked me if we would like another drink. My wife declined and I asked her if she would select a dry white for me. Our entrees were presented shortly thereafter. The Statler Chicken Breast my wife ordered(pic 4) was made with herb mashed potatoes, balsamic braised cippolini onions, charred endive and pan jus. My Linguine Vongole(pic 5) was loaded with Brunswick, ME little neck clams, both in and out of the shell, handspun pasta, lemon guanciale, tons of herbs, garlic and just enough crushed red pepper to add a little heat to the dish. My chardonnay was then delivered as we began to eat.

My wife was completely surprised by how flavorful her meal was. The chicken was tender, juicy and loaded with flavor. The potatoes were perfectly mashed, not too runny, not too thick, but with excellent consistency. She raved about the cippolini onions and insisted I try it. She was right. Delicious in every way. The pan jus brought everything together in one incredible dish. My wife told me she would come back just to have this dish again.

I have had many variations of Linguine Vongole over the years and they have all been very good. This dish on the other hand, was the very finest, most flavorful version I have ever had. The Wilder has brought this dish to a new level. It exploded like a party in my mouth. It wasn't until I had my second bite that I noticed the slight heat of the dish. It perfectly complimented the rest of the flavors of the garlic, lemon and other herbs. The little neck clams were fresh and delicious. The ONLY disappointment I had was when it was gone. I will never forget this dish!!!

After finishing our meals, Molly asked if we were interested in dessert. I told her yes, it was one of the reasons we came after seeing posts from the new Pastry Chef. My wife ordered the Neopolitan(pic 6) and I ordered the Lemon Tart(pic 7). Both desserts were heavenly, light and a perfect way to end the meal. All in all, we enjoyed the hell out of our entire experience. I can assure you we are destined to make a return visit.

First time here after walking by for the three years it’s been open. Cameron was the bartender. I asked him to get creative and have fun, making me an Old Fashioned. He did not disappoint!! The best cocktail of my life. Very cool atmosphere. Music of all genres. Food looks very good. This is my new favorite bar in Portsmouth. Can’t wait to come back next week when I’m in town again.

Such a wonderful cocktail bar! Legit looking forward to coming back to Portsmouth just for this place. So well done. The staff are very knowledgeable on their cocktails. Beautiful lay out of the actual bar and restaurant space. Try the Espresso Martini on draft!

The best Expresso Martini! Had the PoBoy and the fried oysters were spot on;delicate, light and cooked perfectly, fries were hot and crispy and the truffle seasoning was great. Fish and chips was also perfect. Fried perfectly, light and flaky, the coleslaw was crispy and delicious

Wow!! Bartenders who truly give a dang. Every one of them took pride in the drinks they were making; the aggressive shaking, the presentations and garnish at the end. Drinks were very tasty, fun and different. Very much like the atmosphere. You don’t realize what you are walking into from the street but get to the top of those stairs and the vibe completely encapsulates you. We didn’t get any food, but look forward to next time we visit.

Great food. Nashville hot sando is not hot (from Nashville) but the espresso martini and old fashioned was delicious....definitely coming back in the future. Service was great too!!

Great gastro pub in downtown Portsmouth NH. Upstairs across from the parking garage, The Wilder has full bar with a great selection of beers, cocktails and wine. The menu was filled with apps, small plates, entrees and desserts. For an app had the poutine. The plate consisted of braised beef with thrice cooked potatoes and cheese curds. Wow, these potatoes are boiled, cooled, fried, cooled and fried again.They were the BOMB!!!!! The sauce was awesome as there wasn't that strong beef stew taste. For the entrees we had the Salmon and the Statler Chicken. Both entrees rocked the house!
Emily, our waitress was uber friendly and her descriptions and opinions were spot on. This place is definitely on our list of places to go when in Portsmouth!

Best option in town for late night eats! Kitchen is open until 12. Hot chicken sandwich is absolutely stellar. Other highlights are the espresso martini’s on draft (all of the cocktails are dope), the duck fat popcorn, & the Concord grape jelly nuts. Amazing spot to go crush a bunch of small plates with friends!

Certain things here were much better than the others so I'm rating this on the best dishes not their ok ones. The charcuterie platter was extremely tasty, the pickled cauliflower was some of the best vegetables I've ever tasted. The one flaw was the little bread that came with, was overly hard and would have been better if it was just slightly toasted.

The scallops were perfectly cooked but the plating was a little odd as you can see from the picture. The mussels volgare? (linguine) has a lot of ingredients but you honestly didn't taste any of them. All you got was butter which is odd because there were some serious pieces of garlic in there that were very mild. I wouldn't recommend it.

Finally the drinks are expensive but they do a heavy pour here so you get your moneys worth.

Friendly staff, most definitely ask for the truffle Parmesan fries, their off menu but will prepare them if asked. Also the Paloma is is a happy hour drink but worth trying. The Chocolate peanut butter desert I’d recommend and it pairs well with the Espresso Martini on nitro.

Our bartender was awesome, I would highly recommend this bar, a little hidden, you may walk right by, but the craft cocktails you need to seek out. Wonderful atmosphere.