Tuesday, January 14, 2014

The Best Restaurants for a Memorable Valentines Day in NH

In deciding what I should write about this week, I realized that Valentine’s Day is only a month away! Over my many years of marriage, I learned that it is necessary to spend some time planning and deciding where to take my sweetheart on this important day.

Long gone are the days (in the beginning of our relationship mind you) when I would call the restaurant a few days before thinking that I could still get a reservation with the hostess laughing on the other end. Then there have been the disaster picks that I thought my wife would like but turned out to be not so great.

Needless to say I have learned my lesson and now I call ahead at least a month in advance to get a good seat at my chosen restaurant. It is with that in mind that I am going to give you some of our top picks for Valentine’s Day. Some of these are places that we’ve reviewed but have included them since we really enjoyed our experiences. So, without any further ado, here are my picks in no particular order. Good luck and I hope this helps make your Valentine’s Day memorable.
  1. Inn at Newfound Lake, Bridgewater: It has been awhile since we visited but it certainly was a memorable experience. You need to plan a few hours if you choose this route as there is a cocktail hour before dinner as well as the Chef coming out before the meal to go over the entire menu in detail.
  2. Wentworth by the Sea, Newcastle: A beautiful spot on the ocean that is part of a grand hotel.
  3. Three Chimneys Inn, Durham: Although inns are not for everyone I like their small town charm and you will definitely find it here.
  4. The Hanover Street Chophouse, Manchester: We have been a number of times and you never know who might be dining their on Valentine’s Day. One year we saw John Lynch, former Governor of NH.
  5. The Wellington Room, Portsmouth: For a quaint spot on the water it doesn't get much better than this restaurant located on the second floor of a building on Bow Street.
  6. Bedford Village Inn, Bedford: We keep going back for more and have never been disappointed.
  7. Buckley's, Merrimack: Another great one from restaurateur Michael Buckley.
  8. Lucas, Keene: Our favorite restaurant in the western part of the state.
  9. Colby Hill Inn, Henniker: Just a short drive from Concord, this is a charming inn with good food. The year we went for Valentine’s Day they had a personal chocolate fondue option.
  10. Mountain View Grand, Whitefield: Since we got engaged here it will always hold a special place in our hearts.

(Picture: Chocolate Bag, Bedford Village Inn)