15 Best Restaurants in The White Mountains, New Hampshire

In the Dexter family for generations, Polly's has been serving up pancakes and waffles (from its own original recipe, with several batter options available, including cornmeal and gingerbread) since the 1930s—the current space dates to 2015 but retains the original country charm. Try the smoked bacon and ham, eggs Benedict, sandwiches on homemade bread, delicious baked beans, and such tempting desserts as raspberry pie. Much of the food is made from grains ground on-site.

The domain of celebrated chef-owner Jeff Fournier, who's cooked at some of Boston's most acclaimed restaurants, this exceptional eatery is set inside a chicly restored farmhouse in the village of Jackson. Ethereal highlights from the oft-changing menu include seared Maine bluefin tuna with a leek-fennel emulsion and brown sugar–and–chili-roasted delicata squash, and a superb cheese board with raspberry-hibiscus jam, nuts, and local honey.

In this terrific contemporary downtown restaurant, you can sample some of the tastiest farm-to-table fare in the White Mountains. The menu changes frequently and uses regional American ingredients in creative ways—try country pâté with venison and pistachio, followed by crispy maple-glazed duck breast with smashed carrots and bok choy. 

You certainly don't have to be a beer lover to appreciate this airy, modern brewpub that serves exceptionally good pub fare like fries topped with house-made curry aioli, roasted–sweet potato tacos, and farm-raised-beef burgers with bacon and barbecue sauce—the kind of sustenance that warms the soul after a day of White Mountains hiking. But Big Day does produce some of the region's best brews, including European-style classics like a golden Munich Dunkel and a citrusy Hefeweizen.

This playfully themed lodge-style restaurant buzzes with the sound of happy kids, but everyone seems to enjoy the rustic trappings, which include a huge stone fireplace, moose-antler chandeliers, and mounted animals. The comfort food here is reliably good, from barbecue rack of ribs to peppercorn-mushroom burgers, and there's a good selection of local beers.

Set in a vintage barber shop in downtown Gorham—8 miles north of the Mt. Washington Auto Road—this homey restaurant is a tribute to the owners' Italian grandmothers. Indeed, the menu reads like a roll call of favorites from the best restaurants in Boston's or New Haven's Little Italy neighborhoods—classic antipasto, feathery gnocchi with pesto, eggplant parmigiana, veal piccata, and linguine with clams and red sauce. Everything is prepared with fresh ingredients and attention to detail.

The green-thumb-savvy proprietors of the popular and adjacent Local Grocer natural foods market operate this hip farm-to-table café. In this sleek, solar-powered establishment you can feast on fresh baked goods, organic-egg dishes, leafy salads, healthy sandwiches, and smoothies and espresso drinks. 

This friendly, laid-back Asian restaurant excels with just about everything it offers, from creative sushi rolls and sashimi (try the salmon topped with house-made truffle sauce) to well-seasoned (or fiery hot, on request) curries to boba teas. House specialties include the sweet-and-tangy shrimp pineapple curry, ginger stir-fried salmon, and basil crispy duck. 

Drop by this hip café with two downtown Littleton locations, both of them with ample indoor and outdoor seating, for a light bite, to relax with a book, or sip one of the well-crafted fair-trade coffee or organic loose-leaf tea drinks. Several kinds of toast with tasty toppings (ricotta and lemon honey; cheddar, ham, and egg) are available at breakfast, along with myriad scones, cookies, and gluten-free pastries. The Beacon Street location in the up-and-coming Rail Trail District is more spacious and better for hanging out or working, while the smaller Mill Street locale is closer to the riverfront and downtown shopping.

Set in a historic cider mill near the Saco River, this rustic yet elegant bistro and adjacent gourmet market and deli presses fresh cider in the fall—it's served with traditional homemade cider doughnuts. But it's also a terrific farm-to-table restaurant, featuring a seasonal menu of eclectic, contemporary dishes. Consider the burrata with grilled stone fruit and a white balsamic–nasturtium reduction, and roasted Thai-style cod with lemongrass, pickled ginger, and a green curry sauce.

This big and festive brewpub inside a late-1800s train station is decorated with old maps, historic photographs, and other fun curiosities. The kitchen turns out reliably good pub fare—pizza, burgers, steaks, seafood—and filling breakfasts, and the brewery produces nearly 20 different varieties of exceptionally good beers. Overnight accommodations are available in the on-site inn.