Black TrumpetBest of New HampshireNew England charm = brick walls, candle light, old beams. Outstanding, inventive, gourmet food. Knowledgeable, attentive staff. We are very frequent diners and Open Table users and feel that after our first visit, this is in our opinion the best dining in New Hampshire.5/13/2013 12:00:00 AMNice place w/ interestingNice place w/ interesting choices;small,med and regular size choices.Local sourcing which we like.
Pricey so a special occasion place.
Very good service.I had called ahead for a "birthday" cupcake or such for my son's 30th.They obliged and he was surprised!5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful DinnerThe food was exceptional! The service was very knowledgeable and quite courteous!5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMThe ambiance and the foodThe ambiance and the food were both very good, and our server was top notch. However, the price/value ratio was totally out of wack. $29 for a steak entree is more than reasonable, but $29 for 2-3 oz. of steak carries the chi-chi thing too far.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome Anniversary!What an amazingly awesome spot to celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary! The menu was incredible and very impressive for my wife who is a former chef and big time foodie! The service by Rebecca was just perfect! We will definitely be back!4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a very nice dinnerWe had a very nice dinner here. We were eating early and the staff treated us like we were the most important people there. It was delicious!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMMy fiancee and I live in downtownMy fiancee and I live in downtown Portsmouth so we are very spoiled when it comes to good food within walking distance from home. That being said, we are big fans of Black Trumpet - it's one of our go-to special occasion restaurants. We love everything about this place! I can not recommend it enough.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food. Service Good-FairFood was incredible. Gourmet's dream. We ate mussels frites - unconstructed with slivers of fries on top of mussels with a delicious topping. Second course crabmeat polenta - delicious and third, Rhode Island Fluke with braised celery, rice pilaf and carrot harissa, all were plated beautifully.
Service: John our waiter was seemingly missing at times - he was obviously busy, but he could have arrived with drinks faster and did not check with us. We needed to stop him to request our bill which he never retrieved. The "water boy" also interrupted my wife to ask her if he should fill her water when we were obviously saying Grace over our food with eyes closed and heads bowed. That had never happened to us!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic little restaurant,Fantastic little restaurant,
If in the Portsmouth area, this is "The" restaurant to stop at, slightly pricey, but worth every penny if you want to celebrate that special occasion, or just a really nice romantic dinner, this is the place to go.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMBlack Trumpet is spectacularBlack Trumpet is spectacular in every aspect: food, service, ambiance. If you are debating about whether to go or not, stop debating. Just. Go.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was my first time atThis was my first time at the Black Trumpet and was extremly please with the entire experience. The food was delicious!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome service, food/wineAwesome service, food/wine and ambiance! Our waitress was very helpful in explaining the restaurant week specials and even helped us pick a delicious wine to pair with it!4/8/2013 12:00:00 AMMenu thoughtfully designedThe menu is thoughtfully designed and reasonably priced. The fried farm egg over sautéed mushrooms and leeks with baby kale chips was a huge hit! The warm duck confit salad with sesame beet dressing is delicious as is the truffled wild mushroom arancini. The Meyer lemon cake roll is a great finish for this well thought out menu!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWe enjoyed our stay. I hadWe enjoyed our stay.
I had told the waitress when I made our reservation that it was my son's birthday
and she said they would bring a cupcake with candle. That did not happen. Perhaps
I was suppose to remind someone but that opportunity did not arise.
Service was pretty good. I drink a lot of water and our glasses could have been filled more
often.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfection in a gorgeous setting.Perfection in a gorgeous setting. Just perfection.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat wine, great specials,Great wine, great specials, delicious food. All win.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was a special occasionThis was a special occasion and they accomodated all my requests. Wait staff was exceptionally friendly and helpful. The upstairs wine bar can get a little boisterous, but the dining can also be initimate; you just have to situate yourself properly3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMSaturday Night VIsitMy wife and I visited BT for the first time Saturday and were heartily enthralled by the setting, food and service. I enjoyed the view of the harbor, the historic building features as well as the overall vibe. My wife love the food selections as well as the extensive list of drinks. We both found the food to be delicious, fresh and local - which is important to us. The food presentation was great, with micro cast iron pans and wood bread bowls. Our server was well versed in the varieties of beer served as well as how the food is prepared. She represented Black Trumpet well! We had a salad, small dish, mixed drink, wine, two beers, main course and desert with coffee for $124. We felt the price was fine and comparable to The Republic in Manch3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMBlack Trumpet a must.Our party of four had a delightful evening at Black Trumpet. Our server was knowledgeable, articulate and had a good sense of humor. The general service was very attentive, and the wine list, while tending towards the pricey, offered a wide selection of bottles that were not the usual suspects.
It was the food that made the evening so special. Such a treat to have a menu that is truly the combination of a creative mind and a master's hand. Everything was not only delicious, but artfully presented without being precious.
I will certainly return.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it. They were just finishingLoved it. They were just finishing some renovations on the first floor but that did not cause any problems other than the espresso machine was acting up. Highly unusual. The second floor with a bar was the preferred spot anyway. All courses were inventive and delicious. Wait staff knew lots of details and one fellow owns a local farm. They all knew how to chat but also how to leave us alone. Food was outstanding and because we like to cook it gave us ideas on ways to present and treat food.3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMThe restaurant has two levels.The restaurant has two levels. We ate in the bottom bistro level which was small and cozy. The food was very ecletic and unique. We had the Meatball Kefta, Veal Flank Schnitzel, Warm Kale Caesar salad and Fez Fish Stew. All of the dishes were delicious and wonderful. The kale salad and fish stew were especially superb. We asked the waiter to pair wines with our various courses. The pairing with the salad & stew was perfect. Our dinner was for a birthday celebration and the restaurant gave us a piece of their olive oil cake with a candle. It was delicious. Overall, we enjoyed our experience and look forward to coming back and exploring more of their unique creations. Highly recommend for a wonderful, romantic dinner.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMreally good interesting food,really good interesting food, knowledgeable waitstaff, fun place to go to forage food and drink and embellish conversation3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMFriendly staff, dining areFriendly staff, dining are is a good size and still cosy, comprehensive food menu.3/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FindAn absolutely amazing menu that's executed flawlessly. It's a great spot for anyone who's looking for a creative, adventurous menu with a fun staff and a diverse wine list.
The restaurant is cozy without being cramped, with several small tables. The menu has small and medium plates that are perfect for sharing, and we found that the main courses shared really well too. We ordered 9 plates (a mix of small plates, medium plates, and main courses) for the 4 of us and shared everything without issue. For a creative menu like this, I really think trying a bit of everything is the goal.
A great experience: great food, intriguing menu, fun staff. Must try.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AM