Got a gift certificate to the Library, (which was lucky because it's a restaurant that falls short in so many places it would have been even worse if I had to pay for it). We invited to friends a long for dinner 6:30pm reservation. We got our first round of drinks and appetizers quickly and was repeatedly asked by our waitress if we were ready to order our entrees. (got that question about 8 times in 25 minutes). Finally she said a table of 10 was about to be seated (the table was in a private room off the main dining room) and if we wanted to eat without waiting to please order -- that was at 7:15pm our food didn't arrive to the table until 8pm. It wasn't good -- 3 steaks and a rack of lamb. The lamb was ordered medium it arrived rare and that's being nice in the description (it actually barely looked as if it had been cooked at all). Steaks were fine, but not very warm, The side orders (cream spinach, mash potatoes, asparagus) all arrived luke/warm or bordering on cold as in room temperature cold. Waitress never came back to check on the meal I worked in restaurants, I get that there are going to be some off days, but this had so much wrong with it that it has to be a pattern -- I read the negative reviews on the Library and thought it can't be that bad (but it is). Please skip the Library restaurant, there are a lot of good restaurants in Portsmouth, this isn't one of them.

Best steak and service in Portsmouth

This restaurant is not managed well. Tasteless food , inattentive service and overpriced especially wine by the glass.
This place is operated by a very young inexperienced staff; I would not return.
I would also question the knowledge level in the kitchen.

It's really too bad that this elegant restaurant with its unique ambience should have such lousy food. The bread was like Wonder Bread, the potsticker appetizer was so-so, the baked stuffed haddock was flavorless, the Brussels sprouts were hard as rocks, and the rice was dried out. The creamed spinach was uninspired, as were the mashed potatoes. The dessert was OK, but nothing special. My dining companion enjoyed the filet mignon, but it's hard to mess up USDA Prime beef. Moreover, the bill came to $150 for 2 people and only one of us had one alcoholic drink! The service was slow to boot. Whoever's running this place is coasting on an out-of-date reputation and the gullibility of out-of-towners. There are plenty of first-rate restaurants in Portsmouth; don't waste your money in this one.

We returned for a visit with a friend whose wife had recently passed away. Quite unbelievably , we were escorted to the same table we sat at, the last time all four of us dined at the Library. Service was very good, as were the meals we had. And we were able to finish in time to get to the show we planned to see at the Music Hall.

Four friends for a birthday celebration dinner. Excellent service and food. Rack of lamb was tender and well flavored. Lobster pie was very good, a nice mix of lobster and veggies. The puff pastry on the lobster pie was perfect

One of the best filets I have had in a long time,,,,,,will definitely go again when in the area.

It aaa great all around!

As always, outstanding food—super tender filet cooked to perfection

As always the service was great and the food was awesome.

Very attentive server. Generous wine pour. Yummy Brie app. Delicious steak, haddock and raviolis. Good portions. Expensive drinks. Would recommend.

The steaks are out of this world. The food is to die for and the history of the building and decor is so interesting and delightful. It is well worth the money spent.

Four of us went for lunch during Restaurant Week, and we all ordered different dishes off the special menu. The appetizers and entrees we ordered were all only so-so (not up to their reputation), but one of the desserts, the bourbon chocolate mousse, was phenomenal. The peanut butter square wasn't very good, and tasted as though it hadn't been out of the freezer long enough (not frozen, but very cold in the middle). The service was pretty good, except for having to wait quite a while to order after receiving our drinks. Our waitress just disappeared... We've had inconsistent experiences at The Library, so because there are so many consistently good restaurants in the Seacoast, probably won't be back.

We went to the Library Restaurant yesterday. We are trying several places for Restaurant Week. The food was excellent! We had the beef stir fry, and then the peanut butter squares for dessert. Both were delicious.

The Library Restaurant setting is quite unique. There are many book cases, stained glass windows, and dark wood paneling. The Library Restaurant is also open for lunch 7 days a week. I plan on going back for lunch very soon!

Library Restaurant was a wonderful atmosphere, great food and drinks. We happened to go during Restaurant week, so were able to order off that menu. I will definitely be back and refer to friends.

Amazing food... great service. Didn’t feel rushed. Perfect timing between courses. Just perfect!

My husband and I were so happy to have our Anniversary dinner there. The food was excellent and so was the service!

I had been to The Library for dinner several times in years past, but had not been in quite some time. I was so disappointed upon my return! It took quite a long time to get my dinner and it was cold when it arrived. When the waitress came back with it the second time, the steak tips were not good, having only been reheated. The waitress, though very sweet, disappeared for a half hour at one point. My husband's prime rib was fabulous, but his potatoes were cold, as well. Sadly, this will not longer be one of my first choices when staying in the are.

Steaks were steakhouse quality. Excellent. Sides were lacking, very bland potatoes. Unique atmosphere, loved the check presentation in the old library book! Server was inattentive and service was extremely slow, even for a Saturday night. We were celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary. Overall, it was ok. Glad we tried it but probably wouldn’t go back.

My wife and I had a great dining experience celebrating our wedding anniversary. The food was excellent and the wait staff were very efficient. We were not rushed and had time for relaxing conversation. The handcrafted woodwork and decor add to a most enjoyable dining experience.

I love the Library, it is a wonderful place for ladies who lunch, special occasions. Whenever I suggest the Library people always say, "Oh, I haven't been there in ages," then I suggest we go.

Excellent service excellent food.

We had a lovely server for Easter lunch. Only one of us got a meal he thought was only OK. The majority of us truly enjoyed it! Delicious filet, cooked perfectly! The sweet potato fries are very good! This was our fifth holiday visit; I'm sure we will be back!

My boyfriend and I sat at a table near the window which was lovely. The setting was romantic, especially the lighting. The decorations throughout the restaurant were beautiful. We thought it was cool that the bill was brought out inside of an actual book. The steak was delicious but the steak fries were average. Overall the dinner was fantastic and me and boyfriend were both really happy with where we celebrated our anniversary.

Loved the look and feel of the place. Wonderful food and service along with a great historic setting. We enjoyed it!

Nice place. Good value and good service.

The ambiance was amazing. The steaks were cooked perfectly and of course the sides tasted equally well. Definitely a must!

This is a great place anytime, but especially for a special occasion. The food is always good and the atmospere is warm, inviting and cozy. You feel like you're doning in someone's house. I highly recomnend it for lunch or dinner!

Amazing food and ambiance

Delicious dinner in an elegant setting. Wonderful service. Will definitely return and recommend.

We found this place on Open Table. It was a great place to dine. A lot of history at the site of the Library Restaurant. It’s well worth dining here.

Terrible!!!

Perfect as usual! Nana did a great job and the steaks are world class perfection.

The Sirloin was cooked to perfection. My wife's's Filet was also great. Sides were perfect as well as the attentive service.

Quiet, elegant restaurant. Good menu and well prepared dishes. You can actually have a conversation without yelling across the table.

Great spot for a nice meal with friends. All the dishes we got, 2 Filet mignon and 2 baked haddock, plus the bang bang shrimp appetizer were delicious. Server was quite friendly and attentive. Wonderful meal overall.

Set inside an 18th century mansion, it has all the beautiful woodwork and decir of an old library, complete wirh shelves and shelves of books. We had a party of five, and all of us were increfibly pleased with oir menu choices. The meat was cooked to soecification and the side dishes were enough for us to share. The wine list was extensive and offered many choices of wine by the glass in adittion to the bottles. Service was great, courteois and prompt.

We went for a birthday dinner for my husband. He loves good steak. He got the ribeye. He ordered it rare . It came medium rare and the waiter never came back to check so he ate it anyway. It was not as good as he'd hoped. It was 40 dollars--no sides included.I had the haddock. It was OK--but not hot at all--especially the rice was barely luke warmand not very tastey at all.
For the price we were so disappointed.

This is a wonderful place for a relaxing lunch. The quiet ambiance allows for conversation without talking loudly. Crab cakes are great

Very nice ambience and a beautiful, historical building