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Hours
Sun
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Mon
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Tue
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Wed
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Thu
4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Fri
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Sat
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Ratings and reviews
4.0
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere
Food and ambience
Local cuisine, American, Steakhouse, International, Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
Special occasions, Romantic, Large groups, Bar scene, Business meetings
Does this restaurant have live music
Details
This property has identified as Women-owned
Tripadvisor does not verify the accuracy of this information.
About
An exquisite restaurant where art and great food intertwine. Built in 1886, rich in history and glamour, the Library has hosted 7 presidents under its painted fresco ceilings and is one of the most upscale steakhouses and eminent private dining spaces on the East Coast. Based in the grand and historic Rockingham House on the National Register of Historic buildings, steps from the center of Portsmouth. One of the Seacoasts‘ best loved restaurants for generations. The Library Restaurant is renowned for outstanding ambience, USDA prime steaks, award-winning cocktails, warm staff and a conscientious approach to sourcing only the highest quality ingredients.
PRICE RANGE
$60.00 – $80.00
CUISINES
American, Steakhouse, International
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Gluten Free Options
Meals
Dinner
FEATURES
Reservations, Private Dining, Seating, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts American Express, Accepts Mastercard, Accepts Visa, Accepts Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Jazz Bar
Top 3 reasons to eat here
Sponsored by: The Library Restaurant
1. Steaks cooked to perfection
"The steaks are out of this world"
U5813JBkathyf
2. Craft Cocktail Bar
"Highly recommended for specialized drinks"
S S
3. Historic Fine Dining
"Warm, welcoming, old school luxury steak restaurant"
SSSNES
Contribute
4.0
581 reviews
Excellent
287
Very good
149
Average
62
Poor
45
Terrible
39
egwanderlust
Hampton1849 contributions
Favorite Review
Oct 2022 • none
I'm not sure where to start in this review. Our dining experience last night at The Library was in the top 10 meals of my life. Everything, from the atmosphere, service, food and drinks was perfect. I now understand why the price tag is high but so worth it.
The building is exquisite and feels fancy but once you sit at your table within the restaurant you get a warm and cozy feeling. I enjoyed browsing the book shelves next to our table but was too nervous to touch anything with my garlic buttery fingers.
We started with a glass of wine and a beer but the cocktails are the star of their drink menu. Their Lemon Drop is made with Limoncello which, in my opinion, is the best way to make one. We both enjoyed our main courses of Pan-seared Salmon and the Gentleman's Cut Steak with Steak Oscar sauce. I typically stray away from red meat but this steak was great quality, juicy and seasoned perfectly. Also, the complimentary bread is the most delicious garlic bread I have ever had, my eyes lit up the second I took a bite. No idea how they keep it complimentary.
One of the best parts of our experience was the service. Christian is possibly the most hospitable server I have had in my life. He was kind, helpful, and fun, the perfect cocktail for good service. Plus, he brought us an extra helping of that delicious garlic bread I raved about earlier in the review.
This is the perfect place for a special occasion and if I could afford to dine here more often I would be back in a heartbeat.
Written October 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Library Restaurant
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback!
Written November 19, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
nhlaker1961
Andover100 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
A fabulous historic building that is warm and inviting. Loved sitting among books and people. Each course was exquisitely prepared and presented. The caesar salad was great and the chef's surf and turf special was fabulous. The lightly sauteed seasoned scallops were plentiful and tasty. The filet at medium rare was perfect and could have been cut with a butter knife. It was also plated with aspergers and garlic mashed potatoes. The seven layer chocolate cake was moist and served with whipped cream and more chocolate. Absolutely decadent!
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gugliuzza
Thank you so much for your positive review!
Written January 6, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
bostonshovel
North Reading276 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
We went to the Library on a family recommendation and made a reservation for 12/28. We were quickly greeted by the hostess that checked us in and got us seated right on time. I will say the food was good and I would rate it up there with the likes of Capitol Grill or DelFrisco's however the service we got was horrible. 0 lack of refilling our drinks unless they were for our adult drinks which meant we went our whole dinner with only 1 water refill and 0 soda refill for our daughter. Also having your waiter refer to all your choices as "cool" is not what I was really expecting from this posh place. Also forgetting toppings like the sauce/onions was also a let down.
The food was great and cooked to order perfectly just wished that for the price you are paying the service should be just as perfect.
Written January 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sally P.
6 contributions
Jan 2020 • none
Waitress sweet and quite competent. Ambience pleasant, but next to the large window, cold.
Steaks very expensive: delmonico = $42.00. Son and daughter in law ordered steak and were happy with them. My husband and I ordered swordfish which was exceptionally dry and tasteless and lobster stuffed haddock which was fine except the lobster was previously frozen and tasted “off.” Everything else was extra - a la carte menu. Total was over $300.00 very very few restaurants can get away with those prices and food that is average, at best. Got it that it’s a steak house. But if you’re going to serve fish and charge market price, it had better be very good which it wasn’t.
We will not be back.
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stephen L
Boston101 contributions
Oct 2020 • none
Very disappointed by our experience at the Library! We were seated near the bar with two individuals less than 6 feet distance. Throughout our meal patrons were permitted to leave their table and go to the restrooms WITHOUT MASKS!
The steak was fine, which you would expect at a steak house, but the salmon was very overcooked and without flavor. The Clam Chowder was horrible! Way too much roux. A good description would be clam-flavored wallpaper paste. The creme broule had a way-too-thick thick topping which made it far too sweet.
A very pleasant ambience was ruined by mediocre food!
Written November 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John R
Saugus60 contributions
Sep 2021 • family
Made reservations for our 25th anniversary to make this a special occasion. The room was warm and inviting and our server was very nice. The garlic bread appetizer was very good, and cocktails were good as well. The Wagu beef appetizer was good, but came out with our onion soup. My wife had the baked stuffed haddock with lobster on rice with green beans, I ordered the rack of lamb, medium rare. The haddock and lobster was good, but the rice and green beans were very bland and took away from the dish. My lamb was served medium raw. The center wasn't even cooked. I sent it back and it came back medium rare. It was supposed to be in a rosemary wine sauce, but all I could taste was the wine. There was no flavor to the lamb other than the wine. There was no crisp on the outside either. Garlic mashed potato side was rather pasty tasting. Desserts were presented on a platter in lieu of a menu. The chocolate layer cake looked good and so did the creme brulee. When desserts came, the chocolate cake was totally smothered in chocolate sauce and whipped cream, you couldn't really taste the cake. The creme brulee wasn't soft like a custard and the glaze was very hard and thick...worst creme brulee I ever had. They didn't have cappuccino because their machine was broken. The coffee tasted old. Even though they asked if this was a special occasion when we made our reservations, and after telling our server that it was our 25th anniversary as well, there was no acknowledgement at all. For $200.00 plus tip, we expected a much better experience. We definitely won't be back!
Written September 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nancy242
Boston5 contributions
Jan 2021 • none
My husband and I ate at The library restaurant on Martin Luther King weekend. I ordered the sirloin steak with the au poivre sauce with sautéed button mushrooms. It was the best steak that I have had in a long time and cooked to perfection. The menu says they serve “prime” beef which tasted so good. My husband had the haddock with lobster which was also delicious finished off with a rich bourbon chocolate mousse. The service from our friendly server Trish and the atmosphere in a building with beautiful woodwork and stained glassed windows added to the experience. Great night!!
Written January 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
anitagazita
Portland11 contributions
Mar 2022 • none
Saturday night, late March. Very New England steak house with charming old-world decor and excellent service. Extensive wine bottle list, with limited but good choices of wine by the glass at reasonable prices. Gorgeous shrimp cocktail, yet a la carte entrees of filete mignon and baked stuffed haddock were blah 1960's continental preparation on poorly dressed plates. Basmati rice served with fish was dry and flavorless, and side order of potatoes was luke warm. Desserts were nothing special, with layered mousse cake having suffered some dryness from being refrigerated too long.
Written March 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lkis229
Southington569 contributions
Apr 2022 • none
We stopped for dinner and thought the atmosphere is wonderful. The bar area has a fireplace with book shelves surrounding you and the dark wood very welcoming. We had drinks at the bar and unlike other reviews, found the barman friendly, approachable and very talkative. Dinner is expensive which some people have thought was not worth it. My steak and au gratin potatoes were excellent and yes, pricey. The lamb was also very good and if you are looking for wine - the list seems endless. We went for a special occasion and would recommend it.
Written April 27, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Departure743443
1 contribution
Oct 2022 • none
Do you enjoy being shuffled out of a restaurant because they’ve overbooked? If so, you MUST visit the Library restaurant. My husband booked reservations a week in advance for an early time slot of 5:30 pm. We actually arrived around 5:15 because the show we saw at the Seacoast Rep ended at 5. The hostess promptly seated us, but as she walked us to our table, she explained that it was a busy night so if we could be mindful of that, it would be appreciated. It was really off-putting and came across as a bit rude.
We were celebrating our anniversary so we shrugged it off and tried to enjoy our time together.
However, it was extremely difficult to do so. The hostess made countless trips to the dining room under the pretense of “checking on things,” but really, we could feel her glancing in our direction practically willing us to eat faster. As if that wasn’t bad enough, partway through our meal, someone arrived at our table, asking us if we wanted anything boxed up. Now, I know that’s a regular practice, but that usually occurs after people have distanced themselves from their plates, looking full and happy. My husband and I were literally mid-bite, partly through our meals, not even CLOSE to being full or finished. Laughable, right?
The kicker was when I overheard the hostess conferring with our waiter. Our waiter told her, “I’ll swing by with nothing on the dessert tray.” As if to say, we have nothing for dessert so it’s time to go now. We don’t know for sure this was pointed at us, but regardless, it was unprofessional.
As for the food, we split the BLT salad and enjoyed it. My husband enjoyed his lamb and I enjoyed my haddock. My roasted vegetables were crunchy and completely undercooked. The chocolate cake was delicious. There was one pleasant server who saw us playing a trivia game and recommended another game that they thought we’d enjoy. And the server who brought over the dessert tray was sweet and kind.
Given the ample amount of delicious restaurants in the area, we will never visit the Library restaurant again. Too bad, as this is where we had our wedding reception eleven years prior. We wanted it to be our “special place,” but obviously this experience left a bad taste in our mouths. Clearly, this is not the kind of impression you want to leave your patrons when you’re in the restaurant business.
Written October 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sidewinder192
Austin359 contributions
Dec 2021 • none
Pleasant vintage old world surroundings - wood wainscoting and ceiling, Good selection on menu we had land & sea ( Sirloin & Bay Scallops ) , deconstructed lobster pie and haddock. Food came warm to the table and had good flavor. The scallops were relatively small but tasty. Food and wine prices on the high side but was a pleasant experience for special night out. Servers were attentive but quite busy so you needed to make sure to get your requests in when they stopped by.
Written December 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mary H
Bar Harbor18 contributions
May 2021 • couples
We ordered salads which were good. The entrees were filet minion! Amazing, so tender, and flavorful!!! We’d been to this restaurant a couple of months ago and that t is why we returned while back in the area. These steaks are the best we’ve ever had at a restaurant. Superb! The waitress was very attentive and we loved her recommendation of creme brûlée for dessert! Delicious!!
Written May 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mason
1 contribution
Feb 2023 • none
Capitol Grill prices without the finer touches. The food was good but the price point they are commanding does not match up to the experience given. We had reservations for a special occasion. We had to wait, we were told 5-10 min. We waited in the bar area and the host said he would come to get us when the table was ready. After 35 minutes we realized that the table was ready however nobody came to let us know. Very disorganized. There were two of us and our bill came to about $215. We each had a glass of wine, a salad, a steak and we shared family style potatoes and one dessert. I had one after dinner drink my partner did not. When we sat at our table there was no salt and pepper, all the other tables had salt and pepper. The waitress wasn't around so we grabbed it from the other table. All the other tables had a candle on the table or a small lamp, ours did not. We were not offered fresh cracked pepper for our salads. We were not given water. The attention to details just wasn't there. Several of the tables that had the little lamps, which created a very cozy atmosphere, the lamps shades were left crooked. Again, no attention to the details when setting the tables. The dessert menu which also listed specialty after dinner drinks had no prices listed. Charging these prices is fine but the experience that is given should match the prices as well. This completely fell short. We won't be going back.
Written February 15, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leopold Schmidt
1 contribution
Nov 2022 • none
Although we were a party of 8 and we had made reservations we were put in a corner
cramped against two walls. The server was a smart ass who obviously was used to working at a gas station or the Golden Arches. He disappeared for long stretches of time and the head waiter finally came to our rescue. The quality of food was varied ranging from good steaks to terrible other dishes. With tip the bill came to $729.00 far too much for the quality and service offered. Will never go there again.
Written December 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Omato9
Andover80 contributions
Sep 2021 • couples
. It was our 37th wedding anniversary and we wanted to go somewhere nice. We had 7:30 reservations and arrived at 7:15. We were told our table wasn’t ready yet (understandable) and that we could have a seat at the bar.
We waited at the bar until 7:40 and were then seated at a very nice table. We waited a while for our server to take our order but he was very pleasant.
We had the New England clam chowder which was very good. And it came out in a timely manner.
I ordered the filet mignon and my husband ordered the pork chop. After waiting awhile And still no dinner. It was now about 8:30. Our waiter and other wait staff came over to us many times to apologize for our dinner being delayed. Each time saying it will be right out.
By 9:30 with still no dinner my husband told the waiter that if it wasn’t out in 5 minutes that we would leave.
He assured us it would be out!!!
We left after 10 minutes without dinner. The bartender asked if we wanted it to go!! Really?? We were staying in a hotel.
We offered to pay for our drinks and the soup but they refused.
Totally ruined our anniversary.
If you can’t handle the number of guests don’t take the reservations!
Written October 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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