10 historic bars in New Hampshire

From cozy taverns to iconic spots, sip through history at these bars in New Hampshire.

Shaken? On ice? Extra dry? Or how about with a little history on the side? You can’t go wrong with a cocktail that has a past. With every sip, you become part of history—specifically, New Hampshire’s history. Dating back to 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state, there’s no shortage of historic spots to enjoy a drink (or two) and soak in some timeless ambiance.

I’ve put together a list of the 10 most historic places to grab a drink or quick bite in New Hampshire. Use it however you like! Maybe make a bucket list of spots to check off throughout the year, or, if you’re feeling ambitious, plan a historic, food-and-drink-themed road trip. You can also plan a day, a weekend, or just a single stop; no matter how you choose to explore these restaurants and bars, I can guarantee that history will be on the menu.

1. The Old Courthouse

Location: 30 Main Street, Newport

A courthouse isn’t usually where a good time begins unless that courthouse now serves great drinks. Let me introduce you to The Old Courthouse.

While The Old Courthouse restaurant opened in 2004, the building itself dates back to 1826. Since then, it’s worn a few different hats. First as a courtroom and public meeting space, then briefly as a grammar school. At one point, the town even debated tearing the aging building down and replacing it with a parking lot. Thankfully, history won that argument, and the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and continued serving as a courthouse until 2004. Today, the Newport Historical Society Museum occupies the upstairs, while The Old Courthouse restaurant welcomes guests downstairs.

These days, it’s a family-owned American restaurant known for its delicious rotating menus, welcoming atmosphere, and extensive wine list. Whether you stop in for lunch, dinner, or their popular Sunday brunch (with live piano music), grabbing a drink here means sipping it inside nearly two centuries of New Hampshire history.

2. The Library Restaurant

Location: 401 State Street, Portsmouth

How many people can say they’ve dined in the same place as George Washington? After a visit to The Library Restaurant, you can. Over the years, the historic building has welcomed notable guests, including Franklin Pierce, James K. Polk, Theodore Roosevelt, Chester Arthur, William Taft, and John F. Kennedy.

The building dates back to 1785, when it was constructed as a private mansion for Judge Woodbury Langdon. In 1833, it opened to the public as The Rockingham Hotel, where many of those famous historic figures stopped to dine. The property even played a role in history when it hosted members of the press covering the signing of the Russo-Japanese Treaty in 1905. After surviving more than a century of use, including a major fire in 1884, the building was restored and reopened as The Library Restaurant in 1975.

Today, The Library is known as one of New England’s most iconic dining spots with its rich history, refined cuisine, craft cocktails, and live jazz. Choose to dine in the restaurant or head to the restaurant’s elegant lounge and bar for an impressive selection of wines, craft beers, premium spirits, and crafted signature cocktails.

3. The Inn at Hancock

Location: 33 Main St, Hancock

Alright, folks, this one is special. Why? Because The Inn at Hancock is the oldest continuously operating inn in all of New Hampshire. So if you’re only going to visit one spot on this list, let it be this one… just so you can officially say, “I’ve had a drink in the oldest bar in New Hampshire.”

Opening in 1789 as a stop for travelers along trade routes between Boston and Vermont, this historic inn and tavern has welcomed guests for more than two centuries, even serving notable visitors like President Franklin Pierce (shout-out to the New Hampshire native U.S. President).

While the bar was once known as The Fox Tavern, the space now features two distinct spots to grab a drink: Hunt Bar & Scullery and Pinks Lounge. Hunt Bar & Scullery has more of a cozy tavern vibe with light bites, craft drinks, and live jazz, while Pinks Lounge offers a more refined setting overlooking the patio, complete with a raw bar and an à la carte menu. Whichever you pick, you’re picking to be a part of history.

4. Three Chimney’s Inn

Location: 17 Newmarket Road, Durham

So, the Inn at Hancock might be the oldest continuously operating tavern, but the history of Three Chimneys Inn dates back to 1649. I’ll pause while you gasp. Okay, back to the lesson. Entrepreneur Valentine Hill built the original homestead near his sawmill along the Oyster River. Over the centuries, the property passed through several families and evolved from a working homestead into a prominent estate. The house even survived major historical events and continued expanding through the 1700s and 1800s as the town of Durham grew into a bustling commercial center.

In the early 1900s, the property was transformed into a Colonial Revival estate. After a period of decline, the historic buildings were restored in the late 20th century and eventually reopened as the beloved, present-day Three Chimneys Inn.

Inside Three Chimneys Inn, you’ll find the Frost Sawyer Tavern, where the building’s original granite walls and hand-hewn beams provide the perfect environment for craft cocktails, local beers, and traditional New England fare. The inn also features three additional dining spaces: the Maples Dining Room, which offers a more intimate atmosphere perfect for a romantic dinner; the Coppers Dining Room, a cozy, refined space serving a farm-to-table menu; and The Terrace, a seasonal outdoor dining space perfect for a sunset dinner or after-work drink.

After your time here, you can check “having a drink inside one of the oldest houses in Durham” off your list.

5. Porters at the Birchwood Inn

Location: 340 NH Route 45, Temple

If you’re easily spooked, beware. If you love a good ghost story, come on in. Porters at the Birchwood Inn dates back to the early 19th century, though the inn itself has been welcoming guests since around 1775. With a history that deep, it’s no surprise the place has picked up a few ghosts along the way (don’t worry, they’re said to be friendly).

Over the years, the inn has served as everything from a town gathering place to a post office and general store, and it was even the town’s only public accommodation for much of the 19th century. Notable guests have passed through, too, including Henry David Thoreau. Inside, you’ll also find a hidden piece of history: murals painted around 1835 by Rufus Porter, founder of Scientific American, that were uncovered beneath layers of wallpaper in the 1970s.

Today, you can stop by Porters for a seasonal bite from their scratch kitchen, a beer, a handcrafted cocktail, or a crisp glass of wine. Who knows—maybe you’ll be sipping your spirit right next to a spirit?

6. Harvest Tavern at Mountain View Grand

Location: 101 Mountain View Road, Whitefield

The story of Mountain View Grand begins in 1865, on a dark and stormy night (literally), when two stranded stagecoach travelers were taken in by William and Mary Jane Dodge. What started as simple hospitality eventually led the couple to open the Mountain View House in 1866.

Over the decades, the property expanded alongside its growing reputation. The guest book boasts an impressive list of names, including multiple U.S. presidents, writers like Robert Frost, and celebrities such as Babe Ruth and Neil Armstrong.

After temporarily closing in the late 20th century, the property was restored and reopened in 2002 as the Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa. Today, you’ll find plenty of places to grab a drink, from the lively Harvest Tavern Bar to the elegant 1865 Wine Cellar, along with outdoor sips on the Veranda. Whether you’re settling in for a full meal or just stopping by for a cocktail, it’s not a bad place to order a Dark and Stormy in honor of how it all began.

7. The Cave

Location: 310 Mount Washington Hotel Road, Bretton Woods

Before you roll your eyes at another hotel bar, hear me out—The Cave at Omni Mount Washington is not a stop you’ll want to miss. While the hotel itself doesn’t date back quite as far as some others on this list, stepping into this Prohibition-style speakeasy, with its stone walls and cement bar, feels like traveling straight back in time.

The history here begins in 1902, when New Hampshire native Joseph Stickney built the grand hotel as one of the most luxurious resorts of its era. Over the years, it has hosted notable guests, including U.S. presidents and Thomas Edison. It also played a major role in history in 1944 as the site of the Bretton Woods Conference, where leaders from 44 nations established the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

You don’t have to stay at the Omni to grab a drink at the speakeasy, but if you’re looking for an extended trip or a place to stay during a ski weekend on the Bretton Woods slopes, this spot is an excellent choice, especially if you’re looking for a hotel with a history and a bar that feels frozen in time.

8. Shovel Handle Pub

Location: 357 Black Mountain Rd, Jackson

Who knew you’d go out of your way to grab a drink inside a barn? While I wouldn’t suggest doing that just anywhere, I highly recommend stopping at Shovel Handle Pub. What’s now a favorite spot in Jackson for both locals and visiting skiers started as a post-and-beam barn built in 1842, and it stayed that way until the 1970s. Inside, you’ll still find original cow stanchions (without the cows), creating a space that feels simultaneously cozy and nostalgic.

The lodge spans three stories and hosts live music, along with a game room stocked with darts, foosball, and pool. Hop out back and you’ll find even more to do, from complimentary marshmallow roasting and cornhole to trout fishing (yes, history and fishing—I know that’s right up some of your alleys).

All that to say, if you’re looking for a spot that offers more than just history, Shovel Handle Pub delivers. Alongside its historic roots, you’ll find plenty of reasons to stick around, especially once you have that drink in your hand.

9. Slow Burn Lounge

Location: Corner of Ladd & Market St., Portsmouth

What goes better with history than a pour of whiskey? Slow Burn Lounge serves one of the largest selections of bourbon, whiskey, and scotch in New England, with over 150 options behind the bar. And while the drinks are great, it’s not just the drinks that deserve celebrating; it’s the place and its history, too.

The Portsmouth location dates back to the 1700s, when the building was first constructed during the town’s early days as an energetic, bustling seaport. Since then, the space has taken on many roles, though its bones remain the same. Today, you slip through a discreet side entrance and find yourself beneath the cobblestone streets in what was once a cellar. Now, thick granite walls and massive hand-hewn beams frame the space with leather seating, cozy booths, and a bar, all contributing to a hard-to-beat modern speakeasy atmosphere.

10. The Stone Church Music Club

Location: 5 Granite Street, Newmarket

At first, The Stone Church Music Club seems like just a spot to catch a show. And yes, it’s that, but it’s much more, too. With a full kitchen and bar, it’s the perfect place to stop in for a bite, a handcrafted cocktail, and some good vibes. Oh, and like the other stops along this list, it has a history to tell (or sing).

The Stone Church Music Club in Newmarket is housed inside a building dating back to 1832, when it was originally built as a Universalist meeting house. Since then, it’s been everything from a Catholic church and school to a roller-skating rink, a factory, and a VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). In 1968, the building endured a devastating fire that damaged much of the structure, but not its character.

A couple of years later, in 1970, a group of passionate locals transformed the space into a music club and bar. Since then, it has hosted over 15,000 shows and become a true cornerstone of the Seacoast community.

So, if you’re looking for some “forever Woodstock” spirit, The Stone Church Music Club is for anyone and everyone who appreciates live music, strong drinks, and a space that’s both historic and alive.