Pepperrell Cove

“Had a fantastic dinner at Bistro 1828 at Pepperrell Cove Restaurant. The Tuna Tartare was absolutely amazing — fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. The Chicken Francese was cooked perfectly and easily one of the best I’ve had. Great cocktails, a warm atmosphere, and an excellent sommelier who made outstanding wine recommendations throughout the evening. Highly recommend for a special night out on the Maine coast!”

“CHI Engineering had their annual holiday party at Pepperrell Cove last weekend. It was an amazing experience from the planning stages until the final cocktail. It was a delight to work with the owners (one of which is also the chef)/event coordinator and all the staff on the day. They couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating. The rooms were warm and inviting and the view was spectacular. The food was outstanding from the appetizers to the main dishes. I have had multiple long-term employees say that this was the best holiday party they've ever been to. Pepperrell Cove is a seacoast treasure, and I cannot recommend it enough. You will not be disappointed.”

“We celebrated our 12th anniversary dinner here last night. We booked on the Resy app last minute and walked from our Airbnb. There are actually 3 separate restaurants in this building. It’s a little confusing at first. The Bistro appeared to be the nicest, indoor option. It wasn’t super busy around 7pm on a Monday. A handful of tables were occupied but plenty of room for walk ins on a Monday night. Our server was so friendly and bubbly. A sweet girl from NH. We chatted all things New England and Kittery. Her service was on point. My hubby and I decided to share all food, to try more. We started with the seasonal salad with the maple vinaigrette. I was hesitant at first but it was delicious. For appetizers, we ordered the Oysters Rockefeller and the traditional Mussels. They were both fantastic. I liked that the mussels sauce wasn’t overly garlicky like a lot can be. Simplistic and salty. For our entree we shared the New York strip. I’ve never had a steak quite like this. Instead of heavily seasoning, like nearly every other steakhouse, it tasted like this steak was marinated. It was simplistically delicious. A little char, a little acidity, and a savoriness of rosemary. Gosh it was just so dang good! The broccolini was heavily peppered, not bad but just be aware. The potatoes au gratin were also unlike anything I’ve ever had. I don’t even like French onion soup but it tasted like the most delicious French onion soup I’d ever had. The cheesy oniony potatoes were simply to die for. I know that I’m going to be craving them once I return home. I wish they’d package these things and ship them! We toasted our anniversary with the Brut champagne. Lighter than the average and not nearly as pungent of how Bruts normally are. Highly recommend coming here and trying a little bit of everything!”

“Sat at the bar and ordered the Pepperell Cosmo because it was offered with Grey Goose Vodka. Watched the bartender makes it with Titos but didn't say anything in case it was a drink for someone else, and not mine. When she passed it to me, my husband asked why she used Titos since the menu indicates Grey Goose. She said they make all of their drinks with Titos and she would have to ask Nicole about that. Meanwhile, two unopened bottles of Grey Goose sit on the shelf behind her. They drink was good however, Titos is not in the same as Grey Goose. We were going to order food however, decided we couldn't trust that the kitchen would know which ingredients Nicole put on the menu as the bartender had no idea.”

“We were in Portsmouth NH for our anniversary and were looking for a romantic seaside seafood restaurant. Bistro 1828 appeared to for the bill. The location with indoor and outdoor seating is great. The views from the third floor ski club level have the potential to be amazing, just check to see if the fog is rolling in. We were disappointed with the food, and the service was o.k. But lacked personality and connection. As in zero attempt to speak with us outside of what we were ordering g and if we wanted dessert. We’re not looking for our server to hear our life stories, but zero interest in where we are from or why we were there. The food was the great let down. There are several options for appetizers, salads, and entrees. My spouse enjoyed the generous serving of clam chowder. For entrees they ordered the fish and chips (being British an all time favorite). However the fish was breaded rather than battered and the French fries were frozen and starch sprayed. Being that we were on the coast, I wanted to order seafood as well and option for the “crab stuffed” haddock. All I can say is that the crab stuffing was a pasty, gelatinous mass that is pushed aside after a small bite - I would have said taste, but it lacked any. The fish itself was nicely cooked, the mashed potatoes were surprisingly good, the lobster sauce well balanced. The asparagus was, for my taste overly grilled and mushy. We did I enjoy the dessert special, a stone fruit crisp. There is parking on both sides of the roads. Reservations are recommended, though even here we were surprised to discover that they use a reservation system that requires you to set up an account and submit a credit card to secure your spot. We skipped the online reservation and called instead.”