A Morning in Portsmouth, NH
Published November 20, 2023
After our dinner and evening stroll through Portsmouth, we spent the sunny morning exploring downtown before we started our journey back home.
Breakfast in Portsmouth, New Hampshire
We got up early so we would have enough time to have breakfast and wander around town before getting on the road. There were only a few businesses open up at this time, which brought us to Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar for breakfast.
Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar
We parked at the end of Market Street, where it intersected with Bow Street. The sidewalks were empty this early in the morning and many of the storefronts were closed until after 10 or 11:00 am.
Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar had a neon yellow entryway that caught your attention from the sidewalk. The brick down the alley displayed narrow black and white murals and greenery. Black iron tables for outdoor eating sat at the farthest end of the alley for a bakery.
We stepped into the empty cafe with music and TVs playing behind the bar. The left-hand wall had a self-serve coffee station. A wide wooden booth with tall bar chairs ran the length of the room. Canvases and digital artwork hung for sale on the walls behind the booth. String lighting and metal chandeliers added some charm to the bar.
We ordered in front of a pastry case which had some trays of muffins. Several chalkboard signs displayed the menu and we took our time to review. We decided to order breakfast sandwiches.
We paid and grabbed a center booth seat while our food was prepared. I watched as the one barista prepared our breakfast wraps from the back counter using a convection oven. The other barista prepared our drinks.
By now, one other woman joined us in the cafe. She ordered and sat at the two-top next to us, where she worked on her laptop.
Not long after, we picked up our iced coffees from the bar as the morning breakfast crowd arrived.
A line of people wrapped down the room and out onto the sidewalk. Most of the line were parents with children in strollers, but a few couples and friend groups waited as well. Some folks, just like in Camden, Maine, poked their heads in — saw the line — and then left, only to return a little while later. I was glad that we arrived early.
Build Your Own Breakfast
My boyfriend and I choose to build our own sandwiches. I selected a wrap with Swiss cheese, eggs, bacon, spinach, pesto, and avocado. My boyfriend also made a wrap with hummus, spinach, egg, and tomato.
Overall, I thought the wraps were satisfying. The fresh ingredients like the avocado and spinach made these feel light. The drizzle of balsamic glaze on the plate actually added some extra flavor too.
My Recommendations
I give Cup of Joe Cafe & Bar a 6/10:
Decor and Design
The concept of this business is unique. I’ve never eaten breakfast at a bar before. Cup of Joe offered cute elements of a cafe, with its signage and self-serve coffee station, artwork, and chandeliers, with the traditional bar vibe.
Service
I was glad we were the first guests in the cafe, as our service was good. However, for the people waiting in line, it appeared difficult to know how long it would take to order and where to go, given that the person taking the orders was the same person making the drinks. It made it difficult for the one girl up front to be able to greet and manage guest expectations and also fulfill drink orders with focus. Perhaps having an extra person just to manage the register and delegate orders would’ve made the service more streamlined.
Food
I watched the one barista make our order fresh. Everything was hot and tasty. Our coffees were also strong and prepared with our flavoring and dairy options. Overall, it was a good breakfast, and even better that we didn’t have to wait in the long lines around town for it.
Exploring Downtown Portsmouth
After finishing breakfast, we retraced our steps back down Market Street and stopped in the Kennedy Gallery & Custom Framing shop and several jewelry stores before we turned right onto Bow Street.
We stopped by the Old Ferry Landing restaurant to look out on the water off Ceres Street, before continuing on Bow Street to the Tugboat Alley Gift Shop. This was a cute gift shop with sweatshirts, t-shirts, stickers, and keychains.
We didn’t have a specific destination in mind. Our goal was to explore the area and pop into any store that captured our attention. We walked up Bow Street and down to Chapel Street, past St. John’s Episcopal Church. As we crossed onto Daniel Street, even more lines of people waiting for breakfast stretched down the sidewalk. I was glad we started our day early.
Portsmouth seemed to be a dog-friendly town. Many people on the sidewalks had goldendoodles and huskies. I even saw a dachshund in a little vest.
We followed Penhallow Street to Sheafe Street to visit Deadwick’s Ethereal Emporium. Deadwick’s had several sister stores of different themes in the area, which I would’ve loved to have visited. Even this store had gothic, witchy vibes with towering displays of crystals and books. I would’ve loved to have snapped some photos but photography wasn’t allowed in the shop.
After visiting the chocolatier, we wandered down to the Strawbery Banke Museum. I wished we had enough time to stay for a historic tour. Instead, we walked back up to Congress Street and then Market Street, where we stopped into any open shops that peaked our interest.
It was early afternoon and the sidewalks were buzzing with people. While we could’ve spent a few more hours exploring the other shops near Maplewood Ave, we decided to get iced coffees for the road and start our drive back home.
Portsmouth is a beautiful city that I would love to visit again. There were so many bars and restaurants that would be amazing to visit. I would love to return for a longer stay in the future.
Catch Up On The Blog
That’s the end to the 2023 summer series to Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Maine. If you’re looking to catch up on the summer adventures, click here.
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