5 Best Restaurants in Lakes Region, New Hampshire

Guests of the Pickering House hotel had become so enamored of the inn's occasional dinners and other food events that the owners opened this full-time restaurant in the Victorian house next door. Showcasing creative American fare sourced locally and seasonally as much as possible, the kitchen serves an oft-changing menu that might feature pan-roasted duck breast with garlic-roasted radicchio and roasted figs, and mussels in a green curry–coconut broth with lime and cilantro.

With big windows overlooking the lake and timber posts and ceiling beams, this popular restaurant inside the Church Landing at Mill Falls hotel captures the rustic ambience of an old-fashioned camp dining room. Feast on classic American favorites with interesting twists, such as eggs Benedict topped with Maine lobster in the morning, and char-grilled steaks, chops, and seafood in the evening.

In this charming red Victorian house on Plymouth's bustling Main Street, with some seats on the front veranda and others set in a warren of cozy rooms with art on the walls, this casually elegant spot offers tasty American and international fare. Consider Szechuan-style salmon ramen, and blackened grilled chicken with honeydew-melon salsa and tzatziki sauce.

A former bowling alley in the heart of Holderness makes an unlikely but charming setting for meals overlooking Little Squam Lake—local boaters dock right beneath the dining room. Among the specialties on the seafood-intensive menu are shellfish paella, and sea scallops with a creamy bacon-corn-poblano succotash, while sandwiches and salads are among the lighter options.