Live Music
Will Evans
Thursday, August 27 · 7:00 PM
The Word Barn Meadow
Frontman for the New England-based Roots Rock outfit Barefoot Truth, Will Evans brings his finesse with a wide range of instruments to The…
Seacoast Local Loop Spotlight
Vino e Vivo
Wine Bar & Restaurant. Thoughtfully curated wine list, new wines weekly. Full menu created by Chef Paul Callahan, a 2023 James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Best Chef-Northeast. Voted Restaurant with the Best Wine List by the readers of New Hampshire magazine. Named an Editors' Choice by Yankee Magazine. Seasonally offering outdoor dining in the Riverside Patio. Meaning "Wine and Life", Vino e Vivo features a thoughtful selection of wines, including some which cannot be found in New Hampshire. Founded by Exeter local, Tony Callendrello, who has had a lifelong passion for wine, the wine bar recreates the experience of walking down an alley in a European city and finding a wine bar frequented by locals, just steps away from views of the Squamscott River. Come in and experience the magic that is Vino e Vivo. Call to place a reservation or stop in for some delectable wines.
"Tony, Justin, Amaya, Chef Paul, and the rest of the staff are amazing. The food is always delicious. The wine list is fabulous. I highly, highly, highly recommend the duck breast and the foie gras."
- Lady Flav, Google Review
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Restaurants · Exeter, NH
What's happening in Exeter this weekend?
Exeter has 32 upcoming events, 2 of them this weekend (Aug 28–Aug 30). Highlights include Will Evans at The Word Barn Meadow; Jamie McLean Band at The Word Barn Meadow; Sunday Supper in The Word Barn Meadow at The Word Barn Meadow.
Upcoming in Exeter
All events → 
Live Music
Jamie McLean Band
Friday, August 28 · 7:00 PM
The Word Barn Meadow
Come enjoy the Jamie McLean Band who head to the Meadow with their New Orleans soul, middle Americana roots, Delta blues and New York City…
Food + Drink
Sunday Supper in The Word Barn Meadow
Sunday, August 30 · 5:00 PM
The Word Barn Meadow
Join us this summer as we celebrate good food, good music & good people. As part of a brand new food experience offering, we'll enjoy a…
Live Music Free
Old-Time Jam Session w/Betsy Green
Tuesday, September 1 · 6:00 PM
The Word Barn Meadow
Come be part of The Word Barn's monthly jam session that is welcome and open to all levels and all instruments. Fiddler Betsy Green will…
Live Music
Ward Hayden & The Outliers
Friday, September 4 · 7:00 PM
The Word Barn Meadow
From heart wrenching ballads, to foot-stompin’ rock ‘n’ roll, whether live or on record, Ward Hayden & the Outliers deliver every time..
Community
Exeter UFO Festival (Day 1)
Saturday, September 5 · 8:45 AM
Downtown Exeter
Exeter's famous UFO Festival marks the 1965 Incident at Exeter with a speaker series at Town Hall (8:45am-5pm), trolley rides to the…
Arts + Culture
Intensive Stained Glass Workshop w/artist Kolika Chatterjee
Saturday, September 5 · 9:30 AM
The Word Barn
Join us for this full day, hands-on 21+ stained glass workshop, facilitated by artist Kolika Chatterjee and take a deep dive into the art…
Community
Exeter UFO Festival (Day 2)
Sunday, September 6 · 8:45 AM
Downtown Exeter
Exeter's famous UFO Festival marks the 1965 Incident at Exeter with a speaker series at Town Hall (8:45am-5pm), trolley rides to the…
Live Music
Lady Lamb
Friday, September 11 · 7:00 PM
The Word Barn Meadow
Lady Lamb returns to The Word Barn Meadow with her imaginative fusion of folk, pop, and indie rock.
The Revolutionary one
Founded in 1638 on the falls of the Squamscott River, Exeter served as New Hampshire's capital during the American Revolution and wears that history well - the American Independence Museum holds an original Dunlap broadside of the Declaration of Independence, and the downtown around the bandstand looks like it was art-directed for a New England movie.
My husband grew up here and in the next town over, so I got Exeter explained to me like a local from my first visit: which bench catches the light at the bandstand, when the river path is quietest, why the whole town turns out downtown in December. It runs on a small-town rhythm with unusual polish - an independent bookstore, a restored art-house theater, river lawns at Swasey Parkway, and the leafy Phillips Exeter campus folded right into town. The best strolling downtown on the Seacoast that is not on the ocean.
Things to do in Exeter
- › Walk Water Street's shops and the downtown bandstand
- › Visit the American Independence Museum (a Dunlap broadside of the Declaration lives here)
- › Picnic along the river at Swasey Parkway
- › Catch a reading or a folk show at The Word Barn
- › Wander the Phillips Exeter campus and its Louis Kahn library
Local favorites
- Water Street on a Saturday - bookstore, bakery, chocolate shop - repeat
- Swasey Parkway - the prettiest riverside lawn in the region
- The bandstand at Christmas - the whole town shows up; it's a Hallmark set with better coffee
Good to know Downtown parking is free but time-limited on Water Street; the lots behind the storefronts are easier. The train stop makes Exeter a rare car-free Seacoast trip from Boston.
The Exeter guide
Full food & drink guide →Eat, drink, shop & do in Exeter - where locals actually go.
Where to Stay
See the full guide →
The Exeter Inn
A stately brick inn beside Phillips Exeter Academy, in the town my husband grew up around - so I am biased, but the facts hold up: a clubby restaurant downstairs and the region's most charming non-coastal downtown right out the door. Small-town New England, done properly.
Golfing
See the full guide →
Exeter Country Club
Tree-lined fairways, a relaxed clubhouse, and a welcome for walk-ons and newer players - New England golf the way it used to feel. My husband grew up around here, and this is the kind of course that makes the game feel like a pastime instead of a production.
Farms
See the full guide →
Meadow Ledge Farm
A family orchard a pleasant drive inland, where picking your own comes with cider pressing and warm donuts on fall weekends. Apples wait for no one - check which varieties are on before you make the drive, because the good picking moves week to week.
Vernon Family Farm
A Newfields farm famous for pasture-raised chicken, a stocked farm store, and summer evenings of live music and wood-fired food out in the field. Farm-to-table without a white tablecloth in sight - go hungry and stay for the music.
Restaurants
Ambrose Restaurant
Ambrose Restaurant is named after an Exeter philanthropist, Ambrose Swasey, who was an important figure in Exeter's rich history. We encourage you to explore
Cornicello
Las Olas
Authentic Mexican street food and margaritas on Water Street.
Lee Frank's
Lexi's
Visit us in downtown Exeter, NH. Place your order online or dine in for burgers, fries, milkshakes and more! Serving lunch and dinner daily.
OBA Noodle Bar
Welcome to OBA Noodle Bar. Asian Fusion. We are working so hard on the menu for its taste, presentation, vegan options, gluten-free options and variety of the menu. We provide a variety of Asian noodle and full bar here!
OTTO Pizza
Located right on the Squamscott River in beautiful downtown Exeter just a stones throw from Town Hall and the Public Library, OTTO Exeter features full-service dining, takeout, and delivery, outdoor patio seating, a full bar, and the very best in regional craft beer. Join us for 'OTTO Tunes: Li
Street
Street is an eclectic, casual restaurant and cocktail lounge that satisfies both your hunger and your wanderlust in Portsmouth, NH. Join us for lunch, dinner, and Sunday brunch.
The Big Bean Restaurant & Bar
Vino e Vivo
Vino E Vivo is a casual, intimate wine bar in downtown Exeter, NH inspired by the wine bars of Europe. We boast a wonderful indoor seating area, alongside a bookable chef
Bars
Czar's Brewery
brewery and eatery crafting inspired, delicious and discerning ales & lagers from local ingredients located in Exeter and Dover, NH. Award winning craft beers.
Epoch Cocktail Bar
Epoch is the restaurant and bar inside The Exeter Inn, a few steps from the shops and the river in downtown Exeter.
Exeter Apothecary Cocktail Bar
Fat Hen Brewing Co
Fat Hen Brewing Company is a craft brewery based in Exeter, New Hampshire, specializing in super premium craft beer and meat pies made from scratch.
Sea Dog Brewing
Brew Pub, Casual Restaurant, Craft Beer, Craft Cocktails, Lively Bar, Burgers, Seafood, Pub Fare
SottoCello Cocktail Bar
sottoCello offers a delicious escape where you can walk in without a reservation and enjoy the full Cornicello menu offered in the comfort of the sottoCello Wine Cellar. Indulge in Executive Chef Josh
Breakfast Spots
Me & Ollie's Bakery & Cafe
Local favorite for hearty breakfasts and scratch-made baked goods.
Shops
Exeter Fine Crafts
Juried craft gallery featuring local artisans.
Water Street Bookstore
Independent bookshop with community events and author readings.
Arts + Culture
Art Up Front Street Studios & Gallery
Street side contemporary art gallery with 5 artist studios. Open Wed-Saturday. Exeter
Lamont Gallery
Dynamic exhibitions by professional artists, student installations, hands-on workshops and community collaborations. We're located on the campus of Phillips Exeter Academy in Exeter, New Hampshire.
Seacoast Artist Association
The Seacoast Artist Association is a group of artists and people interested in art, based in the seacoast area of New Hampshire. Our gallery, located at 130 Water Street in downtown Exeter, is open: Wednesday-Saturday 10am – 5pm Sunday 10am – 2pmWe offer new body of work and theme show e
Coffee Shops
Ani's Bagel Cafe
Ani`s Bagel cafe in Exeter, NH. Check out our breakfast, lunch and coffee menu.
Curio Artisan Chocolate
D Squared Java
Enna Chocolate & Coffee
Flamingos Coffee Bar
Support Your Local Caffeine Dealer. Flamingos is open everyday, year-round serving specialty coffee & locally sourced foods. A cool place for neighbors and beach-goers to flamingle. Visit us on Hampton Beach, NH and our newest location in Exeter, NH.
Inkwell Coffee Cafe
Island Vibes Cafe
Loaf and Ladle
Ohana Kitchen
Ohana Kitchen in Portsmouth NH, Exeter NH and Newburyport MA offers Hawaiian-inspired poké bowls and sushi burritos made fast, from the freshest ingredients.
Sunny Cafe
The Chocolatier
Handcrafted Chocolates since 1978, a chocolate lover's dream. We use only time honored recipes, carefully selected ingredients, and superior grade chocolate. Exeter, NH
The Juicery
Visit The Juicery in Exeter for fresh smoothies, cold-pressed juices, acai bowls, and healthy eats made fast. A go-to stop for nutritious food on the move.
Where to Stay
Around the Corner Bed & Breakfast
Inn by the Bandstand
Our boutique hotel is in the heart of Exeter New Hampshire, Inn by the Bandstand offers gracious hospitality, two on site restaurants, walk to Philips Exeter.
Things to Do
American Independence Museum
Exeter Historical Society
Exeter, New Hampshire Explore our History Renew or Become a Member
Folsom Tavern
Gilman Garrison House
Kayak Rentals - Exeter Parks & Recreation
Phillips Exeter Academy Library
The story of how renowned architect Louis Kahn came to design the Academy library is a tale with many heroes, but Principal Richard Day and librarian Rodney Armstrong are its greatest protagonists.
Powder House
Live Music
Exeter Brewing Kitchen & Tap Room
Shooters Pub & Beer Garden
Explore upcoming events at Shooters Sports Pub in Exeter Bowling Lanes. Check our schedule for leagues, parties, and more exciting events.
The Word Barn & Meadow
An indoor & outdoor venue for intimate live music concerts, comedy shows, poetry, workshops, private events, & more.
