Portsmouth Book and Bar

Home
United States
Portsmouth, NH
Portsmouth Book and Bar

A sophisticated emporium of culture, on the grand canvas of Market square, located in the first floor of the historic granite Customs House.
(1308)

We are a unique blend of bookstore, cafe and bar for downtown Portsmouth. We currently offer full table service for in house dining providing homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, small plates and assorted baked goods. If you're thirsty grab a cocktail, beer, glass of wine or sip a tasty espresso beverage or cozy cup of tea. This along with a highly selective variety of used and discount remainder b

ook titles available for purchase is what makes us unique. The owner, Dave Pelletier, envisions Book & Bar as providing a safe and creative feeling of community. If you leave here feeling as if you just found a treasure, made some friends and can't wait to return then we have accomplished our goals. Come visit and bring a friend. We encourage you to relax inside or on our beautiful patio while sipping a beverage of your choice and of course, reading a book. Here is some information on how we got to where we are today through the original owners creativity and experiences. The bookstore resembles original creator John Petrovato’s two Boston area shops, Raven Books in Harvard Square and on Newbury Street. The bookstore stocks around 15,000 well selected titles with an emphasis on literature and the arts. The Raven’s are not musty bookshops but have established themselves as two of the best shops in the country. In fact, as opposed to the growing trend of bookstores closing, both Raven’s have had their best year yet in 2011. The Raven won The Boston Globe’s “best of the new” in 2010, and The Boston Phoenix’s reader’s poll in 2011 and has been featured on MSN’s website and a dozens of other literary journals and magazines. Jon Strymish recently sold New England Mobile Book Fair in Newton, MA. NEMB was a highly respected as well as the largest independent bookstore in New England for the past 2 decades. Jon has retired but still fulfills his passion of keeping community ties strong through music and art. David Lovelace’s store, The Montague Bookmill, has become an iconic cultural presence in Western Massachusetts. The bookmill had been co-owned with both John Petrovato and Jon Strymish over the past 20 years. The bookstore, café and performance space has been featured numerous times in The New York Times, The Boston Globe and Yankee Magazine. After selling the Bookmill, Dave wrote and published a book with Penguin.

01/28/2024

Come hang with us one last time! Rain, sleet, ice, or snow, we'll be here tonight until 10pm!

01/27/2024

Check out the lineup for our BIG BIG final event:

'Hello, Goodbye: A Weekend Celebration & Send Off'! We promise you nothing but good vibes, great music, and a few more sweet B&B memories.

01/26/2024

Take 75% off all books! FINAL WEEKEND SALE STARTS TODAY!

01/23/2024

✨50% OFF BOOK SALE✨

Grab your must-reads now!📚

01/19/2024

Come and get 'em! 📚 Enjoy 25% off on all books at Book & Bar. Your next favorite read is waiting for you!

01/18/2024

📚💖 Opening the pages of our Time Capsule at Book & Bar, where every story is a chapter in our journey. Scan the QR code and let your heart's whispers become part of the tale. Grateful for a decade of shared love and cherished memories. 🕰️✨

01/12/2024

For over a decade Book & Bar has been more than a business; it has been a home away from home for so many people: readers, writers, thinkers, drinkers, poets, and performers. It’s been a labor of love, a project driven by passion. We’ve counted our profits not in dollars but in incalculable conversations, experiences, and relationships. Regrettably, the difficult decision to close has become unavoidable, and our last day of operation will be Sunday, January 28.
To each person who contributed to this journey—our dedicated staff, loyal patrons, talented performers, and the community at large—we owe an immense debt. Without you, Book & Bar would not have flourished. You have our heartfelt gratitude for this.
Over the next couple of weeks we invite you to come in and celebrate with us. As ever, we’ll be here with great books, food, drinks, music, and people.
To read our full message to the community, check out our remaining event schedule, and learn how you can contribute to—and view—our time capsule, click this link: https://www.bookandbar.com/home-new #/events

01/08/2024

🎶✨ Join us tonight at Book & Bar for an unforgettable Monday Night Residency with the incredible Miles Ahlstrom! 🎸🌙 Let the music move you at 7pm 🙌

01/07/2024

Snow day vibes: ❄️ Closing up shop and cozying up by the fire. Until tomorrow, let the winter wonderland adventures begin! ☕️❄️

12/30/2023

🎉 Get ready to light up the night at the NYE BASH: Lights Out, Glow Up! 🌟 Join us for a dazzling celebration as we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new in style! 💫✨ Dress in your brightest neon, because when the lights go out, your glow will steal the show! 🕺🎶 Let's dance, laugh, and toast to a brilliant New Year together! 🥂🌈 Tickets available on our website—don't miss the party of the year!

12/21/2023

Come sleigh the day away with books and booze. Try our martini, mimosa, and beer flights today!

12/20/2023

Get ready to groove into the weekend with our electrifying live music! Join us this week for soulful tunes, good vibes, and unforgettable performances... one of which could be yours 🎶✨
Tickets on our website!!!

Address

40 Pleasant Street
Portsmouth, NH
03801

Telephone

(603) 427-9197

Website

http://www.bookandbar.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Portsmouth Book and Bar posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Want your business to be the top-listed Shop in Portsmouth?