Mombo

Ask for patio seating, absolutely beautiful! Great experience between food, ambiance and service

We went to Mombo for restaurant week and were not disappointed. The upscale restaurant consistently serves creative dishes that are incredibly delicious. I opted for the pork pie first course - based on a family recipe from chef/owner Tom. This was my first tourtiere and I loved it. The 7 pepper marinated hangar steak was tender and wonderfully accompanied by smoked whipped potatoes and maple roasted carrots. By this time I was full, but could not pass up the cider donut cake. You will not be disappointed if you visit Limbo. Restaurant week is through 11/11, but this restaurant is worth a visit anytime.

Came here for restaurant week and it was phenomenal. All of the sauces and flavors flowed well in each dish. Everyone at our table loved their food. Our waitress was extremely friendly and courteous too.

We had great service, amazing food and drinks. Lobster bisque was delicious. Duck entree was unbelievable and my husband's steak was cooked perfectly. We were impressed and will definitely be back!

I've passed by Mombo countless times and always wanted to try it & it exceeded my expectations last night when I dined there with my family to celebrate my birthday. The bread was really good and even though I'm generally not a fan of corn bread - I ate theirs & it was really good. I especially enjoyed their lobster flatbread and split pea soup. MacKenzie our server really enhanced our experience at Mombo - she was amazing at her job, friendly, communicative, efficient & a great artist - she elaborately wrote happy birthday on a plate in hot fudge to accompany our table's dessert. The rest of the staff left a good impression, too. I look forward to eating there again.

My husband & I popped into Mombo for a cocktail and appetizers before heading out on a sunset gundalow cruise (across the street). We arrived right when they opened and were greeted warmly. Several seating options - outdoors, bar, open concept dining room as well as a tabletop “hibachi-style” seating option. We ordered & shared two specialty salads, the mac n cheese & pork taqueria. Everything we ate was AMAZING. Flavorful, delicious, fair portions and incredibly fresh. Cocktails were a bit pricey IMO, but very tasty. The service was also very good. When visiting the area again, we will definitely return to Mombo!

We had our wedding reception here and can't recommend Mombo enough. From the beautiful way they set up our table on their covered patio, to the service and food- everything was perfect. We appreciated it so much. It was the perfect setting for our intimate wedding party. Our guests were so pleased with the food (chicken 3 ways, deviled eggs, steak, even a vegan option for my mother in law). They presented our cake from an outside bakery in the loveliest manner. Thank you so much Mombo!

We have dined at Mombo several times, all 5-star experiences, but most importantly we enjoyed our wedding reception at Mombo on June 1, 2019. Six months later, our family is STILL talking about how amazing the food was at our wedding and how unique the cozy atmosphere was. I was worried at first about not having a seating chart, but Tom told me to trust him and my family LOVED it! Tom and Catherine took care of everything. Trust Tom, he's done this a long time and everything will turn out better than you imagined. If you want your wedding to stand out from all the banquet hall weddings where the food is always the same and not memorable, you have to check out Mombo, it is truly unforgettable!

Loved it! The food, service and atmosphere are wonderful. We were lucky enough to sit out on the patio on a beautiful evening. Jordan did a great job serving. We will definitely return.

I've been in a few times, during their regular menu and during Restaurant Week. The food was amazing. We actually sat at the Chef's table and got to watch the kitchen in action. We love Portsmouth and the restaurant scene, and this is probably the best restaurant in Portsmouth. It is on the higher priced side, but you are paying for fine dining.

Nice place in a great part of Portsmouth NH. Quiet and cozy. Wait staff was excellent. Drinks were very good. Eclectic selection of mixed drinks, good wine selection and also draft/bottled beer offerings. Menu was very good, many options. GF and vegetarian meals. We had 🦆 and the pork chop. Nice place for dinner, date night or celebration. Parking on site, that is a big plus in P'mouth.

We sat at the Chef's bar and absolutely loved the unique interaction with staff! The food was AMAZING! The charcuterie board was the best we've ever had and reasonably priced! Highly recommend!

What a treat to go to cozy Mambo for my birthday. It’s usually jam packed and hard to get a res, but a winter Tuesday evening was perfect. The good was excellent, the staff are delightful, and they have an incredible art collection as a feast for the eyes.

This building has seen its fair share of restaurants over the past decade, but I'm hoping Mombo is here to stay. I've been twice with four people each time and they nailed every single course - app, entree, dessert - for every eater both times. Not a place to get a screaming deal, but if you're looking to entertain in the heart of Strawberry Bank, I recommend Mombo.

We were meant to be a party of 19, but a nor'easter cut the group down to just us 5 locals; all the more of a loss for the other 14. Food, cocktails, beer and wine were all excellently cooked, cured or curated. (The only sticking point was the crispy guanciale, one of the four porks on The Four Porks, was saltier than most of us could handle. So, what, 1.66% of the meal was unsatisfactory?) Service was professional and on point yet still warm and engaging, as seems to be the style nowadays (not that I wish it weren't). But the fact that Mr. Perron (omnipresent host/GM/*owner*) cleaned the snow off our cars and drove them to the door for us was above and beyond our expectations. Highly recommend.

I love it here. One of my wife and my favorite spots. The atmosphere is great and food is always inventive and delicious. I recently had the duck monte cristo appetizer. It was delectable!

Love this place! Knowing the history and it's setting brings warmth! Great food and atmosphere! Staff was and is amazing. I would recommend Mambo's to everyone I know and don't! It's a must!

The lamb fondue was great as a starter. Had the veal t bone and it was perfectly seasoned and generously portioned. I would definitely go back.

Great food and very cozy but beautiful atmosphere. Decorations were festive. The staff is very knowledgeable about the menu and again the food is superb.

I am not compelled often to review, however this experience is one of those times. My fiance and I went here Friday 3/4/16 @ 7:30pm for the first time not knowing what to expect. I do admit we knew a bit about the food from talking to others as we love the food experience. I will not go through every detail (although I would of it wasn't going to be a book), however I will sum it by saying this: We were both extremely impressed by the atmosphere, our bartender and the hostess, they were all very attentive and the one issue I did have was a tough steak cut which as you know this happens at times not only did the hostess care and understood, but the owner himself came out and comped my meal which was both unexpected as well as proof in my mind the pride he / the staff takes in their positions. We did our part to tip over and above due to the services provided and will most certainly tell the many people we know to make this place a destination to try. Thanks again. UPDATE: My wife and I went last weekend and were more impressed this time around. Great work in keeping up the standards. We did suggest a wine pairing list for the meals on the menu as they have a decent wine selection.

Mombo was delicious. Staff were attentive and cordial. We went for restaurant week so we got a great price. My pork was juicy and tender. A friend ordered a flank steak medium well so she shouldn't have been apprised it was a little tough. Overall we all had a great mall. I'll be back!

Great food and service. I reserved an outside seat and I had a good view of Prescott Park gardens and the Piscataqua. A breeze was coming of the water which made where I was sitting comfortable. I was served bread with a type of butter, I can't remember what it was but it tasted good, with oils for dipping. One bread was sweet poppyseed. My appetizer was pineapple berry crunch tuna bites. Very good. My main course was crispy skin on Atlantic salmon with buckwheat sobi noodles. Very good 👍. For dessert, cranberry basil gelato made at the restaurant. Perfect for a hot day. I was treated well. Valet parking, so remember to bring $ for a tip. Only issues beyond Mombo's control, loud base guitar from the park and I had a 🐝 that would not leave me alone while I ate. Once my plate was empty, it left. I thought 🐝 s were vegitarians? Minor issue; portion of the food to price. But, I know food prices are going up and rent in Portsmouth is expensive. I still recommend a visit. Reservations are helpful but you may have success if you don't have one. Update; April, 2020; I ordered take out and the woman who took my order was upbeat and pleasant. I ordered the veggie soba noodle stir fry and their house mac and cheese with chicken. Both were good and came with bread, two Lindt chocolates and a roll of toilet paper. Yes, a roll of toilet paper. I also ordered a caramel brownie for dessert. Only issue, I requested a ten dollar certificate where Mombo's donates the equivalent to charity. I didn't receive it. Also, check which gift certificate you buy from Taste of the Seacoast. Apparently one is for take out and one is for dining in.

Quiet romantic spot with great food. We had the kids and they were great with them also. Excellent service.

Nice staff, delicious food I got toilet paper with my food and had the opportunity to donate a meal to people in need. Such a cute idea

This restaurant never disappoints. It has great tasting food, and kind servers.

The food was excellent. So was our server. But getting our food was slow.

Food was actually good, but unexpectably.so because it just took so long to appear. Neverthless, we had fun and the booze flowed. The us strip, was overdone, certainly not medium rare as ordered, more like well done..my advice to any European, order rare, if your hope is get some taste.

Very nice ambience. Friendly staff. Food was good, but not absolutely great. They did a very good job though. 4 of 5 is not a dig at them, but rather a realistic use of stars. Wee would go back if we lived in Portsmouth.

Delicious lobster bisque and Mac and cheese topped w little lobster too! Very nice server/owner. Perfect pre Prescott park music!!!

The other reviews were right, we should have listened. The service was very slow and off. We waited 45 minutes before our waiter came by, and it was only to let us know that our appetizer was forgotten and that it would come out with our entrees. Another 10 minutes and finally we get our appetizer, but no mains. We waited another 20 minutes before getting our cold entrees. The food was mediocre, definitely not good enough to enjoy cold and over an hour after we ordered. We won't be back and I suggest you try a different restaurant since we've found tons of other restaurants with better food and service in this cool little town.

Mombo is a neat little spot just outside of downtown Portsmouth. Parking on site is a plus and the staff is excellent. The drinks and apps were also great, but out of a 10 person party only 1 person was impressed with the entree. The steak was cooked to order, the presentation was great, but the quality of meat for the price point just didn't match up. Very underwhelming. The desserts were also over priced for the portions. 3.5

Food was very good, no complaints at all from anyone at our table of 10. Service was ok. Considering the size of the group, 2 servers may have been better but could've been handled by one. Just wanted a little more attention to detail for the money spent. Overall, a nice experience with a few areas for improvement.

Very So So. Service was slow and they weren't at all busy. I started with the Arugula Salad with Air Vinaigrette and Beets. My wife had the Strawberry and Walnut salad, which did in fact have a singular tiny walnut sliver, but same non-existent dressing as mine. Our main courses were lackluster at best. The entertainment was watching a new waiter struggle with two splits of Champagne for another customer - 5 minutes at least, until the customer took it from him and opened the screw top himself is a mili-second. With all of the great reviews we were really hoping to find a gem, but it was anything but. The atmosphere gives it the 3rd star, otherwise 2 stars tops. In hindsight, all positive reviews are atmosphere centric, food not so much.

Okay- the good, bad and ugly. Good: Beautiful atmosphere in a quaint part of Portsmouth. The building reminds me of a Christmas movie where the characters are drinking ale and stale bread. (A good thing lol) Bad: Barely anyone in the restaurant and took 15 minutes of standing by the servers post to get noticed then told by 5 separate people someone would be right with us (2 people). Very very slow and monotone service when seated. Ugly: First there was the glass with the food crusted all over the side. We had ordered Pellegrino and after pouring It, realized the glass was dirty. He dumped out a whole glass of Pellegrino without replacing the bottle. Second, there was lack of knowledge towards the menu which is bizarre for Portsmouth. Very extravagantly unique food for a Christmas looking building (?). Ordered Charcuterie board where I get EVERYWHERE. Poor set up, meat was rubbery- and huge strands of hair wrapped around the sopprasetta. Awful. Replaced meal with steak tartare. ATTN: somehow I did not know it was supposed to be raw, but it was and looked terrible especially compared to pictures online when I googled. However, owner was truly beyond nice and comped out entire meal. We didn't stay past the apps, but he was more than happy to help us with the confusions of the night. Familiar with Portsmouth and service as well as general menus, and was surprised by both. Very expensive and does not live up to it by the service of wait staff or mishaps.

We visited on a weeknight for our first wedding anniversary. While the 'front of house' gentleman was incredibly personable and attentive - the waitress was short and cold - at best. The onsite parking lot is plus - given the downtown Portsmouth parking situation - however, the food was incredibly overpriced for what it was. Cocktails and wine were averagely priced. The 'smokey cornbread' and 'herb roll' bread starter, that was described being 'cooked by the pastry chef' that morning, was dry + terrible. I'm not one to critique bread or complementary starters - but if you're going to boast about a pastry chef preparing the bread - it better be great. Next, we shared a seasonal salad that was good - and priced averagely. Our entrees however, were the tipping point. For two farm to table loving, organic appreciating, portion considering, foodies - our dinners were disappointing. We got the steak and the short rib to share - and neither the portions or the taste were even remotely justified in their $30+ price point. Tough - bland - small - and mediocre. Finally, we ordered the butterscotch cheese cake with espresso marshmallows. This may have been the most disappointing part of the meal. For a $10 slice of cheesecake - one would assume - there would be enough for at least a few bites per person...? Hardly. The portion was the size / width of my small hand's pointer finger - and the marshmallows tasted like the ones out of the bag. Not a great way to end an already lackluster experience. Given the above, for 2 people - $191.00 tab seemed hard to swallow. Would not return - and not recommend to anyone.

Skip it. Food good not great. Wait staff extremely inappropriate and manager unresponsive and standoffish. So many better options in Portsmouth

We had dinner here last night and I found 3 long black hairs in the mussel dish!! The waiter blamed being overworked and could not take care of everything then walked off saying no charge for the mussels. Another woman who had initially greeted and seated us came over to ask if there was a problem. Yes! 3 black hairs in the mussel sauce. She did not seem too concerned and offered us something else. Dessert? We asked for tea. The waiter returned and offered us dessert on the house. Nothing seemed appetizing after chewing on the 3 black hairs. I asked what was happening in the kitchen?? The woman was going to look into it. Uggh! Not a good experience or response from the waiter and the woman....not sure of her role? My friends had good meatball dishes and ordered the creme bruele dessert. The woman did not take responsibility and did not seem to care about our dining experience. The waiter apologized after he blamed and complained about others. My stomach was upset all night thinking about the long black hairs. Sadly, we will not recommend or return to Momba.

Crazy experience last weekend, my wife and walked into the restaurant last Saturday for our first time! I was excited to bring my wife in there and show her around. I could see there was an event in the back room but no one was in there so I just wanted to stick my head in there and I could hear a woman behind me yelling to get out of there even didn't get a foot in the room. We then started to move toward the bar and she again stopped us in our tracks as we took another step toward the side of the bar that was reserved only. The way it was handled turned us off so we just walked out. We were dressed up in casual but nice cloths maybe that was it. Too stuffy for me

The "half chicken" was so dry and overcooked, it used up my saliva and parts were impossible to cut or chew (including the burned underside of one piece). We spent $25 on two mojitos, which were almost entirely ice and seltzer water, and lacked flavor. We called for a reservation at 6:25 p.m. and were told we would have to wait until 7:15 p.m. to be seated at a table, but when we arrived we were surrounded by empty tables: pretty frustrating to have been kept waiting for no reason. The scallops were tasty (two included with the entrée), but couldn't make up for the rest of the meal. And the music... like spending two hours in an elevator. Despite looking forward to trying the restaurant for many months, we will not be back.

06/03/18 I was in Prescot Park spending time with friends before the fireworks began. For some unknown reason the regular bathrooms were shut down and there was a 20-30 minute wait for a single woman’s stall. I asked a waitress if I could use the bathroom, both were occupied but there was no line and I’d only be a minute. The waitress said yes and so I waited to the side for the bathroom. A man, (Obviously a person with higher authority than the waitress) told me the bathroom was only for guests. I apologized and politely asked if an exception could made as I am 2 months post partum and had begun spotting and only needed to use a feminine sanitary napkin. He very sternly said “I don’t think you understand the words I am saying”. I understand a private bathroom policy, however, I think he could’ve had a little more sensitive to my situation. I’ve gone to Mombo’s many times with great service, but as a frequent guest I feel genuinely let down by the staff of Mombo