Applecrest Farm Bistro

Finally a fabulous bistro in NH. As a recent expat from the amazing SF food scene, I can truly say this place is fabulous food in a comfortable low key setting. Great wine list with my favorite Spanish sherries. service is good. In a state more noted for frying everything under the sun and putting cheese on top, the Applecrest Bistro is a little bit of heaven for those of us who enjoy great food.

Fantastic — great food, great service. A must visit

A breath of fresh air in the north shore. Just what the area needed an ACTUAL farm to table restaurant. Chef Patrick Soucy is amazing!
Cruise in for a late lunch/​early dinner during the busy season to miss the crowds and enjoy the beautiful view and unbeatable eats. Stop in the market on the way out and enjoy all the fresh produce you could ask for, highly recommending the green beans and apples of course.
To die for fried oysters and the best most amazing tempura squash blossoms stuffed with crab and scallops of all time!!!

Wow. These guys are doing so much right, which is reflected in the reviews. My husband took me here a few weeks ago for a date night and it was perfect! The dining room is a very intimate atmosphere and we sat next to the fire drinking wine and eating delicious food all night. The food is absolutely fantastic, we couldn’t stop raving about everything we tried. Our server was sweet and knowledgable about the menu, which is so helpful at a place that uses many unique and different ingredients. She didn’t make us fee silly for asking questions either. I honestly cannot wait to go back, best restaurant around!

I was pleasantly surprised. The meal was delicious overall. The lamb sausage appetizer and charcuterie in general was good and I normally don’t love charcuterie. The meatloaf is rich and flavorful with great mashed potatoes. The duck breast was the best I’ve had in a long long time. So soft and tender. Carrot cake was tangy and salty with a goat cheese frosting. I love savory desserts so it was definitely interesting. Service was friendly and good. We’ll definitely be back.

Having dined at Applecrest many times since it opened, I feel I am overdue to post a review.
Ambience is great. Atmosphere is top notch and the location feels a bit like Napa valley when you are sitting out on the deck on a lovely evening. Food is generally very good. Steak entrée is fantastic as well as the fries and side dishes. My wife swears by the fresh fish option which rotates based on fresh catch. Soup that I have had has been great — again, rotates depending on what is in season. For Lunch, I have had the turkey panini on two occasions. It is excellent. Wine selection is good as well.
Service can be a bit slow when it is crowded, but is seems to have improved vastly since they opened (growing pains). Seems to have developed a good following in the area and it will be a great winter option for lunch/​dinner.
I have not tried the Sunday brunch yet, but the overall opinion is that it is a highlight. It is on my list to try one of these weekends!

As is often the case when I write reviews, I would probably give this 2 ½ stars if that was an option. Three stars, in Unilocal terms, means «A-​OK», and I can’t quite give my over all experience here that high of a score. I stopped in on my way from Portsmouth to Boston. I had searched Unilocal for a good breakfast place earlier this morning. The good reviews and a quick look at their website convinced me to give this place a try. Well… when I arrived, only two or three of the 10 – 12 tables were taken. I got some coffee, fairly quickly, but from there it went down hill. Admittedly, two factors seemed to result in my long wait for food.
First, I arrived right before a bit of a rush. Before I even had my food, almost every table was filled. But, I waited a long time for my food. The other factor was, i think that one of the two waitresses was new. I can sympathize, and I wasn’t in a big hurry, so I waited. And waited. Finally, after what seemed like at least a half hour after I was seated, my «root vegetable hash» arrived. I had also ordered a side of home fries, which was a real mistake. Why? $ 5 for a TINY bowl of potatoes. If that was an entire potato, it was a very small one. Ridiculous. If I had any idea that I would get such a meager helping of potatoes for my $ 5, I would not have ordered them.
The root vegetable hash and eggs were good, but not great. The hash could have used a few more root vegetables, though. It was about 90−95% orange colored, and I believe that consisted of carrots and some kind of squash. There were a few halves of small Brussels sprouts, tiny bits of onion, and a few flecks of red bell pepper. How about some pieces of beet, and parsnips? I was actually expecting to see at least a few pieces of those two. The toast that came with the meal was some kind of oatmeal bread, which was good, but I wasn’t offered any choice of bread for toast, and there was no butter on it, or on the table. Was I supposed to ask for that? I’m not super hard to please at restaurants, but I don’t want to feel like I have to «assert myself», ask questions, etc., especially in the morning.
The farm to table craze hit the Portsmouth area at least a couple of years ago. Lots of area restaurants advertise that they serve locally sourced food now. So, the food offered at Applecrest Farm Bistro is not very unusual at this point. If they step up their game by giving more attention to details like the variety of root vegetables in their root vegetable hash, and more generous portions (or lower prices) of sides of home fries, then maybe their restaurant’s business will grow. As it stands now, though, they are a small operation, off the beaten path, in a highly competitive area for restaurants. And yet it is still an area where word of mouth can make you or break you. Based on this first visit to Applecrest Farm Bistro, I’m not joining in the small chorus of rave reviews.
Having looked at the lunch menu, there are some items on that menu which would interest me, but I was underwhelmed enough by my breakfast visit that I am not sure I’m willing to take the chance again at this restaurant. I like the atmosphere, and the general concept, but I think some menu tweaks and quicker service would go a long way to make this place go from okay to very good.

I loved this place. A farmers market with great homemade food. We bought a loaf of bread to take home. It was so yummy. We don’t live in the area but will be back for sure

Yes! A farm to table establishment that is actually on a farm… Finally! The food is phenomenal, the dinner service is attentive (breakfast service is a little unreliable), and being able to look over the apple orchards while we eat is a huge bonus! We are relocating soon and will be sad not to be able to enjoy this restaurant anymore. Oh, and use the call-​ahead seating… You’ll be happy you did.

We were stoked to try the bistro and they did not disappoint! Love the casual atmosphere (you order, pay, then sit at one of the farm tables in the dining room with an amazing view of the farm’s rolling hills). We ordered an insane amount of food: cider donut trio, pumpkin bread, Apple stuffed French toast & farmhouse breakfast. Donuts were fresh and soft and delicious. Pumpkin bread was brought grilled and warm and yummy. The French toast is GIGANTIC — too big, honestly. I was told the eggs were fluffy and farm fresh. The homemade bread is incredible! The bacon, for which they are famous, was very well received by my out of town guest! Service was courteous and friendly.
The bistro is inside the huge farm stand which sells incredible goodies — from fresh fruits and veggies to cider donuts and breads, and so much more! Local maple syrup, smoked sea salt, dressings, jams, popcorn, chocolate, meat, cheese… The list just goes on and on.
After eating, stroll the beautiful grounds. We visited the adorable goats down at their petting zoo.
Just love this place! Great food, super friendly staff, beautiful surroundings. Can’t wait to go back.

Farmhouse breakfast. Simple yet amazingly good. Consistent each day the eggs are smooth and rich in flavor. Bacon is crispy but not overly done, potatoes are not over seasoned and the sourdough bread is delicious – in fact the little bitter that they put on it is more than enough and I don’t find myself wanting to add jelly. If you do they have a house made jelly and ketchup which are simple and tasty. It’s the reason I come back day after day.

Surprised this place gets such good reviews. I’m giving two stars because although our waitress wasn’t very attentive, she was nice. I got the steak tips in mushroom sauce and was not a fan at all. The sauce was thick and overpowering. Not to mention there were flies EVERYWHERE during our lunch which was annoying. The service was extremely slow and it took about 45 minutes for our food to come out. No apology from the waitress or anything.

I highly recommend this place for dinner! Excellent setting, with indoor and outdoor dining available, overlooking a working farm. The service was outstanding, my waitress Sunny was super-​attentitive, very pleasant, and easy on the eyes to boot. I’m a craft beer guy, and tho they only have a few taps, what they had was choice. I «settled» for a Deciduous Porter, at 8.1% ABV, delicious. They also had several bottles available. They serve some very tasty bread and what tasted like fresh churned butter. I had the roasted beets as an appetizer, which were fantastic and then the pulled pork & roasted peach flatbread as a main course. It was out of this world. All told, 1 beer, the beets, and the flatbread, my tab was $ 31 before tip — very reasonable IMO. I will be dining here again, no question.

After 2 days of haddock tacos for lunch at the Boardwalk, I was looking for a change in scenery. So hubby found Applecrest Farm Bistro which looks like a relatively hot and new farm to table eatery. With outside tables overlooking the orchards and inside air conditioned tables, there is a place for everyone.
We started off intending to share a pulled pork flatbread topped with peaches and green onion and a side of duck fat potatoes. Halfway through we realized we were hungrier for more of the delicious offerings and splurged on the Ploughman’s Special charcuterie plate with Merguez Sausage, pickled vegetables, egg, and duck and pork terrine. The savory meats were great on its own or paired with the sweet chutney or blueberry jam.
What a gem find!

I was looking for a restaurant near the office I was working out of and wish I had stopped by sooner.
I would highly recommend the Ploughman’s Lunch, which is a Charcuterie plate. It came with Lamb merguez, pork/​duck terrine and a hard boiled egg. It was accompanied by Pistachio nuts, Dijon mustard, chutney and pickled vegetables. This was the highlight of the meal. Paring the meats with the mustard or chutney was delightful on top of pieces of buttered and toasted baguettes.
I also shared a BBQ pulled pork flat bread (Pizza) which came with grilled peaches, green onions and pulled pork over BBQ sauce. Cut into sqares you had six pieces to choose from. The pork was tender and paired well with the grilled peaches, a great combo.
And for dessert was a «large» whoopie pie which was Pumpkin!!!
Don’t forget to browse the fresh fruits and vegetables as well as syrups and jams the have to sell.

I couldn’t love this place any more. The menu is so creative — we always order at least one of the dinner specials. The presentation of the food is beautiful and the portions are just perfect.
Don’t be afraid to bring the kids as there is a fantastic kids menu that is an upgrade from your average restaurant.

Amazing! I recently went here for lunch which you order at the counter and then pick your own seat (Brunch and dinner are full service). We sat outside on the beautiful patio overlooking the orchard. Each table had fresh flowers on it and the ambiance itself is just perfect, I could have sat out there all day.
The food: Yes, it is a little on the pricier side even for lunch but you know what? It is truly worth it! This really is farm to table and you are paying for the freshest and most delicious food! I got the roasted pasture raised turkey sandwich with the red cabbage and apple slaw and a side of the duck fat potatoes. My plate was clear by the end, I couldn’t help myself it was that good! The bacon on the sandwich is thick and fresh but not too smokey or fatty, the herbed aioli isn’t too greasy and is a perfect compliment with the turkey and apple slices! The potatoes are rich and crispy and the slaw is the perfect amount of sweet and acidic from their vinegar! My friend got the burger and fries which was equally as delicious!

Let me preface this review out of the gate stating that I’m a huge fan of Chef Patrick Soucy’s cooking so when I heard he was heading up the culinary fare at this place, it was immediately on the list of must try’s. It did not disappoint.
First and foremost, the environment alone is worth the try — even for a cocktail and small plate if you can’t afford to go ‘all out’. The minute we sat down it felt as if we were far away in a Napa-​esc local. Cute strung lights, wildflowers from the farm in Ball jars on the table, and an amazing view of wide open fields to ogle at.
Well, and then came the food.
Farm to table is no marketing pitch. Patrick came out with some bread and walked us through how the yeast for the bread had been harvested from the farm through rigorous care and being only 6 miles from the ocean had rendered them a salt air yeast making for a sourdough beyond the norm. Top that with their own churned butter made from fresh ginger grown down the road and the basket was gone in 30 seconds. I’m not kidding when I say that just eating the bread made hubs and I giddy with excitement. And he’s not even a foodie.
Second up was the Charcuterie plate. We opted for the crispy pancetta and two cheeses (served with varying homemade preserves). My husband had a mild orgasm over the crispy pancetta and tried to hoard it off the plate. I was basically licking the cheese and preserves off of my knife not caring about any sense of etiquette.
We then ordered the Heritage Pork Spare Ribs. Patrick’s ability to combine flavors that just enhance food and create these tiny little master pieces of nommness is incredible. A sweet with mild heat and falling off of the bone meat meant another course that was demolished from the table in under a minute. Each bite really was an experience for our palettes.
For entrees I ordered the Hake and hubs ordered the Rigatoni. For those New Englanders that think that haddock is the ‘local’ fish, you’re remiss if you don’t indulge in Hake. It’s just as local and in my opinion a far better fish. In short, (for me anyway) it’s a halibut/​haddock crossover in texture, depth and flavor. It was cooked to perfection, crispy, buttery, and flaky. Served with veggies from the farm. The rigatoni was homemade of course. It had a deep earthy texture and flavor and I was tempted to rip it out of my husband’s hands. I’m a mushroom freak.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, and when I felt like I couldn’t eat anymore, hubs remembered that he had wanted to order the duck fat potato side. And so even though I couldn’t eat another bite, onward we went ordering more food. Crispy, duck fatty, vinegary (that they make on the farm by the way as well) flavored potatoes covered in scallions — gone… in 60 seconds.
Even though we were full, not getting dessert wasn’t an option. When you saw what was going around to other tables it became a must try, unbutton our pants necessity. Ok, I was wearing a dress but you get the gist.
Although the waitress had recommended the Parsnip Brown Butter Cake, we opted for the Dark Chocolate Cremeaux (anything chocolate is what hubs wants in his belly). It was decadent, smooth, the sorbet and crushed pistachio added the perfect balance. And then Patrick brought out the Brown Butter Cake dessert and I literally watched my husband inhale it. Inhale. I believe I sampled a small bit but it was gone so fast who knows. Net net, the Brown Butter Cake is a must try dessert there. It’s off the chart — artistic in presentation and unmatched when it comes to all of the flavors and textures.
The overall experience was incredible and exactly what I had expected knowing that Patrick would be behind the line preparing it. We drove home and repeated consistently «That was amazing… that was amazing…»
The food, the local, it’s THE perfect date night experience. And it’s an EXPERIENCE. If you want fish and chips, chowdah, etc… go somewhere else. If you can appreciate organic, earthy, food in its most pure and enhanced form… go Farm Bistro. If esthetics, and your palate doing little dances to amazing and unique flavors isn’t your cup of tea, then this isn’t your place. It’s sure as hell mine.
A few notes:
1. The drinks were good. Flavorful. As a few other people mentioned they did taste a bit ‘watery’ (even the wine) — still solid but worth the restaurant looking into.
2. There are bugs — they don’t come out until around 8PM but if you want a nat free experience, get there earlier as opposed to later. It’s a farm, there isn’t much to be done there, just be prepared and expect it — don’t bitch about it.
3. I thought the pricing was perfectly acceptable and reasonable for the food and the experience — as opposed to some other Unilocalers. If you don’t like spending money on dining — the real deal food experience, and you want ginormous portions driven in via Sysco trucks, go to the Cheesecake Factory.

We tried out this restaurant because we had a $ 50 Gift Certificate.
We ordered drinks (Kiss Goodnight) that desperately needed a sour component. It was strawberry, American whisky and mint. It tasked like water and whisky.
We ordered the ribs — a rhubarb glazed rib. It was the best thing we had. But we arrived for dinner on Friday at 6:30 and they served us the last order they had. The place filled after we arrived and I overheard the server telling another table about all of the substitutions. They don’t have their ordering down yet it seems. The fried oysters were blah. I’ve had better. But the oysters were themselves plump.
We didn’t receive bread with dinner, but others did. Not sure why.
I had their burger. My fiancé had the flatbread pizza. The burger was juicy (with bacon and an egg, that they charged $ 4.00 for). The hand cut fries were more accurately shoe string and they were burnt and tired.
Dessert was nothing to write home about. A tiny goat cheese chocolate brownie with ice cream. The brownie was dry. They gave us an extra scoop of ice cream because the fiancé has a fetish. The ice cream it came with was espresso. It was ok. The second scoop was very tasty — cheesy almost, could have been buttermilk based on an after the fact read of the online menu — but we don’t know what it was because the server didn’t tell us. Why we got two different kinds was confusing, maybe they ran out. They make their own and I’m kicking myself for not going over to their dairy bar instead.
My cappuccino was great, though.
The room was frigid with blowing air.
Overall, it cost around $ 97. It was steep for what it was. A number of restaurants in the Seacoast would have been better for that price point. With the $ 50 Gift Certificate, it made the experience one that I wasn’t angry about.
They are going to have to work harder to stay in business given their location.
It’s rural Hampton Falls. It had a patio overlooking pretty fields. We were warned that people had complained about mosquitos — so no one was sitting out there it seems. The menu was less farm to table and more fussy than I would have liked. I had a hard time finding something. I wasn’t paying $ 31 for a strip steak. Everything could have been an option, but had something or two things that made it a risky choice: chicken good, but pickled peach and za’atar spice? The rigatoni with sausage and the stuffed meatloaf with mashed potatoes and smoked mozzarella seemed too heavy for the summer weather, and I wasn’t in the mood for spaghetti from a farm.
They absolutely should be telling us where their food is sourced from on the menu, given their focus. They don’t offer commercial soft drinks, claiming they are organic, natural and house made (strawberry/​rhubarb, grapefruit/​ginger, etc).
The marketplace where they sell their produce was closed. The place has always closed too early. So, they are losing people who might want to pick up some of their groceries on the way out.
Overall, not wowed. We did it and can say we did but unless I’ve got another gift certificate unlikely we’d go again.

I’m thrilled that this place is finally open! We gave it a try this past weekend and the experience alone is worth at least 3 stars. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect atmosphere — sitting outdoors overlooking the beautiful farm, glass of wine in hand, and cozy lights illuminating the patio as it gets closer to dusk.
Now on to the most important: the food. We ordered several appetizers and shared the salmon entrée. Everything was flavorful and just right as far as portion size is concerned. Not huge, not tiny either. The textures were just as exciting as the flavors. Fresh sesame sourdough bread with a honey butter to start, a standout charcuterie plate of local meats and cheeses, and salmon that is crispy on the outside, surrounded by a delicious purée (forgot what it was made of though!) and tasty fiddleheads. The only criticism I have of the salmon is that it was a bit overcooked.
Our server was very sweet and helpful and there are blankets available if you get cold!
We’re looking forward to coming back to applecrest bistro soon!