Carpenter & Main

Not entirely sure what happened with my meal, given the positive reviews on here, but my wife and I had the burger and it was terrible. Essentially and ball of mince, on a dry English muffin. I realize that the burger is hardly much more complex, but there was no lettuce, tomato etc. Dreadful. The starters were not up to much either. Nice inside though, service was good (very pleasant), and the glass of Malbec was ok, but the food… below par. Sounds like I’m not the only one re the burger (see below). Also agree with reviewers comments on the fries.

This was not my first visit and it will not be my last. I love the delicious dishes that are served here. I have never been disappointed with the food. The service is excellent. I look forward to each and every visit. This is definitely our family’s restaurant of choice for special occasions.

Absolutely fantastic. Out of town visitor to Norwich. Service was extremely friendly and prompt and the gruyère cheese gnocchi was probably the best gnocchi I’ve ever had. Cheese stick puffs and chicken under a brick were also fantastic

From Lyme to Enfield and Strafford to Windsor, you will not find a better place to eat. The attention of the service, the atmosphere and the food both expertly crafted and served perfectly, you will not find a better place in the Upper Valley to dine. Every course was delicious and the price was hardly matching the quality of the food, I expected my bill to be much higher. Compared to other eateries in the area, there is not one reason why I shouldn’t be eating here exclusively. Bravo to the staff!
Just an addition: I was however scolded for calling the «Bistro» a «Pub» by the greeter, which I felt was a little up tight. Cheers!

I had heard so much about this local place that I was looking forward to finally going here for the first time. The setting is idyllic, beautiful small town Vermont and the atmosphere is actually quite charming. Unfortunately though the service was terrible (ignored by the waiter for ordering, bringing us our food, and even checking if we need more water), the food was pretty tasteless and unimaginative, and certainly was not worth $ 22 for a piece of overcooked fish and even more for a tasteless small piece of duck confit with a couple of chunks of boiled potato on a few leaves of lettuce. Overall, can’t recommend.

Main gripe was the service. Were there recently (August 14 I believe) celebrating my father in law’s 86^th birthday. We were in the front formal room and there were eight of us. While the food and wine (and beer) were good, the waiter was surly, overbearing, unhelpful and generally ruined the evening. One example was when one of our party asked about olive starters and was informed he could go to the bar and pick them up himself.
No doubt she collected the 20 percent tip from my father in law who was treating and we did not create a fuss for obvious reasons. We have experienced service problems with large groups there before but when there were two of us in the bar area everything was fine as regards food and service. Would never book for more than two there again.

I don’t write a lot of reviews, but I had such a bad experience here that I felt compelled to do so. Completely overrated restaurant. It has a great ambiance, but the food is utterly average. Don’t be fooled by the very nice-​sounding descriptions on the menu. I had a half-​dozen miniscule, dinky oysters for $ 14 and a terrible dry $ 14 burger that came on an overly-​toasted english muffin with a giant pile of mediocre fries. By the 80% point of the burger I was having difficulty swallowing it. My wife had the tasty-​sounding duck confit, which turned out to be overly greasy and served on what looked to be store-​bought mashed potatoes and some crappy salad. My parents had similarly depressing meals. Do not go here.

Quaint atmosphere — very New England. Nice service.
Food was disappointing. For a place that sells itself as progressive, there are woefully few vegetarian entrée options. I got a veggie burger that had no flavor or salt. For dessert, we had cookies, which tasted fresh, but other than that, forgettable.

Menu has some creative options, and the food is high quality and well-​prepared. Staff is really friendly and accommodating. Free snacks at the bar when you go for cocktails :) A little pricey however.

DISAPPOINTING FOOD, disappointing service. I went to carpenter and main last night. After having a bad experience a few months ago, I decided to try it again. It was disappointing at best. The avocado fries were soggy. The gnocchi was ok, the flatbred, absolutely horrendous. It was a round piece of bread, medium cooked with one asparagus chopped and thrown on it, some mushrooms and mozzarella. No sauce, no garnish, NO FLAVOR. My 5yr old niece could’ve been more creative with it. Server mixed up our drinks. We were served wine that had turned. Just so disappointing for the price we paid.
They do have good ambience, some good drinks and desserts were good,
but I’m definitely NOT going there again!

For the best food and drinks in the Upper Valley go to Carpenter and Main. Chef Bruce and Ian are top notch and both are super passionate about what they do. These are the guys you want in your kitchen making your food and being creative with high quality local ingredients. And then there’s Max and the bar – what more can I say? Go to C&M for a truly great and relaxed dining experience.

We ate here tonight on our way back from a dartmouth football game. We both went to college here in the 80s and had a kid play football here in the 2010s. My folks have lived here since 1988… you get the picture. We have been here off and on for decades.
We opted for the casual no reservations part of the restaurant. The fancier part is good but frankly we have been happier with the menu at this front of the house area.
Tonights dinner blew us away. We could barely figure out which small plates to order they all were so intriguing. It almost helped… sitting down at 8:30pm on a saturday. that two of our top choices were sold out. Always a good sign.
We ended up going with five small plates for dinner. The roasted oysters, duck salad, and cauliflower salad came first. Delectable each and every one. Next came calamari, short rib bruschetta, and tater tots (okay just that made six but my husband insisted on tater tots and i ate a few. Yummy).
We each had a half bottle of red and white, as we divide that way. Both worked well with our tasty bites. So there you go. Something for everyone.
Dont miss this place! Except for the once a month exceptional osteria chiara pop up restaurant, there is no better place to dine in norwich or hanover. We ate at pine at the hanover inn the night before and it was very very good. But carpenter and main is better. Trust me.

My absolute favorite restaurant in Hanover area. Lots of choices on the menu. I feel it is the best bar, drinks are very well made.

My wife and I finally tried out C+M and enjoyed it very much. The service from Dan and Jason were excellent. Wines were good. The menu is a bit of a free-​for-​all but everything was fresh. Loved the salads and the steak frites. Sorbets were also a wonderful touch. On first glance we’d suggest sticking with the bistro — the dining room feels a bit formal.

Eaten here 4 times now, we have enjoyed every meal. Cocktails are tasty and the wine list is good. Stick to small plates for a really delicious meal. Avocado fries, lamb meatballs, golden beets are my favorites. I have had really good large plates but they can be hit or (an expensive) miss. Service is good.

Went for my birthday, been meaning to try for awhile. Really nice people and space. Good concept too of unique tapas style dishes (in an area where all restaurants serve practically the same food)…but horrible execution, everything we tried was just bad and really salty. Things like pork sliders, calamari and corn on the cob were bad even, which I honestly didn’t know was possible.

We went here for my girlfriend’s birthday dinner, and it was absolutely worth it. They placed us in a nice nook table that was both beautiful and romantic. Our waitress was also incredibly fun and engaging, and helped us make all the right choices. We started off with a cocktail and a few appetizers, all of which were good. Then, we did the cheese plate, which is not to be missed. Afterwards, we moved on to wine and our main course. She accidentally brought out a version of the chicken with nuts in it (an allergen we had warned her about) but she quickly corrected her mistake and brought out a new plate within 5 minutes. Anyway, I got the steak tartare, she got the chicken; both were fabulous. For dessert, they brought out our order with a candle in it, which was nice. The bill came out to about $ 100, and we left feeling very satisfied.
Overall, it’s a place I would highly recommend checking out; we’ll definitely be returning here in the near future. Happy eating!

It’s a strange story about how I found this place. The short version is, I met the bartender at another restaurant randomly, and he started telling me about these new spirits they were carrying at the bar. That was all I needed to hear.
The spirits… were amazing. But, the real find here, was the restaurant, the food, the people, and the overall experience.
I was on my way to Manchester from Randolph, long story. This place was on the way, though, and I’d promised the guy that I’d stop on by to try the maple bourbon on the way down. Thinking I’d just pop on by the bar for a drink or two, maybe a snack, I was intrigued immediately by the daily specials, especially after they were ordered by patrons at the bar. So, a drink or so in, and I’m thinking, «You have to have dinner sometime.»
Seated, I proceeded to peruse the menu. It wasn’t overly huge, but it was extremely difficult to make a decision, as nearly every option looked enticing. From new offerings to classics redesigned, I was scratching my head fervently. I ended up on the charcuterie plate, which was heavenly. The Tennessee Brown Jam was the clear star of this dish, but everything from the homemade pâté and terrine to the in-​house pickled onions, mustard and figs was perfect together.
Dinner was the special, Steak au Poivre, but made with hanger steak instead. A bit surprising, but one bite, and you knew why. The steak was so full of flavor, so meaty, but yielding, and exceptionally well-​cooked. The sauce was velvet, pure and simple. Creamy, but not heavy; spicy, but not overbearing. Just, perfect.
I couldn’t help it at this point, and I plunged head-​first into dessert. Chocolate trio… oh, heavens. I still get misty-​eyed when I think on it. I think my favorite was the white chocolate and toasted almond brittle. Every element was beyond reproach. The salted caramel chocolate was equally amazing, and the mousse-​like offering was melt-​in-​your-​soul delicious… Words fail.
The service was amiable and inviting, the décor was cozy and warming, and the food and beverage were beyond description. I sincerely hope to find myself in that neck of the woods again in the future. Thank you, kind bartender, for beckoning me to your wondrous establishment!

Is it possible to give 0 (yes zero) stars. Quite possibly the worst restaurant I think I have ever been to in the USA, the theme of «upmarket, classy French» is like the equivalent of eating pancakes with soap powder.
We arrived at 6.30pm for 7pm table of two reservation so decided to have a cocktail at the bar. Within 10 minutes there was probably ¹⁰⁄₁₂ walk-​ins and the (so called) Maitre D couldn’t cope. We were asked 3 times by separate people if we wanted to eat at the bar, surely if we wanted to do that why make reservations???
Hand formed chicken pot pie, an underdone pastry lid splattered into a bowl of what was reminiscent of cat food… Not even sure if it tasted of chicken??? And the price well… $$$$$$$$ not worth it!!!
Steak & frites adequate…
After speaking to Vermonters this place used to be amazing and we may have caught it on a bad night, me I’m not sure too many staff ill experienced and not pleasant. After reading other Unilocal reviews I wonder if they are friends and relatives because anywhere else after that night this place would close within a week.

Before getting too negative, I do want to mention that the service here is really good. But I also like eating good food when I go out and this place is just… okay. And when you consider the prices of their entrees, it becomes… not okay.
We’ve gone a couple times with friends and the bill generally comes out to about $ 30 to $ 40 per person. Last time, I got the least expensive item on their entrée menu — other than the burger — which was a chicken stew dish with a couple biscuits on top that they marketed as «chicken pot pie». The portion size was small, and it tasted little better than something from a can of Campbell’s. For the same price, I could have gotten a guaranteed tasty dish from Stella’s or Norwich Inn. Disappointed.