Mombo Restaurant

This is not an exaggeration: this is the best restaurant I've been to in years (and I dine out a lot) I went to dinner at Monbo with six friends and my husband. The atmosphere is beautiful, warm and welcoming on a cold winter night. We were seated upstairs and, because it was a Sunday night, we had that area to ourselves. Our server, Jaime, knew exactly what she was doing. Her timing was perfect: always there when we needed her, never intruding when we were eating or talking. Everything was delivered to the table promptly, and yet the meal was leisurely and we never felt rushed. The dishes were prepared to perfection. The chef has worked all over the country: The Four Seasons in Vegas, South Beach, and Washington D.C. The beet salad was delicious and fresh. I had the duck which had a lovely crispy exterior and a tender flavorful center served with turnips and white asparagus that tasted as though they had just been picked. The chocolate tide dessert went well with the cappuccino and the wine list was fantastic. Everything about this restaurant is wonderful. If you don't want to spend a lot (though the price is worth it) just sit at the bar and have a drink and light meal. You won't be disappointed in the service, the food or the atmosphere. This is what fine dining is supposed to be.

We truly enjoyed our eating experience at the Mombo. Our server, a young man, really brought a lot of character into the meal. He truly loves his job and added a nice bit of personal flare to the dinner. He offered suggestions, we spoke of the area and of the show we were about to see in town. Its like we gained a relationship with the restaurant. The duck was superb. The filet presentation and taste were eye catching and palet pleasing. Loved the stack of truffle fries. The toy box salad was delish, heirloom tomotoes, cheese, and the dressing, yummee. Oh cant forget the starter, we had the mixed plate. Pate, cheeses, fruit jams, nuts, toast little bread slices.... WOW! what a great combination. Yes Yes Yes!

Had a fantastic evening with friends! Mombo provided fabulous food, and the restaurant staff made us feel so welcome and comfortable! They give great service but are not overbearing. My husband and I had beet salad, which was very good, and our friends had the mussels - "to die for". Entrees were wonderful: a superb cod, very good duck breast (with excellent vegges), outstanding scallops, a very tasty pork tenderloin, and melt-in-your-mouth brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes. Desserts were a success too: An interesting carrot cake (very orangey - some folks might find it too much orange, but we liked it), good "chocolate tide" (chocolate done several ways, plus Meyer Lemon ice cream and coconut) and an incredible creme brulee. On a scale of 1 to 10, everything was at least an 8 and many 9s and 10s in terms of food quality. The quality can easily compare with New York and Chicago. Jazz piano music added to the ambiance. What really made it a stand-out experience was the attitude of the staff, especially the executive chef / general manager Tom. He took care of us in every possible way and went "outside the box" to accommodate our special requests, recommended favorite dishes, and just made us feel welcome and "at home" all the way. A very special evening requires the right company and the right restaurant. Mombo did their part in spades! We'll be back and tell our friends to come. .

Excellent menu choices. Atmosphere so romantic and relaxed. Lobster bread pudding to die for! Scallops succulent and perfectly cooked. Veal chop cooked to perfection just as Alden, our server, said it would be! Mombo #5 for dessert an excellent recommendation again. Will definately be back!

Our group of 6 and a baby went to Mombo on a Sunday night and had an excellent dinner. The food was truly delicious. We had the duck, filet, ribeye, and Kobe steak. All were wonderful. We also enjoyed the drink and wine menu. They have a unique wine list with some interesting wines that you don't see everywhere. The waiter was very accommodating about the baby. We had a great evening and will go there the next time we are in the Portsmouth area.

Mombo has been my favorite restaurant for over a year now. I recommend it regularly as the first choice in Portsmouth. The menu is inventive without going over the top, and changes just often enough. The decor and ambiance of the restaurant is colonial, yet modern, with the post and beam architecture and other decor. The staff is attentive, well trained and enthusiastic, with less turnover leading to more of an 'ownership' feel. The kitchen seating is my favorite, as is the big booth nearby. The wine list is thoughtful and expert in its choices.

Special Features:
fit for foodies, good for groups, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion

Went to Mombo for the first time last night with my wife and was very pleased. Right from the start the greeting was very friendly and welcoming. We were seated right away and gave us a great table to enjoy our 11th anniversary dinner. The grapefruit and blueberry cocktails were generous if you know what I mean. I had my mind made up that I was going to order the fois gras and duck before even sitting down. My wife ordered the halibut special. The wait person brought me three samples of wine recommendations from the chef to chose for my starter and main course. I thought that was great customer service and made us feel like we were being take good care of. The fois gras on cornbread with strawberry creme fraiche was very good. My duck was prepared perfect and white asparagus was really tasty. My wife enjoyed the beet salad and the halibut was incredible. We were there taking our sweet time and enjoyed our evening from 7 to 11pm and nobody made us feel like we needed to rush! We split the creme brulee which was huge and so very tasty. It was a special evening and everything was perfect! I'm a tough customer to please and can't say enough how excellent our experience was last night.

Excellent all around. Unique interesting seasonal menu using local suppliers.  Service was second to none.  I would highly recommend especially the chef's bar seating where u can watch your meal being prepared.

It has been one year since I reviewed Mombo and it has become one of my favorite Portsmouth restaurants.

Of course, when it opened, as any new restaurant has, it had its bumps but now, it has only improved with age.

My favorite nights to go are Thursdays. They started a small plate menu for Thursdays to which all of the chefs contribute. Last Thursday we sat at the table in the bowed window (a change as we are regulars at the chef's bar - fabulous spot to watch the action by the way) and some of the chefs actually served their own dishes to us. How fun to hear what went into it and how they got their inspiration. I love it that they are all young and passionate about their art. Quite a talented crew...

Had an amazing dining experience at MOMBO tonight. My first time. Shauna the bartender was great. Atmosphere was super. I had the poached pears salad and sautéed scallops - amazing job! The malbec was silky smooth. I rank Mombo right up there with Portsmouth other fab four restaurants! I will be back with my girls!  Thank You!

We checked around as we had all day in Portsmouth and read the reviews here and decided the atmosphere and the varied menu sounded like the chef and owners really knew what we wanted. We arrived and were greeted by a pleasant and pretty hostess who you could tell right away she enjoyed this place. The atmosphere was younger and blended the old building and great architecture with a new and hip viewing kitchen and prep area. Every part of meal was outstanding, from the drinks and the unreal good meat and cheese plate with flavors only seeing and tasting could express to the Lobster bisque and delicious Swordfish. No fancy wasted presentation here, all of the beautiful presentations were well thought out combinations that added to the tastes of each meal. The entire staff was enjoying their job and offered outstanding knowledge and service. The most impressive thing of all was the fact that this was the first night of the brand new fall menu, and their wasn't a hiccup in any of it. We enjoyed it so much, we made reservations again on te spot for a kitchen bar seat to view the artists at work the next night. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

We're a bunch of fussy foodies in my family, and rarely impressed by local restaurants...but we manage. We read the reviews for this establishment and decided to celebrate a birthday there last night. The ambience, the service and the food were all fabulous. It wasn't cheap, but we've spent the same money elsewhere and gotten far less quality. We will definitely go back there as soon as feasible. Great place, awesome food, imaginative selection!