5 Best Restaurants in Lakes Region, New Hampshire

A legit contender in New Hampshire's fierce battle for the best pancake house, this rustic timber-frame roadhouse is run by a family who've been producing maple syrup for five generations. Open only on weekends, Benton's serves stacks of pancakes in several flavors, including strawberry shortcake, Mounds Bar, and Grandma's apple cinnamon. There's stuffed French toast, omelets, and breakfast sandwiches, too, but who are we kidding? This place is all about those fluffy pancakes.

Lobster-roll aficionados flock to this funky converted schoolhouse with screened-in and outdoor seating high on a bluff above the Pemigewasset River. Start with a cup of lobster bisque or clam chowder before digging into a traditional (lightly dressed, with mayo) or hot-buttered lobster roll—both come on a warm, buttered brioche roll, best enjoyed with a side of garlic fries. Burgers, fried, clams, and fish-and-chips are also available.

Guests of the Pickering House hotel had become so enamored of the inn's occasional dinners and other food events that the owners opened this full-time restaurant in the Victorian house next door. Showcasing creative American fare sourced locally and seasonally as much as possible, the kitchen serves an oft-changing menu that might feature pan-roasted duck breast with garlic-roasted radicchio and roasted figs, and mussels in a green curry–coconut broth with lime and cilantro.

It may have the word "secret" in its name, but this artisan ice-cream shop with a walk-up window and deck as well as a spacious indoor seating area has a devoted following—let's just say the cat's out of the bag. This is some of the richest and delicious ice cream in the state, and there's always a great lineup of unusual flavors, such as Thai tea, roasted cherry chip, honeycomb, and strawberry buttermilk.