3 Best Restaurants in The Monadnocks and Merrimack Valley, New Hampshire

One of New England's most celebrated diners, this bustling downtown greasy spoon has been catering to students, artists, and most famously U.S. Presidential candidates since 1922. This colorful restaurant, open around the clock, is a friendly place with fresh daily specials as well as such classics as kielbasa-and-cheese omelets and triple-bun Dinahmoe burgers.

Set on the ground floor of a vintage redbrick apartment building on the east side of downtown, this hip café and gathering spot excels both with drinks—everything from nitro cold brews to creative smoothies—and healthy, well-crafted food. At breakfast, consider the egg-cheddar-chive brioche sandwich, while tandoori bowls and rare-seared tuna sandwiches, along with craft cocktails and beers, are popular in the afternoon and for brunch.

Floor-to-ceiling windows add a touch of elegance to this superb—if a bit spendy—farm-to-table restaurant in the Colonial Colby Hill Inn, which also offers well-appointed accommodations. Fresh produce takes center stage on the diverse, contemporary menu, which might offer a watermelon-tomato-feta salad or goat cheese–blueberry pierogies to start. Main dishes could include lobster swimming in a Brazilian-style coconut stew, or Korean-style lacquered duck breast with kohlrabi kimchi. It's in the charming town of Henniker, roughly midway between Lake Sunapee and Concord, on the edge of the Monadnock region.