Two Ceres St is a great place to grab a cocktail but unfortunately my last experience was less than stellar. The waitress was more concerned with her male companions at the bar and seemed irritated when she had to come serve us. She also would sit down and chat at length, all the while completely ignoring our empty glasses and the fact we wanted to place an order. If you're a female, expect a haughty and unpleasant welcome!
Review Source:Stopped here for drinks and apps before dinner on New Year's Eve. Very good crostini and surprisingly good avocado fries with panko bread crumbs. Unlike previous reviews I found the service to be just fine. Prices aren't cheap, but they added more food to the app menu which I was hoping for the last time I was here. I'm surprised it was not crowded like the other bars in Portsmouth, but it may be because it is a little hard to find. I recommend this place. 4 stars only because the prices are a bit steep.
Review Source:Came in to escape from the rain, and after being at a few other places along Bow street. Ordered some simple apps and a couple top shelf drinks. Had a pomegranite bacardi mojito. the drink was perfect. They were out of the apps I really wanted, and by the time the apps I ordered came out, I wasn't hungry anymore- so I can't really rate the food. Price was good considering it is downtown portsmouth.
Review Source:I have to stop coming here. Had the same experience as D... twice in two weeks! Hi people, if you have a bar and are leaving the doors unlocked and lights on, you might want to have a bartender present.... especially during normal operation hours.
I really enjoyed bringing out of towners here because of the cozy, local vibe... but it's just become too much of a risk to plan on coming here and find them randomly closed or absent.
The last time we did successfully stop in, we ordered a bottle of wine that was undrinkable and had to send it back. I don't know what's going on but I hope they get it together before the tourist season!
If you do end up stranded without backup plans, try the Spring Hill Tavern directly across the street, the Black Trumpet down Ceres, or the bar at 106 Kitchen about half a block up on Penhallow.
Dropped in for a drink with friends last night. Â 9:45. Â A few folks were drinking by the fireplace, so we sat at the bar. Â No bartender in sight. Â Waited 5 minutes. Â Looked up the telephone # and called the bar. Â Heard the phone ringing behind the bar. Â No one comes to get it, I get their voice mail. Â Waited a few more minutes. Â Left. Â Went across the street to Black Trumpet and spent our money there.
Review Source:One of my favorite places in Portsmouth! Martinis and good selection of craft beers. I love the fireplace that is in the center of the bar, makes for a cozy and intimate setting with good friends and company. The only reason why I didn't give it the extra star is because the bartenders are not the most personable or friendly but hey, your not there to make friends with the bartenders if you're there with good friends!
Review Source:Ive been a few times and have always received such an awesome martini. A few of the times I came to Two Ceres, there was a gentleman bartender by the name of Jay whom offered such awesome service. He was extremely polite and made such an awesome drink.
Food here is ok, Drinks Perfect.
Ill be back if I'm in the area.
Spoiler alert: beautiful atmosphere, lousy service.
We came in cold but were seated relatively quickly. The table had a thick sludge of candle wax in the center that our waiter didn't bother to address. I ordered a beer while my friends ordered a couple of gin & tonics while my fiancee ordered one of their signature martinis.
When our waiter brought back the drinks, I asked why the beer he brought  was a different beer from the one I ordered - same company, different brew.
"Oh, the menu is lying  - we don't have the beer you ordered right now."
Who does that? What restaurant takes an order and then brings out only a version of that order without consulting with the customer? Then my fiancee noticed a large smear of lipstick on her martini glass.
He took our drinks and walked away, returning with a beer I actually wanted and - ostensibly - a new martini. But when we looked at the glass, there it was: same lipstick slightly smudged off. They hadn't even bothered with a new glass.
There weren't even any apologies. This bar might rate a second star because of the interior, but I'll never set foot in again and I definitely don't recommend the trip.
I had a few good drinks here with friends last summer. Â They've taken a space that has been about one hundred different things in the past twenty years (I think most recently it was a souvenir shop) and made it something I hope will last. Â
I wonder how many people have fallen down the stairs from the bathroom. Â It's at the top of a steep flight, and there is very little space at the top to stand to wait.
cute underground place..
don't know it was quiet and slow because it's there off season or it's just how it is all the time..
i loved the fact it was quiet and slow.. we spent 4 hours in portsmouth brewery + pub before we got to Two Ceres Street.. we needed some break from big loud crowd...
nice fire place (gas) and comfortable sitting...
they have extensive cocktail menu and i had sip of all my friends cocktails but, i wasn't impressed with any of them.. sad...
though the service was good..
i will definitely give it another try - maybe i will try their wine next time
Here's some continuing support for Two Ceres Street. Â We had a little trouble deciding where to sit because we were either in front of the air conditioner or we were in front of a speaker. Â The volume changed from one song to the next and it was strange, but the atmosphere was nice and Becky took care of us. Â We hadn't planned on stopping for a drink, but I'm glad we did.
Review Source:Kind of hard to find, but a great place to take a date. Music is not too loud so that you can have a nice conversation without getting lockjaw from yelling. My partner and I went on a rainy Saturday afternoon, and it was just the right spot for an afternoon cocktail/ make plans for later kinda place.
The only thing that was odd are the sofas, kinda useless, and uncomfortable...I know what they were going for, but groupings of comfortable chairs by the fire would have been much nicer.