Ariana’s Restaurant

Great date restaurant. Incredible, personalized service; food good but not quite living up to the hype. It should be mentioned that I am a vegetarian and Ariana’s menu focuses on local, sustainable meats, so perhaps the experience would be different for a carnivore (indeed, the people eating around me seemed to be very happy with their food). Mushroom/​leek/​chevre crepes with arugula cream sauce appetizer was delicious. I split this app. with my girlfriend and they thoughtfully plated the dish individually for each of us. She had the shrimp scampi, which she said was very tasty. I had a root vegetable risotto, which was fine but mushy and somewhat bland. Not bad enough to send back, but not nearly as good as the appetizer. The chef came out and chatted with us during the meal, and our server handed my gf a tulip as we prepared to leave. Very nice people, intimate atmosphere, and good food. Good selection of drinks, but our server was not quite knowledgable enough to recommend the right wine (asked for dry house white, definitely on the sweet end).

The food is phenomenal, superb wine and excellent service. The surprising part is a restaurant this good in the middle of nowhere! So worth the drive– we came from Sunapee. My husband raved about the French onion soup– said it was the best and he is very picky. Also raved about the Beef Wellington. I had the warm spinach salad and Duck Confit — also fabulous! Small intimate restaurant with farm fresh food served with all the elegance you would expect from fine dining.

The best food I’ve had thus far in the Upper Valley during the past four years. ABSOLUTELY!
And everything we ordered was VERY tasty! Presentation was excellent! It is a drive to get there yet Oh so worth the effort!

Wonderful, farm-​fresh food prepared by a master chef and staff in a welcoming atmosphere.
We love eating at the «Chef’s Counter» — a bar overlooking the kitchen where we can watch our meals taking shape and catch up with Chef Martin.
Our favorites include the warm spinach salad, pork dumplings, mussels… today’s entrée, the duck confit, was excellent.
Very highly recommended.

My wife and I dined here with my parents recently and it was fantastic. Very quiet setting. Very polite service. Hot and tasty food brought to our table in a timely manner. A bit pricey for my liking but other than that it’s spectacular.

Absolutely fantastic local/​farm-​oriented restaurant with a sophisticated spin. One of the best meals I’ve eaten in years. The atmosphere is sort of barn-​y, but well-​decorated and the net effect is very homey. Staff were friendly, attentive, and personable. We even met the owner/​chef, towards the end of our meal. My father and I ended up each getting an app, entrée, dessert, and beverage, and nothing disappointed. I had the braised boneless short rib, which was fantastically cooked — melted in my mouth, with loads of flavor. The squash and root veggie soup (seen in a picture) was great as well — tasted of delicious farm-​fresh veggies with a hint of spice. They have a mix of everything — plenty of vegan and gluten-​free options, as well as fantastic meat and seafood dishes. As they only have 7 or 8 tables (many of which are two-​seaters, or not much bigger!) plus a small counter, be sure to make a reservation on weekends.

The duck confit was delicious and the ambiance was fun. Unfortunately, my wife went with the house dish (Ariana’s chicken) which left something to be desired. She requested the three stars, but I leaned towards four.

Wow. This is a hidden gem. We sat looking into the open kitchen watching the chef and staff prepare meals on a busy night. Our spinach salad was the best I have ever had, followed by duck confit to die for. Love love love this place! Thank you for serving food so thoughtfully prepared!

This restaurant is a hidden gem. In a cute converted barn the atmosphere is casual and welcoming while still offering an upscale dinning experience. The service is warm, friendly and extremely efficient. If you are lucky enough to be served by Jamie count your blessings. The chef comes to your table to check in and make sure the food is all you could hope it would be.
Ok the food: obviously the most important thing to be discussed.
I had one of the daily specials, the pan seared swordfish with a white bean stew. God lord it was delicious! Perfectly cooked and seasoned.
My husband had the chicken three ways. The tiny piece that I managed to wrestle from him was juicy, crispy and superb.
My lovely aunt had the shellfish stew (I stole a wonderful and huge shrimp yummy!) which she described as the scallops as «melt in your mouth» and the broth as «to die for!»
My ruggedly handsome uncle had the duck confit which was juicy and tender. He called it «very good» which for him translates as delicious.
We all shared the crème brûlée trio, the strawberry rhubarb crisp, the lemon curd (holy crap order this!!!) and the makers mark gelato. It was all amazing!
The hubby and I may need to make it back east a bit more frequently!

Lovely service in a quaint farm setting.
I had a fish entrée which was done perfectly; portion size was reasonable.
The dessert menu is impeccable. My dining partner, who is allergic to everything under the sun, fell in love with their vegan chocolate mousse.
I’d go again, despite the super long drive :)

So excellent! My partner and I came here for our anniversary dinner in January, and we still talk about the lamb risotto we had that night!
We started with a cheese board and wine, and they were all fresh and flavorful. I had a fish dish that was on special and my partner had a lamb risotto that was also a special (and was definitely the real winner). My partner doesn’t appreciate quality food quite as much as I do, but he was really blown away by the risotto, and talked about it for weeks afterward.
You can tell that each dish is crafted with care, and it is so refreshing to be in a restaurant with an open kitchen. They have a little garden on the side of the restaurant that supplies some of their veggies and herbs.
Lovelovelove!

Wow. This is a wow restaurant, the first one in this area I would say. Nice atmosphere, a bunch of pleasant small rooms. Surprisingly big menu; a good page of regular things AND about 5 each special apps and mains. Very solicitous staff.
And the food! What’s impressive and delightful about Ariana’s food is that it’s so interesting, in addition to delicious. There are very few things on the menu that are like I’ve had elsewhere. A lot of this is their sauces — clearly created there, and great. Scallops with red pepper sauce was just fabulous, and that’s just one. But really, everything is so good.
The other thing that is special about Ariana’s is it’s a family business and it shows. They welcome you at the door, talk to you about the food, make sure you’re happy. I guess every place at least goes through those motions, but here you know they mean it. It’s their place and their offering to you.
All in all Ariana’s is a gem.

We come in at 8:20 on a Monday night. Unilocal indicates open til 9, but the staff is clearly cleaning up to leave when we arrive. Fortunately, the accommodating staff agree to seat us, assuring us they still have a hour of work. We luck out because the dinner is fabulous! The pork wrap appetizers and the caprice provide the perfect beginning with just the right flavor to kick off the perfect meal. The scallops are a must-​try! Flown in fresh daily, never frozen, the dry scallops, served with polenta and lots of fresh fiddleheads prove to be 5 star material! The chicken, served 3 ways is a hit with my colleague and the pasta, gone in a flash.
Not only is the food outstanding, but the beautiful setting — cows grazing outside, gardens in view and the lush green countryside surrounding the restaurant — all contribute to this special evening. Highly recommend a visit!

I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place before, considering there are not a ton of restaurants in the area. Almost hidden away, this tiny barn has a chef’s table/​bar where you can watch the whole kitchen. To me, that always says that the kitchen’s clean and honest. And I was terribly jealous that I wasn’t sitting there.
We came for a birthday celebration. 5 people. 2 people have major food allergens, different ones, and the staff and chef could not have been nicer or more accommodating. And honestly, they cook in such a real way, that there were plenty of gluten free, dairy free, and corn free options. Everything looked beautiful, everything tasted amazing and was cooked perfectly. And the chef even came over the check on us. The service was lovely. The place was clean. I have zero complaints. Accept that they’re not open on Tuesday so I can’t go back an 2^nd night in a row and watch the kitchen work.
Reservations definitely recommended. It’s very small, and very packed. The tables are not on top of each other at all, but they were all full. A tip: I hear you have to lock the bathroom door from the inside so no one walks in on you.

This restaurant is the GEM of the entire area!
Friendly and the Chef is passionate about his creations. Delicious food! Thank you.

This farm to table establishment is the most charming place one could hope for in the area.
We reserved a table for 6 and ordered a four course tasting menu with paired wines. For the quality of the food, the skill of preparation and the wine expertise, I feel that we got the best deal on the East Coast.
There was food literally right out of the garden, and everything was so delicious. Chef Martin Murphy was very welcoming and extremely accommodating with our party and has a wonderful hospitable outlook.
Our party had the chance to dine in a private room inside the farm house, very homey.
I would strongly recommend Ariana’s as a foodie destination, it is worth the drive from NYC for sure.