Breaking New Grounds

Portsmouth, NH is so fun — especially when the weather cooperates. Weather or not, I need my coffee! While on a trip here for a wedding, I wanted a good cup of coffee. Breaking New Grounds had that — the coffee here is good. My wife had the decaf, I had the cappuccino. Both were good — the cappuccino was very good. They have treats in the front case as well. I tried a slice of pound cake. It was good — not «I gotta have more!» good, but it was «this goes well with my coffee» good. The people were nice. There was ample seating on the inside and a fair amount on the outside. My only concern with the place is that we felt very rushed in line. As though they wanted to get our order and get us out of there. I don’t think I would have selected the pound cake had I had more time to look at other options…

This hip and cool coffee house is the place to go for a good cup of coffee! I can tell that they care about their customers. Here in this coffee shop, there is a very diverse crowd, but they still serve amazing beverages.

Breaking new grounds has been my favorite coffee stop in ports oh for the past 4 years. I usually would say 5 stars and recommend all my friends. But unfortunately after the service I was provided today I will no longer be recommending this place. I order my usual white chocolate mocha latte iced with skim but the gentleman assisting me told me all lattes have to be made with whole milk and I was not allowed to substitute it out…

Best latte I’ve had in a long time. I was so excited they had banana and hazelnut flavor shots. I wish there was a place like this near me.

The guy who helped me was super nice.
I had the ice coffee, house blend, I added skim milk and liquid sugar, it was good. Definitely don’t mind coming back here. :)
The best, I must say is the pistachio muffin. Just wow. So flavorful and the walnut inside of it just made it even more wonderful.
Enjoy!

Best location in Portsmouth. Sit outside and watch the world go by (if avail, seems that everyone else has same idea). Did I mention the location? Perfect for tourists. Very good coffee and etc from a bakery/​café. big enough to cater to tourists during summer. Another great Portsmouth location.
They roast their own coffee. Gelato. Large bakery case with large selection.

Classic spot for coffee and tea. Love to sit outside! They could make inside a little cozier however!
Great people, best spot in town!

Awesome coffee??? Not in the least. 1 star
Burnt taste
Tossed my cappuccino
WiFi is city WiFi and spotty
Location gets it 5 stars & friendly staff
Lots of space but I won’t be back

Good coffee, unique blends, pastry’s and gelato. Neat environment — always popular, brings in customers of all ages, young & old. You can smell the brew from the sidewalk out front. Highly recommend

We have walked into this place at least 5 times over the last few years… always looking for some sort of bakery item and the display never seemed to entice us enough to purchase.
Last night after a nice dinner downtown, we again went in looking for a dessert to take back to our hotel. I admit the smell of coffee with a hint of cinnamon filled the air and being a coffee shop primarily, this is important and inviting. Its always busy. iT must be the coffee and free wifi because from our experience, it isn’t the dessert offerings.
We ordered a triple choc mousse and another lovely looking mousse that was orange and choc flavored, a fav combo of mine. Prices are not posted. They were tasty but at $ 8 a clip EACH for this tiny offering, you must be kidding. Desserts in most restaurants served on a plate with a fork, often cost less than this. Way overpriced in the dessert bakery area. We won’t be back!

I consider this without a doubt my favorite coffee spot to frequent. I have not once in my YEARS OF going there have had even a slightly disappointing experience. The staff is friendly, helpful, professional, and efficient. The baked goods are a delightful treat without being overly sweet or decadent –great balance! Their regular offerings are expansive enough but they always have a special offering or treat of the season, holiday, or week which are proven to be exceed my expectations. No other coffee spot has the same comfortable warm ambiance that matches a stellar product. I’d give them 10 stars if I could. GREAT SPOT.

Warm and inviting. That’s the pro.
Con. Went two days in a row. Day 1… After 3 tries the barista finally got my coffee correct.
Both days… Coffee was burnt :(.
Not impressed.

Their coffee is great, and the space cozy! The caffeine is pretty strong, and the medium latte is huge. I would definitely come here again, way better than the Starbucks.

Holy mackerel!
I am VERY pleased with this coffee place.
I went here today to get my English homework done while I am visiting for the holidays. The coffee was Very strong, the Service was worth praising, and the menu looked pretty good too. I ordered the eggnog latte. I thought it was going to be like Starbucks style, but I was wrong.
It is very different to Starbucks. The eggnog was very creamy and frothy. If I had a choice to come back, I, for one, will probably do so.
Thank You, BNG for making this an experience I will not forget anytime soon.

It’s a great location and the coffee is good. That’s where it ends.
I was standing in line for about 5 minutes when barista girl decides to wait on the people BEHIND ME. Actually, 2 of them did that. I had to tell them I was next. What am I, invisible?
OK, then there’s atmosphere. It’s really nice that they have local artists and photographers featured on their walls and that’s fine. But, this place is not only too big, it’s so totally impersonal and the vibe just isn’t there for me. Not only that, they are so busy that no one has the time, nor the inclination, to actually clean the place. Of the one or two tables available when I went on my search, they were all dirty. The entire time I was there I saw no effort to clean any of them.
I can’t base a review totally on the coffee. It has to encompass the entire experience and Breaking New Grounds missed the mark completely. All I wanted to do was drink my coffee and get out of there. That’s exactly what I did.
I’m sure there are other cafes in the downtown area besides this and Starbucks and in the future I’ll be seeking them out.

Where are these coffee houses in Jersey? I live right across from Manhattan. This coffee house beats it all. Had to buy a mug to seal my experience! Can’t wait to come back. Thank you so much for the warm atmosphere, and the kind service. They can hold it down during a rush! Smitten, by this coffee house. Love the art!

Quaint coffee shop — tons of varities of coffees and other beverages available, as well as pastries and desserts. The staff is ridiculously nice and friendly. I love stopping in here and picking up a quick something to eat or drink.

Some quick background — I’ve been going to BNG for at least 10 years, since they were at their previous location, and these days my wife and I go almost every night, so this review is a long time coming.
There is a reason I’ve been coming back for so long — Breaking New Grounds is easily one of the best cafes around, and the first place I suggest newcomers to Portsmouth go for a great beverage and relaxing time. I regularly get their iced teas in the summer, and hot teas in the winter, while she will get a mix of lemonades, iced lattes, and coffee based drinks. Their teas are steeped from fresh loose leaf and are always delicious. And of note — since this is unfortunately something a lot of places strangely do not do — they clean their iced tea containers on a regular basis, which is awesome, because I am a big fan of the taste of tea over that of bacterial growth.
Also, super super tasty cakes — we don’t splurge on these often, but when we do, it’s totally worth it.
BNG also shines with its staff — they are a very friendly group of people — we’ve been lucky enough to make a number of friends over the years. Even during the crazy hectic times when the place is jam packed, they keep their cool and always do a great job.
The café features both indoor and outdoor seating, with counters in the back for extended laptop use (the electrical outlets in the front were sealed long ago to prevent individuals from working in the «prime real estate» areas for half the day). Most tables comfortably seat 4 people, with a few larger round ones for 5 or so. Or, if you play card and board games like us, they can reasonable fit a good sized game, with room for your drink on the side.
Give BNG a try next time you’re in Portsmouth, you won’t regret it!

Great location, chill vibe, clean place, friendly staff. I like it. It’s cool to see the independent coffee shop again (like the 90’s). Portsmouth has a good selection of them.
Coffee has always been fresh and tasty AND comes with a real kick. I don’t know if it’s me but I’m always flying after getting a coffee from this place. Not a bad thing, but it seems like they have more caffeine than some other places.

I visited Breaking New Grounds yesterday for the first time and I was very impressed! I was greeted by very friendly, welcoming staff and I ordered a Café Americano which was simply superb. The seating area was very clean, the WiFi was fast and everything was very pleasant. I didn’t try any of the food offerings, but everything looked delicious. I will definitely visit again the next time I’m in Market Square.