Restaurants we'd send our parents to, breweries we'd send our brother-in-law to. Filtered by quadrant where it matters — sun on the dock at six, dinner by seven.
The only full-service restaurant on Squam, tucked on the Little Squam channel with docks for guests who arrive by boat instead of car. The name is a nod to Walter, the trout Billy spends the summer chasing in "On Golden Pond" — a detail most diners miss on their way to the lobster roll. Scallops and the chowder are the safe order; the deck fills first on a July Friday.
The white-tablecloth option on Squam, inside the Van Horn estate on Manor Drive — reservations run through the property's online system, not a phone call, and the dining room doesn't seat guests under 12. A wood-burning fireplace anchors the main room, with a terrace for warmer nights and a wine list that earned the estate a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025. Open Wednesday through Sunday only.
The more relaxed sibling to Van Horn Dining Room, inside the same Manor Drive estate — a bistro-and-pub menu instead of a tasting-menu pace, with its own fireplace and a patio that opens at 3 on summer weekends, earlier than the formal room next door. The move for a couple who want the property's wine list without the reservation pressure of the main dining room.
The original Common Man, open in Ashland since 1971 and the reason the small New Hampshire chain exists at all. Meatloaf, baked mac and cheese, and a Nantucket pie regulars order before they've sat down — comfort food, not a lake-view production. The upstairs lounge has a wood stove and parlor games for the wait; Squam Scoops opened across the courtyard for the ice cream after.
Common Man's ice cream counter, opened across the courtyard from the main restaurant in Ashland. House-made ice cream and frappes, nothing fried or elaborate — the reward stop after Squam Boat Livery or a Rattlesnake hike. Open at noon on weekends but not until 4 on weekdays, so a weekday-afternoon drive-by can come up empty.
The nearest real brewery to Squam, about fifteen minutes east in Meredith inside a barn frame that dates to the 1850s. The head brewer runs traditional lagers and farmhouse styles alongside the expected West Coast IPA, with a biergarten for the beers that are better outside. Closed Tuesdays, which catches people off guard mid-week; otherwise open to 9 most nights with a full food menu.