Coat of Arms
174 fleet street., phone +1 603 431-0407, (http://www.coatofarmspub.com/). best beer bar in town. it is on a side street, up a flight of stairs, so it tends to be just locals. the focus is on english and irish styles with a couple of cast beers and a host of english and irish imports fullers esb, fullers ipa, green king ipa. they carry the british theme through with a snooker table; a couple of dartboards, and free copies of the us based english press. the crowd tends to be young and "alt" for portsmouth. a nice pint, some decent music, and a good crowd. their pub grub is decent as well.
Portsmouth Brewery
56 market st, phone: +1 603-431-1115, (http://www.portsmouthbrew...). a brewpub right in the center of downtown, that serves better then average typical pub food. tod mott is the head brewer and is considered one of the best brewers in new england so check out some of their 8-10 beers that are always on tap. there is a large upstairs dining area as well as a sizable bar area. don't overlook the built in coaches up front with views of the street. there is also a downstairs space, called the jimmy lapanza lounge, that has a pool table and attracts a younger crowd.