Cold Mountain Cafe

Finding a good, atmospheric restaurant in or around Franconia is like finding gold dust. There was a mix up on the time of the reservation but the staff juggled the tables to overcome the problem. The service was efficient and friendly (you can't take that for granted in these parts!), the food excellent and the ambience convivial. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

Had an exceptionally wonderful dinner here, enjoying the view of Mt Washington from our outdoor table. The drinks and food were all incredible. We shared mussels and broccoli as appetizers and both were unbelievablly good. Everyone in my party thoroughly enjoyed their entrees. The bean cake lived up the the hype and was fascinating, innovative, and most importantly delicious. The falafel salmon was good but very slightly overcooked and not quite as flavorful as the other dishes served. For dessert we shared the flourless chocolate tart and keylime pie, which were both amazing. I wish I lived closer and could come back for more meals frequently! Couldn't recommend enoug!

So badly wanted to give this place 5 stars! My husband and I went for a romantic dinner per the recommendation of our Airbnb host. Service was timely (not too quick, not too slow) and kind. We got a small plate - broccolini was tasty and vibrant tahini flavor. A medium plate - the mushroom cakes were so delicious and somehow tasted almost exactly like crab! And a main - we shared the lobster pasta, so creamy and delicious. The dahlias on the tables were grown by an employee and added nice vibes to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, I was provided with an alcoholic drink when I ordered a strawberry basil lemonade. It tasted odd and not very sweet, considering it was lemonade. I kept taking uncertain sips, then asked if it was for-sure lemonade. When they realized it contained alcohol, they were equally mortified - I’m pregnant… and replaced the drink and did not charge us for it. Sadly, that mistake really made the night uncomfortable for me. I was super bummed that I ended up drinking probably a third of a drink of alcohol. Please be more careful in the future!

I would have never thought this kind of restaurant could have existed in these parts. The residents of Bethlehem and the near by towns have NO idea what a gem Cold Mountain Cafe really is! The quality of food is something you’d expect in any big city so you can imagine my surprise to find it in Bethlehem. Cold Mountain Cafe is definitely deserves 5 stars and would get a Michelin rating of 3 which is the highest offered. It’s a restaurant that offers exceptional cuisine that is worth a special journey. Below is a list of what was ordered Appetizers: Asparagus soup - very nice especially on a cool night Stuffed date - bacon wrapped dates with Chèvre - the bomb! Could have eaten 3 orders of these. Street Corn parfait - not bad Mushroom crab cakes - nice twist to what you’d expect, these wonderful little cakes are made of mushrooms NOT crab, very good. Entrees: Black bean cake - it’s like a black bean burger but super sized (with no bread) simple delicious. No wonder it’s been on the menu for the last 20 yrs. Pork schnitzel - basically it’s a a thin piece of pork, lightly breaded, pan fried with a lemon caper sauce. Absolutely amazing! Bistro steak - nice clean filet, not fatty with a tasty Gouda sauce. Lobster san tropez - wonderful lobster pasta dish in a sambuca cream sauce. Generous portions of lobster that should make any Italian restaurant jealous. Every meal was seasoned perfectly not overly salted and cooked to perfection. All washed down with a delicious bottle of Blackburn Cabernet. Desserts: Italian lemon cake - nice and light lemon cake Key lime pie - absolutely top notch key lime pie! Let me tell you coming from Miami with the Fl Keys down the road we get some good key lime pie but to find that caliber here in this small town in NH is pretty impressive! Of course have to I have to comment on the wonderful staff which was SUPER! Very warming, attentive and very helpful with suggestions. Although cocktails were not ordered the cocktail menu did look enticing.

BEAN CAKE - YES! - I'm a vegetarian who loves a quality black bean burger (bbb). When I see an "in-house/home-made" bbb, I have a hard time not ordering it. I've now come back to this place a handful of times when visiting and always get the bean cake. While not a traditional bbb, it is better and I've yet to find an equivalent (truly! so good!!!). The staff are great and I have enjoyed a variety of different sides from here (most recently the broccolini). Visit and you won't regret it!