24 Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine

The design and overall atmosphere here—part rustic Maine hunting lodge, part chic ski Aspen lodge, all beneath soaring ceilings and in front of a real roaring fire—keep crowds coming back, but the craft beer itself is very good (pale ales, IPAs, pilsners—you name it, they’re pouring it), as are the cocktails (carefully made spirits include a slightly sweet vodka made from corn, a bourbon, and a gin, among others). The food deserves kudos, too—snacks like duck fat cornbread with hot honey, and mains, like the lobster mac and cheese with Boursin, should not be missed. There are three other locations in Kennebunk, Biddeford, and Wells.

With regular lines out the door, Old Port’s always-busy bôite is an adventure in bold-meets-local eating. Chef Chris Gould, who co-owns the place with his wife Paige Gould, cheekily pairs stalwart Maine ingredients with luxurious and global ones. Witness creations like local strawberries with lamb bacon and sumac yogurt, or the bone marrow toast with red onion jam. If the root beer float with foie gras ice cream is on the menu, don’t even think twice.

Even in midafternoon, this small, casual, and cool panini-and-more shop is packed, and the wait for tables can be hours. The focus here is everyday farm-to-table fare: the signature Belgian fries are made with Maine potatoes cooked, yes, in duck fat and served in paper cones, and standards include meat loaf and the BGT (bacon, goat cheese, tomato). Drink choices include gelato milk shakes, French-press coffee, lime-mint fountain sodas, beer, and wine.

One of Maine's most legendary chefs, Sam Hayward, opened this much-lauded restaurant in a renovated warehouse on the edge of the Old Port in 1996; today every copper-top table in the main dining room has a view of the enormous brick oven and soapstone hearth that anchor the open kitchen. The menu changes daily to reflect the freshest ingredients from Maine's farms and waters, as well as the tremendous creativity of the staff; if the tomato tart is on menu, order it. Reservations can be exceedingly difficult to score in the summertime, but Fore Street leaves a portion of space for walk-ins, which go fast when they open at 5 pm.

With nods from critics far and wide, Leeward is one of the state’s most celebrated restaurants. This high-ceilinged, Italian-centric restaurant turns out exquisite handmade pasta like the spaghettini Nero laced with squid, serrano chile, pork brodo, white wine, and bread crumbs—a revelation of flavors both strong and soothing. Gluten-free? Don't fret: There’s also a homemade ricotta gnocchi that the kitchen can sub in for almost any pasta dish.

Opened by chef Masa Miyake three decades ago, this is the place to dig into some of the most inventive, phenomenally fresh, nontraditional sushi in Maine. The maestro has since renovated and sold the restaurant, but his creative legacy lives on in the menu full of lovelies like diced snapper with cilantro, truffle oil, and tobiko.

There's terrific sushi being rolled at this casual brick-walled Japanese gastropub, but it’s the cooked stuff that brings in the crowds. Some of the richest, most flavorful ramen this side of Tokyo is served, like big bowls of steaming pork and chicken broth laden with roasted pork belly, soy marinated egg, scallion, and ginger, or the lobster miso ramen with bok choy, corn, and sesame. Wash it all down with one of the bar’s local beers and you’re well on your way to a Matsuyama-meets-Maine feast.

New England—and especially Maine—may not be known for its barbecue, but Terlingua is one of the exceptions. Pitmaster/owner Piny Reynolds started the fire in steel smokers here in 2015, applying what he learned while living in Austin to Maine foods, and he continues to smoke up a gorgeous brisket (to say the least), as well as smoke lobster tails to make tostadas. The kitchen is just as apt to smoke mackerel for a dip or carnitas for tacos as they are to smoke up some local mussels in seaweed before marinating them in chili oil and topping rich deviled eggs with them. Grab a chair inside or out back; both spaces are as convivial as can be.

Named for the finest grade of flour milled in Italy and owned by the same husband-and-wife duo behind Old Port's wildly popular Central Provisions, Tipo is a Back Cove gem and a neighborhood favorite. The Italian flour is put to excellent use in homemade pastas (like the buccatini with local mussels, fennel, and preserved lemon) and brick-oven pizzas (don't bypass the Casablanca, loaded with merguez sausage and roasted tomato). Service is swift and friendly—including on the sunny, bustling patio—and there's an emphasis on simple, intense flavors throughout the menu.

In the Press Hotel, Union Restaurant has a sophisticated but unpretentious air that is reflected in its menu, which focuses on local ingredients, many of which are foraged and fished, or in the case of honey, gathered from its rooftop beehive. Most dishes are modern and upscale comfort food, like the lobster tagliatelle with snap peas and tarragon. Breakfast and brunch are a treat: you'll find maple pain perdu served alongside smoked-salmon tartines and classic dishes like eggs Benedict.

Sparkling and gigantic crystal chandeliers aren't exactly the first thing you'd expect to greet you in a brick-and-ivy building tucked into a cobblestoned street, yet here they are—along with myriad other unapologetically glamorous touches. Settle into a green velvet booth and order up a meticulously made craft cocktail, or tuck into small Italian-inspired plates such as juicy lamb belly skewers or bucatini with spicy ‘nduja cream. If the weather cooperates, the alfresco patio is a primo spot for people-watching.

The casual, retro vibe at this James Beard Award–nominated restaurant about 2 miles north of the Old Port makes it worth the journey, as do chef Courtney Loreg's superb offerings—all of them spotlighting locally sourced ingredients from land and sea. There's something for everyone on the menu, including steak tartare, sumptuous deviled eggs, croque madames and monsieurs, homemade pâtés and charcuterie, and killer brisket burgers that are to die for. Meanwhile, the craft cocktail program out of the gleaming zinc bar is worth a visit in its own right.

Jordan Rubin, along with his trusty team, has built a reputation in Portland for inventive and top-quality sushi. Sleekly designed and filled with a young crowd, this Binchotan-fired eatery takes a slight detour with its grilled and skewered creations like duck breast with prune and togarashi or charred hamachi with ponzu and puffed rice. Unconventional Japanese? Yes, but it's well worth opening your mind for.

Families, students, and bohemian types gather at this popular New England chain flatbread-pizza place where two massive wood-fire ovens are the heart of the soaring, warehouselike space. Waits can be long on weekends and in summer, but you can call a half-hour ahead to put your name on the list, or grab a drink from the bar and wait outside with a view of the harbor. The menu has eight signature pizzas made with fresh, local ingredients, plus weekly veggie and meat specials; everything is homemade, organic, and nitrate-free, and there are delicious local microbrews on tap.

This is the real deal, as quintessential as old-school Maine dining can be. Clam rakes and nautical charts hang from the walls of this unpretentious waterfront diner, and the flavors come from the depths of the North Atlantic, prepared and presented simply: fried scallops, haddock, clams and extraordinary clam cakes, and fish, clam, and seafood chowders (corn, too).

This high-energy spot serves lobster in both classic and creative ways—in a roll, on a stick, on a burger, over a salad, or even with your Bloody Mary. If you're feeling adventurous, try one of the sauces (lime mayo, lobster ghee) on your roll, and wash it all down with a beer from the ever-changing menu, which depends on availability from local breweries.

Come for the salty wontons, piping-hot broths, and wok-fried noodles; stay for the turntable music, the well-stocked cocktail bar, and the soft-serve ice cream that comes in flavors like orange curd, moxie, and charred corn. If you order one thing here, make it one of the rotating fresh fish creations—à la bluefin tuna tartare with gochugaru, ginger, wakame, sesame, and cured egg; or the lobster toast, a delectable mousse with radish, cilantro, tarragon aioli, and fresno pepper.

There's an infectious vibe at this eclectic, Spanish-inspired Arts District hot spot that's accentuated by its 2,000-square-foot space, lofty tin ceilings, worn maple floors, and mismatched chandeliers. Regulars chat with servers about which just-caught seafood will decorate the paella or which organic veggies will star in the tortillas, one of several tapas choices.

Japanese street food takes center stage at this cozy locale, which was once a hugely popular food truck. The menu rotates regularly, but you're likely to find uncommon takes on burgers and soba noodles as well as some form of okonomiyaki—a savory pancake filled with crazy-delicious flavor and texture combinations.

Named for the pretty plant that blooms across Southwestern deserts, Ocotillo is a daytime-only restaurant that, since opening in 2024, has quickly earned an ardent following for its delicious Tex-Mex breakfasts, brunches, and lunches. The long bar and airy and colorful dining space leads out to a lovely year-round patio, and all of it fills up with locals digging into smoked fish tostadas, smoked brisket breakfast tacos, and peach margaritas. The smoked meats are particularly addictive, and you won't regret taking whatever type of grit cake special is offered.

Let the gargantuan antique front doors brought in from San Juan be your first clue to what Papi is all about: an ongoing celebration of Puerto Rican food and culture. The vibe is upbeat and friendly, the music fun and joyful, and the food and cocktail program complex and supremely excellent. One menu staple, the pernil (traditional marinated and slow-roasted pork shoulder) is especially deep-flavored and worth diving into.

What began as a beloved brewery in nearby Biddeford has recently expanded to this large and style-conscious, multiroom tasting room. The Sacred Profane following has grown even larger now that the crowds headed to Thompson's Point are stopping in to hang out over excellent craft beers (especially the lagers, which are a specialty) and partake in the beer-braised sausages, smoked fish dips, pierogis, and lobster bakes.

Trays heaped with St. Louis–style ribs and brisket fly around Salvage’s expansive room, as diners wait for orders to arrive at communal or dinette tables. The deep-flavored meats benefit from time in the outfit’s smoker, custom-built from an old propane tank and fueled by Maine red oak, and sides like collard greens, delicious cornbread, and hush puppies round out the Southern-style feast. The adjoining bar and live music keep things hopping.

One of two large locations (the other is in Freeport), this stylishly decorated, locally owned, and family-friendly trattoria-inspired spot specializes in wood-fired pizzas and hearty (mostly Italian) entrées. There are also seafood options like Maine mussels and oysters as well as a selection of Maine beers on tap.