9 Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine

Follow the scent of chili and sizzling scallions to this highly regarded Vietnamese joint, where the dishes are as authentic as they are adventurous. Beyond the requisite pho (and for the record, theirs is flavorful and addictive) are dishes ready to push your repertoire of Vietnamese cuisine: cold caramel vermicelli with caramel pork and fish sauce; Khmer sour beef sausage; and stir-fried turnips with oyster mushrooms and fermented tofu. Don't come expecting anything fancy; the draw here is the big flavors and the friendly service.

The emphasis at this cozy neighborhood restaurant is on the superb food rather than the atmosphere, which isn't surprising, given that the owners formerly served their tasty, no-fuss fare from a truck. Lunch and dinner feature locally sourced, sustainable ingredients in dishes that reflect the seasons. The lobster roll, made with big chunks of knuckle and claw meat, is so good deserves its own cult. (Meanwhile, the weekly karaoke night here pretty much has one.)

Take a bounty of Maine ingredients, add an ever-changing Middle Eastern/Mediterranean menu, and chefs who know how to subtly blend it all, and you’ve got Evo. Chef Matt Ginn opened this swanky, two-story spot housed in the Hyatt in 2015, and since then he and executive chef Mike Carney have earned a following for dishes like bluefin tuna with avocado toum, ginger, and turmeric. The addictive chickpea fries with harissa and sumac will melt in your mouth and steal your heart.

Seafood purists and adventurers alike find bliss in this menu of superb pan-roasted, smoked, and grilled fish; fresh-as-can-be seafood crudos; and fried shellfish. Perched on Maine Wharf directly over the harbor, the contemporary-but-comfortable restaurant was opened by two local culinary heroes, restaurateur Dana Street and chef Sam Hayward, in 2016, and has since become one of Portland’s most beloved. There are New England classics like fried clams and fish-and-chips (perfectly crisp outside, tender and sweet in) alongside creative dishes like Bangs Island mussels in hard cider, cream, dill, and locally made Raye’s mustard. If you’ve got time, come a little early and grab a drink at the expansive room’s buzzing bar.

With an absolute lack of pretension and a laser-focus on ultra-fresh seafood, SoPo Seafood is one of the most dependable spots around Portland for local and truly excellent eats from the sea. Not only do they supply many local restaurants from their seafood market, but they make their own incredibly tasty and high-quality seafood dishes that go down incredibly easy at the spot's 23-seat raw bar. Think incredibly fresh local oysters with juniper and cucumber mignonette, or smoked trout toast, or a peekytoe crab sandwich. You can't go wrong with any of it.

Don't let the word tavern fool you, as the coziness of this neighborhood restaurant met with the refinement of a fine dining landmark when Wayside opened. The inviting dining room plays host to sophisticated plates like delicate broiled Maine scallops with caviar and bearnaise sauce, or foie gras truffles with maple almond croccante (Italian brittle candy) and pepper jelly. If you're in the market for a fantastic date-night destination, put this at the top of your list.

This huge family-owned floating restaurant on a centrally located marina has been a staple of Portland's food scene for decades. The food has stayed largely the same since it opened—this isn't the place to break any culinary sound barriers—with classics like Maine lobster dinners, bacon-wrapped scallops, and clam chowder. If you're looking for a place to have a drink with great views and a unique atmosphere filled with nautical decor, this is a worthy option.

Not only does Eventide have fresh, tasty oysters from all over Maine and New England, artfully prepared with novel accoutrements like kimchi, ginger ices, and cucumber-champagne mignonette, it also serves delicious crudos and ceviches with unique ingredients like blood orange and chili miso. The menu constantly changes, depending on what's in season. So it's best to order a handful of small plates, a glass of bubbly or one of the signature tiki-style cocktails, and, of course, a dozen oysters.

This sleek, waterfront flagship location is at the heart of the international Luke's Lobster chain, and it operates as a cooperative among Maine's lobstermen who supply it with the freshest of catches. Chill out on the high-energy patio when it's sunny, or head up to the second floor and grab a table by the windows, which have killer views of Portland harbor.