Portland eats from the working waterfront. Eventide's brown-butter lobster roll, Fore Street's wood-grilled local fish, Twelve's chef-counter tasting menu and Central Provisions' small plates sit on streets where lobster boats still unload at Custom House Wharf. The Old Port has more independent restaurants per block than any New England city, the Munjoy Hill side runs Italian-American sandwich shops and craft bakeries, and breweries from Allagash to Bissell Brothers to Foundation cluster on the Industrial Way and Fox Street stretches. Summer is oysters, lobster and blueberries; winter is chowders, root vegetables and the deepest taproom calendar in the country. The James Beard Foundation has called Portland out repeatedly since the 2010s; Bon Appetit named it Restaurant City of the Year in 2018; the local kitchens keep cooking the same way they did before any of it.

Where to eat in Portland

All 20 restaurants

  1. Fore Street

    Order Roasted Maine mussels in almond, garlic and vermouth from the wood oven.

  2. Eventide Oyster Co

    Order The brown butter lobster roll on a Bao bun, plus a dozen oysters from the granite bar.

  3. The Honey Paw

    Order Hand-pulled noodles with the kitchen's daily sauce, plus the coconut curry mussels.

  4. Twelve

    Order The full chef's tasting; choose the supplement courses if the kitchen is running uni or sea urchin.

  5. Chaval

    Order The Spanish tortilla with caramelized onions, then the steak frites.

  6. Solo Italiano

    Order Trofie al pesto Genovese with potatoes and green beans, the canonical Ligurian plate.

Fine dining

Book food experiences in Portland

See all 127 food experiences in Portland

Food festivals coming up in Portland

All Portland food festivals

Where to stay in Portland

All Portland hotels
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Getting there and around Portland

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Signature dishes in Portland

All 14 dishes
More dishes

Where to eat by neighborhood

All neighbourhoods

Map of Portland

Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Portland, pinned. Click a pin for the page.

Trip planner

Plan your Portland trip

Pick your dates: we line up the festivals on, what is in season, where to eat on the days you are in town, and experiences you can book for those dates.

In Portland now? See what is open near you, and ask our AI

Everything in Portland

Plan your eating trip

Browse Portland

When to come hungry in Portland

Peak food season
May through October for the working lobster season, oysters and farmers market produce. September and early October are the editor's window: shoulder weather, full menus, no summer crowds.
Local dining hours
Lunch 11:30-14:00, dinner 17:30-21:30. Many kitchens close Monday or Tuesday. Last seatings push back to 20:30 in winter.
Tipping
Tip 20 percent on the pre-tax total for sit-down meals; round up at counters and breweries. A small number of rooms have moved to a service-included model and say so on the menu.

Portland food, FAQ

What food is Portland known for?

Portland's signature dishes include Maine lobster roll, Fried Maine clams, Maine Italian sandwich, Wild Maine blueberry pie, Whoopie pie. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.

What are the best food neighborhoods in Portland?

TableJourney editors map Portland by district. Old Port, Munjoy Hill, West End, East Bayside are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.

Where should I eat fine dining in Portland?

Editor picks in Portland include Fore Street, Twelve, Central Provisions, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.

Are there food tours in Portland?

TableJourney covers 6 editor-picked food tours in Portland, with what each shows you and how much to budget.

Does Portland have good vegetarian or vegan food?

TableJourney's Portland dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.