A velvety cream soup built from a roasted lobster-shell stock, sweet Maine lobster meat, sherry, brandy, butter and cream, finished with a swirl of tarragon oil and chunks of claw meat.
Maine lobster bisque grew out of French restaurant kitchens of the late 19th century, when American chefs adapted the French bisque format (a strained shellfish soup thickened with rice and enriched with cream) to use Maine lobster instead of the smaller Atlantic prawns or langoustines. Portland's high-end seafood restaurants codified the modern version: Fore Street, J's Oyster Bar, and the Eventide Oyster Co. all run versions. The Portland version typically includes a tablespoon of brandy and a smaller pour of sherry; the cream is usually heavy (35 percent), and the surface gets a final crown of tarragon oil and claw meat. The canonical winter Maine lobster preparation.
4 editor picks for Maine Lobster Bisque in Portland, ranked by editorial score. All Portland signature dishes · Maine Lobster Bisque across every city.
Eventide Oyster Co ★ 4.9
india-street · 86 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
Eventide Oyster Co on Middle Street opened 2012 from Big Tree Hospitality, rebuilding the Maine oyster bar around a brown-butter lobster roll on a bao.
Fore Street ★ 4.8
old-port · 288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Fore Street opened 1996 in a converted Old Port warehouse and built modern New England cooking around a wood oven, open hearth and turning spit.
Scales ★ 4.5
old-port · 68 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
Scales on Maine Wharf opened March 2016 from Sam Hayward, Dana Street and Victor Leon (the Fore Street team) with whole local fish, oysters and a raw bar.
Boone's Fish House + Oyster Room ★ 4.3
old-port · 6 Custom House Wharf, Portland, ME 04101
Boone's Fish House on Custom House Wharf reopened 2014 on the site of the 1898 original, with Maine lobster rolls, halibut and fish chowder on the deck.