CuisineWine bar
Price$$
Neighborhoodeast-bayside
HoursWed-Sun 12:00-18:00 (last call 17:00)
Last verified

Why locals love it: A wine-shop counter on Washington Avenue with last call 17:00. Walk-in, no tipping, the city's deepest natural-wine selection from the Loire and beyond.

Tip: Wednesday to Sunday 12:00-18:00. Counter service only; no bookings.

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Location

Address: 59 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

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Also in east-bayside

Cong Tu Bot ★ 4.7

Vietnamese$$east-baysideWed-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri 17:00-22:00; Sat 11:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00; Mon 17:00-21:00

Cong Tu Bot is a 30-seat Vietnamese room on Washington Avenue in Portland, no reservations and a James Beard finalist 2022 for Best Chef Northeast.

Why locals love it: A 30-seat Vietnamese room on a Washington Avenue corner. No reservations, no instagram queues, but James Beard finalist 2022 (Best Chef Northeast).

Tip: Arrive at open (17:00 Wednesday to Saturday); the queue starts before the door unlocks.

57 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

Izakaya Minato ★ 4.5

Japanese$$east-baysideTue-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00

Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue in Portland runs binchotan-charcoal yakitori and a sake list from a 2026 James Beard finalist for Best Chef Northeast.

Why locals love it: A small Japanese izakaya off the Old Port tourist track, with binchotan-charcoal yakitori from a 2026 James Beard finalist (Best Chef Northeast).

Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.

54 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

Full east-bayside food guide →

More hidden gems in Portland

Speckled Ax ★ 4.2

Cafe$$arts-districtDaily 08:00-15:00

Speckled Ax on Congress Street in Portland is the city's wood-fired coffee roaster, roasting over open hardwood flame and vanishingly rare in the country.

Why locals love it: Portland's wood-fired coffee roaster on Congress Street, hidden in plain sight. Coffee roasted over open hardwood flame, vanishingly rare in the country at scale.

Tip: Daily 07:00-17:00. Ask the barista for the latest wood-roasted single origin.

567 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

Scratch Baking Co ★ 4.8

Bakery$$west-endWed-Sat 07:00-13:00; Sun 07:00-12:00; Mon-Tue closed

Scratch Baking Co in Willard Square pulls Portland's deepest Sunday bagel queue, five minutes from downtown but across the bridge in South Portland.

Why locals love it: A South Portland bakery in Willard Square that pulls Portland's deepest Sunday bagel queue. Five minutes from downtown, but most visitors never cross the bridge.

Tip: Closed Monday and Tuesday. Sunday queues form before 08:00; pre-order online to skip.

416 Preble Street, South Portland, ME 04106

Cong Tu Bot ★ 4.7

Vietnamese$$east-baysideWed-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri 17:00-22:00; Sat 11:00-14:00, 17:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00; Mon 17:00-21:00

Cong Tu Bot is a 30-seat Vietnamese room on Washington Avenue in Portland, no reservations and a James Beard finalist 2022 for Best Chef Northeast.

Why locals love it: A 30-seat Vietnamese room on a Washington Avenue corner. No reservations, no instagram queues, but James Beard finalist 2022 (Best Chef Northeast).

Tip: Arrive at open (17:00 Wednesday to Saturday); the queue starts before the door unlocks.

57 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

The Purple House ★ 4.6

Pizzeria$$woodfords-deering

The Purple House in North Yarmouth runs wood-fired bagels and sourdough pizza Friday to Sunday, 20 minutes from Portland and selling out by early afternoon.

Why locals love it: A wood-fired bagel and sourdough pizza house in North Yarmouth, 20 minutes from downtown. The bagels routinely sell out by early afternoon.

Tip: Friday to Sunday only. The everything bagel with gravlax is the canonical order.

378 Walnut Hill Road, North Yarmouth, ME 04097

Izakaya Minato ★ 4.5

Japanese$$east-baysideTue-Thu 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-22:00

Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue in Portland runs binchotan-charcoal yakitori and a sake list from a 2026 James Beard finalist for Best Chef Northeast.

Why locals love it: A small Japanese izakaya off the Old Port tourist track, with binchotan-charcoal yakitori from a 2026 James Beard finalist (Best Chef Northeast).

Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.

54 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101

The Bearded Lady's Jewel Box ★ 4.1

Cocktail bar$$arts-districtMon Closed; Tue-Sun 18:00-01:00

The Bearded Lady's Jewel Box at 644 Congress Street in Portland has no sign on the door, creative cocktails and a welcome to marginalised communities.

Why locals love it: No sign on the door at 644 Congress, no bookings, no instagram-bait cocktails. A jewel-box room with creative drinks and an explicit welcome to marginalised communities.

Tip: Look for the street number 644 (no sign on the door). Tuesday to Sunday evenings only, walk up; closed Monday.

644 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101

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