The rooms worth a reservation in Portland, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Portland. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
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.
Signature: Wood-grilled local fish, Roasted Maine mussels, Wood-fired pork loin
Order: Roasted Maine mussels in almond, garlic and vermouth from the wood oven.
Tip: Same-day walk-ins fill the bar from 17:00; book online up to two months ahead for tables.
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.
Signature: Brown butter lobster roll, Oysters on the half shell, Smoked bluefish pate
Order: The brown butter lobster roll on a Bao bun, plus a dozen oysters from the granite bar.
Tip: Walk-up only for the bar; tables open online via Resy 30 days ahead.
The Honey Paw on Middle Street opened 2015, the Big Tree Hospitality pan-Asian noodle counter from Andrew Taylor, Mike Wiley and Arlin Smith next to Eventide.
Signature: Hand-pulled noodles, Coconut curry mussels, Fried rice with house kimchi
Order: Hand-pulled noodles with the kitchen's daily sauce, plus the coconut curry mussels.
Tip: Daily 11:00 to 22:00. Counter walk-ins move fast at lunch; book tables via Resy for dinner.
Twelve at Portland Foreside since 2022, now led by Chef Hannah Ryder, runs a Maine-ingredient tasting menu around an open kitchen on Thames Street.
Signature: Multi-course chef tasting, Hyper-seasonal fish course, Bread course
Order: The full chef's tasting; choose the supplement courses if the kitchen is running uni or sea urchin.
Tip: Tuesday to Sunday from 17:00; bookings open six weeks out via Resy.
Chaval on Pine Street in the West End opened 2017 from Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez of Piccolo, with a Spanish-French menu around the wood oven and bar.
Signature: Spanish tortilla, Steak frites, Wood oven pizza
Order: The Spanish tortilla with caramelized onions, then the steak frites.
Tip: Monday to Saturday 16:30 to 21:00. Book via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Solo Italiano on Commercial Street opened 2016 from Chef Paolo Laboa, with Ligurian cooking, hand-cut trofie pesto and house bread from a Genovese-style oven.
Signature: Hand-cut trofie al pesto, House-made trenette, Whole roasted fish
Order: Trofie al pesto Genovese with potatoes and green beans, the canonical Ligurian plate.
Tip: Awarded due forchette by Gambero Rosso in 2025. Reservations through their site; lunch from 12:00.
Duckfat on Middle Street opened 2005 from Rob Evans and Nancy Pugh and rebuilt the Portland sandwich shop around twice-fried Belgian frites in duck fat.
Signature: Duck fat fries, Panini sandwiches, Beignets
Order: Large duck fat fries with the truffle ketchup, plus the meatloaf panino.
Tip: Open daily 11:00 to 22:00. Long lines weekend lunch; the Frites Shack on Washington Avenue is the quicker takeout.
Central Provisions at the top of Fore Street, opened 2014 by Chris and Paige Gould (Beard nominee), runs small plates of crudo and pork belly.
Signature: Cured fluke crudo, Beef tartare, Pork belly with pickled vegetables
Order: Whatever fish crudo the kitchen is cutting tonight, plus the pork belly small plate.
Tip: First-come walk-in only downstairs; upstairs takes reservations via Resy. Plan dinner around 17:30 to beat the queue.
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.
Signature: Whole local fish, Maine lobster roll, Raw bar oysters
Order: The whole local fish of the day, plus a half dozen Glidden Point oysters.
Tip: Lunch from 11:30, dinner from 17:00. Resy reservations recommended; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Boda on Congress Street opened 2010 from Bob Wongsaichua and Dan Sriprasert, with Thai street food: grilled meats, curries and noodles in the Arts District.
Signature: Thai grilled chicken, Pad see ew, Pork satay
Order: Grilled chicken with sticky rice and nam jim jaew, plus a bowl of khao soi.
Tip: Daily 16:00 to 22:00; bookings via their site for the dining room, walk-up only at the bar.
Leeward on Free Street opened 2020 from Jake and Raquel Stevens, with a chef-driven fresh-pasta program inside a brick-and-tile Italian dining room.
Signature: House-made pasta, Wood-roasted vegetables, Daily seafood crudo
Order: Whatever shape the pasta-maker is rolling today, paired with a glass from the natural-wine list.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday 17:00 to 22:00. Resy reservations open 28 days ahead.
Cong Tu Bot on Washington Avenue opened 2017 from Vien Dobui and Jessica Sheahan, a tight Vietnamese menu of pho ga, banh xeo and cha gio in a small space.
Signature: Pho ga, Banh xeo, Cha gio spring rolls
Order: The pho ga chicken broth, then banh xeo with shrimp and pork.
Tip: Wednesday to Saturday 17:00 to 21:00. Walk-in only; queue forms before the door opens.
Piccolo on Middle Street opened 2013 from Damian Sansonetti and Ilma Lopez, a 28-seat Roman trattoria with house-made tonnarelli and saltimbocca.
Signature: Cacio e pepe, Saltimbocca, House-made tonnarelli
Order: Tonnarelli cacio e pepe finished tableside, plus a glass of Sangiovese.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:30. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Rose Foods on Forest Avenue opened 2017 from Chad Conley, a Jewish deli with hand-rolled bagels, house-cured lox, smoked whitefish and matzo ball soup.
Signature: Lox bagel, Matzo ball soup, Pastrami sandwich
Order: The lox bagel with whipped cream cheese, plus a cup of matzo ball soup.
Tip: Daily 07:30 to 14:00. Counter ordering; takeout moves fast at peak weekend brunch.
Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue opened 2017 from Chef Thomas Takashi Cooke, with binchotan-grilled yakitori, donburi bowls and a deep sake list.
Signature: Yakitori skewers, Karaage chicken, Donburi rice bowls
Order: A flight of yakitori from the charcoal grill, then the chicken karaage.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday 17:00 to 21:30. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.
Tipo on Ocean Avenue opened 2017 from Chris and Paige Gould of Central Provisions, a Neapolitan-themed Italian room in Portland's Back Cove neighbourhood.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, House-made pasta, Wood-roasted vegetables
Order: The margherita from the wood oven, then a bowl of cacio e pepe.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00; dinner only. Resy reservations recommended.
Pai Men Miyake on State Street opened 2009 from Chef Masa Miyake of Miyake, with tonkotsu ramen, charcoal yakitori and izakaya plates from the open bar.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Yakitori, Buta no kakuni pork belly
Order: Tonkotsu ramen with the soft-boiled egg upgrade, then yakitori from the charcoal grill.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; reservations via OpenTable for dinner, walk-ins for lunch.
The Purple House in North Yarmouth, 20 minutes from Portland, opened 2018 from Krista Desjarlais with Montreal-style wood-fired bagels and sourdough pizza.
Signature: Wood-fired Montreal-style bagels, Sourdough pizza, Egg sandwiches
Order: An everything bagel with cream cheese and house-cured gravlax, plus a pizza by the slice.
Tip: Friday to Sunday only; opens 08:00, closes when the bagels run out (usually early afternoon).
Evo Kitchen + Bar at the Hyatt Place Old Port opened 2016, with a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu of wood-fired flatbreads, mezze and grilled kebabs.
Signature: Wood-fired pita, Lamb kefta, House mezze plate
Order: The full mezze plate with wood-fired pita, plus lamb kefta off the grill.
Tip: Daily from 17:00. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
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.
Signature: Lobster roll, Pan-roasted halibut, Fish chowder
Order: The Maine lobster roll on a New England top-split bun, plus a cup of fish chowder.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; the deck fills early summer evenings.