The restaurants 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.
20 places
Order Roasted Maine mussels in almond, garlic and vermouth from the wood oven.
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.
Order The brown butter lobster roll on a Bao bun, plus a dozen oysters from the granite bar.
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.
Order Hand-pulled noodles with the kitchen's daily sauce, plus the coconut curry mussels.
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.
8 of the restaurants on this list are in Old Port. So are these tours and tastings.
Order The full chef's tasting; choose the supplement courses if the kitchen is running uni or sea urchin.
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.
Order The Spanish tortilla with caramelized onions, then the steak frites.
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.
Order Trofie al pesto Genovese with potatoes and green beans, the canonical Ligurian plate.
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.
Order Large duck fat fries with the truffle ketchup, plus the meatloaf panino.
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.
Order Whatever fish crudo the kitchen is cutting tonight, plus the pork belly small plate.
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.
Order The whole local fish of the day, plus a half dozen Glidden Point oysters.
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.
Order Grilled chicken with sticky rice and nam jim jaew, plus a bowl of khao soi.
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.
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Order Whatever shape the pasta-maker is rolling today, paired with a glass from the natural-wine list.
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.
Order The pho ga chicken broth, then banh xeo with shrimp and pork.
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.
Order A pasta course off the daily list plus a Negroni from the 20-seat bar.
Via Vecchia on Dana Street in the Old Port, a brick-and-ivy small-plates Italian room with handmade pasta, Maine seafood and a velvet-booth wrap-around bar.
Order The lox bagel with whipped cream cheese, plus a cup of matzo ball soup.
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.
Order A flight of yakitori from the charcoal grill, then the chicken karaage.
Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue opened 2017 from Chef Thomas Takashi Cooke, with binchotan-grilled yakitori, donburi bowls and a deep sake list.
Order The margherita from the wood oven, then a bowl of cacio e pepe.
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.
Order Tonkotsu ramen with the soft-boiled egg upgrade, then yakitori from the charcoal grill.
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.
Order An everything bagel with cream cheese and house-cured gravlax, plus a pizza by the slice.
The Purple House in North Yarmouth, 20 minutes from Portland, opened 2018 from Krista Desjarlais with Montreal-style wood-fired bagels and sourdough pizza.
Order The full mezze plate with wood-fired pita, plus lamb kefta off the grill.
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.
Order The Maine lobster roll on a New England top-split bun, plus a cup of fish chowder.
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.
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