32 upscale places in Portland, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Portland: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Portland food.
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.
Tip: Walk-up only for the bar; tables open online via Resy 30 days ahead.
The Honey Paw ★ 4.8
india-street · 78 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Honey Paw on Middle Street is the Big Tree Hospitality noodle counter, with hand-pulled noodles, dumplings and seafood served through a pan-Asian lens.
Tip: Daily 11:00-22:00. Book tables via Resy for dinner; the bar takes walk-ins through last call.
Maine & Loire ★ 4.8
east-bayside · 59 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Maine and Loire on Washington Avenue, from Peter and Orenda Hale, is Portland's natural-wine flagship with Loire-led pours and counter charcuterie.
Tip: Counter service, walk-in only, no tipping. Last call 17:00, closes 18:00.
Central Provisions ★ 4.7
old-port · 414 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: First-come walk-in only downstairs; upstairs takes reservations via Resy. Plan dinner around 17:30 to beat the queue.
Leeward ★ 4.7
arts-district · 85 Free Street, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday 17:00-22:00. Resy reservations open 28 days ahead.
Portland Hunt + Alpine Club ★ 4.7
old-port · 75 Market Street, Portland, ME 04101
Portland Hunt + Alpine Club on Market Street, since 2013 from Andrew and Briana Volk, is Portland's defining craft cocktail room with aquavit and smorrebrod.
Tip: Wednesday to Sunday from 16:00. Bar seats walk in; weekend evenings fill by 19:00.
The Honey Paw ★ 4.6
india-street · 78 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Daily 11:00-22:00. Counter walk-ins move fast at lunch; book tables via Resy for dinner.
Chaval ★ 4.6
west-end · 58 Pine Street, Portland, ME 04102
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.
Tip: Monday to Saturday 16:30-21:00. Book via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Izakaya Minato ★ 4.6
east-bayside · 54 Washington Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
Izakaya Minato on Washington Avenue opened 2017 from Chef Thomas Takashi Cooke, with binchotan-grilled yakitori, donburi bowls and a deep sake list.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday 17:00-21:30. Resy reservations open 30 days ahead.
Blyth & Burrows ★ 4.6
old-port · 26 Exchange Street, Portland, ME 04101
Blyth and Burrows on Exchange Street runs a vintage-inspired cocktail bar with a hidden speakeasy (Broken Dram) accessed via the alley behind the building.
Tip: Mon-Tue 16:00-23:00; Wed-Fri 16:00-24:00; Sat 12:00-24:00; Sun 12:00-23:00. Walk in for the upstairs bar.
Novare Res Bier Cafe ★ 4.6
old-port · 4 Canal Plaza, Portland, ME 04101
Novare Res Bier Cafe in Canal Plaza, since 2008 from Eric Michaud, is Portland's Belgian-and-craft-beer destination with a courtyard patio open all summer.
Tip: The courtyard patio opens through summer. Bottle list is the city's deepest; ask staff for current rarities.
Chaval Wine Program ★ 4.6
west-end · 58 Pine Street, Portland, ME 04102
Chaval's bar on Pine Street pours a Spanish and French-led by-the-glass list built for the kitchen's tapas and bistro plates, with apero pricing weekdays.
Tip: Bar seats walk in; reservations via OpenTable for tables. Apero hour 16:30-18:00 weekdays.
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.
Tip: Lunch from 11:30, dinner from 17:00. Resy reservations recommended; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Scales ★ 4.5
old-port · 68 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
Scales on Maine Wharf, since March 2016 from Sam Hayward, Dana Street and Victor Leon (the Fore Street team), with whole local fish and a raw bar.
Tip: Lunch from 11:30, dinner from 17:00. Resy reservations recommended; the bar takes walk-ins.
The Bearded Lady's Jewel Box ★ 4.5
arts-district · 644 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Bearded Lady's Jewel Box on Congress Street, since 2014, is a small Arts District cocktail room with creative seasonal drinks and no street sign.
Tip: No sign outside; look for the street number. Daily evenings only, walk-up.
Central Provisions Bar ★ 4.5
old-port · 414 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
The bar at Central Provisions on Fore Street runs a seasonal cocktail program alongside the kitchen's small plates of crudo, tartare and pork belly.
Tip: Downstairs bar is walk-in only; upstairs takes Resy reservations.
Via Vecchia ★ 4.4
old-port · 10 Dana Street, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Monday-Thursday from 16:00. Reservations via the site; walk-in bar seats most weeknights.
Tipo ★ 4.4
woodfords-deering · 182 Ocean Avenue, Portland, ME 04103
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.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00; dinner only. Resy reservations recommended.
Pai Men Miyake ★ 4.4
old-port · 188 State Street, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; reservations via OpenTable for dinner, walk-ins for lunch.
Evo Kitchen + Bar ★ 4.4
old-port · 443 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
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.
Tip: Daily from 17:00. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Pai Men Miyake ★ 4.4
old-port · 188 State Street, Portland, ME 04101
Pai Men Miyake on State Street, since 2009 from Chef Masa Miyake of Miyake, runs tonkotsu ramen, charcoal yakitori and izakaya plates from a small open bar.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; OpenTable for dinner reservations, walk-ins at lunch.
The Honey Paw Wine Program ★ 4.4
india-street · 78 Middle Street, Portland, ME 04101
The Honey Paw bar on Middle Street runs a tight pan-Asian-leaning wine program built to drink with the kitchen's hand-pulled noodles and curry plates.
Tip: Walk-up bar; full menu service until 22:00. The wine list is part of the Big Tree Hospitality cellar.
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.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; the deck fills early summer evenings.
Tipo ★ 4.3
woodfords-deering · 182 Ocean Avenue, Portland, ME 04103
Tipo on Ocean Avenue, since 2017 from Chris and Paige Gould (Central Provisions), is the wood-fired Italian room in Back Cove with Neapolitan pizza and pasta.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday from 17:00; dinner only. Resy reservations recommended.
LFK ★ 4.3
arts-district · 188A State Street, Portland, ME 04101
LFK on State Street near Longfellow Square is a literary-themed bar with books on the walls, an eclectic cocktail program and a kitchen of sandwiches.
Tip: Daily 11:00-24:00. Daytime walk-in; weekend evenings fill Standing room when busy.
The Great Lost Bear ★ 4.3
woodfords-deering · 540 Forest Avenue, Portland, ME 04101
The Great Lost Bear on Forest Avenue, since 1979, is Portland's craft-beer pub of record, with Sunday brewmaster events featuring Maine breweries on rotation.
Tip: Daily 11:30-23:00. Sunday brewmaster events feature Maine breweries on rotation.
Evo Kitchen + Bar ★ 4.2
old-port · 443 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
Evo Kitchen + Bar at the Hyatt Place Old Port, since 2016, runs a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu of wood-fired flatbreads, mezze and grilled kebabs.
Tip: Daily from 17:00. Reservations via OpenTable; bar seats hold for walk-ins.
Camp Pennant Bar ★ 4.2
old-port · 250 Commercial Street, Portland, ME 04101
Camp Pennant on Commercial Street (the 2024 rebrand of Liquid Riot under Michael Fraser) runs a brewery, distillery and bar in one Old Port building.
Tip: Mon-Wed close 20:00, Thu-Sat close 21:00. Patio runs through summer with waterfront views.
Angoor Wine Bar ★ 4.2
old-port · 100 Fore Street, Suite A, Portland, ME 04101
Angoor Wine Bar on Fore Street is Portland's first self-pour wine bar, opened 2024, with 30 rotating wines from around the world and 2, 4 or 6 oz dispensers.
Tip: Closed Sunday to Tuesday. The self-pour stations rotate through the season; ask staff what's just landed.
Ruski's Tavern ★ 4.1
west-end · 212 Danforth Street, Portland, ME 04102
Ruski's Tavern on Danforth Street is the West End neighborhood dive bar, opened 1980s, with cheap beer, well drinks and a breakfast plate from 07:00 daily.
Tip: Open from 07:00 daily; cash and card both fine. The breakfast plate is the daytime draw.
Boone's Fish House + Oyster Room ★ 4.0
old-port · 6 Custom House Wharf, Portland, ME 04101
Boone's Fish House on Custom House Wharf reopened 2014 on the 1898 Boone's site from the Harding Lee Smith group, with lobster rolls, halibut and chowder.
Tip: Daily lunch and dinner; the deck fills early summer evenings.
LFK ★ 4.0
arts-district · 188A State Street, Portland, ME 04101
LFK on State Street near Longfellow Square is a literary-themed bar pouring an eclectic, natural-leaning by-the-glass wine list with sandwiches and snacks.
Tip: Kitchen runs late; daytime walk-ins find seats easily, weekend evenings fill.