Restaurants in Portland
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Duckfat
If you have gourmet taste on a fast-food budget, this one-of-a-kind eatery won't disappoint. Try the innovative panini sandwiches, the duck confit salad, and, if you have a tolerance for grease, the signature fries crisped in duck fat with truffle-ketchup dip.
reviewed
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Standard Baking Co
For a sweet breakfast treat, head to this Old Port bakery and order a blueberry cream scone and chocolate croissant. Portland's best organic rustic breads are made here too.
reviewed
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Maine Dining Room
This upscale dining room in the Harraseeket Inn serves excellent creative cuisine including roasted vegetables over quinoa cake, pan-seared halibut with polenta and chocolate soufflé for dessert. The inn also hosts the Broad Arrow Tavern, a wood-floored charmer with a good selection of microbrews and high-end bistro fare.
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Hugo's
If you have just one night to splurge let it be here. Owner-chef Rob Evans won the coveted James Beard Award in 2009 as the top chef in the Northeast. Trained at Napa Valley's elite restaurant French Laundry, Evans masterfully fuses California influences with fresh New England ingredients. Pistachio-encrusted lobster anyone?
reviewed
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Fore Street
Still one of Portland’s best restaurants, award-winning Fore Street has a dining room of airy, exposed-brick and pine-paneling that faces an open kitchen. Owner and chef Sam Hayward has made apple-wood grilling and roasting his forte. The menu changes nightly, and features the best seasonal fruits of the land and sea.
reviewed
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J’s Oyster
Although it’s a total dive, J’s Oyster has the cheapest raw oysters in town, and you can enjoy them on the rugged waterside deck outside. If you’d rather not, you’re well placed for something same-same but different, with more than a dozen lobster/seafood shacks on either side.
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Green Elephant
Even carnivores shouldn't miss the brilliant vegetarian fare at this Zen-chic, Thai-inspired café. Start with the crispy spinach wontons, then move on to one of the exotic soy creations like gingered 'duck' with shiitake mushrooms. Do save room for the incredible chocolate orange mousse pie.
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Street & Co
The menu here might be simple, but the seafood is the freshest in town. You’ll find grilled, broiled or Cajun-style fish (tuna, salmon, swordfish), plus steamed or sautéed mussels, clams and calamari. The cramped but congenial dining rooms are usually packed, so reserve in advance.
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Bibo’s Mad Apple Café
Bibo’s has brightly painted walls decorated with eclectic artwork that set the stage for first-rate dining at this creative fusion restaurant. Tasty appetizers, good wines and flavorful salads nicely precede mains such as BBQ-rubbed steak, vegetarian pad Thai and grilled shrimp dishes.
reviewed
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Five Fifty-Five
One of Portland’s best new chefs holds court at this handsome restaurant north of the West End. Plates here are both delicious and imaginative, including blueberry salad, scallop ceviche, smoked trout risotto and a range of desserts, artisanal cheeses and good wines.
reviewed
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Ribollita
This cozy local favorite serves satisfying Northern Italian cuisine and prides itself on its handmade pastas. Start with the caramelized onion tart and move on to shrimp carbonara. It’s a tiny place, with a few tables out front, so be sure to make a reservation.
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Walter’s Café
This is one of Portland’s best-loved bistros; a narrow storefront dining room with a high ceiling and even higher culinary aspirations. Among the temptations: mouth-watering bouillabaisse, grilled fish tacos and heirloom tomatoes and jumbo shrimp fettuccine.
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Azure
Seafood is the name of the game at this handsome patio restaurant. Intriguing dishes like blueberry barbecue salmon, stuffed haddock and seafood risotto are featured alongside classic Italian dishes such as lasagna bolognese and linguine with clam sauce.
reviewed
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Bresca
Bresca is a charming, jewel-box-sized restaurant (just five tables) serving excellent creative Italian cuisine. Creamy polenta, tender roast meats and rich pasta dishes – followed by tasty gelato – make this a secret favorite in the dining scene.
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Mim’s
Mim’s receives mixed reviews for its eclectic cuisine, but we include it for its excellent brunch (try the eggs Benedict with crab cakes) and for the unbeatable outdoor seating – both at sidewalk level and on the upstairs patio.
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Chaba Thai
A newcomer to Portland, Chaba Thai is a nice alternative to the creative American restaurants blanketing the Old Port. Instead, you’ll find here traditional, immaculately prepared Thai dishes served in an Eastern-accented dining room.
reviewed
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Pepperclub
Boasting an eclectic menu of world cuisine, this vegetarian-friendly place serves superb dishes like a Middle Eastern mezze plate, Thai lime vegetables with sesame tofu and udon, and mushroom and fresh basil lasagna.
reviewed
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Granny’s Burritos
Stop here for a quick, healthy fill-up of Tex-Mex. Vegetarians have options, like the hot tempeh burrito, and Granny’s also prepares tasty quesadillas. Head upstairs for local brews and live music on weekends.
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Bonobo
On a pleasant residential street in the West End, Bonobo is a neighborhood favorite for its delicious thin-crust pizzas. You can eat there, or order it to go – and enjoy it on the nearby Western Promenade.
reviewed
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Harraseeket Lobster Co
On the town dock, Harraseeket serves some of the best lobster in town. It’s a casual dockside affair; you’ll feast at picnic tables overlooking the bay. Order ahead to beat the crowds.
reviewed
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Crooked Mile
Just off the beaten path, this handsome café has excellent coffee and fresh baked goods, along with sandwiches, soups and wraps at lunch. On Saturdays (1pm to 3pm), you can catch live jazz.
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Isabella’s
You’ll find huge cinnamon rolls and Freeport’s best breakfasts at this casual town café. Healthy but tasty wraps, salads and panini make up the lunch offerings.
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Portland Lobster Co
Lobster stew, lobster rolls and lobster dinners shore up the menu at this harborfront shack. Take your meal to the deck and watch the boats pull up as you get crackin'.
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Becky’s Diner
If you want to rub elbows with working fisherfolk, opt for breakfast or lunch at this waterfront diner. Grab a seat at the counter and let the chowing begin.
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Broad Arrow Tavern
The Harraseeket Inn hosts the Broad Arrow Tavern, a wood-floored charmer with a good selection of microbrews and high-end bistro fare.
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