Restaurants are listing in alphabetical order.

For our full list of Best 75 places to eat and drink in Greater Portland, click here. To check out a map of our full list, click here.

Banh Appetit
Opened in 2019 by members of the extended family who once owned Huong’s (a former Best 75 winner), this unassuming Cumberland Avenue shop serves the area’s best banh mi sandwiches, hands down. Try the Nem Nuong, spicy grilled Vietnamese sausage on a crusty baguette. Bun (rice vermicelli bowls) and aromatic pho are menu standouts here.

171 Cumberland Ave.
Portland
(207) 613-9399
banhappetitme.com

Bard Coffee
Nowhere in town does the staff know more about their pourovers and espresso drinks than at this inclusive, contemporary Old Port café. The staff includes a few competitive-league cuppers and brewers. When the weather allows, you can order from the takeout window and sip your drink on a bench in Tommy’s Park.

185 Middle St.
Portland
(207) 899-4788
bardcoffee.com

Belleville
Known for their laminated, mostly French pastries — think croissants, pains aux raisin and sticky kouign-amanns — this Munjoy Hill bakery’s superb Roman-style pizzas are also sensational. Be on the lookout for their long-awaited offsite production bakery on Forest Avenue to boost their capacity. Morning buns for everyone!

1 North St.
Portland
(207) 536-7463
blvl.me

Bite Into Maine
When the sun is shining, head to the scenic Portland Head Light, where BIM parks its truck from May until October. But if you’ve missed tourist season, or it’s gloomy outside, BIM’s Scarborough commissary serves the same menu of fresh-picked lobster on butter-griddled buns. Try the mayo-dressed Maine-style and the drawn-butter Connecticut-style. Read the review.

Commissary: 185 Route 1 #2
Scarborough
Food truck: Fort Williams Park
Cape Elizabeth
At Allagash Brewing Co.
50 Industrial Way
Portland
(207) 289-6142
biteintomaine.com

Blyth & Burrows
Ignore the not-really-a-secret doorway behind the bookcase upstairs, and instead focus your attention on the concise list of sophisticated cocktails. To-go drinks have taken up a permanent (and welcome) residence on the menu, and the cocktail list has been winnowed to focus on the bar’s very best drinks.

26 Exchange St.
Portland
(207) 613-9070
blythandburrows.com

Café Louis
Visit chef Evan Richardson’s buzzy, exuberant South Portland hotspot, and you’ll come away with a new appreciation for Costa Rican and Caribbean cuisine and cocktails. Service here is also superb, even when the skeleton crew who operate the 1,000-ish- square-foot space are slammed with customers. Don’t ask how they do it, just order a slushy Pura Vida rum punch and enjoy. Read the review.

173 Ocean St.
South Portland
(207) 536-0169
cafelouis.me

Chaval
Incorporating local products into their half-Iberian, half-Gallic menu, chef Damian Sansonetti and pastry chef Ilma Lopez reimagine Maine as the westernmost member state of the European Union. With sherry on tap and an inventive cocktail menu, Chaval is an ideal spot to spend a leisurely evening out. Desserts are unmissable. Read the review.

58 Pine St.
Portland
(207) 772-1110
chavalmaine.com

Crispy Gai
Looking for spice and heat? Head to Exchange Street in the Old Port, where you’ll find Thai-inspired takes on fried chicken, umami-suffused noodles and fragrant cocktails. Crispy Gai is also a weekend brunch destination, with dishes like pork congee and radish-cake “tots” that might remind you of a Southeast Asian riff on dim sum.

90 Exchange St.
Portland
(207) 536-1017
crispygai.com

David’s 388
Chef/owner David Turin has been an important figure on the Portland food scene for nearly three decades. His informal South Portland restaurant is his most consistent, thanks in part to the menu of well-executed bistro classics like duck breast, bacon-topped burgers and appealing, well-proportioned salads. Read the review.

388 Cottage Road
South Portland
(207) 347-7388
davidsrestaurant.com

Eventide
During tourist season, snagging a table at tiny Eventide becomes an extreme sport. But those lines snake around the block for good reason. Big Tree Hospitality Group’s swashbuckling reinvention of the coastal seafood shack is appealing from start to finish, especially the fresh, local oysters from the raw bar, fried seafood sandwiches served on steamed bao-style buns and cocktails that range from bright to savory. It’s hard to admit, but Eventide really is worth the wait. Read the review.

86 Middle St.
Portland
(207) 774-8538
eventideoysterco.com

Evo
Nearly every wall of chef Matt Ginn’s restaurant is made of glass. Gawking pedestrians strolling down Fore Street may be the reason. But Ginn’s plates (especially summer salads blooming with herbs and edible petals) are always artfully composed explorations of the restaurant’s Maine-meets-the-Mediterranean theme. And they taste as good as they look.

443 Fore St.
Portland
(207) 358-7830
evoportland.com

Forage Market
Stuck between New York and Montreal, two bagel-centric cities, Portland has no shortage of excellent examples of its own. Forage Market is one of the best, especially if your goal is to order a half-dozen bagels, some Browne Trading lox, and a few milky coffees.

123 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 274-6800
foragemarket.com

Friends & Family
Think of this Arts District restaurant as a wine bar, a snack shop, a speakeasy or a pizzeria – it makes no difference. You’ll be happy regardless. Friends & Family’s vibe is casual and friendly, and that goes double for Monday evening pizza nights, where the restaurant’s naturally leavened, thick-crusted Grandma slices are joined by thin-crusted round pies. Choose any bottle from the panoramic wall-o’-wine to go with dinner, and maybe an extra to take home as well. Read the review.

593 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 536-4022
friendsandfamilymaine.com

Harmon’s Lunch
Leave your blazer and heels behind when you visit this Falmouth burger institution — essentially a retro quick-service shack that specializes in juicy, thin-patty cheeseburgers and extraordinary hand-cut fries. Be sure to order extra sautéed onions and some red relish. And bring cash; Harmon’s is too old-school for plastic.

144 Gray Rd
Portland
(207) 797-9857

Highroller Lobster Co.
At this double-wide storefront space kitted out in lurid ’80s red, white and black, you’ll find some of the region’s most creative seafood dishes. Lobster and crab rolls are the main focus, but they’re given a new, offbeat sensibility with accompanying sauces that range from lobster ghee to charred pineapple mayo. Read the review.

104 Exchange St.
Portland
(207) 536-1623
highrollerlobster.com

The Honey Paw
Technically a “noodle bar,” with mostly walk-in seating, The Honey Paw’s best dishes often involve no pasta at all: charred cabbage with fermented soy, rare beef salad with smoked oyster mayonnaise, and super crunchy wings. And did I mention the seasonal homemade soft-serve?

78 Middle St.
Portland
(207) 774-8538
thehoneypaw.com

Indy’s
While the Tam & Cam, a banh mi in panini’s clothing, gets all the attention at this cute, cozy South Portland sandwich shop, other sandwiches deserve your consideration – especially the traditional Cubano and the warming Kai Kata, a spicy, Asian-inspired breakfast sandwich. Japanese curry bowls are also a real draw here. Order ahead to avoid the lines.

744 Main St.
South Portland
747-4082
indyssandwich.com

Isa
Charming might be the best way to describe Isa, from its classic French bistro interior to the sparkles of Central-and-South American flavor that effervesce across its menu. Don’t miss the grilled pork chop, roasted vegetable salad with spicy pepitas and (if you visit on a Monday) the transcendent rabbit burrito. Isa is a gem.

79 Portland St.
Portland
(207) 808-8533
isaportlandme.com

Jing Yan
With an eclectic menu, this neighborhood restaurant on Munjoy Hill interrogates the idea of what it means to be “Asian.” Chef Bijan “Biz” Eslami’s brilliantly conceived plates emphasize cross-connections across cultures and ethnicities: funky, fiery Korean noodles based on Tokyo-style “dry” abura ramen; yakitori skewers with Afghani ingredients; and a fesenjoon that whispers, “Peking duck, but make it Persian.” Chef Eslami is leaving at the end of January, and we hope Jing Yan is as lucky with its next back-of-house hire. Read the review.

90 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 835-0010
jingyanrestaurant.com

Lazzari
Start with meatballs and a serving of whatever wood-grilled vegetables (delicata, Brussels sprouts) are on the menu, then grab a blistered, oniony Amatriciana pizza, slipped from the glinting copper Le Panyol oven at the rear of the restaurant. Cocktails are also excellent here, which is why the space fills up late at night on weekends. Read the review.

618 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 536-0368
lazzariportland.com

Liquid Riot Bottling Co.
Part distillery, part brewery, part restaurant/bar with an inviting wharf-front patio, Liquid Riot offers something for just about everyone. Not least of all a surreptitiously fine menu that features arguably the best french fries in the city (still). Read the review.

250 Commercial St.
Portland
(207) 221-8889
liquidriot.com

Mami
Chef Austin Miller never seems to stop updating his menu of Japanese street-food and izakaya classics like indulgent bacon okonomiyaki, takoyaki and smoky yakisoba. Sourcing matters here, and in dishes like a Maine pollock katsu sandwich or tare-glazed confit local chicken over rice, it makes the difference between OK and oishii (Japanese for delicious). Read the review.

339 Fore St.
Portland
(207) 536-4702
mamiportland.com

Maples
The cat is out of the bag about Maples, and I couldn’t be happier. With enormous English muffins, fruit scones, sprinkle-topped ricotta cookies and some of the region’s best bagels – all baked on-site – Maples is good enough to justify dropping crumbs all over the interior of your car on the drive back to Portland. Skip Maples at your own risk.

881 Route 1
Yarmouth
(207) 846-1000
maplesmaine.com

Monte’s Fine Foods
Half-market, half-Roman pizzeria, owner and chef Steve Quatrucci’s latest local venture is the kind of place that would be mobbed from open to close if it were in a bigger city. Fortunately for you, Portland leaves some breathing room for visitors to sample the superlative “pinsa” pies that range from traditional Margherita to wickedly tasty sopressata with hot honey (and, if you’re lucky enough to read this in the late summer, an heirloom tomato pizza worthy of a picnic in nearby Payson Park).

788 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 613-9873
montesportland.com

Mr. Tuna
In its first brick-and-mortar space, Mr. Tuna has evolved into a full restaurant where chef Jordan Rubin’s famous Maine-sourced temaki feature alongside generous maki, nigiri, sashimi and an array of side dishes like Japanese potato salad and refreshing sunomono seaweed-and-cucumber salad. Try anything with Maine crab and scallop. Read the review.

28 Monument Square (in the Public Market House)
Portland
(207) 805-1240
mrtunamaine.com

Norimoto Bakery
Local gastronomes have been talking up James Beard Award finalist chef Atsuko Fujimoto’s phenomenal pastries for years, and it’s rewarding to see the rest of the country catch on. Fujimoto is a masterful baker whose repertoire of treats is grounded in European traditions and techniques, fine-tuned to allow for an occasional Japanese-inspired element. Peerless fruit galettes, sticky kouign-amanns and Gateau Basque with sweet azuki bean filling? Yes, please.

469 Stevens Ave.
Portland
norimoto-bakery.square.site

Nura
Don’t let its origins as a food truck fool you, Nura is one of the area’s best spots for Levantine cooking, especially smooth, garlicky hummus that is the restaurant’s signature dish. If that’s not enough, there’s also crisp, Kermit-green falafel (served as a platter or sandwich), spiced fries that were born to be dunked in garlicky toum, and coriander-and-cumin-fragrant chicken shawarma. Anyone for lunch? Read the review.

1 Monument Way
Portland
(207) 536-0065
nuraportland.com

Other Side Diner
Nominally a classic Greek diner, this cozy, welcoming East Deering restaurant ought to be known for its beautifully conceived toasted sandwiches (curried chicken salad, pork belly grilled cheese, Japanese convenience-store-inspired egg salad “sando”) as well as its simple, yet perfectly executed omelets. There’s no better place to finish a walk around Back Cove than here. Read the review.

500 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 772-0002
othersidediner.com

Otto
Imaginative pies with flavors that actually work well together – jalapeno with ricotta and bacon, roasted pear with arugula and bleu cheese – are the secret to this local pizza empire’s great success. With nine locations now in Maine alone, Otto keeps chugging along, pandemic or no. And that’s no bad thing.

Several locations in Greater Portland and beyond.
ottoportland.com

Pai Men Miyake
Some of the area’s best appetizers and snacks live here: minty, fish-sauce-dressed Brussels sprouts; steamed, gochujang-drizzled pork buns; or my personal favorite, the Kewpie-rich broiled crab hamayaki. But don’t forget the best-in-town ramen program, especially the brothless, egg-topped Tokyo Abura. Read the review.

188 State St.
Portland
(207) 541-9204
miyakerestaurants.com

Palace Diner
If I told you that quite possibly the best diner in the country occupies a 15-seat space, just off the main drag in Biddeford, would you believe me? In 2014, co-owners Chad Conley and Greg Mitchell kitted out a tiny, 1927 railroad dining car and immediately started making food that brought together high-quality ingredients and a captivating faithfulness to short-order tradition. Visit for breakfast or lunch (no dinner service) on a weekday to avoid waits that can extend beyond the two-hour mark.

18 Franklin St.
Biddeford
(207) 284-0015
palacedinerme.com

Portland Hunt + Alpine Club
The drinks menu continues to evolve at this dandy-Scandi cocktail bar facing Post Office Park, but classics like the Last Word-reminiscent Green Eyes and potent, smoky Bonecrusher remain highlights. Non-alcoholic sippers also feature on the menu, making this a fab spot for a nightcap, even if you’re driving home.

75 Market St.
Portland
(207) 747-4754
huntandalpineclub.com

The Purple House
When Krista Desjarlais bakes, the state takes notice. During the summer months, she makes ice cream on Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, but when the weather gets cool, she fires up the woodstove in a quaint North Yarmouth cottage and bakes. In 2023, she plans to offer cafe pastries and occasional dinners, lunches and cooking classes.

378 Walnut Hill Road
North Yarmouth
(207) 808-3148
thepurplehousebakery.com
Note: The Purple House closes for the summer season and will reopen in the new year on an irregular schedule. Check the website and social media.

Quiero Café
You might be tempted to stop by this casual, counter-service South American café for a baked Chilean empanada and one of several dozen smoothies. And you wouldn’t be wrong to do so, but this pan-continental restaurant shines with its “Big Bites,” especially the patacon, a crisp-fried disc of green plantains topped with chicken, avocado, cheese and savory aioli. Read the review.

3 Deering Ave.
Portland
(207) 536-7033
quierocafemaine.com

Ramona’s
Call them whatever you like: hoagies, grinders, subs … it makes no difference as long as you’re ordering one from this closet-sized Washington Avenue sandwich shop. A Philadelphia-inspired collaboration between Josh Sobel and Palace Diner co-owner Chad Conley, Ramona’s gets the overstuffed, vinegar-dressed sandwich right. Not sure what to eat? Try the tuna-filled Melrose (with extra Calabrian chili spread) or the echt-Italian, cannellini-and-broccolini-packed Paulie.

98 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 956-7194
ramonas.me

Radici
Imagine how tough it would be to open a restaurant four months into a global pandemic. That’s what Ally and Randy Forrester did, when they relocated their award-winning, hand-stretched and naturally leavened pizza restaurant to Portland in 2020. Three years later, diners can finally devour one of their char-stippled pies in Radici’s mid-century modern dining room. When in doubt, go for a Stracciatella-topped pie and, if you’re in the mood, add anchovy bagna cauda for extra umami. Hours are still in flux, so check the website before making plans.

52 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 835-6012
radiciportland.com

Rover Bagel
These are not your bubbe’s bagels, but that’s OK. We’re all just happy that Rover returned to Biddeford. Now operating from a jaunty takeout window in Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill, Rover sells generously proportioned sandwiches like the bacon-and-honey-filled Shift Meal, as well as more straightforward classic pairings for its heavily browned and blistered bagels.

10 W. Point Lane, Suite 10-204
Biddeford
(207) 710-6248
roverbagel.com

Schulte & Herr
Unpretentious and cozy, this tiny Bayside bistro serves homey, comforting German food like tart-and-herbal cucumber salad, bratwurst with sauerkraut and some of the best schnitzel on the East Coast. Schulte & Herr’s business is also counter-cyclical, so if you’re trying to avoid summertime crowds, head here. Read the review.

349 Cumberland Ave.
Portland
(207) 773-1997
schulteundherr.wordpress.com

Sichuan Kitchen
Owner Qi Shen’s menu of sinus-clearing, tongue-numbing dishes is a delightful departure from the tired crab-rangoon-and-egg-roll menus at many New England Chinese restaurants. Subtler dishes here are also excellent, especially the frilly cloud-ear mushroom salad appetizer and buttery-tasting wok-sautéed cabbage. Read the review.

612 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 536-7226
sichuankitchenportland.com

Slab Sicilian Street Food
One thing is guaranteed at Slab: You won’t go hungry. Offering Brobdingnagian wedges of puffy-crusted Sicilian-style pies, this downtown pizzeria has evolved into a Southern Italian crowd-pleaser with outdoor music and a terrific bar. Slices weigh in at a pound apiece, so order carefully.

25 Preble St.
Portland
(207) 245-3088
slabportland.com

SoPo Seafood
Americans have been slow to embrace the notion of eating a nice meal inside a market, but when the right combination of ultra-fresh raw seafood and prepared dishes like grilled cheese with picked Maine crab and caviar with blinis appears, we can’t get enough. That’s the case at SoPo Seafood’s raw bar — really just a wing of the fish market. It’s an ideal spot for a pre-meal Knightville negroni and a half-dozen clams or a full, shellfish-based meal. Oh, and as you leave, pick up a few fillets of New England barramundi for later.

171 Ocean St.
South Portland
(877) 282-7676
soposeafood.com

Speckled Ax
Third Wave coffee roasters Speckled Ax are particular about their beans and their brewing. Inside their original tawny-walled café on Congress Street, you’ll encounter enough glassware to outfit a laboratory, including pourover vessels and Japanese-style siphon percolators. At its second shop on the fast-developing waterfront, Speckled Ax inhabits even more of its secret-scientist-identity, delivering excellent coffee and a view of the harbor.

567 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 660-3333
18 Thames St.
Portland
speckledax.com

Standard Baking Co.
An enormous deck oven around the back of this shop is celebrated baker/owner Alison Pray’s secret weapon. On its stone platforms, she bakes some of the state’s best French- and Italian-style breads: airy miches, slick rosemary focaccias and yes, baguettes.

75 Commercial St.
Portland
(207) 773-2112
standardbakingco.com

Tandem Coffee/Tandem Coffee & Bakery
Apart from serving an intensely smoky roast of coffee that has garnered national recognition for founders and Blue Bottle Coffee alums Kathleen and Will Pratt, Tandem sells some of the area’s best pastries. Baker Briana Holt’s short-crusted fruit pies, miso-glazed scones and gooey, softball-sized sticky buns are three Portland foods I never want to do without.

Café & Roastery (aka Little Tandem):
122 Anderson St.
Portland
(207) 889-0235
Coffee and Bakery:
742 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 805-1887
tandemcoffee.com

Terlingua
Hot off a successful media blitz and top-to-bottom renovation of its entire space. Terlingua has morphed into a hybrid market-café that still serves some of the best smoked brisket you’ll find in the state. The outdoor patio is enchanting – a wonderful spot for a bowl of pork green chili and a pepper-rimmed spicy margarita.

52 Washington Ave.
Portland
(207) 808-8502
terlingua.me

Thoroughfare
What’s not to love about small-scale, locally sourced updates on fast food classics that are every bit as decadent as the originals? The “Filayo” surpasses any other American-cheese-topped haddock fillet you’ve ever tasted, and the smash burgers (even the vegan Impossible Smash) are a triumph.

367 Main St.
Yarmouth
(207) 400-5192
thoroughfare.me

Tipo
Airy and contemporary with a bar wallpapered in overlapping license plates from around the country, Tipo is the secret getaway for Portlanders who want to escape the throngs of tourists on the peninsula without settling for a second-tier meal. Brick-oven pizzas, roasted vegetables and house-made rye cavatelli are evergreen winners.

182 Ocean Ave.
Portland
(207) 358-7970
tiporestaurant.com

Wayside Tavern
Slow-burner restaurateurs like Dallas-transplants Siobhan and Michael Sindoni have made a big impression on Portland over the past three years. First serving crisp-roasted porchetta at Roll Call, and now at their hygge-steeped bistro on the border between Portland’s Parkside and West End neighborhoods. Hearty large-format dishes like Sicilian-inspired roasted chicken are great, but don’t miss nibbles like marinated Littlenecks and battered cod cheeks with gribiche.

747 Congress St.
Portland
(207) 613-9568
waysidetavernmaine.com

Wilson County Barbecue
Tangy and fiery Eastern North Carolina-style pulled pork is the highlight of the menu at this lively East Bayside joint. Come for the BBQ, but stay for crisp-fried hushpuppies, shrimp po-boy sandwiches, nuclear-grade hot chicken and comforting sides, including the best chicken-and-pork Brunswick Stew you’ll find north of the Mason-Dixon. Read the review.

82 Hanover St.
Portland
(207) 956-7788
wilsoncountybarbecue.com

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