Maine Restaurants & Dining Guide — Best Restaurants by Region

Maine restaurants and dining guide

From fresh lobster shacks and clam chowder to award-winning farm-to-table dining, Maine's restaurant scene reflects the best of what the state has to offer. Browse all restaurants below, organized by destination.

Augusta

Bangor

Bar Harbor

Bath

Belfast

Bethel

Boothbay Harbor

Brunswick

Calais

Camden

Castine

Deer Isle

Eastport

Ellsworth

Freeport

Greenville

Jackman

Kennebunkport

Lewiston

Machias

Millinocket

Mount Desert Island

Ogunquit

Old Orchard Beach

Portland

Rangeley

Rockland

Scarborough

Stonington

Waterville

York

Maine’s restaurant scene is one of the great surprises of New England travel. Beyond the legendary lobster pounds and clam shacks — which are genuinely exceptional — Maine has developed a sophisticated dining culture anchored by locally sourced ingredients, award-winning chefs, and a craft beverage scene that rivals any state in the country. From the James Beard Award-winning restaurants of Portland’s Old Port to the remote sporting camp kitchens of the North Woods, Maine food reflects the character of the state itself: honest, seasonal, and deeply connected to the land and sea.

Maine Lobster & Seafood

📌 Did someone say lobster? Read our complete Maine Lobster Roll Guide — the best lobster rolls in the state from Ogunquit to Wiscasset.

No Maine dining experience is complete without lobster. The classic Maine lobster pound experience — picking your live lobster, watching it cook in a large pot over an open fire, and eating it at a picnic table with a view of the water — is one of the most authentic culinary traditions in America. Some of the best lobster pounds in Maine include Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound just before the causeway to Bar Harbor, Red’s Eats in Wiscasset (famous for its overstuffed lobster rolls), and the Clam Shack in Kennebunkport. Beyond lobster, Maine’s cold waters produce exceptional clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, and fish — all available fresh at restaurants and fish markets throughout the state.

Portland’s Restaurant Scene

Portland has earned a national reputation as one of America’s great food cities — remarkable for a city of 70,000. The Old Port district is the epicenter, with James Beard Award winners and nominees clustered on Fore Street, Middle Street, and the surrounding blocks. Fore Street Restaurant — with its wood-fired oven and commitment to local ingredients — put Portland on the culinary map. Eventide Oyster Co. is widely considered one of the best oyster bars in America. Hugo’s, Duckfat, and a growing roster of newer restaurants continue to cement Portland’s reputation as a destination dining city.

📌 Portland dining: Read our complete Things to Do in Portland Maine guide — Eventide, Fore Street, Duckfat, and Maine’s finest food city in full detail.

Maine Craft Beer & Breweries

Maine has one of the highest concentrations of craft breweries per capita in the country. Portland is home to Allagash Brewing Company — one of the most celebrated craft brewers in America — along with Bissell Brothers, Rising Tide, Foundation Brewing, and dozens of others. Maine’s beer trail extends well beyond Portland to Bangor, Bar Harbor, Bethel and Camden.

Dining by Region

Southern Maine — Portland’s Old Port district anchors the state’s finest dining scene. The Kennebunks have exceptional upscale dining including Earth at Hidden Pond and the White Barn Inn. Ogunquit’s Arrows restaurant is a legendary farm-to-table destination. Ogunquit and Kennebunkport both have outstanding concentrations of restaurants for their size.

📌 Southern Maine dining: Read our Kennebunkport vs Ogunquit comparison to decide which southern Maine town suits your dining style, and our guides to Things to Do in Kennebunkport and Things to Do in Ogunquit.

Midcoast Maine — Camden and Rockland have strong restaurant scenes anchored by Natalie’s at Camden Harbour Inn and Primo in Rockland. Belfast‘s Young’s Lobster Pound is a midcoast institution. Boothbay Harbor has excellent waterfront dining including Robinson’s Wharf and Cabbage Island Clambakes.

📌 Midcoast dining: Read our guides to Things to Do in Wiscasset Maine (home of Red’s Eats, the most famous lobster roll in Maine), Things to Do in Rockland Maine (Primo, Cafe Miranda), and Things to Do in Boothbay Harbor Maine.

📌 The oyster capital of Maine: Read our complete Things to Do in Damariscotta Maine guide — the Damariscotta River produces some of the finest oysters in the world.

Downeast & Acadia — Bar Harbor has an exceptional restaurant scene for a seasonal resort town. Havana on Cottage Street brings creative Latin-influenced cuisine to Mount Desert Island. Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound just before the island is one of the finest lobster pounds in the state. Read our Bar Harbor Restaurants guide for the best family-friendly options and where to get the famous lobster ice cream.

📌 Downeast dining: Read our Bar Harbor Restaurants guide and our guide to Things to Do in Stonington Maine — Aragosta and the Fishermen’s Friend are two of the finest dining options in Downeast Maine.

North Woods — Dining in the North Woods is simpler but authentic. Greenville has a solid selection of casual restaurants, and the restaurant at Blair Hill Inn above Moosehead Lake is considered one of the finest dining experiences in the region.