Best Restaurants
Award-winning restaurants and hidden gems across the state. From lobster shacks to James Beard winners.
Eventide Oyster Co.
A Portland institution famous for its brown butter lobster roll and extensive raw bar. Expect a line, but it's worth the wait.
View Eventide Oyster Co. GuideThe Lost Kitchen
Located in the tiny town of Freedom, this mill-turned-restaurant by Erin French is one of the hardest reservations to get in the world (by postcard lottery only).
Red's Eats
The most famous lobster roll in the world. Expect a line, but the roll (piled high with the meat of more than a whole lobster) is legendary.
View Red's Eats GuideFore Street
One of the restaurants that put Portland on the map. Wood-fired cooking focusing on locally sourced ingredients.
View Town InfoPrimo
A farm-to-table pioneer in Rockland run by Chef Melissa Kelly. The restaurant raises its own pigs, chickens, and produce on-site.
View Town InfoMaine’s culinary reputation has exploded in the last decade. Once known almost exclusively for boiled lobster, the state is now a destination for farm-to-table dining, innovative chefs, and world-class bakeries.
The Portland Phenomenon
Portland was named Bon Appétit’s Restaurant City of the Year in 2018, cementing its status as a food capital. The city is dense with owner-operated spots where chefs have direct relationships with the farmers and fishermen who supply them.
Destination Dining
Great food isn’t limited to the city. Towns like Biddeford, Rockland, and Lewiston are experiencing culinary renaissances. You can find James Beard Award-winning chefs cooking in converted mills, old barns, and seaside cottages all over the state.
The Ingredient Advantage
The secret to Maine’s food scene is the ingredients. Cold, clean waters produce the best seafood. A vibrant organic farming community provides exceptional produce and meat. When you eat here, you are tasting the landscape.
Explore More of Maine
Looking for more inspiration? Browse our full directory of towns or explore by region.