Zimmern’s Guide: Where to Eat in Maine Right Now, Plus Spots That Locals Love, Bakeries, Pizzerias and More
Some of my favorite places in Maine. No paywall!
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Maine’s food scene is a delicious contradiction: elegant but rustic, sophisticated but fiercely unpretentious. Portland gets the ink, but from Biddeford to Belfast, there are humble doughnut shops and remote fine-dining hideaways that rival the world's best. Here's a guide, divided into the city, the state and the secrets. And apologies to all I have missed. Any mistakes or omissions are mine alone. And remember: Lobster rolls have their own list.
PORTLAND
The godfather. Wood-fired meats, sea smoke and mussels that taste like Viking poetry. Still essential after all these years. I want that kitchen and those glass door walk-ins. This is one of my favorite restaurants in America, and I’ve been a “regular”since they opened. Family birthdays, celebrations, father/son/grandson dinners—you name it, we did it at Fore Street.
Where shellfish goes couture. Slurp Damariscotta oysters with yuzu mignonette and don’t miss the brown butter lobster roll, Maine’s sexiest sandwich. Another place I’m a regular.
A Japanese tavern where local seafood meets Kyoto finesse. The karaage crunches, the miso cod seduces and the sake list is a quiet flex.
Started as a hand roll cart, now a cult classic and stalwart haven for smart cookery. Sit for omakase and let the chef remix Maine’s catches with Tokyo inspiration.
A baker’s shrine tucked under Fore Street. Baguettes like Paris, croissants that whisper sweet nothings and pain au chocolat that ends diets. This is how my family started their mornings, and I mean every morning, since they opened. When my dad passed away and I went there, I spent an hour outside talking to locals who remembered him. Our DNA is in this place.
Made with Maine potatoes. For real. They’re moist, dense, glorious. Get the sea salt dark chocolate. Or the maple bacon. Or both. You’re on vacation.
Set in a vintage gas station, this place has the city’s best biscuit (fight us) and coffee that inspires commitment.
Globetrotting small plates and cocktails with attitude. A downtown hot spot with true culinary wanderlust. Order something raw, something charred and something bubbly.
Healthy-ish food that doesn’t taste like homework. Beet lattes, bone broth and grain bowls that punch above their weight.
Portland’s most seductive Italian. Handmade pasta, candlelight and Negronis that could convince you to move to Europe—or Congress Street.
The city’s resident Jewish deli revivalist. Bagels with chew, matzo ball soup with soul and whitefish salad that would make your grandmother weep.
Poutine paradise. Belgian-style fries cooked in duck fat, paninis with crunch and milkshakes with a Ph.D. in comfort because they are made with crème anglaise, for real.
Modern, hyper-seasonal and achingly elegant. From some Eleven Madison Park alums, now playing in a waterfront glass box. Portland’s refined new act.
Korean-Japanese fusion, with sushi and bulgogi in the same sentence. Upstairs izakaya energy, downstairs precision. Don’t skip the ramen.
Italian stunner shot through the Maine seasonal prism, nary a dud on the menu.
From the team of Sam Hayward and Dana Street who own Fore Street, this waterfront spot right on Commercial Street offers a classic seafood menu with some lovely French touches.
THE REST OF MAINE
The Lost Kitchen — Freedom
Reservation by postcard only. A fairy tale meal in a mill, where Erin French cooks with emotion and forest magic.
Primo — Rockland
The platonic ideal of farm-to-table. Onsite livestock, a lush garden and food that feels like it’s part of the landscape. Epic.
Aragosta at Goose Cove — Deer Isle
Go to the website and look at the video on the home page. Mic drop. Chef/owner Devin Finigan cooks seasonally, beautifully and offers every dining format to guests from tasting menus to casual dining on a stunning deck overlooking the harbor. And yes, you should stay there in any of nine private cottages and three suites. Aragosta is open from May to October. Think Blackberry Farm but in Maine.
Suzuki’s Sushi Bar — Rockland
Tiny, quiet and masterful. Keiko Suzuki crafts sushi with Maine’s best catch and Japanese grace. Is it the finest omakase north of Boston? You tell me.
Palace Diner — Biddeford
A 15-seat railcar with 5-star flavor. Pancakes like manhole covers, tuna melts of legend. Diner food that’s better than it has any right to be.
Magnus on Water — Biddeford
Elevated comfort food meets cocktail artistry. Expect parsnip soup and lamb ribs with global notes. Biddeford’s glow-up is real.
Nina June — Rockport
Italian-Mediterranean with a salty breeze. House-made pasta, grilled sardines and aperitivo culture done right. Sara Jenkins brings city polish to coastal calm.
The Well at Jordan’s Farm — Cape Elizabeth
Farm-to-fork in a field, with fairy lights and BYOB charm. A multi-course meal that smells like soil and sea breeze.
Congdon’s Doughnuts — Wells
Old-school, soft, fried happiness. The maple cream and classic honey dip are breakfast, lunch and moral compass rolled into one.
Chase’s Daily — Belfast
Vegetarian food without the sermon. Locally grown, gorgeously plated and impossibly satisfying. You’ll forget meat exists.
Cafe Miranda — Rockland
Eclectic and electric. Wood-fired everything, global flavors, massive portions. Culinary chaos that somehow works brilliantly.
LOCALS ONLY (SHHH)
Becky’s Diner — Portland
Waterfront workers and hungover hipsters unite. Everything comes with hash browns, a refill and a side of sass. The blueberry pancakes are gospel.
Po’ Boys & Pickles — Portland
A NOLA-inspired sandwich shop slinging fried shrimp, roast beef debris and house pickles. A cult following for good reason.
Enoteca Athena — Brunswick
Rustic Italian with Greek detours. Wild boar pappardelle, feta-tomato dip and homemade everything. Cozy, bookish, delicious.
Thistle Inn — Boothbay Harbor
An old whaling captain’s house turned tavern. Local oysters, Guinness stew and a fire roaring in the corner. A maritime mood you can taste.
Royal River Grill House — Yarmouth
Steakhouse-meets-nautical. Sit on the deck, order the crab cake Benedict and pretend you own a sailboat.
Maine’s Best Bakeries
For when butter is a food group.
Standard Baking Co. — Portland
The benchmark. Baguettes that shatter, croissants that sigh. Bakers line up at 4 a.m. so you don’t have to. Beneath Fore Street, above reproach.
Norimoto Bakery — Portland
Japanese technique meets French pastry with whisper-light layers and obsessive detail. Kouign-amann, matcha cream buns and shokupan that floats.
Tandem Coffee + Bakery — Portland
Yes, we listed it in cafes, but the baked goods deserve their own fan club. Biscuits, banana bread and pop tarts that would make Kellogg weep.
The Cookie Jar — Cape Elizabeth
Old-school, kitschy and sweet as a sunrise over Crescent Beach. Glazed doughnuts, whoopie pies and a cinnamon roll you’ll want to marry.
Chase’s Daily — Belfast
More than a bakery, but the morning pastries—scones, rustic tarts, sticky buns—are farm-sourced revelations. Proof the vegetarians are winning.
Rabelais Bakehouse — Biddeford (opening buzz)
Insiders are already whispering about this new spot from the food-bookshop geniuses. Small batch, high craft and worth stalking on Instagram.
Two Fat Cats Bakery — Portland & South Portland
Pies, cupcakes and whoopie pies that actually live up to the hype. This is Americana in a pie tin.
Pizza in Maine
For the love of dough, cheese, and regional style.
Slab — Portland
Thick, Sicilian-style “slabs” that could stop a moose. Fugazza-style with crisp bottoms and airy, focaccia-like loft. The spicy pepperoni is criminally good.
Oxbow Beer Garden — Oxford
Wood-fired pies served in a former barn next to a brewery. The crust crackles, the toppings surprise and the setting is a Wes Anderson film.
Tipo — Portland
Neapolitan-adjacent with Maine flair. Blistered crusts, house-made sausage and fennel pollen where you'd least expect it. Also: a great wine list.
Monte’s Fine Foods — Portland
Market, deli and pizza parlor rolled into one. Their grandma pie hits every note—crispy, cheesy and kissed with good olive oil.
Brickyard Hollow — Yarmouth (and expanding)
Neighborhood vibe, chewy sourdough crust, inventive pies like fig & prosciutto or roasted corn with poblano. Pizza for IPA lovers.
Tinder Hearth — Brooksville
Remote, reservation-only and near mythical. Wood-fired pizza from a bakery in the woods. Weekly menus change. Pies disappear fast. This is pizza as pilgrimage.
Otto Pizza — Portland and beyond
Reliable, everywhere and still bold. Mashed potato with bacon? Yes. Cranberry & butternut squash? Don’t knock it. The gateway drug of Maine pizza.
Lazzari — Portland
Late-night hotspot with big Neapolitan energy. Crust with char, a full bar and enough swagger to keep Portland’s cooks hanging out after service.
You have to visit Sur Lie in Portland the next time you're there. Also check out Kittery, ME for stellar ramen (Anju Noodle Bar) and exceptional cocktails (The Wallingford Dram). The New Hampshire Seacoast also is home to an array of fantastic fine dining restaurants, cocktail bars, and more (Stages at One Washington in Dover, The Wilder in Portsmouth, etc.).
Wish I was in Maine!
I’m Harrison, an ex fine dining industry line cook. My stack "The Secret Ingredient" adapts hit restaurant recipes (mostly NYC and L.A.) for easy home cooking.
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