Standard Baking Co.
Excellent breads and pastries for a ferry morning or a waterfront picnic.
Best for: breakfast, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
breakfast$$
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Restaurants in Portland
Good meals are easier to enjoy when they belong to the day you already have planned. These Portland restaurants are grouped by area, so lunch and dinner do not send you across town for no reason.
Where to eat in Portland
Use the area notes to keep meals close to the parts of Portland you will already be exploring. The destination guide can help you shape the rest of the day around them.
Old Port and Waterfront
Old Port and Waterfront is an easy first-time base for food, harbor walks, and evening energy.
Becky’s Diner
A straightforward waterfront breakfast before an early harbor day.
Best for: breakfast, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
breakfast$
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Eventide Oyster Co.
The brown-butter lobster roll is the reason, though the raw bar makes this a more fitting meal than a novelty stop.
Best for: lunch, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
lunch$$$
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Duckfat
Fries, sandwiches, and poutine for a compact Old Port lunch. Go early or accept the wait.
Best for: lunch, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
lunch$$
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The Highroller Lobster Co.
A casual lobster-roll lunch when the group wants a clear Maine answer without a formal dinner.
Best for: lunch, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
lunch$$
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The Honey Paw
Noodle bowls and sharp flavors for a lunch that feels more intentional than another chowder stop.
Best for: lunch, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
lunch$$$
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Fore Street
The reservation dinner for live-fire cooking and an occasion worth building an evening around.
Best for: dinner, portland-maine
Before you go: Reserve before you build the rest of the day around it.
dinner$$$$Reserve ahead
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Scales
Seafood with harbor polish. Book it when the meal, not just the lobster, is part of the plan.
Best for: dinner, portland-maine
Before you go: Reserve before you build the rest of the day around it.
dinner$$$$Reserve ahead
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Central Provisions
Small plates and a buzzing room that work best when a reservation or off-hour table is realistic.
Best for: dinner, portland-maine
Before you go: Reserve before you build the rest of the day around it.
dinner$$$$Reserve ahead
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Twelve
A modern, seasonal splurge for travelers who want Portland food at its most composed.
Best for: dinner, portland-maine
Before you go: Reserve before you build the rest of the day around it.
dinner$$$$Reserve ahead
Visit official site West End
Tandem Coffee + Bakery
Coffee and sweet or savory pastry in the West End when a slower morning is the point.
Best for: breakfast, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
breakfast$$
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Hot Suppa
A generous, lively brunch that is worth a wait only when the day can absorb it.
Best for: breakfast, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
breakfast$$
Visit official site East End and Munjoy Hill
Harbor views and an easier-going local rhythm.
Smalls
A compact East End café for coffee and a light breakfast before Munjoy Hill.
Best for: breakfast, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
breakfast$$
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LB Kitchen
LB Kitchen is a breakfast choice near the East End for bowls, toast, and a shorter sit-down.
Best for: breakfast, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
breakfast$$
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Terlingua
Smoke, tacos, and a relaxed outdoor-friendly rhythm in the East End.
Best for: dinner, portland-maine
Before you go: Reserve before you build the rest of the day around it.
dinner$$Reserve ahead
Visit official site Arts District and Congress Street
Museums, theaters, and a calmer uphill route from the harbor.
Banh Appetit
Fast Vietnamese sandwiches and bowls that interrupt the seafood loop in a good way.
Best for: lunch, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
lunch$
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Tipo
Warm pasta and a good wine list in the Arts District when you want a slower dinner away from the harbor crush.
Best for: dinner, portland-maine
Before you go: Reserve before you build the rest of the day around it.
dinner$$$Reserve ahead
Visit official site Cape Elizabeth and Portland Head Light
Bite Into Maine
A lobster-roll lunch with a coastal setting when the Portland Head Light outing is already leading the day.
Best for: lunch, portland-maine
Before you go: Check current hours and access before you go.
lunch$$
Visit official site Plan the rest of your Portland trip
See neighborhoods, trip ideas, and the full destination planner in one place.
Menus, opening days, and reservation policies change. Check the restaurant directly before making plans. Last destination review: 2026-08-15.