North America · United States

Where to eat in Portland

Portland, Maine sits on a peninsula in Casco Bay, and the Old Port's brick streets run down to working wharves where boats still land fish. Food & Wine named it the best small city for food and drink in the US in April 2026, and Dana Street of Fore Street won the 2026 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. The city is built for eating: a brown-butter lobster roll and a dozen Maine oysters at Eventide, duck fat fries on Middle Street, the Italian sandwich the Amato family says it invented, hand rolls, wood-fired dinners and some of the best bread in the country. Munjoy Hill and East Bayside hold the newer, smaller rooms. Summer is busy, September and early October are the sweet spot, and winter is quieter with a few seasonal places closed.

Portland at a glance

What to eat
Lobster roll; Maine oysters; Hand rolls and izakaya plates; Maine Italian sandwich; Fried clams and haddock chowder.
When to go
Best: July–September. Also good: June and October. Hardest: January–February.
Top tables
This guide lists 6 award-winning restaurants, starting with Fore Street, Izakaya Minato, Luncheonette and Leeward.
Where locals eat
Local favorites off the prestige lists include Luncheonette, Izakaya Minato, Bread & Friends and Leeward.
Markets
Portland Farmers Market at PSU, Portland Farmers' Market, Deering Oaks and Portland Public Market House.
  1. 1Bread & Friends breakfast · 9am
  2. 2Amato's sandwich · 10:30am
  3. 3Duckfat lunch · 12:30pm
  4. 4Eventide Oyster Co. seafood · 2:30pm
  5. 5Gorgeous Gelato sweet · 4:30pm
  6. 6Fore Street dinner · 7pm

The perfect food walk

Bread to wood-fire: an Old Port eating day

Sourdough on Fore Street, an Italian sandwich, duck fat fries, oysters on Middle Street, gelato, and a wood-fired dinner.

Starts 9am11 hoursabout 1.6 miles6 stops

  1. 1 9amBread & Friendsbreakfast
  2. 2 10:30amAmato'ssandwich
  3. 3 12:30pmDuckfatlunch
  4. 4 2:30pmEventide Oyster Co.seafood
  5. 5 4:30pmGorgeous Gelatosweet
  6. 6 7pmFore Streetdinner
Walk it →
Maine lobster roll

The dish to eat here

Maine lobster roll

Picked Maine lobster, lightly dressed, in a buttered split-top hot dog bun.

The best three: Eventide Oyster Co., The Highroller Lobster Co., Bite Into Maine.

Where to eat it, and the recipe →

32places in Portland, ready to save to your trip
What is in the 32
6 award-winning9 local favorites2 hot right now3 markets6 walking tour stops10 chef's picks5 sandwich shops5 romantic dinners5 breakfast spots3 new openings17 dish spots

Browse by category

Going to Portland?Plan every meal, see them on a map by your hotel, capture the dishes, share the list.
Plan my Portland food tripWhere to stay
Going with a group?Give Chef your dates and hotel and he drafts every meal. Then send the group one link: they heart what they'd go to, add their own, and see the morning each table opens.
Plan it with your group
Plan my Portland food trip

Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in Portland

Portland is walkable from the Old Port to Munjoy Hill. The famous rooms book up in summer, so reserve where you can. The newer picks are smaller counters and cafes. Check hours before you go.

The well-known five

Eventide Oyster Co.

Old Port
Oysters and seafood$$$

Order: A dozen oysters and the brown-butter lobster roll in a steamed bun

The place that made Portland a food town people fly to. Its roll is a James Beard-winning dish.

Best for: oysters and a lobster roll · Reserve: No reservations; expect a line on weekends

86 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101

Fore Street

Old Port
James Beard 2026, Outstanding Restaurateur (Dana Street)Wood-fired Maine$$$

Order: Whatever comes off the wood oven, grill or turnspit that day

Dana Street's room, open since 1996, and the reason he won the 2026 Beard award for Outstanding Restaurateur.

Best for: a big dinner · Reserve: Book ahead · Hours: Dinner nightly from 4:30 pm (per forestreet.biz)

288 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101

Duckfat

Old Port
Fries and sandwiches$$

Order: Fries fried in duck fat with a milkshake

The original on Middle Street, no reservations. A Frites Shack sits at 43 Washington Ave with limited hours.

Best for: a cheap, famous lunch · Reserve: Walk in; no reservations · Hours: Sun-Thu 11-9, Fri-Sat 11-10 (per duckfat.com)

43 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101

Sources: Duckfat

The Honey Paw

Old Port
Asian noodles$$$

Order: The noodle dishes

From the Eventide team and on the 2026 lists of the city's best.

Best for: a noodle dinner · Reserve: Book ahead

78 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101

Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.

Becky's Diner

Working waterfront
Diner$

Order: Haddock chowder, and fried clams in season

On the working waterfront since 1991, open before dawn for fishing crews. Fried clams run seasonally.

Best for: an early breakfast or chowder · Reserve: Walk in · Hours: Opens early daily

390 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101

The discoveries

Bread & Friends

Fore Street
James Beard semifinalist 2026Bakery and dinner room$$

Order: A morning pastry or the wood-grilled pork chop

Mills its own flour. Afar calls Portland America's best bakery town and names it first.

Best for: bread and brunch · Reserve: Check hours · Hours: Bakery Mon-Fri 8-1, Sat-Sun 8-2:30; brunch and dinner differ (per breadandfriendsmaine.com)

505 Fore St, Portland, ME 04101

Mr. Tuna

Middle Street
Japanese hand rolls$$

Order: Hand rolls and rice bowls

The Press Herald's reason to dine on Middle Street.

Best for: a quick Japanese dinner · Reserve: Walk in or book · Hours: Daily 11-9 Sun-Thu, 11-9:30 Fri-Sat (per mrtunamaine.com)

83 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101

Leeward

Arts District
James Beard semifinalist 2026Italian pasta$$$

Order: Handmade pasta

Jake Stevens' pasta room, a 2026 Beard semifinalist.

Best for: pasta night · Reserve: Book ahead · Hours: Dinner Tue-Sat 5-9 (per leewardmaine.com)

85 Free St, Portland, ME 04101

Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.

New and buzzing in Portland

Restaurants that opened or relaunched recently, from current opening guides. In no ranked order.

Luncheonette

New opening reported

Munjoy Hill · Global cafe

A daytime cafe in the old Union Bagel space that earned four stars from the Press Herald.

Order: Bibimbap with za'atar tofu

Directions

Julia's Afro-Global Kitchen

New opening reported

Monument Square · Congolese

Named for the owner's late mother, joining Bub's Home Kitchen upstairs.

Order: Congolese dishes

Directions

Bar Moxy

New opening reported

Thompson's Point · Hotel bar

A grab-and-go market by day and a bar by night at the new dual-branded hotel.

Order: A drink in the evening

Directions

New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.

Memorable breakfasts in Portland

Five places chosen for the food, the room, the history or the local character. In no ranked order.

Becky's Diner

Working waterfront

Order: Eggs and the haddock chowder later

Opens early for fishing crews and has served the waterfront since 1991.

Walk in; weekend brunch fills from 9:30.

Directions

Hot Suppa

West End

Order: A Southern-leaning brunch plate

Ranked first for brunch in several local guides.

Walk in; no reservations per one guide.

Directions

Bread & Friends

Fore Street

Order: Pastry and coffee, or brunch

Mills its own flour; a 2026 Beard semifinalist kitchen.

Bakery and brunch hours differ.

Directions

The Holy Donut

Park Avenue and the Old Port

Order: A potato donut

Started on Park Ave in 2012 and often sells out before closing.

Go early.

Directions

UNION at The Press Hotel

Old Port, 119 Exchange St

Order: A Maine-sourced hotel breakfast

The Press Hotel's restaurant, open since 2015, cooks with Maine makers and honey from its own rooftop.

Breakfast from 7 a.m. Monday to Friday; check the site for weekends.

Directions

Orders are suggestions, not guaranteed menu items. Confirm opening hours and morning service before you go.

Sandwich shops in Portland

Five sandwich counters worth the trip: delis, bakeries, market stalls and local styles. In no ranked order.

Amato's

India Street
Maine Italian

Order: The classic Italian

The family says it invented the Italian sandwich around 1902 to 1910.

Several branches.

Source: Wikipedia
Directions

DiPietro's Market

South Portland
Deli Italian

Order: An Italian from the counter

A family market on Cottage Road that locals rank beside Amato's.

385 Cottage Rd, South Portland.

Directions

Monte's Fine Food

East Deering
Italian, with a vegan one

Order: The vegan Italian

First to put a vegan Italian on the menu, in 2019.

Roman pizza and a neighborhood grocery at 788 Washington Ave.

Directions

Duckfat

Old Port
Panini and fries

Order: A panini with a cone of fries

The original at 43 Middle St, no reservations.

Frites Shack on Washington Ave keeps short hours.

Source: Duckfat
Directions

Luncheonette

Munjoy Hill
Cafe sandwich

Order: A sandwich, about $14

Press Herald four-star cafe where chefs often bring the plates out.

Daytime.

Directions

Picks come from press and guide coverage. We have not confirmed opening hours or current menus for every shop, so check before you go.

Romantic dinners in Portland

Ten tables that come up again and again for date night, anniversaries and quiet candlelit evenings. In no ranked order.

Leeward

Portland
Romantic dinner
Listed by Down East
Directions

Luna rooftop bar, Canopy by Hilton

Waterfront, 285 Commercial St
Romantic dinner
Directions

Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.

Food walking tour

Bread to wood-fire: an Old Port eating day

Sourdough on Fore Street, an Italian sandwich, duck fat fries, oysters on Middle Street, gelato, and a wood-fired dinner.

Start 9:00 at Bread & Friends, 505 Fore StTime 11.0 hoursDistance about 1.6 milesBest days Wednesday to Saturday, June to October. Book Fore Street ahead.

The Old Port is small enough to eat on foot all day. Start with bread, share an Italian sandwich, then work the Middle Street block for fries and oysters before a long dinner by the fire.

Open the route in Google Maps
  1. 1

    Bread & Friends

    breakfast Fore Street

    Order: A pastry and coffee

    A bakery that mills its own flour.

    Around 9:00 · 45 min · $

    505 Fore St, Portland, ME

    Hours: Bakery Mon-Fri 8-1, Sat-Sun 8-2:30

    Directions
  2. ↓ 8 min · 0.4 miles on foot (approx.): Walk west on Fore St, then down India St.
  3. 2

    Amato's

    sandwich India Street

    Order: Split one Italian

    The family says it invented the sandwich in the early 1900s.

    Around 10:30 · 30 min · $

    71 India St, Portland, ME 04101

    Worth confirming: opening hours.

    Directions
  4. ↓ 10 min · 0.5 miles on foot (approx.): Walk up Exchange St to Middle St.
  5. 3

    Duckfat

    lunch Old Port

    Order: A small cone of fries and a milkshake

    The original, no reservations.

    The line: Walk in

    Around 12:30 · 40 min · $$

    43 Middle St, Portland, ME

    Hours: Sun-Thu 11-9, Fri-Sat 11-10

    Sources: Duckfat
    Directions
  6. ↓ 4 min · 980 ft on foot (approx.): Same block of Middle St.
  7. 4

    Eventide Oyster Co.

    seafood Old Port

    Order: Oysters and the brown-butter roll

    A James Beard-winning roll and a 14-oyster list.

    The line: Weekend lines reported

    Around 14:30 · 60 min · $$$

    86 Middle St, Portland, ME

    Worth confirming: opening hours.

    Directions
  8. ↓ 8 min · 0.4 miles on foot (approx.): Walk down to Fore St.
  9. 5

    Gorgeous Gelato

    sweet Old Port

    Order: A scoop

    Yelp-ranked among the best scoops; LoveFood named it Maine's best ice cream parlor.

    Around 16:30 · 25 min · $

    434 Fore St, Portland, ME

    Worth confirming: opening hours.

    Directions
  10. ↓ 6 min · 0.3 miles on foot (approx.): Walk west along Fore St.
  11. 6

    Fore Street

    dinner Old Port

    Order: Whatever is off the wood oven

    Dana Street's James Beard-winning room.

    The line: Book ahead

    Around 19:00 · 120 min · $$$

    288 Fore St, Portland, ME

    Hours: Dinner nightly from 4:30 pm

    Directions

Pacing: Share every plate until dinner. Pick between Duckfat and the Eventide roll if you must skip one.

Plan B: If Fore Street is booked, Central Provisions or Leeward are on the 2026 Beard semifinalist list.

Avoid: Mondays and winter, when some rooms close or cut hours.

Bring: Comfortable shoes and a layer for the harbor wind.

Skip it if: You want a fast tour: do Eventide and Duckfat only.

Ends at: Fore Street, 288 Fore St.

Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.

Hot right now in Portland

What people are lining up for and posting about this month. Entries expire after about four months unless they are reported again.

Hot nowReported 2026

Bread & Friends

Fore Street · $$

The thing: sourdough and wood-grilled dinner

The line: Check hours

A 2026 Beard semifinalist and the lead name in Afar's bakery-town story.

Always a lineLast confirmed 2026

Eventide Oyster Co.

Old Port · $$$

The thing: brown-butter lobster roll

The line: Weekend lines reported

Still the reason many people visit.

Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.

The Portland food map

Every place in this guide, pinned. Tap a pin to see what to order, then add it to your trip.

Open the full Portland food map: every place on our lists too (pizza, ice cream, romantic, where locals and the famous eat, cooking classes), searchable by dish.

· Pins are placed by address or name and can be a little off; always confirm in your maps app.

Plan my days in Portland

Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.

What to eat in Portland, and where

Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.

Lobster roll

Picked Maine lobster in a split-top bun: cold with mayo the Maine way, or warm in brown butter at Eventide

The 3 best places to eat it in Portland

  1. 1
    Eventide Oyster Co.
    Old Port · $$

    Order: The brown-butter lobster roll

    Warm lobster in brown butter on a steamed bun, a James Beard-winning dish.

  2. 2
    The Highroller Lobster Co.
    Old Port · $$

    Order: A Maine-style roll with extra toppings

    Lobster tossed in mayo, with a few playful rolls on the menu.

  3. 3
    Bite Into Maine
    Diamond Street · $$

    Order: A cold Maine roll or a warm Connecticut one

    Offers both styles from stands and shops.

Maine oysters

Half-shell oysters from Casco Bay and the Maine coast, shucked at a raw bar a block from the water

The 3 best places to eat it in Portland

  1. 1
    Eventide Oyster Co.
    Old Port · $$$

    Order: A dozen on the half shell

    About 14 varieties on offer, and a Bagaduce oyster raw or fried.

  2. 2
    The Shop from Island Creek Oysters
    Washington Ave · $$

    Order: A flight of Maine and Island Creek oysters

    A long raw-bar counter beside a retail shop.

  3. 3
    Douro
    East End · $$$

    Order: Raw bar plates

    A seafood restaurant and wine bar inspired by Portugal, with a raw bar, on The Infatuation's Portland list.

    Seen in Douro, The Infatuation, Portland guide · worth confirming hours before you go

Hand rolls and izakaya plates

Portland's Japanese counters, from Mr. Tuna's hand rolls to Izakaya Minato's small plates

The 3 best places to eat it in Portland

  1. 1
    Mr. Tuna
    Middle Street · $$

    Order: Hand rolls

    Hand rolls, rice bowls and maki.

  2. 2
    Izakaya Minato
    East Bayside · $$$

    Order: Small plates and sake

    A 2026 Beard finalist chef at the counter.

  3. 3
    The Honey Paw
    Old Port · $$$

    Order: Noodles

    Asian noodles from the Eventide team.

Maine Italian sandwich

A soft roll of ham, American cheese, tomato, pickles, onion, peppers and olives, said to have started in Portland around 1902

The 3 best places to eat it in Portland

  1. 1
    Amato's
    India Street · $

    Order: The classic Italian

    The family says it started selling Italian sandwiches here in the early 1900s.

  2. 2
    DiPietro's Market
    Cottage Road, South Portland · $

    Order: A Maine Italian from the counter

    A family market with deli sandwiches, with roots in Portland going back to the 1940s. Locals often name it next to Amato's.

  3. 3
    Monte's Fine Food
    East Deering · $

    Order: The Italian, or its vegan version

    Added a vegan Italian to the menu in 2019.

Fried clams and haddock chowder

Whole-belly soft-shell clams and a potato-and-haddock chowder at the waterfront diners

The 3 best places to eat it in Portland

  1. 1
    Becky's Diner
    Working waterfront · $

    Order: Haddock chowder and fried clams in season

    Potatoes, bacon and local haddock; clams run seasonally.

  2. 2
    Gilbert's Chowder House
    Commercial Street · $$

    Order: Chowder and fried clams

    A tourist-friendly chowder house; critics are mixed but a Press Herald review found the clam chowder satisfying.

  3. 3
    Scales
    Working waterfront · $$$

    Order: Haddock chowder and a fish plate

    A Maine Wharf dining room from the Fore Street group, with a chowder worth the walk.

Sticky buns and sourdough

Standard Baking Co.'s sticky buns and the stone-milled loaves that earned Portland a bakery-town title from Afar

The 3 best places to eat it in Portland

  1. 1
    Standard Baking Co.
    Commercial Street · $

    Order: Sticky buns

    Frommer's calls them some of the best its writer has tasted. Part of Dana Street's group.

  2. 2
    Bread & Friends
    Fore Street · $

    Order: Sourdough and pastries

    Mills its own flour; its bread is in many local restaurants.

  3. 3
    South Portland · $

    Order: A cardamom bun and a baguette

    Stone-milled Northeast grain and deeply baked crusts, on the water in South Portland. A 2026 Beard Outstanding Bakery semifinalist.

The most celebrated tables

The top 6 restaurants in Portland, per Food & Wine 2026, James Beard 2026, Eater 2025, Press Herald and Portland Food Map 2025-2026.

More award winners

Fore Street

Old Port · Wood-fired Maine · Chef Dana Street (owner) · $$$
James Beard Award, Outstanding Restaurateur (2026), for Dana StreetScalesStandard Baking Co.

Open since 1996, with a daily menu cooked over a wood oven, grill and turnspit. Street's group also runs Scales and Standard Baking Co.

Izakaya Minato

East Bayside · Japanese · Chef Thomas Takashi Cooke · $$$
James Beard Award finalist, Best Chef: Northeast (2026)

Cooke was one of five finalists for Best Chef: Northeast in 2026. The restaurant is at 54 Washington Ave.

Luncheonette

Munjoy Hill · Global cafe · Chef Chef-owners (names not confirmed) · $$
Eater's 15 Best New Restaurants in America (Nov 2025)Four stars, Maine Sunday Telegram (Mar 2026)

Eater named it the only New England restaurant on its 2025 list. The Press Herald gave it four stars in March 2026.

Leeward

Portland · Italian pasta · Chef Jake Stevens · $$$
James Beard Award semifinalist, Best Chef: Northeast (2026)

Stevens was a Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist again in 2026. Leeward opened in March 2020 and was a Best New Restaurant finalist in 2022.

Bread & Friends

Fore Street · Bakery and restaurant · Chef Jeremy Broucek · $$
James Beard Award semifinalist, Best Chef: Northeast (2026)

A bakery that mills its own flour and turns into a dinner room at night. Afar cited Broucek's 2026 semifinalist nod.

Central Provisions

Old Port · New American small plates · Chef Chris Gould · $$$
James Beard Award semifinalist, Best Chef: Northeast (2026)

Gould is on the 2026 semifinalist list reported by the Bangor Daily News.

When to go and what is in season

Portland food calendar: month by month → What is in season, what to eat and the food festivals each month.

Peak Jul–SepShoulder Jun, OctHard Jan–Feb
Why these months

Summer brings the full waterfront and the fried clams. September and early October have the same food with thinner crowds. Winter is quiet and a few seasonal places close.

In season

Food events

Closures to plan around

From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month

The best of Portland, by category

The top pick in each, then every place on its own page with what to get and a map.

Seafood
5 placesSeafood

Start with Eventide Oyster Co., Old Port

Get: A dozen on the half shell

See all 5 →

Every place on the Portland food map → · A to Z

Secret discoveries

Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.

cafe

Luncheonette

Munjoy Hill · $$

Order: The bibimbap with za'atar tofu, or a sandwich

A daytime cafe at 147 Cumberland Ave in the old Union Bagel space. Eater named it a best new restaurant in America in 2025.

restaurant

Izakaya Minato

East Bayside · $$$

Order: Small plates and sake at the counter

Chef Thomas Takashi Cooke was a 2026 James Beard finalist. 54 Washington Ave, dinner only; check days.

bakery

Bread & Friends

Fore Street · $$

Order: A loaf or pastry by day, the wood-grilled pork chop at dinner

Mills its own flour at 505 Fore St. Four stars from the Maine Sunday Telegram and a 2026 Beard semifinalist.

restaurant

Leeward

Portland · $$$

Order: Handmade pasta

Jake Stevens' Italian room, a 2026 Beard semifinalist and a 2022 Best New Restaurant finalist.

Seen in Down East, Leeward, Bangor Daily News, 2026 James Beard semifinalists · worth confirming hours before you go
restaurant

Mr. Tuna

Middle Street · $$

Order: Hand rolls and maki

The Press Herald made it a reason to dine on Middle Street. Hand rolls, rice bowls and maki.

restaurant

The Honey Paw

Middle Street · $$$

Order: The noodle dishes

Noodles and Asian-leaning plates from the Eventide group, on the 2026 lists of the city's best.

Seen in Unpeeled Journal · worth confirming hours before you go
raw bar

The Shop from Island Creek Oysters

Washington Avenue · $$

Order: A flight of Maine and Massachusetts oysters

A retail shop with a long raw-bar counter at 123 Washington Ave, so you can compare coasts.

Seen in Maine Magazine, The Shop · worth confirming hours before you go
restaurant

Central Provisions

Old Port · $$$

Order: Small plates, shared

Chris Gould is a 2026 Best Chef: Northeast semifinalist.

Seen in Bangor Daily News, 2026 James Beard semifinalists · worth confirming hours before you go
bakery

Night Moves Bread

Portland · $

Order: The loaves

A 2026 James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery.

Food markets in Portland

Plan a food trip to Portland All 147 food citiesExplore the 250 food markets

More in North America

Los AngelesMexico CityMontrealNew OrleansNew York CityOaxacaSan FranciscoVancouver

Awards come from the guides named on each listing (Food & Wine 2026, James Beard 2026, Eater 2025, Press Herald and Portland Food Map 2025-2026). Researched November 14, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.

Chef Amazing’s lists for Portland: where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Portland: who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.

Every place in this guide, A to Z (31)

Chef Amazing · Will Travel for Food · Food cities · 250 food markets · The Best 100