Portland, ME
For Fine Dining in Portland, the local food press points to Fore Street Restaurant, Central Provisions, and Eventide Oyster Co.. Picks from Portland Press Herald and The Maine Mag, updated June 2026.
Editor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Portland Press Herald, The Maine Mag, and New England Today (Yankee). Updated June 2026.
Fore Street Restaurant · Old Port
Yankee calls it one of the two best restaurants in Portland and the Press Herald notes Sam Hayward (2004 JBF Best Chef Northeast) has held the short list of Maine's best for two-plus decades. Owner Dana Street is a 2026 JBF Outstanding Restaurateur finalist.
Central Provisions · Old Port
Chris Gould's raw/cold/hot/sweet small-plates menu in an 1828 warehouse. JBF Best New Restaurant finalist 2015 and Bon Appétit Hot 10. The Maine Mag describes it as a build-your-own-tasting-menu with Japanese technique carried over from Boston's Uni.
Eventide Oyster Co. · Old Port
Yankee Magazine: lobster buns, fried-oyster buns, and fried-chicken buns you should not miss, plus Food & Wine's People's Choice Best Chefs honor. James Beard Best New Restaurant 2014.
Luncheonette · Bayside
Angela Lee (Petee's Pie, Meat Hook) and Alex LeBlanc (Sailor, Gus's). The only New England pick on Eater's 2025 Best New Restaurants in America. Meze-style menu with Korean-inflected bibimbap and gochujang-dressed vegetables.
Scales · Old Port
Sam Hayward and Dana Street's waterfront seafood room (opened 2016). a modern take on New England shack classics anchoring the Maine Wharf.
What’s your #1 Fine Dining in Portland, ME?
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