Maine is a great place to visit as it has lots of fabulous holiday lettings and there are so many fantastic things to do, from whale watching to skiing. You will also find lots of wonderful restaurants there. If you love your food, you will love Maine. It is a place synonymous with seafood, especially lobster, but you will find lots of cuisines to delight in, from traditional New England to Mexican fare. There is such a superb choice of restaurants it is hard to decide which to visit. The best barometer is often “Go where the locals eat”. Here are the five best places to eat if you want to hang out with the locals while gratifying your taste buds.
Portland Lobster Company
When in Maine you have to eat lobster and the best place to indulge your seafood fantasies is the Portland Lobster Company. This mecca for succulent lobster is as down-to-earth as it gets, but that’s its charm. You don’t come to this ocean front establishment for anything other than great lobster!
Hours
11:00 AM till 10 PM
Contact
180 Commercial Street
Portland, ME 04101
207.775.2112
Five Fifty-Five
If you love your food classic and classy this is the award-winning restaurant for you. Five Fifty-Five prides itself on its seasonal menu and locally sourced ingredients. A local favourite is the truffled lobster “mac & cheese”, which you have to try! The restaurant has a fine tradition when it comes to serving great food.
Hours
5:00 PM till Close
Contact
555 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
207.761.0555
Hugo’s
This is an acclaimed restaurant, consistently rated as one of America’s finest. Hugo’s has three creative menus “Forged & Farmed” “From The Sea”, “Forest & Field”. The food is sourced locally and representative of the seasons and landscape. If you want to fine dine you won’t go wrong dining here.
Hours
5:30 PM till Close
Contact
88 Middle Street
Portland, ME 04101
207.774.8538
Zapoteca
If you like Mexican food you will love Zapoteca. The food is a combination of traditional and modern Mexican dishes, fire-roasted in a method unique to the restaurant. It is also a tequileria and can claim to have over 100 of the finest tequilas. It’s the place to go for quality Mexican food and a fine shot of tequila.
Hours
Mon 4:00 PM till 10:00 PM
Tues – Thurs 11:30 AM till 10:00 PM
Fri – Sat 11:30 AM till 11:00 PM
Sun 4:00 PM till 10:00 PM
Contact
505 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
207.772.8242
Fore Street
One of the finest restaurants in Maine, Fore Street has a wood-burning oven, made from Hardwood and apple wood, which cooks up a scrumptious menu, consisting of seafood, game, meats and vegetables. It was one of the first local restaurants to use this method and is THE place to enjoy traditional food.
Hours
Sun – Thurs 5:30 AM till 10:00 PM
Fri – Sat 5:30 AM till 10:30 PM
Contact
288 Fore Street
Portland, ME 04101
207.775.2717
If this has your mouth watering, pack your bags, book into one of the many fabulous Maine vacation rentals and dine out in the Maine place for great food.
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