15 Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine
Fresh seafood, inventive pizzas, and masterfully made sushi are just a few reasons why this tiny Maine city has such an outsized reputation in the food world
October 14, 2025
If you ever hear anyone ask why teensy Portland, Maine, has such an outsized reputation in the food world, remember two things: First, those people clearly haven’t eaten here yet, and second, the answer lies in a philosophy ingrained in Maine itself. The state’s proud lack of pretense and its close-knit community of small farms, working waterfronts, and independent restaurants are long-held traditions that predate (and frankly, eclipse) hype phrases like “locavorism.” And that means widespread access to far better food for everyone. Even celebrated fine dining here tends to eschew anything high-concept and instead just keeps it real.
That ethos was first amplified by Portland’s gastronomic forefathers who got the country’s attention back in the mid ’90s (chefs like Sam Hayward at Fore Street, which is still going strong). That opened the floodgates to kitchens cooking serious food, leaning more homey than fancy, that's all so good it'll make your head spin: luscious barbecue and pillowy, umami-laced pizzas; straight-from-the-sea sushi; and ethereal donuts made from local potatoes. These days, Portland is a jumble of creative and scrappy spots that make snacking your way around town an utter delight. That said, when you want the complete dining experience of a sit-down-and-linger meal that will haunt your dreams, these are the restaurants to be reckoned with.
Twelve
Dinner here is an event deserving of time and attention. Since it opened to a slew of fanfare in 2022, Twelve has aimed to evolve and elevate local customs—including with the space itself. Plenty of elements in the room convert old into new—wooden beams from the original historic building, for example, have been transformed into the chef’s sleek counter. The latter is where you can dine and witness Ryder’s deft leadership, which shines through in dishes that are both refined and lusty: A plate of New York strip raised at nearby Pineland Farms is extraordinary napped with a perfectly executed charon sauce, the classic French infusion coaxing out every bit of the beef’s buttery richness. Even what seem like simple snacks turn out to be revelations—like the cheekily understated “chips & dip,” a meticulous cylinder of dill-festooned sour cream encasing caramelized onion jam, served with homemade potato chips and crowned with a canelle of Siberian caviar.