Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Greater Portland

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2026

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Greater Portland? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Magnus on Water

5.0

5 (438)

$50 and over

Comfort Food

Biddeford

About the restaurant

Magnus on Water is a cocktail bar and restaurant in Biddeford, Maine, where Peruvian-inspired comfort food from Chef Rafael Zimmerman meets an award-winning beverage program led by Bar Director Brian “Cat” Catapang. Our cocktail program has been recognized with a Pinnacle Pin, one of the industry’s highest honors, celebrating excellence in craft, creativity, and hospitality.

Our menu and drinks change with the seasons, highlighting Maine’s farmers, foragers, and fishermen who share our commitment to sustainability and respect for the natural world. The space is polished yet intimate — a place to linger over beautiful food, conversation, and cocktails. In the warmer months, our garden patio with fire pits extends that same welcoming spirit outdoors. Magnus also offers a private dining room for gatherings and full or partial event rentals.

Top review

BruceGold

Dined 3 days ago

Gourmet Peruvian cuisine and craft cocktails prepared and served by a professional team!

Taj Indian Cuisine

4.9

4.9 (76)

$30 and under

Indian

South Portland

About the restaurant

At Taj, the Guntaka family brings a rich blend of tradition, passion, and authentic Indian cuisine to South Portland. Sourcing spices directly from India the chefs craft every dish from scratch. They've built a reputation for unforgettable flavors. Hemalatha, the heart of the kitchen, prepares each meal with care, while Sai and Sudarsana ensure every guest feels like family. Whether you're enjoying a meal in their warm, inviting dining room or sipping on a handcrafted cocktail at their bar, Taj promises a dining experience that's both flavorful and heartwarming.

2025 James Beard Foundation Semifinalist for Outstanding Hospitality

We have Bar seating available, however it is first come first serve. On Weekends we might run little behind on the reservations

We do not have strict timing limitations, We try our best to honor every guests’ reservation times, so please be courteous to other guests’ reservations that may follow. Our host team will do their best to accommodate any delays

Top review

Lyle

Dined 2 days ago

Always a great experience!! We love going for both lunch and dinner.

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Experience

Lunch Buffet- 7 Days a week

Eighteen95, at The Portland Regency Hotel & Spa

4.9

4.9 (361)

$30 and under

American

Portland

About the restaurant

eighteen95 offers warm, intimate décor, punctuated by softly lit chandeliers and a lovely brick fireplace.
Located on the Lobby level of the Portland Regency Hotel and Spa. Complimentary Valet Parking is available.
Currently serving breakfast or brunch 7 days a week. eighteen95 serves special menus on most holidays, check our website for details.

Top review

Dined on May 10, 2026

Great experience, friendly waitstaff, nice corner booth. Delicious fun. Thank you

Isa Bistro - Portland

4.9

4.9 (1841)

$31 to $50

Bistro

Portland

About the restaurant

Dinner 4-9pm, except closed on Tuesdays. Brunch 11:30-4pm Friday & Saturday.
Isa is a small neighborhood bistro serving an eclectic and seasonally driven menu. A husband and wife duo. A 2023 James Beard nominated chef, Isaul Perez brings his experience cooking French and Italian food in NYC to life with a splash of his Mexican heritage. His wife Suzie is a certified sommelier and face of the front. They showcase local farms and purveyors, offer craft beers and house specialty cocktails. The dining room is cozy and quaint with an original black tin ceiling. INDOOR DINING - Reservations accepted up to 30 days out, for 1-8 guests. Large parties cannot be separated into multiple tables. **Indoor reservations cannot be moved outside upon arrival.** Please provide 24 hours notice for cancellations or a late cancellation/no show fee will apply.
OUTDOOR DINING - Reservations are available DAY OF only for 1-6 guests as our private patio is weather permitting (not dog friendly).

Top review

MarieGold

Dined 3 days ago

10 out of a 10! We loved everything, from our perfectly crafted drinks to desert!

Bread & Friends

4.9

4.9 (140)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Portland

About the restaurant

Brunch at Bread & Friends is first come, first served - we do not take reservations. At dinner we accept walk-ins and reservations which can be booked up to 1 month in advance.

We are a bakery and restaurant, specializing in naturally leavened breads, artisan pastries, and elevated sharing plates for brunch (walk-ins only) and dinner (reservations and walk-ins welcome). Complemented by a coffee program at brunch, as well as wine, beer and aperitivi/amari at dinner. Let's eat, together.

Top review

Whitney

Dined 2 days ago

The most delicious dinner we’ve had in 2026! Everything was unique combinations mixed with beautiful presentation and good service. Highly recommend.

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Experience

Large Party Dining

Mr. Tuna

4.8

4.8 (102)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Portland

About the restaurant

A casual sushi joint in Portland, ME specializing in sustainable, local seafood. Mr. Tuna includes a poppy, pastel-shaded 30 seat sushi bar and seasonal outdoor seating. Chef Jordan Rubin is hyper focused on quality, earning accolades including a James Beard Nominee for Best Chef: Northeast and Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2025. Mr. Tuna was named #6 Best Restaurant in the Country by Food & Wine and was honored with the Innovation Award from Gulf of Maine Research Institute for its commitment to responsible sourcing. The menu is built around super-fresh, seasonal seafood sourced straight from the Gulf of Maine, as the restaurant is just a short walk up from Portland's waterfront. Try the Tuna Tasting, a four-cut journey through local bluefin, or the Tuna de Tigre, a bright, ceviche-style blend of Peruvian and Thai flavors. Don't skip the classics- the hand rolls are what brought Mr. Tuna to fame in the early food cart days. Save room for a hot pressed ice cream Toastie for dessert!

Top review

Kevin

Dined 3 days ago

Amazing! Amazing! Amazing! Nothing else need be said.

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Experience

Tuna & Friends ft. James London

Fore Street

4.9

4.9 (4649)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Portland

About the restaurant

Located in Portland's Old Port District, Fore Street opened in June, 1996. The interior surrounds a unique brick and soapstone hearth with a wood-burning oven, grill and turnspit; visible from most tables. We believe that good food travels the shortest possible distance between the farm and the table. Our menu changes every day and is founded upon the very best raw materials from a community of Maine farmers, fisherman, foragers and cheese makers. Most of the Maine foods are organically grown or harvested wild, each brought to us at the peak of its season. In 2002 and again in 2007, Fore Street was named by Gourmet Magazine as one of the Top Fifty Restaurants in the United States. In 2004, Chef-Partner Sam Hayward was named Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation.

Top review

SeanGold

Dined 5 days ago

Food and service were stellar. Can’t wait to come back.

Scales

4.9

4.9 (7607)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Portland

About the restaurant

A traditional New England restaurant with modern touches, Scales is located on Maine Wharf next to the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal. Enjoy classic fried seafood as well as locally sourced land fare, while enjoying the view of a quintessential working Maine harbor.

Bar seating is available for dinner service by reservation only. Please check with the host to inquire about bar seating.

Our lounge is open for cocktails and raw bar beginning at 4:30pm, Sunday through Thursday, and 4:00pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

We are only able to seat complete parties at this time. Please note: our patio reservations are weather dependent. If we need to make a change because of weather, we will call you on the day of your reservation to cancel or reschedule your booking.

We offer complimentary valet parking during the time of your meal with us.

Top review

Lindsay

Dined 5 days ago

Food, drinks, and service were all amazing. Tuna tartare, halibut, the scallops: highly recommend. Our waiter Duncan was fun, attentive, and helpful. Thanks for a great evening.

Bird & Co.

4.8

4.8 (396)

$30 and under

Mexican

Portland

About the restaurant

We are a neighborhood Taco and Margarita bar. We would love to feed you. Located in the middle of Woodfords Corner, tucked away on the Corner of Deering Ave. and Revere St. Our creative tacos and margaritas use the freshest ingredients and we have something on the menu for everyone.

You deserve Tacos.

Top review

susanGold

Dined 2 days ago

Best vegan and gluten free tacos, chips, guacamole and salsa around! We eat here often and our server, Thomas, always goes out of his way to make us feel welcome. The food is great and the service is too! We always feel that the experience of eating here is worth the $$. It’s a great value for what you receive. And we always find it easy to find free street parking nearby. We highly recommend!!

Franciska

4.8

4.8 (128)

$31 to $50

Argentinean

Portland

About the restaurant

Franciska is a wine bar dedicated to Argentine Bodegón cuisine, a culinary tradition deeply rooted in Spanish and Italian influences brought by immigrants to Buenos Aires at the turn of the century. In our intimate 20-seat space in Portland’s Old Port, we bring people together over thoughtfully crafted dishes made with New England-sourced ingredients and house-made specialties.

Please note: Table reservations are for guests joining us for dinner at Franciska. For wine tastings or drinks only, our bar is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Cancellations made within 24 hours of your reservation, or no-shows, will incur a charge of $25 per person. Thank you for understanding and supporting our small restaurant.

Top review

Alexander

Dined 3 days ago

The food was extraordinary. We were a party of four and ordered the majority of available dishes to share. Every single dish was excellent. The wine by the bottle list features a variety of predominately fine European but also Argentinian and U.S. wines. The offering of wines by the glass is high quality as well.

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