Chef Chris Gould’s wildly popular Central Provisions has a very simple organizing principle for its menu of small plates: raw, cold, and hot. From there, though, the frequently changing selection unfurls to accommodate wide-ranging tastes—chopped salad with candied bacon; bluefin tuna crudo; caramelized sheep’s cheese with with apple-chamomile vin cotto—making it an ideal place to bring a group of adventurous eaters up for a little bit of everything. (There’s also a surprisingly extensive caviar selection, plus a feast of foie gras.) Waits are common, but you can always head downstairs to the buzzy bar to pass the time. Also check out its sibling spot, Tipo, for pastas and pizzas.

414 Fore St., Portland, Maine, 207-805-1085, central-provisions.com.

The married team of Damian Sansonetti and two-time James Beard Award semifinalist Ilma Lopez operates this beloved brasserie off the beaten path in the West End, highlighting Spanish and French seasonal fare. Menu-wise, the selection varies often, based on seasonality, but everything from classic patatas bravas to coq au vin or local monkfish is on the table (and served on the expansive patio with its heat lamps and fire pit). For the fullest experience, be sure to kick off the meal with with an aperitif of xerez (also known as sherry) and close it with a sweet fortified Montilla wine. Younger sibling the Ugly Duckling opened half a mile away in 2023, and you can float on over to the petite luncheonette for coffee, pastries, and sandwiches.

58 Pine St., Portland, Maine, 207-772-1110, chavalmaine.com.

Born out of a Thai fried chicken pop-up, Crispy Gài opened its permanent space a few years back, showcasing Hat Yai-style fried chicken alongside a few other Thai classics, from chicken khao soi to grilled pork skewers with peanut sauce. (Spicy-funky som tum—papaya salad gussied up with dried shrimp and peanuts—is a must-order to accompany fried chicken.) Tropical cocktails kick things up a notch, from the cachaça, rum, and fruit Birds of Paradise (for two) to pineapple DTO shots (“a snack-sized daiquiri.”)

90 Exchange St., Portland, Maine, 207-536-1017, crispygai.com.

Somehow, the extra logistics of getting to this petit French-tropical-ish, seafood-focused gem makes dining at Crown Jewel that much sweeter. Owed by Alex Wight, the seasonal restaurant is located on Great Diamond Island and is accessible only by boat. The Casco Bay Lines Ferry takes about 30 minutes to reach the island, and diners can also arrange for a quicker private water taxi, private boat or even kayak (surely, that will earn you dessert). For all the effort it takes to get here, that means you absolutely must slow down when you arrive and savor everything on the mostly small-bites menu. Go with the flow over oysters with mignonette granita and French onion dip speckled with trout roe before trying the namesake Crown Jewel, which sees lobster paired with pâte à choux pastry. Heartier bites include a duck cassoulet stew and the island burger, with sweet onion jam joining nutty manchego cheese and pickled peppers. Here, summer evenings are just a little more precious.

255 Diamond Ave., Portland, Maine, 207-387-7523, crownjewelportland.com.

This small, 21-year-old sandwich spot in the Old Port sets itself apart by centering the most beloved deep-fried potato product: the French fry. Hand-cut, fried in duck fat, and served up in a cone of delightfully grease-soaked parchment, they’re delicious enough to build a reputation on alone—although it certainly doesn’t hurt to serve them with sauces like truffle ketchup and horseradish mayo (better yet, a “flight” of all five sauces), or to proffer them in the form of poutine, replete with duck gravy and locally sourced cheese curds. The rest of the menu is great, too—the panini section covers everything from a duck fat grilled cheese to a Cubano sandwich with house-smoked pulled pork, plus you’ll find milkshakes in flavors like chocolate and sea salted duck fat caramel. They have wonderful salads too, but come on, live a little. Chow on a cone of fries while you walk fifteen minutes over to the walkup-window offshoot, Duckfat Frites Shack, right next to Oxbow Blending & Bottling, and then order some more. 

43 Middle St., Portland, Maine, 207-774-8080, duckfat.com.

Alex Wight of Crown Jewel (see above) is making Portland even more magnifique with her latest French-inspired cocktail, wine, and small plates bar within the city’s historic Old Port. The chic interiors—check out the white brick walls and that glossy Louboutin-red ceiling—of the 30-seat space create an intimate vibe for quick meetups over chilled Malbec that meander into hors-d’ouvres-heaped evenings. Fare flows from the deceptively simple (fancy bread and fancy butter, a must try) to the nearly symphonic vol-au-vent—diver scallop and chestnut mushroom housed within a puffy pastry. Desserts (saffron custard, ice cream or sorbet in caramelized puff pastry, and more) bring beaucoup flavor, too.   

47 Wharf St., Portland, Maine, elizabethwharfstreet.com.

Co-owners Andrew Taylor, Arlin Smith, and Mike Wiley made a splash on the restaurant scene of Portland (and, arguably, the entire region) when they opened Eventide Oyster Co. in 2012. Five years later, they opened a smaller Boston branch in Fenway, but to this day, no food fan’s trip to southern Maine would be complete without a visit to the original. First and foremost, Eventide pays homage to traditional Maine oyster bars with 12 local Maine varieties available on the half-shell, along with local littlenecks and crab claws.  (Meanwhile, two other oyster offerings, Beau Soleil and Irish Point, are sourced from the cold water of our neighbors to the North in Canada.) The rest of the menu is really destination-worthy, too, offering elevated New England seafood dotted with pan-Asian influences. (Think: a ginger-scallion tuna crudo with tare and sides of house-made kimchi that balance the richness of Eventide’s famed brown butter lobster roll.) Don’t worry if you don’t see reservations available online for the busy spot, as most of the seats are saved for walk-ins who wash ashore.

86 Middle St., Portland, Maine, 207-774-8538, eventideoysterco.com.

Fore Street, co-owned by James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Dana Street, has been a bona fide culinary institution in the city since 1996. With its dramatic high ceilings, brick walls, and a kitchen decked out with a wood-burning oven, grill, and turnspit that’s visible from nearly every seat, it feels like one, too. The menu changes daily and uses as much local produce, meat, and seafood as possible, so in the summer you might find wood-grilled marinated squid kicked up by salt pork, while roasted rope-grown mussels might be on the agenda in winter. Reservations are available up to two months in advance, and you’ll probably need them. Once you arrive, though, just sit back, relax, and feast on the cuisine that’s kept Fore Street in the forefront of Portland’s dining scene for decades.

288 Fore St., Portland, Maine, 207-775-2717, forestreet.biz.

Honey Paw could be couched as just a crunchier, vinyl-spinning younger sibling to Eventide—it’s owned by the same team and is basically right next door—but the restaurant has made a name for itself distinct from its pedigree. How? With flavor-packed noodle and grain dishes inspired by cuisines from across Asia, from the Sichuan mapo tofu to turmeric rice noodles with braised beef to Thai-style lamb khao soi in a rich coconut curry. On the dessert side, meanwhile, check out the honey soft serve, served with real honeycomb. Take note, the space might be best for small parties: It’s built around a large communal table and bar seating (plus a petite outdoor patio), which can make it a little challenging for big groups to sit together.

78 Middle St., Portland, Maine, 207-774-8538, thehoneypaw.com.

Husband-and-wife duo Thomas Takashi Cooke (a James Beard Award nominee) and Elaine Alden opened this popular Japanese spot on Washington Avenue in 2017, and today they keep its menu lean and mean with Japanese specialties like sashimi, udon noodles with duck breast, and okonomiyaki (a large omelet-like dish), plus super-interesting plates like mochi “bacon” and broiled oysters with miso custard. Consider sampling it all with the $45 per-person omakase, a multi-course, family-style meal at the whim of the chef—just don’t forget to order a carafe of sake for the table.

54 Washington Ave., Portland, Maine, 207-613-9939, izakayaminato.com.

Look to Lenora, which opened in early 2023, for all-day eats in a cool interior swathed in Southwest accents with pinks and earth tones. With a focus on Mexican street food, the new spot has ties to Boston’s Lone Star Taco Bar crew. Start the day with a breakfast taco and spring for the house-made chorizo, which packs the right punch of spice. It’s best washed down by a snap-you-to-your-senses golden juice of carrot, turmeric, cantaloupe, and orange. Coffees include the tasty cafe con cajeta, espresso with steamed milk and a caramel made of spiced goat milk. Beyond the breakfast menu, the Yucatán fish and the vegetarian taco that features avocado wrapped in a crust of Oaxaca cheese are standouts. The goodies are served on handmade tortillas, with a treasure trove of salsas and sauces on offer.

2 Portland Sq., Portland, Maine, 207-536-0423, lenoramaine.com.

“Magissa” means “witch” in Greek, and this East Bayside beauty, which opened in 2024, sure spellbinds. Within a dining room radiating a blue-and-white Aegean aura, you can savor souvlaki, salads, Greek mezze with modern spins, and more. Highlights among the small plates include fried Brussels sprouts with lemon leaf vinegar and kefalotyr (a salty goat cheese), with grilled lamb served with olive-oil-and-lemon doused greens and a bright mint labneh as a standout dinner entrée. Meanwhile, the halloumi cheese with marinara and a hot honey that owes its kick to smoked chili flakes from Greece is nothing short of bewitching. Pop in for brunch, too, when classic American breakfast plates go Greek with loukaniko sausage, olives, and fresh pita.

91 Anderson St., Portland, Maine, magissaportland.com.

From sushi cart to food market stall to restaurant and truck, this Crispy Gài cousin has become a Portland favorite since its 2017 debut. Chef-owner Jordan Rubin obsesses over responsible seafood sourcing, and the ingredients shine in hand rolls, sushi burritos, sashimi, and more. Try some of the tuna preparations, of course. Perhaps a spicy tuna hand roll with pickled plum, or the Mr. Tuna burrito with tuna, avocado, spicy broiled scallop and crab, tobiko, and eel sauce. If you leave the city without trying the tuna mango sushi—a bright medley of sweet mango balanced by the citrus-meets-pepper kick of yuzu kosho, a fermented Japanese condiment—turn right back around. Perfect alongside the food? A sake spritz or the martini that includes pickled kelp. Yes, really: pickled kelp.

83 Middle St., Portland, Maine, 207-536-0509, mrtunamaine.com.

It’s hard to believe that this Puerto Rican restaurant only opened in 2023 as it’s already such a beloved part of Portland’s culinary family. Fitting, too, considering that the offerings draw from the childhood of founder LyAnna Sanabria, who grew up in a Puerto Rican family in Vermont. Start with small bites of beef empanadas and tostones tossed in garlic sauce before traipsing to larger offerings of a roasted poblano caesar salad and seared steak with rice, pigeon peas, and a side of maduros. Sanabria’s cocktails oft employ unexpected ingredients (coconut sticky rice orgeat and mango Campari, anyone?), with playful “sin sin” (non-alcoholic) offerings, too.

18 Exchange St., Portland, Maine, 207-808-8031, papiportland.com.

Regards rollicks to the West Coast for its menu inspired by Los Angeles’ Mexican and Asian street food. Chef Neil Zabriskie, who co-owns the spot with his wife Kimberly Lund and business partner Cameron Lewin, also draws from his own Afro-Cubano and Polish heritage. Much of the menu highlights masa, the dough used to make tamales, tostadas, and tortillas. The painstaking process—local flint corn from is soaked overnight and then ground daily—produces a deep flavor that boosts shrimp tacos and other beauties. Pristine bites on the seasonally shifting menu might include tempura shrimp tacos with a gastrique of Pedro Ximinez sherry, koji-aged ribeye, and duck that swims in a burnt-butter salsa agridulce. Desserts of Peruvian chocolate cake with rainier cherry granite and burnt tostada ice cream brightened by honeycomb send you their regards, too.

547 Congress St., Portland, Maine, 207-747-5940, regardsmaine.com.

After visiting all the waterfront restaurants in Portland, you’ll probably need a solid break from seafood. For that, turn to Terlingua in East Bayside, which combines Texas barbecue and Mexican cuisine to great effect: Think tacos with smoked brisket and pork carnitas on homemade tortillas, or a barbecue board of house-smoked meats and sides of Mexican-inflected mac and cheese with poblano pepper. If the heated outdoor deck doesn’t warm you up, the margaritas and mezcal will do the trick. Check out the neighboring Terlingua Outpost, an all-day café and market, where you can enjoy coffee drinks (optionally spiked with your choice of spirit), plus baked goods and “pocket ritos”—panini-style burritos, a takeout-friendly pick-me-up as you explore the city.

40 Washington Avenue, Portland, Maine, 207-956-7573, terlingua.me.

With a little luck you’ll snag reservations at this modern New England spot, which opened in summer 2022 in a painstakingly reconstructed brick building. What’s all the fuss about? Three- and five-course prix-fixe feasts of halibut with cucumber gazpacho, New York strip gussied up by decadent cream sauce and bone marrow, and oyster mushrooms with a vibrant parsley pistou and polenta. (And we’d be remiss not to mention this masterpiece of a lobster roll on a croissant.) The menu changes frequently, but what’s unchanging is the dedication for showcasing the beauty of in-season, local ingredients. Check out sibling spot Douro for Portuguese-inspired bites and cocktails, too. 

115 Thames St., Portland, Maine, 207-910-7400, twelvemaine.com.

With research by Harriet Gaye.