One of the best restaurants in Portland! David's is smaller in size with an outdoor patio in front of the restaurant and dining inside with seating at a counter along an exposed kitchen. My husband and I had a table inside by the front window. Kim was our server and provided good service and recommendations. My husband and I started with a cocktail. Him the special gin basil cocktail and me with a vodka grapefruit cocktail. Both were so refreshing. A basket of warm parmesan cheese rolls were brought to our table. These were the bomb...soft, warm, cheesy goodness! We shared the tuna tartare, which is the best I've ever had. A generous portion of cubed tuna with pacific rim flavors and four waffle potato crisps. This starter was full of flavor and freshness. The tuna melted in my mouth. Next, we shared the watermelon salad with avocado mousse, cucumbers and sweet pea tendrils. Another great flavor profile and generous portion. We really enjoyed this salad. For our entrees, my husband ordered the haddock and I ordered the salmon. Kim told me that the salmon was prepared medium rare and I was happy to hear that as I always like salmon cooked that way. Unfortunately, my salmon was not cooked medium rare. It was on the dryer side, more medium to medium well. It lost its moistness. The little dabs of sauce on my plate did not give my fish enough moisture. I was disappointed with the way the fish was prepared. My husband's haddock was on the dryer side as well, but he had enough sauce to moisten his fish. After the start to our dining experience, we were surprised that the entrées fell short. For this reason, I took away a star for the preparation of the fish dishes. I would still dine here in a heartbeat trying something else. I could tell from the starter and salad that the dryness of our fish preparation could've merely been a miss for one night. Overall, we did enjoy the ambience of the restaurant, those damn good parmesan rolls, the starter and salad, not to mention the service we received. read more

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The portion sizes were perfect. In America we are so used to huge portion sizes that when we get anything smaller we think it should be cheaper. Wrong. These dishes are FRESH and the perfect size for what we are supposed to eat. Your paying for the quality not quantity . I'd rather have amazing quality food that is unique and tastes wonderful than a large quantity of mediocre food. So yes you may be paying a little more but these are chefs. You gotta appreciate the art that goes into these dishes because it's amazing. read more

It is lovely that such a classic Portland staple is still producing one of the finest meals one can find in this ever evolving and bustling city....and it's always nice to see the owner present and engaged with his staff. The steak au poivre is to die for. The mushroom ravioli is also divine. You can't go wrong with David's, ever. read more

The most amazing restaurant I've been to thus far! Our server was Tyler, very informative. Gave us some insight on Portland along with excellent service. I'm vegan so they accommodated my diet so well. I started with a pomegranate lemon drop martini, perfect size drink, for an appetizer I ordered the bruschetta and it was the best damn bruschetta ever! For my lunch I ordered the mushroom pizza made vegan, AMAZING! I'm so full from three slices. Best damn food in Portland I promise!!!!! read more

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Our server was very nice, I don't like mussels in tomato sauce, which they were serving for the night, so she had me made in white sauce. I have to say we kinda felt special.We also had lobster bisque before main course and it was very creamy. But the best part was our entree, the lobster ravioli, it was simply delicious. read more

David's Restaurant - Special Cheese cake from chef :) - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

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You will not be disappointed when you go to David's in Monument Square. It was a party of eight of us and we could not of had better service... When I ordered my martini with 3 1/2 olives , Our server smiled and delivered what I had ordered. Everybody exclaimed over there Meil from salmon, steak perfectly cooked, duck and even the Caesar salad. The garlic knots read more

David's Restaurant - The tuna could not have been better - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

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David's is a classic in Portland. Staff is always wonderful. Lunch offerings are generally delicious. Not sure if it's due to "being off-season for restaurants here in Portland" however, we have had lunch twice this week and today the special sandwich was Cajun haddock. The most dry piece of flavorless haddock I have ever eaten in my life. Totally lifeless sandwich and oily fries. The restaurant was not busy so no excuse for shipping out a terrible sandwich. Partners pasta salad was an over cooked pasta mayonnaise mess. What's the deal David's? We are locals we want a great meal any time! *update* met an out-of-town friend at David's before Thanksgiving for appetizers. He had dined at David's Opus 10 previously and w aged to revisit. Are THE BEST CALAMARI OF MY LIFE! Homerun for David's chef & staff. Also very accommodating staff that evening. read more

David's is definitely our go-to spot on any day of the week if we're looking for consistent, delicious food that isn't wildly expensive. My boyfriend and I usually go to the South Portland location, but switched things up when we decided last minute that we wanted burgers. We walked in and they were fortunately able to seat us at he chefs table, which we like more than an actual table tbh. We were served their garlic knots, which are delicious (but drenched in oil FYI), and proceeded to order our burgers until several other items on the menu caught our attention. I ended up getting the pepper crusted tuna steak and was not disappointed! Cooked perfectly rare, super fresh, and full of flavor. The asparagus and soba noodles that accompanied the tuna were a nice, light addition as well. Will continue to return! read more

David's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

We walked in from the rain hoping to have a drink at the bar. The hostess was disinterested and on the phone said we could go ahead and sit at the bar after we waited for her to look our way. We sat for over 10 minutes in hopes that someone would acknowledge us and it never happened. There were only about 5 other customers in the entire place. The man that we could only assume was the bartender filled up his own drink, walked past us and proceeded to engage with other patrons. After close to 15 minutes we got up and walked out and went next door. At Shay's we were greeted immediately and welcomed and served within 3 minutes of sitting down. Moral of the story, do yourself a favor and skip David's and head straight to Shays read more

The Brussels sprout dish is better than any Asian or Tuscan variation I've ever cooked myself. To die for! This beautifully designed restaurant is infused with a kind staff and love for food. Our server Libby was great. The truffle infused mushroom gluten free pizza was Devine. The blueberry scallops was excellent. For COVID19 protection, social distancing is practiced. Sanitizer was on the table. Great restaurant read more

Friday night- deader than dead. No one was here? Okay.. oh well. Service was great, ambiance was nice. Darkly lit, relaxed setting and delicious wine. Who am I to complain? Entrees here were delicious. Portions were more than generous. My only thing? I found my dessert SO disappointing. I got the mixed berry/fruit crisp. It wasn't cooked enough at all, it reminded me of cereal-poorly made oatmeal. Not impressed. read more

The only negative is that we Goto there early for our reservation and even though the table they eventually sat us at was open, they made us wait. There is not a lot of standing area and so we felt like were we constantly in the way. That said, the service was good and the food was excellent. All four of us had the salmon! And they were able to split the check for us. read more

David's reminds me of a restaurant my dad would really enjoy. We went for a dinner before a special night at the symphony. We were given lunch menus by accident, but once the waitress realized the mistake, it wasn't corrected beyond "most of the dishes are the same, just bigger portions and higher prices". I enjoyed a ginger/pear/champagne cocktail (The Longfellow) that the waitress recommended among several choices. It was full bodied and very drinkable. There were a few other cocktails that caught my eye, particularly on the dessert list. My husband ordered The Observatory (cucumber gin, St. Germaine, lime), and there is no other way to describe it than to say it tasted like pickle juice. The pre-dinner garlic knots were generous but had that slightly chemical tasting garlic spread. My entree was the Exotic Mushroom Ravioli. It was good with several individual components (goat cheese, roasted tomatoes, etc.) but overall it was quite sweet thanks to the madeira sauce. We decided to split an ice cream sandwich for dessert which was huge (serving for probably 3 people after a robust dinner). The ice cream was standard but the chocolate chip granola cookies were tasty (and these can be ordered solo!). Ultimately, if we'd paid the lunch prices (as inspired by the menu mix up), I think we would've left more satisfied. The food was good but not great and not enough to inspire us to come back in a city like Portland. I think one of the best things about David's is its location. I love the cozy spot on Monument Square, and we had a great view of the annual Christmas tree. read more

Best fried calamari we've ever had. Probably the best pizza as well. The burger was delicious, everything was tasty.

Updated review. The food was good especially the seafood pappardelle. Unfortunately we were accidentally overcharged on our credit card. We contacted the restaurant and they were able correct the error a few days after. read more

We went here for dinner. I got the meatloaf and my friends got the lobster ravioli and potato bacon pizza. Everything was amazing! So very delicious, will definitely go back next time I'm in town. read more

David's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

I got the baked stuffed haddock. First bite in, I could tell this was previously frozen. The fish was not fresh. The stuffing was tasteless and extremely bready. First time trying David's and this will be my last. Absolutely horrible. We are in New Bedford. No excuse to not have fresh fish read more

My wife and I were new to Portland. We checked Yelp for dinner recommendations There were a number of recommendations for restaurants in the marina area. However, we were unable to get reservations for any of these places. We were able to get reservations for David's which turned out to be a wonderful meal. First, there is a public parking garage a block away which was convenient. The restaurant is only a five minute walk from there. There is both inside and outside seating. We had booked the reservation through open table and we were greeted by a pleasant young lady. We were seated promptly by the hostess. The meal started with an excellent olive oil dipping sauce with parmesan cheese in the middle if the oil to mix in. You were provided with a bread basket which included the tasty garlic knots. When we requested additional garlic knots they were brought out immediately. My wife ordered the lobster special which came with an appetizer of two grilled shrimp and a cup if chowder. Both were very good. I ordered the fried calamari which was prepared with feta cheese, kalamata olives, red onion & a balsamic reduction which was also very tasty. My entree was the blackened swordfish with polenta and snow peas which was delicious. I finished my meal with a nice looking cappuccino. We didn't try any of the desserts but I can't imagine that they wouldn't be as good as the meal that we ate! The staff were all very friendly. The hostess was going to seat us in one area and decided it wasn't a good option for us and immediately found us an alternative table. Our waitress was friendly and discussed some of the popular choices when asked for recommendations. I highly recommend David's. read more

David's Restaurant - Blacken swordfish as presented to me. - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

They have one of the best Happy Hours here and the food has been delicious every time. The cucumber drink is so refreshing. Perfect for summer days! The atmosphere if fantastic as well. A bit more refined but still relaxed. read more

garlic knots were great. pizza was average (if your from NYC metro area). peppered crusted tuna and Tournedos au poivre was like getting pepper shoved down your throat. Would not recommend these dishes if you don't remotely like pepper. Felt like this restaurant is run by big pepper. read more

We actually were reading review of David's 388 restaurant that had some good yelp reviews but ended up here after some Google Map errors. This place had a nice ambiance and friendly servers but the food was just average. I ordered the pepper encrusted tuna and the thick layer of pepper overpowered the tuna and my companion ordered the strip steak with fries and asparagus. The fries were mediocre and the steak was OK. the dinners were mostly in the low $20's. read more

David's Restaurant - Live music at davids - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

If you're going out to eat in the winter and you think you're going to be seated outside w heaters, better bundle up and bring a blanket! We expected to be at least in a tent or a semi covered area. Nope! Right outside on the sidewalk. It was 38 degrees. We luckily bundled a little but the heater kept being blown out by the wind. Our food got so cold so fast. It was not a pleasant experience. And the waiter accidentally spilled an ice cold beverage on my friends lap while delivering our food! cAfmyf-8guvxi-vaxmivsyproq-8zyhvE-qikcoxNot the best David's experience. My food would've been better if warm. read more

Service was great. We arrived early for our 8 PM dinner reservation and we were seated right away. Our server was very attentive. There was a special menu for Maine Restaurant Week. The price was great for the portions we received. The garlic knots were complimentary and full of flavor. It was really buttery and garlicky (not that it's a bad thing). Overall we enjoyed our meal and the ambiance was great. read more

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This is a popular venue for a meet-up with cocktails and dinner after work. I have not been to this Davids restaurant for several years and was very disappointed with our recent visit. The quality of the food and wait staff service missed the mark. The crispy duck was tough even when attempting to cut it with a steak knife. Sautéed spinach was flavorful but I found the unidentified starch very lumpy. The haddock and shrimp special presented 3 small shrimp and very small portion of haddock. Our dishes were not warm so obviously sitting for awhile. The beef kabob app was tough. The oysters (which I had to ask the waiter for the source) were from Damariscotta and quite fresh and delicious. We were never offered refills on drinks or water and rarely saw the non-attentive waiter. Ambiance is pleasant and comfortable. I recommend this venue for drinks and dinner salads but that is as far as I would go. My spouse was much more generous with the tip than I would have been but I told him we have better places to visit in Portland and elsewhere. read more

Excellent! The garlic knob rolls were delicious as was the chapters salad. I'm usually not a big fan of meatloaf but this meatloaf was wonderful! We ate here at lunch and the service was great. read more

Incredible. You gotta get the Brussels sprouts appetizer. I almost ordered it again for dessert. Had the bacon wrapped filet mignon and it was also very good. Great service. Dining outside and they have heat lamps and those little tabletop fire things too to help keep warm! read more

I can't remember the last time that a restaurant wowed me on every phase of the meal. From Appetizer to dessert, there was nothing short of excellence placed in front of me. We sat at the bar on a busy Sunday evening and that just made our experience that much better because we got to see what everyone else was enjoying. To start, we got the Fried Calamary and the Steak Tartare. The calamari was served in a different, but very welcome way, being tossed with balsamic rather than drenched in cherry peppers and lemon. The acidity from the balsamic added a sublime kick in my mouth every time I went for a bite and it was delicious. Oh and the steak tartare? Loaded with such a beautiful truffle flavor that I can still taste 2 days later. For dinner, I opted for the meatloaf (who says that?) and my wife got the open faced lobster ravioli. The meatloaf was just loaded with flavor and texture that blew my mind. It also came out at a Medium, slightly pink temperature and was nothing short of excellent. The Lobster Ravioli was something else folks. First of all, if you look real close at the other tables in the restaurant, at least one person at each table was getting this dish. THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS! The sauce alone could pass for a 5 star lobster bisque, but the shrimp, scallops, and lobster were cooked so perfectly you could put a fork through it without issue. For dessert, we got a chocolate torte with caramel and nuts on top. I can't even bring myself to use words to describe how amazing this was, so just get it and thank me later. We can't wait to check out the Opus 10 portion of the restaurant when we return as this has now become one of our favorite restaurants to go to. read more

Came on a Wednesday night with a large group and it was packed. Wasn't really impressed with the food. It was just ok. Lot of folks got the lobster ravioli though and they loved it. They also raved about the calamari read more

Decided to surprise my boyfriend with dinner for his birthday here. The restaurant was beautifully lit when we walked in. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. We ordered the calamari for our appetizer and it was delicious! I got the mushroom pizza and my boyfriend ordered the filet mignon. It was amazing! Definitely worth the splurge and will be back again soon. One of our new favorite restaurants for date night. read more

YUM YUM YUM!!!!! This was the best place I ate during my stay in Portland! The ravioli is AMAZING! And talk about those garlic knots! Also highly recommend shrimp. It's fancy but not judgmental fancy if you show up casual. This place was excellent!!! read more

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Not the class act I was expecting. Dining furniture could use an update! The "hostesses" need to look the word up in the dictionary. The food was passable but with all the other ingredients missing it left a lack luster dining experience... I won't return nor will I recommend. read more

David's restaurant is amazing. I wish I lived in Maine so I could try everything on the menu. We sat at the Chef's table opposite of the bar. It was a really neat way to experience the food here. The chefs made me feel welcome and took time to talk to me. Chef Trevor gave us suggestions which was pretty awesome. I was able to watch all the food come up as they put the finishing touches on all the plates. Every plate they put up looked amazing, from the lobster haddock to meatloaf. Mine was the mushroom ravioli. It was incredible. My boyfriend had the lobster ravioli and he said it was the best seafood he's had. As we are driving away I am wishing that we stayed for the cashew chocolate tart. Next time I am in Maine I am definitely stopping here again. Thanks for a great experience and meal. read more

Fantastic meal !!!! Worth the trip:). Staff was also amazing! A must visit in Portland. read more

David's Restaurant - Open Faced Lobster Ravioli - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Had dinner there. My husband ordered the garlic knots, sirloin steak with vegetables and garlic mash with a house cab and an old fashioned. Old fashioned wasn't great, but the rest was delicious. Everything was a great combo together along with the house red. I ordered the crusted skin duck breast with risotto and balsamic glaze. It was delicious as well. All in all, I highly recommend. We didn't have a reservation and went on a Tuesday at 7 and got seated right away. Food came out promptly. read more

Went there twice during our long weekend stay in Portland. The clam chowder is a must have, one of the best I ever had. Reservation is highly recommended for dinner. read more

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Pretentious, overhyped tourist trap, not for the real people of Portland. Went for dinner Friday night we had an awkward table outside, the seat was pushed in almost completely because it was directly against the door so I had to kind of climb in awkwardly to sit. The table was pitched at an angle on the sidewalk so we had to hold onto our drink glasses through the duration of the meal so they didn't slide off the table. Fine, we weren't really expecting anything we didn't have a reservation so they seated us wherever they could find a spot. Water glass on the table was dirty/marked, I brought it to the servers attention she gave me a long winded explanation about how they are stacked and they create marks and asks if I want another glass, yes I do so she goes to get me another one. Dirty/marked glass is fine at a local brew pub down the street not a 50 dollar a head restaurant. She also pulled the menu that was at my setting because it was covered in oil stains but then returned with the same soiled menu for me (I'm guessing they didn't have another menu that they could use) I should have taken this interaction as a warning and just because it didn't get better. We watched as the table next to us was attended when it took over 30 minutes just to get our water glasses full. (Again, I understand they had a reservation, we did not but when they sit down after us and you bring their entire table water it takes little effort to bring us a carafe too since we are the only two tables out there). We felt a little like lepers out there, I know we weren't an eight top like the table next to us but our dining experience is just as valid and important as theirs. So after being disappointed with service let me get into the food... Garlic knots they give you at the table we bit into them and hot oil poured down our faces, just an obscene excessive amount of oil. I'm glad I had my napkin in my lap or it would have ruined my dress. My husband was so disgusted he couldn't eat anymore after the first one. Polenta fries were good and really the only positive note for our entire meal. My husband's filet was sickly grey and look like it had been boiled instead of grilled over a direct flame (I'm guessing sous vide without a finishing sear?). I had the haddock/crab with the risotto one of the most expensive items on the menu, the haddock was overcooked to chewy jerky status, crab on top was dry and the risotto was a gummy wall paper paste mess. I couldn't even believe how terrible it was, under-seasoned, overcooked, inedible. I took four bites and just left the majority of my entree. Our meal was over a hundred dollars and we both left disappointed and hungry. read more

I'm sad to write this review at only 3 stars, as we had a wonderful experience here same time last year. Last year, we had lunch at David's when visiting Portland and were astounded - in the top 10 meals of our lives - and drove back 45 min+ to return for lunch the very next day. It was beyond excellent. This year, we were so excited to have lunch here again, but were underwhelmed. Food was good, but not great. I had duck and my companion had the pizza. Cocktails, oysters and Caesar salad for both. Everything was ok, passable for a chain restaurant, but not the dream of a meal we had last year. read more

Had a wonderful time here celebrating a friends birthday. The cocktails were great, the food was on point, and the atmosphere was fantastic. They even wrote in a nice happy birthday note on the our friends fried calamari plate in chocolate. David's is all about the small touches like that. Another example is when we ordered the peppered filet to be split among 4. Instead of simply slicing the filet they created 4 individual plates. Planning on returning read more

David's Restaurant - Birthday Calamari - New American Near Me - Portland, Maine

Interesting & innovative menu: pea shoot & beet salad, caprese salad with avacado, haddock with blueberry sauce, lobster ravioli. All delicious! Great service read more

Great lunch spot during my work break. Good service and food is good. I tried the grilled chicken sandwich and lobster roll. Yum.