3.5. A slight step up for the Southwest Harbor area but still subpar, would definitely not consider this a place for foodies. Very pleasant atmosphere and service. Dishes are hit or miss. Soup was totally flavorless as was the half chicken though well prepared. Mussels however were much better for example. Home made ice cream was tasty but shockingly expensive for the amount given. A couple near us seemed to really enjoy the gingerbread dessert but they had just run out. Overall a little disappointing paying what we would pay in our home city for this meal. read more

Definitely a must for foodies. The duck breast with cherry reduction -cooked to perfection. The lobster risotto -delicious. The gingerbread dessert -outstanding! Add that to the ambience and class and you won't be sorry. read more

My family and I had a wonderful dining experience, the food we ordered was prepared to perfection, the drink my wife had was incredible and the lobster tostada was incredible (hot sauce made the dish shine) overall great experience, local art exhibited, (we ate inside) and the waitress was attentive and professional. Great Experience would recommend read more

We went last week for dinner with great expectations after reading the current reviews and previous visits two years ago. Our reservation was confirmed two days in advance and we were told we had to pick dining inside or out and would not be able to switch if the weather turned. so we stayed with our inside reservation. Upon arrival there is a hostess check-in stand on the sidewalk leading to the back hillside patio. Since no one was there, and our reservation was inside, we went inside. We were immediately greeted by maybe the manager/owner with a shout to go back outside and wait for the hostess. Talk about hospitality! We did, and a young man soon appeared and we mentioned our reservation. While we stood there waiting to be led back inside the manager/owner reappeared outside and proceeded to review mistakes she had made with the wine list on the menu with the young man. Ignoring us, we stood there for a few more minutes. Finally he led us to a table inside. The restaurant never filled up to capacity. The staff is a real mixed bag - some are engaging and hospitable and some of the younger ones have the personality of a wet noodle. The food was good, not great, and at nearly $100 per person the experience was mixed at best. read more

Outstanding. It's places like this that give you an appreciation for the hard work and creativity that go into a serious commitment to food. You wouldn't go to Southwest Harbor without a purpose, but this might be a purpose worth having. On the night I was there, they offered an off-menu duck egg frittata, which was crazy good. "The farm called us and wanted to know if we could use some duck eggs". They could and they did. read more

We called at 6, got reservations at 8. When we arrived, they told us they were out of crab and as they poured water, told us they were out of lobster. Moral of the story: don't book late reservations if you're looking forward to a particular dish. We walked out, went up the street to SIPS and had delicious lobster risotto. read more

This place is a hidden gem. Leave Bar Harbor for a night and have dinner here. The lobster tostada & lobster risotto are both incredible and the wine was great (recommend the white burgundy). Our service was perfect - attentive without being annoying. This is the best meal we've had on our one week vacation. read more

My husband and I recently escaped for a date and were lucky enough to find ourselves at Red Sky. We sat at the bar to share a duck salad (my husband swore he wouldn't eat duck, but after coercing him he loved it!), the short ribs, and They feature very fresh and local foods and all of the staff is read more

Did not disappoint! Make sure you make a reservation, we called the night before and the only seatings open were 5:30 and 9 PM (their first and last). After a long day of hiking, we showed up for our 5:30 reservation. Although an upscale restaurant, most people were casually dressed which was great! The staff was great - attentive and very friendly. We had lamb tacos for our app - homemade corn tortillas were great but they put the lamb with sauce over them making the tortillas soggy. Tasty app but would have been nice to have the taco shells on the side to prevent this. I had the salmon which was fantastic! Hubby had the lobster risotto - not quite as creamy as risotto should be which was a bit disappointing. Lobster was cooked perfectly. Salmon was definitely better. Finished the night off with their creme brulee and coffee - both delicious. Highly recommend for good food on the quietside! read more

Our first time dining in the area. DO NOT LET THE OUTSIDE FOOL YOU. There are only 12 to 15 tables here. It is not uncomfortable at all. The staff is an excellent team. They work great together. We began with the smoked salmon appetizer. Smoked perfectly. My wife had the Duck entree. I had the crab cake entree. We both tasted each other's dish. Cannot say enough about how well each meal was cooked and presented. We had the gingerbread dessert and because they knew we were cellebrating our anniversary, they gave us each a glass of "bubbly" on them. A great experience we will add to our adventure read more

Looking for a carefully crafted meal with excellent service, comprehensive wine list, and intimate setting? Red Sky is a special gem on the Quiet side of the island. We loved our dinner, from the wine to the bread to the smoked salmon appetizer. The lobster and risotto delivered the perfect food bite. My husband had the scallops; also perfectly prepared. We rounded out the meal with an amazing chocolate pudding dessert, as recommended by our kind server. The prices were also very reasonable, and we had no worries being dressed appropriately, even with my hiking boots on. We opted to dine sans kids, and I'm glad we did so we could have a special dinner in southwest harbor to toast to a fantastic vacation. read more

Nice atmosphere, great service good meal. My husband loved the rib eye. I had the lobster risotto and it was good but the risotto could have been better it wasn't creamy or soft... overall a nice dinner spot read more

Good option for this side of the island. We end up going there a couple of times during the summer. Its a great atmosphere, the service is always pleasant, and the food is consistently good. Red Sky is exactly what I want when I want to have a quality dining experience that doesnt require me to drive 30 minutes. Its warm and charming. read more

After reading the reviews, I was looking forward to trying this place. We made an 8:30 reservation, and arrived 5 minutes early. We were told our table wasn't ready for us yet, so we grabbed seats at the bar. The bartender asked if we were just ordering drinks, and gave us the menu. 20 minutes later, the bartender came by to take our drink order. We waited another 10 minutes, and was told our table was ready, so we canceled the drinks. You'd think service would improve once we sat down, but we waited 10 more minutes for our waitress to come over. We ordered the smoked salmon and a salad as appetizers. They came after a few minutes of waiting. Following the first course, we waited another at least another 20 minutes for our entrees. In the meantime, the couple next to us had already been served and eaten both of their courses. We ordered the lobster risotto, which was good. For dessert, we both had the creme brûlée, which was clearly made hours before as the burnt sugar was soft, and the custard cold. Throughout our meal our waitress was MIA. Only the busboys were attentive. There are only 14 tables in the place, and they appeared to have plenty of help, so I'm not sure what the issue was. The food at this place is fine, nothing to write home about. I'd say the other reviews are seriously overhyped. read more

Had an excellent dinner @ RS last night! Romantic and cozy feel, attentive staff and excellent food. Even the homemade maple ice cream at the end was awesome. Go here for dinner! Be sure to make advanced reservations.... read more

Due to positive Yelp recommendations, we eagerly anticpated our reservation at the Red Sky. The food was amazing, however, our server was dissapointing which did affect our dining experience. It was frustrating that other tables' servers were attentive to their patrons while we had to flag our server down and didn't receive our second round of wine and beer until we were almost finished with out dinner. read more

Red Sky is our favorite restaurant on MDI - we've been coming up every October for 6-7 years now, and we've had a lot of amazing meals, but Red Sky and Thurston's are our only "must do's" while we're here, and if we're up for two weeks, we usually try to hit them more than once. Great atmosphere, friendly owners and staff, and really lovely food. My fave this year was sole in a citrus beurre blanc, but the crab cakes were excellent as well (my partner ate all of her duck, so I didn't get a chance to taste it). In prior years I've also been very pleased with their meat dishes. They also have a solid wine list - the owner has made some excellent recommendations - and decent cocktail program. They don't have a kid's menu that I've seen, but we've certainly seen people there with kids on several occasions, so I suppose whether or not it's a "kid friendly" restaurant depends on what your children are willing to eat. read more

We have been to Red Sky several times, always a positive experience....tonight, not so much. We had a reservation which was good, it was very busy and several walk ins were turned away. The wine list is very nice, heavily French whites, little California, but a nice and varied list. For starters I ordered the beef carpaccio. The meat was chewy with little flavor, quite disappointing. My partner had the beet salad and said only the beets were worth eating. For dinner I ordered the sole which is generally a treat when it is done well. This sole was only OK, the amount of caper sauce was limited and more would have made the fish, though fresh and tender, more flavorful. The crab cakes were good but also needed a sauce or something to make the crab moister. In general both were bland and needed some spark. The roast vegetables, the same for both main courses were just OK, no originality. One of us would have ordered the duck but it was not on the menu. The wait staff is very attentive and the restaurant is attractive and very nicely staffed. The owners are a presence which is always appealing. While we might go back, the visit this time did not live up to others. We want to like and recommend Red Sky but hope they get back to the more interesting and "flavor full" meals they have served in the past. read more

Red Sky is a terrific restaurant - the best in the Southwest Harbor area of MDI. The meal was delicious - quiet, great ambiance, staff also very friendly. It turns out the wife of the husband/wife team that owns the restaurant attended UW Wisconsin - Madison where we're from. It is expensive, but they take CC. Our meal cost was $131.75 plus tip. That includes 2 glasses of wine, a bottle of Pelligrino, and a Red Sky Cocktail ( a specialty of the house at $10.00. ) This drink is Not especially worth it for my money. If you a place for a special occasion or just an excellent dining experience this is the place for you. read more

We enjoyed our meal at Red Sky, but we were dismayed that the owner felt it was appropriate to disrespect our President with her political views. She has every right to her own opinion, but when we choose to spend our money in a store or restaurant, we prefer to bring our business to a place that doesn't emphasize their opinion on politics. read more

My friend and I found ourselves here on a Thursday night, around the street from our bed & breakfast. Upon sitting down, the host/sommelier suggested a Spanish red wine that we, thankfully, had a chance to try before ordering and we didn't like it so we opted for the mixed drinks, both tasty. Between my friend and I, we shared an appetizer and main and they were delectable. The service was fabulous. Great place for a nice dinner. read more

We were recommended to this restaurant by our B&B owners. I had the Babyback ribs and my partner ordered the sole. We traded dishes halfway through. The ribs were just "OK," but I wouldn't order them again. The sole was mushy and rather tasteless. I had a tomato/ basil/ leek soup to start which was delicious. The warm bread was also excellent. I ordered the homemade Bourbon Vanilla ice cream for desert. It was s long time in arriving, wondered if they were cranking it at that moment. Tasted zero bourbon in it, -Haagen Daz does an excellent one but it's not a regularly produced choice. I think they gave me just plain vanilla ice cream and must have contemplated about doing that which explained the long wait for it. These restaurants that are promoted as "fine" are so annoying when you get one dish out of all that you ordered that is great...for me it was the soup and the rest wasn't worth the money. I don't eat birds so the duck that many raved about was "Off the table." I'd look elsewhere for gourmet dining next time. Service was fine. read more

Pleasant but uneven evening at Red Sky. Caprese Salad was ordinary. Lobster cocktail was uninteresting - lobster on some lettuce leaves, teaspoon of what is called horseradish cocktail sauce in a cucumber - the sauce was flavorless. My wife had lobster risotto which was very good. The rose was too cold. Dessert was a dry gingerbread. We might try it again but I was disappointed. The server was knowledgeable hut not as attentive as we would have liked. read more

This is a restaurant with a wonderfully eclectic menu. Loads to choose from, sort of euro/ californian. Excellent service, and really great wines of the day. Every one at our table wanted a different glass of wine because of their entrees. All round a truly great experience. read more

Still an excellent choice if your on Mount Desert, however I think last year we were so dazzled, this year I was not as impressed. I am taking away .5 star from last year since I feel the meal was good, but not as amazing as the year prior. The service is always excellent and the bar items are always worth the crazy price they attach to it, but I really feel its time to change up the menu a bit. For a place that serves locally grown food, why not utilize this to your advantage and make some changes. I cant come back every summer here for the same scallop dish, with jasmine rice and amazing flavor. read more

Returned again for first time this year. Overall a good, solid neighborhood restaurant. Menu not particularly creative, but plenty of nice options and everything very fresh and local. Excellent crab cakes, salmon good though bit plain, salad nice with local greens. Service attentive, prices reasonable, decor pleasant, wine list short but decent and reasonable. Not a knock-em-out-of-the-park place, but quite good. See also my revises this same trip for Havana, Mâché Bistro, and Burning Tree. read more

This was a take it or leave it. I really wanted to like it more and I am a critical diner. Drinks were interesting. Had the wedge salad with blue cheese and cherries. The salad was good but I didn't like the cherries, too sweet. For a main course, I had the risotto and lobster. The lobster was over cooked and the risotto was very bland. No real flavor in the dish. I would NOT recommend that at all. The atmosphere is nice and the staff were friendly. I'd try this place again but not sure I'd recommend it just yet. read more

Delightful, unhurried ambiance, and wonderful food. We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.

Simply the best restaurant on MDI. Pick anything, it will be great. Be sure to save room for dessert.

Delicious once again. We have never been disappointed here. Exquisite food, excellent service. Best restaurant on MDI.

We've been going here every year for the last 4 years during our visit to MDI. Staff is always knowledgeable and friendly. Great wine list and fantastic menu. If you're a foodie this place should be on your list when you visit! read more

A very wonderful experience and delicious food. The lobster tail with mushroom risotto was divine and cooked to perfection. The pasta with market vegetables was also enjoyable, although the lamb tacos and beet salad were even better. The service was top notch and they were very lovely and caring to our 4 year old son-- fresh carrots and yogurt dip for him was a hit success. The wine list was also fantastic, so much better than anywhere else we went on Mount Desert. Highly recommend! A real gourmet treat! read more

Amazing. Easily among the best dining experiences on MDI. We've been a few times and will keep going back, Red Sky never disappoints. They offer a fine dining experience in an approachable and comfortable setting. We brought some friends this time, and from the moment we walked through the door the waitstaff was attentive and knowledgeable, the bartender poured us a few spot on cocktails for our short wait. The Ribeye, Sole Beurre Blanc, and Raviolis were all delicious and expertly prepared. The owner stopped by to check on our experience (as she seems to do with most tables), and the gingerbread dessert was a perfect finish. read more

My wife and I went to Red Sky for her birthday. It started off great but quickly went downhill. We sampled wine and ordered our food. We ordered the quail and mussels as an appetizer. Both were good and flavorful. Then I asked a waitress a simple question about the wine list, "are these the only reds you have by the glass?" She quickly responded with "ask your waitress". Instead of finding our waitress she stood against the wall for the next 5 minutes. 1 hour and 25 minutes later, my steak and wife's dinner salad finally arrives. My steak was cooked perfectly, but my wife's salad was not. More than half of the sliced steak was nothing but gristle and fat. I told the waitress and she just looked at me with a blank faced grin. We paid the check and left. We will NEVER go back. This place could be better if the staff is trained to know the menu and chef understands quality control before it goes out. read more

Positives - good staff and solid liquor list. Negatives - the food is very bland...soup had no depth of flavor, duck tacos very one note (tasted like cabbage), pasta (noodles were solid but the sauce had no flavor and had a water consistency). I also ordered the main duck course medium rare and it came out almost well done and the Brussels were underdone (still a bit crunchy and had no sear/roast). We are locals and we will not return read more

Just a delightful dinner. Very nicely presented dishes. My halibut was over cooked, but was fresh and tasty nevertheless. The reason for the five stars was my wife's crab cakes. Might be the best crab cakes we've ever had. Almost no filler and all amazing crab meat. In addition we had the most creative cocktails. Rum made here on MDI. Black cherry infused vodka. The nicest dining experience of our week in Southwest Harbor. Very nicely done. If we are ever back, we will go here for sure. It is not to be missed. read more

Only had one night for dinner without kids so had to make the most of it. Red Sky was a home run. Great grilled polenta app and lobster mushroom risotto were standouts. Warm, fun atmosphere and a waitress we wanted to pull up a chair (thank you Dream Jeanie ). read more

Very good and classy option in Southwest Harbor. The servers seemed a bit green (perhaps because it was the beginning of the season). Our dishes were good - some better than others. The quail was excellent. The salmon entree and gingerbread dessert were a bit less so. read more

My daughter and I wanted a very nice meal, so we made reservations for tonight at Red Sky. I eat out a lot at upscale restaurants and have never been treated like I was tonight. When I made the reservation, I made it for six people. We sat down and ordered dessert for the four children, an appetizer, and two entrees for ourselves. Before the food came, the manager or owner, Elizabeth, came to our table and scolded me for not telling her when I made the reservation that there were four children who would not be ordering off the menu. She had turned down many requests for reservations and had made a certain amount of food based on the expected number of patrons. I understand that, but I have three problems with this. First, she should have waited to tell me that when we were leaving in a much nicer way like," Next time, please let us know if you have children" instead of telling me in the beginning and ruining our meal. I wanted to walk out because of her rudeness in her timing and also stating it not once, but three times. I apologized twice. Secondly, it is her responsibility as host when taking reservations to ask if there are any children. I didn't think to provide that information because we did order something for each child. Lastly, three tables sat vacant from 5:30 - 6:30 pm that could have been filled. The food was all right, but not great. The smoked salmon appetizer was very good but the lobster risotto was just okay and the crab cakes were above average. No complaint on the service, but we will never step foot in this restaurant again because of the rude owner. This could have been handled in a much nicer and professional way. So disappointed! read more

Food was good- service was exceptional - seafood focus (duh southwest harbor) had the ribeye, medium and was cooked perfect. Adequate portions of food. I would go back. read more