Our favorite restaurant in Kennebunkport. As soon as you drive in the feeling changes and once you…read moreenter the restaurant you feel like you're transported to an enchanted garden. If dining with young children there is plenty of space outside for them to roam when they get rambunctious. The cocktails are creative, beautiful, and delicious. It's hard to choose what to pick for each course because everything sounds so good! You can never go wrong with the scallops. Perfectly cooked in a delicious sauce. And the service is so nice as well. Looking forward to dining here again.

Food started strong then progressively went downhill. Service also started strong with the host,…read morebut once the server came over it became weak and continued to decline throughout the evening. He completely disregarded the other guest and only focused on my drink order, which felt disrespectful. After taking my order and walking awaynot once but twice, when he returned I had to ask, "Are you not going to take her drink order?" The tuna sashimi was great and the carrots were good as well. However, something about the halibut tasted off. I work with fish daily, and this personally was not it. I had one bite and could not continue eating it. The server boxed up the halibut for me, but then tossed a to-go container onto the table for us to box our own dessert, which felt inconsistent with the level of service. The bartender was wearing an H&H raincoat and appeared to be drinking on the job, while other female staff members were scrolling on their phones. Overall, not a great first impression. The ambiance itself was nice, but when you make an 8:30 PM reservation and receive a text at 7:30 PM saying your table is ready, it feels a bit off-putting. I had asked beforehand if anything earlier was available and was told no, so I intentionally booked later for an evening experience. Then upon arrival, the restaurant was fairly empty. Within the first few minutes of us being there, the kitchen doors were closed and cleaning was happening all around us. It created an unpleasant atmosphere for what was supposed to be a social evening out and a little hoorah celebration, and nothing was acknowledged by staff. It was clear that reservation notes or comments in chat of reservation were not reviewed. Overall, not thrilled with the experience. Been there, done that -- one visit was enough for me/us unless that 49-year-old male server Charlie learns how to properly serve guests and the kitchen team start to season the food a bit better. Would have been nice if Charlie checked in with us more like he did the other tables hence the eaves dropping to know more about him and the place. 4/10 experience, will not be back which is a bummer.

With Reservations made we arrived at 7:15P. There were only 6 or 8 tables with customers on the…read moremain floor. The hostess decided to seat us in the BAR. First of all, We don't drink alcohol and the bar was louder than the main dining room. With all the empty space she took us to an area where two other couples were at the tables next to us. No consideration regarding privacy and I don't care to hear other people's conversation at dinner. I carefully picked up our service ware and moved it to the empty table in the corner. It even seemed it might be a stretch for the server in the Bar to be able to walk 25' to our NEW location. The Food was very tasty. The bottled water was chlorinated, so we bought a liter. The 2 liter Gigantic green water bottles were attempting to take the place of center pieces, but you can't lift them (4.4Lbs) safely. I worked in a few HIGH Level Restaurants as the maitre D'. I always catered to the customer's needs. AS for Bandaloop; With improved customer service that does not take a "guarded attitude", it would be a more gracious place. I was not attacking anyone. I mentioned that a 2 liter bottle cannot be picked up and poured with ease. "It's a new thing changed by the manager."--------- It was not well thought out. Try to pour a 2 liter bottle of wine or water with one hand. We also had to use another napkin as a placemat. What is on those tables? Bee's Wax? Use some Dawn soap.

Bandaloop is a very inviting place. Having made reservations for the first floor, we ended up…read moreupstairs. About anywhere you sit would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, no outdoor dining before Memorial Day. Great knowledgeable and attentive service with Paul. Upstairs was busy but not crowded. Food was fantastic. Wild mushroom soup was delicious. A tasting of sunchokes, pan seared mousam bakery mushrooms and shishito peppers made a meal for one of the party and still had leftovers. Best was the entree, Maine style palusami was a complex flavor concoction that was a home run. Finished with black forest cake. Hope to return again from the West Coast. They can certainly compete with any restaurant in any big city

I've honestly needed a few weeks to process this visit because of how disappointing it was. We made…read morea reservation at The White Barn Inn Restaurant about a month in advance to celebrate my birthday, noting both the occasion and a simple seating request due to my husband's height. Upon arrival, we were initially seated in what felt more like a brightly lit, casual tavern or breakfast room, completely at odds with the refined dining experience we expected. Surrounded by families and very casual attire, it was confusing and frankly off-putting. After asking the host stand, we were eventually moved to the actual dining room, which was beautiful - dim, elegant, and exactly the ambiance we had hoped for. Service throughout the evening was polished and professional, and every dish was plated beautifully. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. While we understand that tasting menus consist of smaller portions, each course, just two or three bites, was entirely forgettable. The flavors lacked balance and subtlety, which is surprising at this price point. The beef tartare in a cigar like wrapper was very mid. One of my early courses was a scallop dish, and the scallops were cooked so poorly they were the rubberiest I've ever had (an immediate red flag in a restaurant of this caliber). My main course, a tenderloin, arrived as an overcooked end piece. After sending it back and requesting rare, it returned slightly less well done, still an end cut, and completely overwhelmed by a salty, heavy red wine demi-glace that tasted more like something from a packet than a refined sauce. It was one of the least appetizing beef dishes I have perhaps ever had. The cheese plate featured Great Hill Blue which some might love but is available at my local Stop & Shop so didn't really knock my socks off, a boring cheddar and a third cheese I can't even recall. At a restaurant of this caliber, I was expecting a much more curated collection of exciting, super, stinky cheeses that one could not find at a chain grocery store. At nearly $700 for two people (with a few drinks and a multi-course menu), the experience simply did not come close to justifying the cost. The following night, we had a $200 dinner at Chez Rosa, the Little French bisto in downtown Kennebunkport. The meal there FAR surpassed this meal in both flavor and execution. Based on our experience--and what seems to be echoed in more recent reviews--the quality of the food here no longer matches its reputation or price point. This was meant to be a special occasion destination, but instead left us feeling frustrated and genuinely let down.

The White Barn is a place you go to have an experience and ours was a positive one. We ordered the…read moreblind chefs tasting, roughly 7 courses ranging in diversity from bite size to the main course. The food was creative and served at a good pace. The service was quite nice, it truly was a unique experience. I give it 4 stars simply because for the price, I'd expect everything to be perfect and there was on item in the tasting the neither myself nor my partner enjoyed as it tasted a little undercooked - it involved Lima beans. Other than that, I highly recommend this spot. Not a great place for kids. Dress nice and know that parking is easy. Settle in and enjoy a unique experience in a very pleasant ambiance.

Absolutely outstanding spot. One of the most beautiful places to walk around, with all the nice…read morelittle harbor clubs, and boat clubs in the area. A true main right of passage and staple establishment. The lobster roles are perfect. Everyone that works there truly cares about the place and quality of product that they produce. Eating inside at the restaurant is a more typical experience to eating at a restaurant... While using the to go window outside is a true Kennebunkport Maine-style experience. Highly recommend using the to go window and walking just a little further down the road to the benches that sit out on the rock wall pier overlooking the bush compound.

We stopped to pickup food at Mabel's Lobster Claw after reading it had gluten free rolls and fries…read more The service was subpar, the takeout bar didn't open on time, and the main restaurant wouldn't take to go orders. We split a gluten free lobster roll and fries, but the takeout person wasn't friendly and didn't really answer any questions. I've had better lobster rolls. This one was a bit overcooked, but still had good flavor. It sounds like dining in is the way to go here, based on other reviews. Kennebunk has no shortage of lobster rolls, so I'd maybe try another place next time.

We live down the street fron the kennebunk inn. We loved Acadame the former restaurant through the…read morepandemic. It was our go to takeout spot. But then the restaurant kind of failed us. I am happy to say for our family it is back. We went tonight and the food was really good and really well priced. We had the chicken wings, haddock chowder and fish and chips all were really tasty. But this is going to to sound weird. The cole slaw was the best I think I have ever had. I love mayo but this was not the mayo heavy type. Really awesome Ot sure if they have a new chef or what but if you are a local and have not gone to the tavern recently give it a go!

Well......haven't been since the new owners took over. The tavern area is very bright, very white…read morewalls, not enough character for a pub. The floors were refinished, so now the pub and restaurant are all in the same big room. Some of the same staff is still there, though some key people were missing: the Irish bartender and the marvelous hostess who always greeted us with a warm smile. The menu was similar, with a few new items. I ordered the sweet potato soup (needed salt, not on table)and the salmon pinwheel, amazing flavor and cooked to perfection. My husband had the baked haddock, too lemony and salty. The potatoes were bland. There was an obnoxious man at an adjacent table, who was a tad inebriated and spoke too loudly. The staff seemed to know him and didn't seem to mind his awful behavior. He ruined my meal with my husband. So.....the food is good, but depends on what you order. Be careful where you sit. Need to work on consistency and hire more help!

Tried the prix fixe menu at the little barn. The service was absolutely amazing, Alicja was so…read moresweet, attentive and really made our experience enjoyable and the atmosphere of the room is great. Perfect date night spot! For starters I had the Roasted squash salad and my partner had the shrimp toast. Both of these were great. I absolutely loved my salad and my partner loved his shrimp toast. The shrimp toast was good but I preferred the salad. For mains we both got the short rib Mac and cheese. The portion size was huge which was awesome but the dish itself was very heavy and felt too greasy. The cheese they used was too overpowering. Ended up being a bit soupy. Neither of us would get this again (and we both do love Mac and cheese). For desserts I got the apple crisp and my partner had the fudge torte. The apple crisp was pretty good but nothing memorable and I don't like fudge typically so I wasn't into my partners fudge torte - it was too dense for me. Would like to go back again and try a different main. It's good value, service, and ambiance - hoping that a different entree we would like more. Drinks are pricey (19-20/drink) but the special prix fix menu makes up the value with the great price point and portion sizes. Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Food: 3/5 Value: 5/5 Overall: 4/5

Had guests visiting and wanted to take them out for a special night. What a disappointment! And…read morekind of scary. Most importantly, we felt that the server was not understanding a serious allergy issue. When we raised it at the front, we expected someone to come over and discuss the concerns and let us know it was handled; instead, they sent the original server to the table. She was defensive and mad that we had raised the concern. Soo, we still did not feel super comfortable. Also, there were issues with the drinks -- the server did not know what a Negroni is. We had to adjust to simpler drinks. My lobster cobb was the wrong size when it was brought out; instead of telling me this, the server took it away from me and brought it back to the kitchen. She then came back and told me the kitchen had messed up and did I want the larger size. By that time, our table was already well into their meals, and it would have taken longer. So, I declined. My son's food was mediocre. At no time did any manager or supervisor stop by our table to indicate their concern with the mistakes and the allergy issue. I wrote a lengthy letter to the White Barn detailing these concerns. I never heard back. Terrible from beginning to end. Truly.

I was looking for a farm to table place and this one did not disappoint. I was seated right away…read more The service was wonderful. I had an amazing drink with tequila and spicy salt, probably one of the best drinks I've had all summer. I also treated myself to oysters from the local area, and they were great, 3 different varieties. I didn't love their vinaigrette, it was on the sweeter side and it wasn't my taste. I had the gnocchi with lobster was great, I especially loved the poached lobster in butter. Varying flavors. I was offer beignets and I could order less than what came in the order. I truly appreciated that I can less than what comes originally. I just got 2, instead of the five which I appreciated that, because I was just one person. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

Good meal and service. We made a Friday night reservation and the place was hopping. Excellent…read moredrink and mocktail list and I appreciate when free bread/oil is provided. Shared a crab cake app and it was delicious but very small for $14. I had the fresh pasta with confit chicken, sausage and peppers. Very tasty, but the pasta was a little gummy. Also ordered a yaki soba and was told it was good and hearty. The waiter was attentive and we did not feel rushed.