Chic and cozy hotel bar. Open seating, so plan accordingly and expect it to be at peak right before…read moredinner time! The happy hour pricing makes this place worth the stop. At the time we went (October 2025) $4 of their signature cocktails, beers and wine. Seriously? In this economy?? We loaded up on drinks before heading to dinner! Their food menu was extremely limited due to the kitchen servicing a private event. They only had bar snacks (popcorn, charcuterie) available. But have heard their standard bar menu (e.g. burgers) is good. I was most impressed by the sole person working in the room for at least an hour, bussing, taking orders and attending to 12 independent parties. She did it with ease. I don't think that's the "normal" for them, given they had already communicated they were preparing for a private event. Would certainly pop back for cocktail on our next visit.

The best drinks we had in Maine! Smokey the Pear was outstanding! Service was excellent. And don't…read moreskip the popcorn with your choice of seasonings! Loved!

Neat find! Located at valence rock in along shore path. Beautiful view over the grounds and to the…read moreocean! Sitting area by the bar was old world charm! Service was friendly and quick. Food was tasteful and full of flavor. Risotto was rich and creamy. The pork chop was well prepared but would have love a mashed potato. The bread service would have loved a flavored butter instead of ricotta. Scallop appetizer with Brussel spouts was great! Salad was super fresh.

We stayed in bar harbor for a few days and wanted to go somewhere nice. We found this place online…read moreand he had good reviews so we decided to give it a try. It is located in the Balance Rock Inn right on the Maine coast. Our server was very nice and was able to explain the dishes to us so that we could order the right amount of food. We ordered the crab fritter appetizer and it was really good. I had the scallops and my husband had the boar shank and not were very good. For dessert we had the pistachio semifreddo and again it was also very good. It's a quaint little place with a great view and the food and drinks were top notch. I don't think you can go wrong with anything you order and we will be back when we are in bar harbor again.

I think this is a great edition to the Bangor area but they just have a few things to work on…read more Great things: Very cool speakeasy vibes. Decorated very well. Service was friendly and very knowledgeable. The drinks we got were great. Things to improve on: Priced a little high for what you get. Change the menu to much where they don't have anything on the menu you have to hear everything from the waitress which is hard to remember. We didn't try any food for the reason and for everything to be super pricey. I will be back to try again if I'm in the area, even if it's just for a drink!

On my overnight in Bangor I was at a not-great hotel but fortunately Barliman's was nearby to save…read morethe day--or rather, happy hour into dinner into nightcap, which is how it went (mind you this was right after the time change, so it was dark before 5pm and my "late night" meant I left at 8:30, lol). The vibe is chill speakeasy/library; there's a comfy bar area with tables and then a warren of other little spaces where you can hang out as well, with books and games strewn about to peruse. I love that they have a small, curated menu, which makes it easy: Maine oysters (two kinds, both awesome) got me started with a martini (well OK two martinis; friendly bartender makes them *perfectly*), and then you can extend to dinner with a few rotating options. I got lucky because whoever is making this delicious food decided that bolognese and lasagna should have a baby and be served in a piping-hot dish with some bread and salad on the side, and who could be mad about that?! (NB get some red wine with it). And they feature the fabulous Maine martini (aka Allen's Coffee Brandy, to which I have been converted), so there's your perfect nightcap. Sometimes when you go to bars with small menus the food is so-so, but not here: everything was insanely good and the perfect portion size. Who knows when I'll be back in Bangor next, but I'll definitely come here again when I am. Check it out!

Been coming here for a long time as a visitor and always had a great time and they keep getting…read morebetter every time I return. To start a cool atmosphere with live music etc. service always caring and efficient. Food also went from good pizza to a whole gastro menu and still has great pizza ! Keep it up!

Great craft brews and seafood, I had the steamers and they were fantastic. A Boothbay classic.read more

This was an absolute pleasure to run across on our way back to Boston! I am so glad we found this…read morespot! Yelp has served me so well over the years on finding good spots to eat, and this was no exception. Everything about this place was great. Staff. Food. Atmosphere. Drinks. Decor. Chucky Doll. Harry Potter on the TV THIS WAS MY KIND OF PLACE! I had a great local IPA and C had a bloody. Both of which were really tasty. C got that bad ass Rueben shown in my pics. Talk about an epic sandwich!! Holy crap it was good. May have been the best corned beef I have ever had! I could go on and on about the fries as well! Yum! I got the crispy Korean style wings. I forget the actual name, that might have been it, but I do remember how much I loved them. Crunchy, sweet, spicy, sticky, goodness!! If I even get within a hundred miles of this place, you better believe I will be right back at this bar! I love you State Lunch! '26 - 9

We had an hour before a flight in Augusta. It wasn't easy to find. The only signage is over the…read moreawning. I had the smash burger which was good but small for $21. Food takes a while. My friend joked that there was one hot plate making everything - and she may not have been wrong. The best part for me was the art in the bathrooms.

Extremely good 4 course meal. I had the steak and a chocolate mousse dessert. Literally no…read morecomplaints besides being a bit pricey. They have a "speakeasy" bar in the back only available to members which has a nice ambiance but way too expensive for me to ever actually join myself.

We frequent Novio's for date nights and their monthly wine dinners. After last night's meal, I had…read moreto write a review. It was the very best meal we have had here (and we have had a lot of wonderful meals). For our first courses, the tuna tartare was so fresh and paired perfectly with the homemade chips. My husband had the mussels and the broth was drinkable, it was so delicious. We both had the filet for our mains. They were perfectly cooked medium rare with craveworthy pave potatoes. We sat at the bar and Courtney was a wonderful host/server/bartender working the perfect balance of conversation and privacy.

Excellent speakeasy behind a deli in Boothbay Harbor. The absolute best cocktails in the area with…read morean unmatched selection of high-end whiskey. Highly recommend! If you are a fan of cocktails it's not to be missed.

I can't help myself...we had the "neat"-est experience at Neat in Boothbay Harbor…read more I first came across Neat in a local magazine and added it to my running foodie list. During a recent off-season trip to Boothbay, we finally stopped by, and I was genuinely surprised this little whiskey bar exists right in the middle of town. It's a sub shop during the day, but after hours it becomes this moody, intimate and cozy space with a huge whiskey selection. I'm a big whiskey fan (not an expert by any means, just a fan), but my husband isn't, so this could've gone either way. To my surprise, the vibe was super relaxed, and by that I mean not even a hint of pretentiousness (that whiskey bars are sometimes known for). The bartender, who also owns the place, was so welcoming and friendly, helpful, and running the whole thing solo like a pro. The whiskey list was wild (it just seemed never-ending), and the cocktail menu had plenty of options for non-whiskey drinkers too (my husband loved his drink!). Plus, sipping drinks while looking out at the harbor?! Can't beat it.

My Wife and I went here for dinner and a show for our 45th wedding anniversary. The entire building…read moreneeded work, it was sad to see, dirty windows with bugs in them and if you had a screen in your window it was filled with cobwebs and dead bugs, kinda killed any ambiance of looking out over the lake. You could see that there was a lot of water damage to ceilings and walls that was only partially finished. The entrace / portico to the restaurant, especially the ceiling, was loaded with bug nests and mold. It needed a good pressure washing and fresh paint. The drink menu was fabulous, soo many combinations. The appetizers selection was very nice, we ordered the fried goat cheese with fig jam, it was very tasy. My Wife ordered the pork tenderloin, that was marinated in soy and ginger with sauteed fiddleheads and rice. This was a complete disaster, the pork medalions were so over cooked, as if they were pre cooked and warmed up. If these were cooked to order whomever cooked them should be ashamed. My Wife and I could these often and are always tender, juicy with a hint of pink. These had nothing in common to what we cook at home, not tender and not juicy, the soy ginger was not a marinade but more of a reduction and spooned over the medalions, the salt was so concentrated my Wife ate 2 and could not eat any more. The rice, just plain steamed rice, the fiddleheads were cooked well but had zero flavor, a pitty as they are a blank canvas. I ordered the seafood scampi, I was really looking forward to this as I don't have pasta very often and have not had lobster in a couple of years. The pasta was home made pappardelle, it was more than al dente and was stuck together in clumps. The sauce had little flavor, the scallops were so so, the shrimp were over cooked as was the lobster, we ordered a fruit pie for dessert at intermission, it was mostly crust and, oh the whipped topping, guess what that was........ cool whip . We spent over $160.00. It was a a one and done for us unfortunately. We really wanted it to be better than it was. It could be a really nice venue but needs a lot of work and a seasoned chef who cares about what they do and can direct a young untrained staff.

Gorgeous location, atmosphere/ambiance. Great spot if you wanna get dressed up & feel like you're…read morestepping back in time. The duck wanton tacos were so bright, fresh & uniquely delicious! The roasted Brussel sprouts were yummy as well. The lamb chops were extra gamey tasting, but the risotto was to die for! Truffle tortellini were tasty but dry - the dish really needed at least a light cream sauce or even just a generous drizzle of EVOO... the apps & desserts took the spot light. We ordered desserts from the top secret Speakeasy Menu - grilled peaches w/a divine vanilla marscapone cream and then a decadently delicious turtle lava cake. Service was friendly.

While this is the usual Italian American fare, it's inexpensive, friendly, and has lovely outdoor…read moreseating in quiet and cool Gardiner. This restaurant is a new creation by the owners of the previous incarnation, Blind Pig. The service was a bit slow around a quiet 5pm-ish with appetizer and entrée arriving simultaneously. The cocktails averaged $15, and they had Maine Hardshore gin. And with apps/salads averaging $11 and entrée $20 you really can't complain. It's what you might expect at home. The calamari was generous but slightly overcooked and a bit boring with a side of marinara. The chicken piccata was ok. After inquiring about from where the desserts were sourced, they said, for now, "not here" but maybe soon, but no specifics. Gardiner is a sweet town, and it's great to still have this dog-friendly patio dining.

The food was good. I had fettuccine Alfredo, I feel it could been served in a different plate/bowl…read more, as the bowl it was In was too small for the amount of food it was. Hubby had lasagna . The restaraunt has a speakeasy vibe about it. The table we sat at had a very nice leather couch, not too practical for dining.

Food was tasty and inventive. Tricky to find up the hill from the ice cream place…read more Nice outdoor oor patio limited seating inside live music the night we were there. Good selection of wines. Staff young and friendly; made us feel welcomed and appreciated

Wow! The service was friendly and good! The food is incredible! On Friday and Saturday nights…read morethere is live music in the courtyard. It was a light jazz with a talented vocalist. We did not have reservations but they were able to seat us inside and kindly left the door open so we could enjoy the music!! We will be back with reservations! Do not miss this stop! Do not skip dessert!! You will thank me!!!