Always a treat. We don't live in Portland but we imagine it is such a gift to have a neighborhood…read morewine shop with a carefully curated selection of wines. This is one of the few places in Portland we try to visit every year when we visit and we're never disappointed. The tasting menu is always great and the owner is delightful, offering thoughtful notes on each of the wines. A great place to get out of the heat and relax during the summer. Definitely stop by!

Had a lovely Galicia Spain wine flight (can also make alterations for other wines on the menu if…read morepreferred) with thorough explanations provided for each wine and the process involved for creating the wine and mixture based on the region. Intimate lowkey atmosphere with peaceful music for a quiet speaking ambiance, absolutely will recommend to others on their visit to Portland!

Great selection of wine and great people!!! The owner is kind, helpful, and professional - the…read moreinside is super cute and clean. Definitely a must stop in Portland!!

Amazing wine bar in Portland! I love the new concept of serving yourself the quantity and the style…read moreyou want. They have different oz to be served, and more than 20 wines to choose from. The owner and the staff are beyond friendly and personable. The space is beautiful decorated and elegant. I had a great experience at Angoor, don't miss out!

European themed bar with a vast selection of Euro and Belgian beers.. Always a must stop when in…read morePortland

Novare Res is a convenient and inviting space to get beers with friends while out in Portland. I…read morealways enjoy my time drinking at Novare. The menu is expansive and inclusive, but ovewhelming and the food that I've had the few times I've ventured that far has not been as good as I was anticipating. I have heard good things about their food from other people though, so I guess I'll just have to keep trying!

This was the perfect restaurant to start our Portland trip off with. We were seated at a lovely…read moretable in the corner. We had a reservation. The ambiance is very moody and sexy. Perfect for a date night! Our server, Hannah, was great. She suggested an excellent bottle of wine that complimented all of our dishes. Customer service was a solid 10/5! This is a place to definitely add to your Portland dining list! To start, all of the dishes were wonderful portions and could easily be shared between two people. Which I absolutely love because I enjoy trying as many things as I possibly can! Arancini: This was a great starter. Absolutely delicious. I have yet to meet an arancini that I don't love. 5/5. Caesar Salad: A perfect dish that is light and necessary before getting into a heavy entree. The salad was crisp, delicious, very fresh, and a must order. 5/5. Scallop Risotto: This was a large position that had scallops in every bite! It wasn't too heavy, was not too salty, and you could taste the freshness in the ingredients. Dessert is not pictured, but it is worth ordering! The entire dessert menu was excellent!

I don't typically write a lot of reviews but when I do, it is about an experience that was either…read morereally impressive or hugely disappointing. So here goes... My daughter had been wanting to go to Via Vecchia for a while but couldn't afford it on a college student's income. So we went during my visit. My hopes were high as we walked in--a beautiful glass enclosure at the entrance that was draped with ceiling to floor ivy; an intimate but lively atmosphere; and an offering of creative cocktails...my enthusiasm quickly vanished when our appetizers arrived. We ordered the focaccia, grilled octopus, and Caesar salad. The focaccia was soggy and flavorless. Even the olive oil that accompanied the bread was flavorless. The grilled octopus was another disappointment--there were more cloves of garlic than pieces of octopus. And what little octopus was there, a third of it was charred to black. Thankfully, the Caesar salad was fresh and fairly tasty. Ironically the focaccia croutons were the highlight of the salad. Then the entrees arrived--chicken Marsala and a spicy shrimp pasta in cream sauce (can't remember the name of the dish). My daughter liked the second dish enjoying the slight kick of whatever pepper/spice was used in the recipe. For me, it was just okay. The biggest disappointment however was the chicken Marsala--the gnocchi was overcooked, the entire dish itself was too salty, and the chicken--overcooked in some parts and fairly tender in others--tasted like it came out of a can. Quite honestly, I don't know what all the hype is about. This restaurant is mediocre at best. Perhaps the cocktails numb everyone's tastebuds to the overly salty but otherwise bland dishes. It was not worth the money and I would never go again. If this is the best that Portland has to offer by way of fine Italian dining, I'd say it's time Portland redefined the meaning of "fine".

Great tapas spot in the downtown area! Had such a lovely waiter too during our visit. Liked all the…read moresavory dishes too, each with its own distinct taste! Ranking: 1) Spicy beef salad 2) Suckling pig 3) Pinkytoe crab 4) Lobster pasta 5) Bone marrow toast The desserts were nothing special but I did like the strawberry white chocolate one. The rhubarb one was meh personally; tasted like yogurt I could eat from the grocery store.

We were happy with the service and speed at which the small plates were delivered to us however…read morethere was a small instance where we got a dish we didn't order (not pictured and it was the special). The lemon sole (fish) and octopus carpaccio (not pictured) were filled with flavor! The pork belly was very underwhelming and I would not order again. The waiter said 2-4 plates per person. I recommend starting on the lower end and adding additional dishes based on how you're feeling. The amount of food was very different from dish to dish. For example the tuna dip had way too much bread and the pork belly was very small in size. Overall I was half impressed. I wish the staff would take a moment to announce the plate as it's placed next to you or point it out on the menu for those hard of hearing and wanting to know what they are about to enjoy. However the music, overall restaurant vibe and half the dishes exploding with flavor made my experience pleasant and I will return again knowing a bit more of what to expect and looking at photos of the menu/meal options beforehand.

Had a life changing little night here as a solo traveler! Came here by recommendation of my tour…read moreguide earlier in the day and had a blast! Unassuming front but a bar with an amazing atmosphere, great service and yes $5 drinks! This is a true hidden gem and I'm grateful to have gotten to experience it

The staff? Great. The bartender? Fantastic. However, I wrestled with the ATM for 10+ minutes and…read morefeared for the life of my card. Pls get a new ATM for the cash only bar, I'm begging. Love u.

Everything about this place is lit!…read more Simple but refined, popped in on 4/20 for some grub after celebrating the day. They were busy, 30 min wait, out of a few things but not crippling. It was busy. I had the pulled pork Viking style, side of buffalo dip, my partner had a 6" glizzy ballpark style with side baked beans. They were both fire!! Service was spot on, super friendly I'll be back, grateful I work down the street several days a week!

Went in for a late night hot dog and was delish! One of the best I have ever had! The wait staff…read morewas nice but we waited over 55 minutes for one hot dog and there was a customer that acted out and there was barely an apology from the restaurant. When I'm back would love to try this place again! Food is worth it and back patio is very nice!

I really enjoyed my dinner here at Scales in downtown Portland, ME. The restaurant is tucked away…read morefrom the main street and located on the water. It's very popular and busy, so I highly encourage you to make a reservation ahead of time. The restaurant is dimly lit with lovely tea lights strewn throughout. The dining area has a very warm feel with a clear view of kitchen, where you can watch the staff expertly prepare your food. I was seated at the bar, which isn't my favorite place to sit for a meal, but it was still nice. The bartender who took care of us was very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. He also made the BEST Shirley Temple I've ever had. The menu offers a wide array of seafood and meat dishes. The oysters on the half shell seemed to be very popular amongst diners. My husband and I enjoyed the New England Cornbread, Salt Cod Croquettes, Baked Haddock (me), Seafood Stew (him) and the Blueberry & Vanilla Mousse Cake. Each item was so, so good! If you're looking for a high end restaurant to enjoy while in Portland, definitely try Scales.

Very busy spot with impeccable service, everyone was great from the bartender to our dinner server…read more We sat on the patio and started our meal with a dozen oysters. They were excellent! Being from Mass we just had to try the fried clam appetizer...they were very small and overcooked to the point where the batter was almost bitter. But the real problem was that I think they used a shovel to salt them. The saltiest fried clam I've ever eaten!!!! For my entree I had the scallops with creamed corn. Weirdly the scallops were seared on only one side and were really darkened. The scallops were not very sweet or tender because they too were overcooked. Liz had the salmon and while it was cooked well it was not well seasoned (maybe the guy shoveling the salt on the clams could give the salmon some love). Overall it was a disappointing experience given our past experience here.