There's been a lot of praise heaped on the culinary scene in Portland, Maine, over the last decade and rightly so. Despite being home to only around 70,000 residents, the city was filled with gorgeous restaurants serving up high quality offerings.

Naturally, there's been some uneasiness in the last couple of months as many of Portland's notable restaurants have closed up shop permanently. That includes stalwarts like Local 188 and local favorites like Coal's Bayside.

Downtown Portland, Maine, on June 21, 2019.
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Despite the culinary turbulence, Travel + Leisure still believes that Portland, Maine, is among the best 14 cities in all of the United States if you absolutely love food.

Travel + Leisure gives Portland high marks for a couple of things specifically. Because Portland is small and incredibly walkable, visitors to the city can cover a lot of ground in a very short amount of time. For foodies, that's a great way to do a tasting tour without having to worry about Uber rides in between.

A plate of fries, melted butter, and a Lobster Roll sandwich.
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The other compliment Travel + Leisure lauds on Portland is the diversity in food offerings. While everyone knows Maine for its delicious lobster, you can find an incredible range of cuisine available to adventurous eaters. Much of it with a little added Maine twist to it.

Downtown Portland, Maine, on June 21, 2019.
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Travel + Leisure also offered up a few suggestions to those unsure where to start in Portland. Travel + Leisure put a spotlight on Katie Made Bakery for their exemplary breakfast sandwiches. A couple of tourist favorites, Eventide Oyster Co and Fore Street also got some love. Travel + Leisure also mentions that people shouldn't sleep on Bar Futo, especially if they're vegetarian.


 

The 20 Most Popular Restaurants in Portland, Maine Right Now

Here are the 20 most popular restaurants in Maine's largest city of Portland, according to TripAdvisor rankings. This list comes from November of 2024.

Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka

20 Maine Restaurants That Have Been Featured on National Television Shows

Here's a list of 20 iconic Maine restaurants that have been featured on national television shows. This is a great representation of Maine's incredible food scene.

Data was researched from tvfoodmaps.com

Gallery Credit: Chris Sedenka