22 of The Oldest Bars and Restaurants in Portland, Maine

In any city that features as many bars and restaurants as Portland, Maine, does, there's bound to be turnover throughout the years.

Many of the most popular restaurants 30 years ago in Portland are no longer around.

And yet, many others are still around. In some cases, Portland, Maine, is home to bars and restaurants dating back more than a century with zero signs of calling it quits.

Several of Portland, Maine's Oldest Restaurants Have Closed in Recent Years

Before we get to the list of the oldest bars and restaurants that are still humming, there have been a few classics that have closed in recent years.

That includes Portland's oldest drive-in, Vivian's, which closed in 2016. It's been several different restaurants since. Vivian's originally opened in 1952.

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Another Portland classic was Anania's, which was a mix of deli and convenience store. The first Anania's opened in 1963 with the signature location operated by the original owners closing permanently in 2024. There's still an Anania's in the city owned and operated by a longtime manager.

One of the Oldest Spots in Portland's Old Port Closed in 2022

For five decades, one of the most recognizable and populated bars and restaurants in the Old Port district of Portland, Maine, was the Old Port Tavern.

Originally opening in 1972, Old Port Tavern was restaurant by day and dance club by night.  OPT seemed like it would live on forever.

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Instead, the business closed down on New Year's Eve of 2022. The space is now home to the popular restaurant Lucky Cheetah.

While those pieces of Portland history are gone, several still continue today.