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Highest-rated restaurants in Portland, Maine by diners

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Dreamer Company // Shutterstock
Dreamer Company // Shutterstock
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Humans are creatures of habit. We tend to stick to our morning routines, rewatch movies we've seen time and time again, and hit up the same tried-and-true restaurants when going out for a meal. In fact, 35% of Americans say they rarely or never try a new restaurant they haven't been to before, according to a 2024 survey of more than 1,500 diners from TouchBistro.

But those numbers look quite different when you focus on younger generations—67% of Gen Zers and 40% of millennials in the U.S. say they visit new restaurants once a month or more. When it comes to deciding which new restaurant to try, younger generations are also more likely to rely on social media or online restaurant reviews, through sites like Yelp or Google. The TouchBistro survey found that 52% of Gen Zers have opted to try a new restaurant due to positive feedback on social media, and 67% of millennials have gone to a new dining spot solely because of favorable reviews online.

New restaurants in particular tend to garner a lot of online attention. About 50,000 new restaurants open each year in the U.S., and that number continues to rise. An analysis by Yelp published in June 2024 found that new restaurant openings were up 6% from May 2023 to April 2024. But some of the best restaurants in your neck of the woods might be those established eateries that customers have been visiting for decades.

To help you determine which spots—both new and long-standing—to try out, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in Portland, according to Yelp reviews from diners as of January 2025. Only restaurants with at least 20 reviews and a 3.0 rating were considered. Read on to find some inspiration for the next time you dine out.

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#30. Falafel Mafia

- Rating: 4.6/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: Portland, Maine
- Categories: Food Trucks, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

2 / 30

#29. Maiz Colombian Street Food - Forest Ave

- Rating: 4.6/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 621 Forest Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Colombian
- Read more on Yelp

3 / 30

#28. Bread & Friends

- Rating: 4.6/5 (111 reviews)
- Address: 505 Fore St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, New American
- Read more on Yelp

4 / 30

#27. Nura Hummus and Falafel

- Rating: 4.6/5 (85 reviews)
- Address: 1 Monument Way Portland, Maine
- Categories: Middle Eastern, Salad, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

6 / 30

#25. Belleville

- Rating: 4.6/5 (99 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1 North St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Bakeries, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

7 / 30

#24. Twelve

- Rating: 4.6/5 (148 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 115 Thames St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

8 / 30

#23. Mazzat Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (51 reviews)
- Address: 11 Bishop St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

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#22. Micucci Grocery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (213 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 45 India St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Pizza, Grocery, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

11 / 30

#20. Market Street Eats

- Rating: 4.7/5 (256 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 36 Market St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

12 / 30

#19. Quiero Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (118 reviews)
- Address: 3 Deering Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Latin American, Empanadas
- Read more on Yelp

13 / 30

#18. Nom Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (41 reviews)
- Address: 23 Forest Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Modern European, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

14 / 30

#17. The Local Press

- Rating: 4.7/5 (179 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 276 Woodford St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

16 / 30

#15. Isa Bistro

- Rating: 4.7/5 (321 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 79 Portland St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: New American, New Mexican Cuisine
- Read more on Yelp

17 / 30

#14. Great Wave Sushi

- Rating: 4.7/5 (24 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 115 Fox St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

18 / 30

#13. Coffee ME Up

- Rating: 4.7/5 (287 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 221 Cumberland Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

19 / 30

#12. Jefe Juan's

- Rating: 4.7/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 29 Wharf St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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#10. Bite Into Maine

- Rating: 4.8/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 31 Diamond St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Seafood, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

22 / 30

#9. Maine Oyster Company

- Rating: 4.8/5 (136 reviews)
- Address: 38 Portland St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

23 / 30

#8. Wayside Tavern

- Rating: 4.8/5 (75 reviews)
- Address: 747 Congress St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

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#7. Sissle & Daughters

- Rating: 4.8/5 (40 reviews)
- Address: 107 Washington Ave. Unit 1 Portland, Maine
- Categories: Cheese Shops, Sandwiches, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

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#5. Eighty 8 Donuts Cafe

- Rating: 4.8/5 (42 reviews)
- Address: 225 Federal St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Donuts, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

27 / 30

#4. Crunchy Poké

- Rating: 4.8/5 (198 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 426 Fore St. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Ramen, Poke
- Read more on Yelp

28 / 30

#3. Lil Chippy

- Rating: 4.8/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 52 Washington Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Fish & Chips
- Read more on Yelp

29 / 30

#2. Paella seafood

- Rating: 4.8/5 (81 reviews)
- Address: 865 Forest Ave. Portland, Maine
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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