Portland, Maine, USA
With many life shifts, the summer of 2019 brought us to Portland, ME where we settled down roots for a couple of years. We always dreamed of returning to this special part of the coast where we met back in college in 2008. Just over ten years later, we made it. Our two years in Portland were a time to slow down and find our bearings after moving back to the US from London. Once it was time to leave, we took to documenting our go-to spots during our favorite and final season in Maine.
PORTLAND AREA RECOMMENDATIONS
This list is a compilation of things we enjoyed during our years in Portland. It mixes together known tourist attractions—most well worth their hype—with lesser-known gems of the area.
Where To Eat
Baharat (Mediterranean / Middle Eastern)
Banh Appetit (Vietnamese)
Chaval (French & Spanish Influenced)
Cong Tu Bot (Vietnamese)
The Front Room (American)
Hi Bombay (Indian)
The Honey Paw (Pan Asian)
Leeward (Italian)
Miss Portland Diner (American)
Nura (Middle Eastern)
REGARDS (Mexican)
Schulte & Herr (German)
Sichuan Kitchen (Chinese)
Taco Trio (Mexican—in South Portland)
Taj (Indian—in South Portland)
The Well at Jordan’s Farm (American, farm to table)
Yosaku (Japanese)
Pizza
Coals (super thin crust and excellent fries)
Flatbread Company (hip thin-crust)
Leonardo's (classic NY-style)
Otto (hip thin-crust)
Pizzaiolo (classic NY-style straight out of Staten Island)
Quanto Basta (sour-dough pizza)
Food Trucks
The Greeks of Peaks (Greek)
Falafel Mafia (Middle Eastern, associated with Nura)
Maine Maple Creemee Co (soft serve ice cream)
Mr. Tuna (sushi)
Taco The Town (Mexican—in Brunswick but so worth it)
Totally Awesome Vegan Food Truck (best vegan food of all time)
Ice Cream & Gelato
Gelato Fiasco (gelato)
Kettle Cove (traditional ice cream—in Cape Elizabeth)
Red's Dairy Freeze (soft serve ice cream—in South Portland)
Willard Scoops (traditional ice cream—in South Portland)
Bakeries & Other
Belleville (coffee, pastries, bakery pizza)
C Salt Gourmet Market (sandwiches, cookies, & more—in Cape Elizabeth)
Forage Market (bagels, sandwiches, & more)
The Cookie Jar (donuts, pastries, & more—in Cape Elizabeth)
The Holy Donut (potato-based donuts)
Rose Foods (bagels)
Scratch Baking Co ( pastries, bread, & more—in South Portland)
Standard Baking Co ( pastries, bread, & more)
Tandem Coffee & Bakery (coffee, pastries, & more)
Things To Do In Portland
The Eastern Promenade: Rent a kayak or paddleboard (lessons available) with Portland Paddle, go for a swim at the East End Beach, shoot hoops, play pickleball or tennis, enjoy a picnic on the hill, and check out the view from Fort Allen Park (where there are concerts during the warmer months). There are also plenty of options to choose from at the Eastern Prom Food Truck Park. Our favorites are highlighted in the Food Truck section of this guide. We also highly recommend watching a sunrise from the top of the park—they’re some of the most vivid sunrises we have ever seen.
Art Galleries & Museums: Portland is buzzing with creativity. Check out the First Friday Artwalk or visit the museums and galleries at any time. Some highlights: Portland Museum of Art, Cove Street Arts, Indigo Art Alliance, Moss Galleries, and Greenhut Galleries.
Vintage, Second-Hand, & Quirky Shops of Downtown: Portland Flea-for-All, Green Hand Bookshop, Weekend Vintage, Coast City Comics & The Fun Box Monster Emporium, Moody Lords Vinyl/Vintage, Strange Maine, Little Ghost, and Find.
Boutique Shopping in the Old Port: Blanche + Mimi, Sherman’s Book Shop, Fitz & Bennett Home, Portland Trading Co, Zane, Maxwell’s Pottery, Portland Dry Goods, and Ember Maine.
Sail on Casco Bay: Portland Schooner Co offers two-hour public sails and special events. We highly recommend a sunset sail—it’s one of our favorite memories from Portland.
Casco Bay Islands: While there are many interesting islands to check out, we’ve only ever made it to Peaks Island so our recommendations here will stick to that for now. Take the ferry from the Old Port. While you can bring a car, the island is small and only so many cars are allowed on a ferry. Opt to rent a bike once you get there instead (there are also golf cart rentals or walking is good too!). Stop at the quaint beaches, wander into Battery Steele (a WWII fortress) to check your nerves and see the graffiti artwork, and grab some pizza from Il Leone or a gyro from The Greeks of Peaks.
Brewery Hop: While neither of us drinks, Portland is scattered with unique breweries. If you are also a non-drinker, most have non-alcoholic options, and food trucks can often be parked at these spots. Our go-tos were Austin Street Brewery and Bunker Brewing Co. We also highly enjoyed Root Wild Kombucha.
Deering Oaks: On Wednesdays and Saturdays during the warmer months, the park hosts the Portland Farmers’ Market with a large selection of farmer and artisan stalls. Find fresh veggies, flowers, baked goods, ceramics, and more. You can also head here for ice skating in the winter.
Thompson’s Point: During the warmer months, enjoy live music from your favorite artists or stop by for the Summer Sunsets Live concert series. Food trucks are often parked here during concerts. You can also check out The Maker’s Market (year-round), the ice-skating rink (winter), and the new Children’s Museum.
Things to Do Within ~1 Hour of Portland
Hiking / Walking
Mackworth Island, Falmouth (easy)
Two Lights State Park, Cape Elizabeth (easy)
Wolfe's Neck Woods State Park, Freeport (easy)
Harpswell Cliff Trail, Harpswell (easy to moderate)
Harpswell Devil's Back Trail, Harpswell (easy to moderate)
Morse Mountain to Seawall Beach, Phippsburg (easy to moderate)
Bradbury Mountain State Park, Pownal (easy to moderate)
Sawyer Mountain, Limerick (moderate)
Burnt Meadow Trail, Brownfield (moderate to difficult)
Pleasant Mountain, Denmark (difficult)
Beaches
Crescent Beach State Park, Cape Elizabeth
Kettle Cove, Cape Elizabeth
Higgins Beach, Scarborough
Scarborough Beach State Park, Scarborough
Broad Cove Reserve, Cumberland Foreside
Sebago Lake State Park, Naples
Seawall Beach (can only reach via the hike above), Phippsburg
Popham Beach State Park, Phippsburg
Reid State Park, Georgetown
Damariscotta Lake State Park, Jefferson
Further Out Places to Visit
Some of these we've done (linked), some we haven't yet.
Acadia National Park
Baxter State Park
Belgrade Lakes Region
Camden, Rockport & Rockland
Downeast
Flagstaff Lake & Bigelow Preserve
Monhegan Island
Moosehead Lake
Rangeley Lake
Wiscasset & Boothbay Harbor
The White Mountains in New Hampshire
