Casual Dining & Restaurants in Maine (ME)

For distinctive dining on Maine's coast, head to Jonathan's Ogunquit.  You'll enjoy casual fine dining in a contemporary lounge atmosphere with exquisite gardens and a 600-gallon aquarium. We offer a menu that will suit all, with both innovative dishes and deep-rooted local favorites. We use sustainable, local products whenever reasonably permitted. We're open for lunch Wednesday thru Sunday and for dinner every day. Do you crave something harvested from the sea? Try our boiled lobster, seafood-stuffed haddock, or seafood chowder with lobster, shrimp, and fresh scallops. Among our other entrees: chicken piccata, Jaerger schnitzel, wild mushroom pappardelle, and Black Angus hand-cut steak. Don’t miss our award-winning chocolate mousse or our legendary creme brulee.

Open Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend, The Dory at the Lodge at the Cove offers a unique dining experience for guests at the colorful poolside bar. Just minutes from Dock Square, this serene, outdoor bistro overlooking the cove offers a laid back atmosphere for friends, lovers and family. The menu features build-your-own burgers, homemade milkshakes and clever sides such as sweet potato tater tots, as well as quesadillas, lobster salad, local seafood. Creative cocktails, a daily Happy Hour (4pm to 6pm) and live local music make it festive for the adults while ping pong, lawn games and retro ice cream bars keep the kids happy. Tucked away from downtown Kennebunkport, it’s the perfect spot for a relaxing time.

Remember when dining by the water was a relaxed affair, maybe savoring a lobster roll or chowder or fried clams while the sun shone and the sea breezes wafted by? You can recapture that at the Anchorage Inn’s Sun and Surf Restaurant, where they’ve been serving up casual fare at their dramatic surfside location since 1963. Enjoy your meal on one of three outdoor patios or in their colorful dining room. Seafood’s a specialty, but you can order up everything from burgers and salads to steaks and pasta. Or, go for some extra creamy Maine-made ice cream at their takeout window. For quick snacks, light breakfasts or a cocktail, seek out the inn’s poolside cafe.

There’s so much to explore when you stay at one of the eight Maine inns that are part of Hampton Inn Hotels of New England. And how better to start your getaway adventures than with a piping hot breakfast? Complimentary hot breakfasts with options from eggs and waffles to fruit and pastries are just one of the many amenities at Hampton inns. All of the hotels also have free wifi, spacious rooms, flexible booking options with free changes and cancellations and great service. Many also have business centers, indoor pools and fitness centers and shuttles to nearby transportation hubs, shopping areas and other attractions. Those attractions range from outlet shopping in Kittery to hiking the trails of Acadia National Park when staying at the Bar Harbor inn.

Because of its location in Portland’s Old Port district, which includes a working waterfront, the restaurant in the Portland Harbor Hotel has a close relationship with local fishermen. That’s great news for the lucky diners at BlueFin North Atlantic Seafood restaurant because it means the best, freshest possible seafood every day. The restaurant celebrates all that is Maine with a seasonal menu that features the sea’s bounty as well as other local ingredients. Start your dinner with a traditional-style cup of New England clam “chowdah,” then indulge in lobster ravioli, lobster scampi or go for the gold with a whole lobster complete with potatoes and corn. Dine inside in this casual, romantic space or al fresco by a fountain. Please check our COVID policies and services page before booking your stay.