Maine offers the very best of waterfront and oceanfront restaurants

Maine > State > Dining & Restaurants > Waterfront Dining

As the state with the most coastline (after California) and a strong fishing tradition, Maine is ready to serve seafood -- and other cuisines, of course -- at waterfront and oceanfront restaurants overlooking dramatic bays, harbors, and jetties.

For more great waterfront dining, click here to visit our "Find a Restaurant" section on the VNE Blog, or Dock and Dine at New England Boating.

Bluenose Inn

90 Eden Street Bar Harbor, ME, 04609 Phone: 207-288-2665

Great breakfasts, stellar service and amazing views of the bay: a recipe for memorable dining

See why Yankee Magazine called the Looking Glass Restaurant, at the Bluenose Inn, the “Best Restaurant with a View.” While you’re looking out over Frenchman Bay from the restaurant’s outdoor deck or indoor dining area, you’ll be served the freshest pastries, hot dishes and special orders for that classic New England breakfast. Ask for the Maine blueberry pancakes or blueberry muffins or build your own egg scramble. Is there lobster for breakfast? Yes, this is Maine, so you’re going to want to try the lobster eggs Benedict. In addition to fresh juices and coffee, the restaurant also makes some mean breakfast cocktails, including mimosas and Irish coffee. In the evening, enjoy a glass of wine while listening to live piano music in the Bluenose Great Room and piano lounge.

Higgins Beach Inn

34 Ocean Avenue Scarborough, ME, 04074 Phone: 207-883-6684

Fresh local seafood a highlight at breezy beach inn’s popular restaurant

At Shade, the popular on-site restaurant at Higgins Beach Inn, they take full advantage of their seaside location. Oysters on the half shell, lobster rolls, blackened fish tacos and other locally sourced delights await diners at this casual restaurant, which specializes in fresh beach fare. Enjoy a refreshing cocktail (like a sunburn margarita, for instance), craft brew or glass of wine along with your lobster tostada, steak frites, burger, salad or famous 1939 seafood chowder. And don’t miss those chalkboard specials! Grab a bite for lunch or dinner and relax in the ocean breeze on the restaurant’s covered three-season porch. Shade also serves a hearty breakfast for guests of the inn, featuring everything from eggs Benedict to Belgian waffles. (And, yes, you can get a mimosa.) There’s also a kids’ menu.

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Spruce Point Inn

88 Grandview Avenue Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538 Phone: 207-633-4152 Toll-Free: 800-553-0289

Imaginative, thoughtfully sourced menus the order of the day at this seaside resort

Delightful food and spirits, designed to nourish the soul, are the order of the day at the classic Spruce Point Inn on Maine’s coast. Menus are inspired by fresh-caught seafood, sustainably raised livestock, the harvest from local farms and fresh herbs (some from the inn’s own gardens). And the dining venue locations are inspired by the inn’s waterfront location between the sea and the woodlands. Watch the sailboats as you linger over lobster rolls on the Grandview Deck; enjoy a cocktail and some truffle fries at The Salty Stag, the inn’s cheery gathering place; and marvel at shimmering ocean views while you also marvel at the grilled lobster at the elegant Whiteclover restaurant.

Cliff House

591 Shore Road Cape Neddick, ME, 03902 Phone: 207-361-1000 Toll-Free: 855-210-6901

At this restaurant, you’ll feel you are suspended over the Atlantic – because you are

At the Cliff House’s signature restaurant, The Tiller, diners revel in the location, suspended over the ocean, overlooking panoramic views of Cape Neddick and the Atlantic. The restaurant honors Maine’s coastal heritage by partnering with local fishermen, as well as farmers, distillers and purveyors to combine the area’s rich traditions with culinary innovation. The fish is line-caught, the steaks locally raised, the presentation elegant and inviting. There’s a great local beer list, international wine selections and handcrafted cocktails. You’ll want to sip one or two when you watch the fabulous sunset. Summer diners also enjoy majestic water views and a quintessential Maine experience at Nubb’s Lobster Shack, where lobster rolls rule. And, small plates, seasonal cocktails and a raw bar set the perfect seaside scene at The Terrace.

Outdoor Dining - Inn at Diamond Cove - Portland, ME

Diamond's Edge Restaurant & Marina

22 McKinley Court Portland, ME, 04109 Phone: 207-805-9836

For a singular dining experience, island restaurant overlooking cove is a must

Just steps from a picturesque marina, on an island off the coast of Maine, the Inn at Diamond Cove’s Diamond’s Edge Restaurant offers diners a tantalizing menu of creative, artfully prepared dishes in an atmosphere of conviviality and tranquility. Popular with locals and inn guests, the restaurant specializes in the freshest local seafood, New England favorites – and jaw-dropping water views. Dine inside or on the deck or lawn. You might start with Bang Island local mussels or grilled street corn, a fresh salad of tomatoes and watermelon, then move on to a traditional lobster bake, lobster roll, baked haddock or beef tenderloin. And don’t forget dessert — there might be berry cobbler or creme brûlée! Only an island restaurant could provide this one-of-a-kind dining experience.

Tugboat Inn

80 Commercial Street Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538 Phone: 207-633-4434

Restaurant built around tugboat superstructure will steer you to great seafood, steaks

How many restaurants invite you to come up and visit their original wheelhouse when you are done dining? That’s one of the many reasons guests of the Tugboat Inn, as well as locals, love coming to the Tugboat Restaurant, built around the superstructure of the historic tugboat “Maine.” Its’ popularity, though, is mainly about the food: fresh-off-the-boat seafood, steaks with real sizzle, perfect pasta dishes. Whether you stop in for a haddock reuben, seafood alfredo or a burger, you’ll leave satisfied (there’s also a Young Mates Menu for the kids). And don’t forget to visit the Tugboat Roof Top Deck, with a pub menu, craft cocktails and bird’s-eye view of the harbor. The Marina Lounge on the marina deck also offers pub food, drinks and live music in season.

Fisherman's Wharf Inn

22 Commercial Street Boothbay Harbor, ME, 04538 Phone: 207-633-5090

Coastal cuisine served in dining rooms with eye-popping views: That’s the Fisherman’s Wharf experience

A succulent lobster dinner on the outside deck looking out over the harbor. A sizzling grilled-to-order steak and a glass of wine in the dining room with panoramic water views. A hearty sandwich and glass of local beer in a cozy pub. That’s the award-winning dining experience at the Fisherman’s Wharf Inn’s restaurant. With its fabulous water views, it’s no surprise that the menus lean toward reinvented coastal cuisine using the freshest local ingredients. You might want to start with crab cakes or steamers, then move to baked haddock, fisherman’s pie or, of course, lobster taken from trap to table. But there’s also a large selection of salad, pasta dishes, burgers, chicken and steaks. The kids’ menu has all their favorites, from chicken fingers to veggies and ranch dressing.

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