Five Fifty-FiveThis was our first dinnerThis was our first dinner in Portland and we are very pleased that we choose 555. Our server was excellent, and the food was creative, perfectly prepared and well balanced.
Our only regret was that we didn't come hungry enough to try the tasting menu.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMworth all the penniesNot a food comment but loved the free valet service...especially given the difficulty parking in the old port.
Prices are high but definitely worth it. Food presented well (I loved eating upstairs and watching the plates being prepared) and tasted so good. I can tell when the meal is excellent when the tastes, odors, presentation, colors, and textures slow me down (otherwise I eat too fast and too much).
This was my 2nd time there (went there 5 years ago and it was excellent then too).5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMfive fifty five is 5 star diningIt started off a bit rocky, as they were a little backed up.Extremely busy and really no room to wait for our table.Then things changed as we were seated. The service and food was fantastic. Nice wine list. Just a great evening. Also complimentary valet parking a very nice touch n a Saturday night. Will go again.....5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMvery goodbeen wanting to try 555 for quite a while. i expected it to be good and it was. staff was very pleasent & food was great. atmosphere was very good5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMChef's tasting menu...wow!!My girlfriend and I had the chef's tasting menu and were blown away by the creativity and complexity of flavors.
The kitchen is obviously using the freshest ingredients and incorporating them with an artist's finesse. Service was flawless,
Friendly and very knowledgeable. We opted not to sift through the cavernous list of fine wines, and went
With a pairing for each course. The half glasses were just enough to enhance the flavors without dulling the senses.
Next time, however, I might order from their extensive collection. All in all a fantastic time, we can't wait to return!5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Mothers' Day brunch everWe had a lovely time at Five Fifty Five as we celebrated Mothers' Day. The food and service were amazing. We can't wait to go back for another meal.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AM555Interesting seasonal menu from an inventive chef. The service was spot on, not intrusive but staff was there when needed. Knowledgable about the menu and origins of local ingredients. Love that you can order half glasses of a wine to match with individual courses!! Be sure to try the Beef Cheeks!!! Yummy!! Will be back to this restaurant.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMwonderful!Food was excellent and the service was great too!!! LOVED Everything!!!!!!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFantasticMy wife and I were celebrating our anniversary and it is also my birthday. The staff at 555 printed a message on our menus, gave us an excellent table and even wrote happy birthday and happy anniversary in chocolate on our dessert plates. The food was excellent and the service top notch. This is the place in Portland for a special occasion meal. With Portland being a foodie city, 555 stands out in all levels as a wonderful place for a meal.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food & presentatioExcellent food with unique combinations of food, flaver, textures and presentation. A duck dish with black rice was great!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMWill come againWas looking for a place to enjoy a terrific and memorable dining experience since our favorite restaurant closed. We found it. The presentation and quality was exceptional, and the service was magnificent. Attentive without being intrusive. We will keep coming. Also, appreciated the valet parking, especially on a Friday night in Portland..5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best meals, ever.One of the best meals, ever. Smaller plates can make the best dinner. Must try the parsnip soup with flan and the amazing fois gras creme brulee5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways great!555 is always terrific. Just very nice people, food, ambience. You always know you will have a good experience there.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMFive Fifty FiveWe had the chef's tasting menu which, unlike most other restaurants, is made up of items not on the regular menu so that the chef has maximum flexibility. The ingredients were those in season and each course creative. While each course was wonderful, we can mention the butter poached lobster/local fluke fish course and the lamb with gnocchi couse as favorites.5/7/2013 12:00:00 AM555 is a 10!My boyfriend and I had brunch at 555 to celebrate his 55th birthday on 5/5. We were greeted with a Happy Birthday printed card along with our menus. The meal was delicious and the live jazz music was the perfect touch for a romantic celebration. Can't wait to try 555 for dinner!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMA special occasion made specialerMy boyfriend passed the bar examination, which I mentioned when making the reservation at Five Fifty-Five. Upon arrival at our table they had champagne waiting for us and our menus had Congratulations! Cheers! written on them. The service from there on was fabulous and they even wrote Congratulations in chocolate on his dessert plate.
They truly made the night even more special than it was planned to be with all of the extra personal touches we experienced throughout meal. Highly recommend this restaurant, and we'll certainly be back.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of Portland's BestOnce again another over the top experience. The food, wine and service never disappoints. Caitlin our server could quite possibly be the best server in Portland. She has this endearing quality that is humble, knoweldgeable, on point and caring.
Ask for her next time you are reserving a table. She will only add to the already perfect experience.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome ExperienceBuilding is an old firehouse so very interesting interior with 3 floors of dining.
Food exceptional. Not small portions as one review indicated.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMJust wonderful!Delicious parsnip soup, succulent scallops and the the best lobster mac & cheese. Chef Steve Corry also gives extra litlle goodies! Great wine list. Great service. Would highly recommend this wonderful restaurant to anyone.4/30/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome job recommending wineAwesome job recommending wine pairings for our entree's4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMA Meal to RememberTo celebrate my new job, we wanted a guaranteed delightful meal. 555 was definitely the place to go. We like to go at 5:00 because the restaurant is quiet enough for us to hear the music and we get a lot of individual attention from our very knowledgeable waiter. We like to split the signature tasting menu and add one or two small plates of our choosing. At 555 the presentation and freshness of the dishes is too important to waste on a takeout box. The wine pairings are always good, but this night they were amazing. Each wine echoed a stand-out flavor in the dish, making the pairing much greater than either the food or the wine alone. Even if the new job turns out to be a downer, I'll remember the celebration with great joy.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Saturday MealFantastic, spot on meal from beginning to end. The lamb loin entre was one of the best lamb dishes I've had. Tounge - cheek was a stand out appetizer. Good service, drinks and sweets. One of Portland's best fine dining spots!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a table for four onWe had a table for four on the street level. Our server was unobtrusive, pleasant, and timely. The food was very tasty and creatively presented. We have prevously eaten upstairs, where some of the tables are perfect for a romantic dinner for two.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMHere in Portland for our wedding.Here in Portland for our wedding. The best food by far we have had in the trip!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a tremendous meal atWe had a tremendous meal at Five Fifty-Five! The ambiance was great - it's a very cool building - and the service unhurried. Our meals were delicious and gorgeously presented. Thanks so much!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe will be back!!I had not been to 555 for several years. I didn't know what I was missing!! The scallop meal I had was beyond fabulous and the ambiance was perfect. Well be back.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMfood and service were outstanding;food and service were outstanding; 2 guests have celiac disease and were very well accomodated4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat attention to detailGreat attention to detail and the focus was on enjoying a memorable tome.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMA first visit for us, thisA first visit for us, this restaurant did not disappoint. Service was attentive and friendly, and our wait person was great. Tops on the menu for us were the Parsnip Soup, the grilled romaine ceasar salad with white anchovies (best we have ever had) and entrees of duck and steak. Another best--the marguerita with lemon grass and hot pepper was a blend of sweet, spicy, and smooth--absolutely incredible. Kudos to the bartender for her flawless prep.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThis restarant keeps getting betterExcellent. Loved my scallop dish. Husband blown away by duck entree. Chocolate dish perfection ( sweet and salty w side of praline ice cream). Beautiful presentation. This restaurant keeps getting better!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMHad a fantastic evening hereHad a fantastic evening here at 555 on Friday Evening...the whole nine yards! Candles, perfect lighting, champagne, five-course meal, wonderful service, and we even had the opportunity to meet (and compliment) the kitchen staff.
I would recommend this restaurant to any couple, or even group of couples looking for a fine dining experience, with a comfortable and inviting ambiance.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMYou need to eat hereWhat a great space and a tremendous menu (and extensive wine list!). The open kitchen allows you to see what the chefs are up to, whether you're on the main level or up in the balcony which rims the main dining room. For foodies, there's something magical about watching pros make the food you're enjoying. The multi-course (ours was 5 courses) tasting menu highlighted signature dishes and cheeses from the menu (the cheeses are excellent - many are from the finest cheesemakers in Vermont), and the portion size meant that at the end of the meal I was pleasantly full without feeling overfull. Innovative food, tremendous, personable service, and a lovely space. We'll be back.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMFive Fifty-Five RestaurantFive Fifty-Five Restaurant consists of two ground-floor rooms, a spacious bar with some tables, and the main dining room which is an atrium design with a balcony on four sides, wide enough for a row of tables. The room is in fact an old fire station. The kitchen occupies a section of the main floor. Decor is dull. But the food and service are exceptional. Most famous among main dishes is a lobster mac and cheese (did they invent this dish?) which is excellent but too rich for my taste. I had a roast duck--not the trendy duck breast--which was just perfect, as was lemon souffle for dessert. The wine list is so extensive that you wonder where they keep all those bottles!4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMSublime. Beautiful presentationSublime. Beautiful presentation matched by exceptional preparation. The food was divine. The service was excellent and knowledgeable. not a hint of stuffiness or snobbery. Lovely room.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMOver the top dining experience!We did the tasting menu and everything was amazing. Nick, our waiter was excellent, giving wine pairing recommendations and just very attentive. I can't say enough about the whole dining experience.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMTheir custom tasting menuTheir custom tasting menu was the best I have had. The chef has a real talent and the service folks were friendly and excellent.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyed all the food we tried.Enjoyed all the food we tried. Staff brought out special treats for us while main food was being prepared.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AM555 proves why it's a top spot!555 was amazing in all respects and proved that it is a top spot in Portland. We tried the Chef's Tasting Menu of 5 courses. the pacing was perfect, the portions just right, and the food was spectacular. Each time a plate arrived we were told what was on it (ginger foam on the rutabaga soup for example), and honestly it was just a top-notch experience all around. Highly recommended.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was outstanding, as itFood was outstanding, as it always is. However, service was a bit insufferable - too many staff members constantly refilling water glasses or wanting to take plates away. Excellent service should feel invisible, not overbearing. Waitress was great, but it was extra hovering staff who were bothersome.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AM555 was wonderful. The food555 was wonderful. The food is creative and well-executed. The menu takes advantage of local sourcing. This restaurant continues to be one of the most memorable dining experiences in the northeast.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply AmazingThis review is easy. Four words: amazing food and service.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding meal and service.Outstanding meal and service. Try the macaroni and lobster - unbelievable taste combination. Bang Island Mussels were wonderful. Great place for a special occasion. If you want a bit more intimacy for two ask for a table on the second level. Free valet parking was worthwhile on a busy downtown Saturday night!3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMSuper Friday night evening outThis was a great find for an out of towner in Portland. I picked it when I saw that the chef was a NECI graduate, and we had an excellent meal. The service was excellent, and the food was great from start to finish. We had the mussels and the haddock cake for appy's which were both super. For entrees we enjoyed scallops, hanger steak, and lobster mac and cheese (there were three of us!) We tried a couple of the petite deserts with a glass of port. The interior of the restaurant is very warm and cozy on a cold March night. Even the valet service was great.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMI had the tasting menu. TheI had the tasting menu. The portions were the right size. The soup, mussels, and scallop dishes were excellently prepared My husband loved his hangar steak which was served with delicious fries.3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMBusy due to Portland restaurantBusy due to Portland restaurant week, but the service was incredibly swift (maybe due to a slightly smaller menu, maybe because they wanted us out for faster turnover, heh) and attentive. Rutabega soup with jalapeno oil and ginger was incredible, as were their menu staples of scallops and hanger steak. Meat was extremely flavorful, cooked perfectly to a medium rare, and well seasoned.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AM