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Fore Street, Portland, ME

Fore Street

4.9 (4215)
$50 and over
Contemporary American
288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 105 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for fine wines

Located in Portland's Old Port District, Fore Street opened in June, 1996. The interior surrounds a unique brick and soapstone hearth with a wood-burning oven, grill and turnspit; visible from most tables. We believe that good food travels the shortest possible distance between the farm and the table. Our menu changes every day and is founded upon the very best raw materials from a community of Maine farmers, fisherman, foragers and cheese makers. Most of the Maine foods are organically grown or harvested wild, each brought to us at the peak of its season. In 2002 and again in 2007, Fore Street was named by Gourmet Magazine as one of the Top Fifty Restaurants in the United States. In 2004, Chef-Partner Sam Hayward was named Best Chef: Northeast by the James Beard Foundation.



Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Organic, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 4:30 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Sam Hayward
  • Neighborhood
    Portland
  • Cross street
    Franklin and Pearl
  • Parking details
    Fore Street has free parking from 5pm to 12am in the parking lot behind the building, depending on availability. Street parking is available as well as customer paid parking in 2 parking garages within 1 block.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 4,215 people are saying

Fore Street reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Maine

    Best Overall

  • Maine

    Best Food

  • Maine

    Best Service

  • Maine

    Best Ambiance

  • Maine

    Best Value

  • Maine

    Most Booked

  • Greater Portland

    Best Overall

  • Greater Portland

    Best Food

  • Greater Portland

    Best Service

  • Greater Portland

    Best Ambiance

  • Greater Portland

    Best Value

  • Greater Portland

    Innovative

  • Greater Portland

    Hot spot

  • Greater Portland

    Great for fine wines

  • Greater Portland

    Romantic

  • Greater Portland

    Good for special occasions

  • Greater Portland

    Lively

  • Greater Portland

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Fore Street in Portland boasts "excellent food and service" with a "warm and inviting" atmosphere that impresses every time. The menu changes daily, offering "unique, beautifully prepared dishes." Consistent quality, a knowledgeable staff, and a "cozy setting" make it a "must-visit" for any occasion.

4,215 Reviews
  1. Kalie

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding menu and the layout of the restaurant was beautiful. Such a gem

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  2. Madelyn VIP

    Cincinnati1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    AMAZING!! Would travel back to Portland just for this.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Alexander VIP

    New York City3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and drinks excellent! Booths made it possible to converse, our server Emily was super kind and knowledgeable.

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  4. Jenna VIP

    Maine112 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent meal (as usual). We enjoyed the fact Fore Street has some new dishes and preparations yet the old standards that we love are still there. The new carrots were outstanding. Squid app was great. Wood fired haddock stuffed with crab meat with an Unami sauced that made me want to like the cast iron pan.

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  5. Ellen

    Greater Boston4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The dishes we ordered were fabulous and cooked to perfection. We enjoyed the lively atmosphere- and our server Lucas was professional, knowledgeable and very engaging . He added to the whole dining experience. Next trip to Portland we will definitely return.

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  6. Pam

    Greater Boston1 review

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall delicious meal excellent service and atmosphere I ordered the scallops they were super salty which distracted from the flavor of the dish The asparagus salad was very good , too much oil on the plate, seemed to drown the overall texture of the dish . The rum babba ? dessert was yummy!!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Hilary VIP

    Greater Boston14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great meal and excellent service! We had the lamb meat balls, the 1/2 roasted chicken and steak, the carrots and for dessert we shared the corn bread with blueberries. Everything was delicious!

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  8. Pirat

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    “Une très belle découverte ! Le restaurant Fore Street est à la hauteur de sa réputation : cuisine délicieuse, produits de qualité et ambiance chaleureuse. On s’est régalé du début à la fin !”

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  9. Eric

    Jacksonville1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic experience and Sarah, our server, was wonderful. 5 stars as usual!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Shannon

    Charleston6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We made reservations, but decided to pop in earlier, and the staff was extremely accommodating and moved us to a bar seat. We felt like VIPs as we were informed about the menu, helped with questions and recommendations and were served the most amazing dishes. I usually complain about portion size- we were unable to finish these large plates despite the amazing quality and taste. Don’t miss this gem in Portland.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Fore Street is rated 4.9 stars by 4215 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Maine
  4. Greater Portland
  5. Portland

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 105 times today
Google Map for Fore Street

288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Franklin and Pearl
  • Neighborhood
    Portland
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 4:30 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Organic, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Fore Street has free parking from 5pm to 12am in the parking lot behind the building, depending on availability. Street parking is available as well as customer paid parking in 2 parking garages within 1 block.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Sam Hayward
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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