Reading Room Restaurant at The Bar Harbor Inn

Everything was very good and the service was wonderful!!

We had a wonderful dinner and an excellent server who was very helpful and knowledgeable!

Though we have stayed before at BHI this was our first dining experience and for sure will not be our last. 5 stars all around and that is not the wine speaking because dinner was two nights ago! Returning for lobster bisque.

My husband and I got married in Bar Harbor and we’re celebrating our “mini moon” and while the hotel we were staying at failed to make our week special (not BHI), the team at The Reading Room really went above and beyond to make our evening special. The entire staff knew we were celebrating our wedding and were all kind enough to acknowledge and congratulate. Our waiter was kind, professional and attentive. The atmosphere felt special, folks a bit more dressed up then casual, lovely piano playing and fireplace. Overall, the food was good - not over the top amazing but good! Of all the restaurants in BH this was the perfect place to celebrate our big day.

I’ve visited the Reading Room every time I am in Bar Harbor. I’ve never been disappointed. On this visit I had the best filet mignon I have ever tasted. It was supremely tender and cooked to perfection. My guest had the halibut and he raves about it. Service was friendly and attentive and of course the piano player made for a perfect evening.

What a surprise. The lobby of the Inn looks dated and drab, but the restaurant is Day. The decor was charming and the view was amazing. Our waitress and bus guy were very friendly and helped us make outstanding choices.

Service was very slow at the lounge while we waited for our table that we had a reservation for. It took about 10 minutes before the bartender acknowledged us. Once at the table the server was not very pleasant and short with us. She forgot to ring in a glass of wine my husband ordered to have with his meal. Because of all of these things we decided against dessert. I work in the industry and understand things can get hectic when busy but this was just awful service all around.

We absolutely loved it! The food was delicious and the service was outstanding. We are from the Boston area and just wish it was closer to home.

We were visiting the area from Cleveland and had a wonderful dinner. The piano player was a very nice touch, it adds a level of class. I requested our wedding song and he played it well, and came over to the table to chat. Tables very nicely set, the servers dressed appropriately. Mary Ellen was our server, very busy she was, but took good care of us, and had a great personality. She is a true original from the local area. My husband had the lamb chops, and I had the salmon, but the crowning glory of the night was the blueberry pie. See picture attached. I also like the sorbet served before the main course, a nice classy touch.

Great dining experience. Menu offered excellent variety with daily specials featuring local seafood. Service was professional and ambiance very pleasant. Salads and entrees were fresh and innovative. Only disappointment was that we had no room for dessert and they looked really yummy.

The Reading Room is the restaurant in the Bar Harbor Inn where we were staying. We booked the reservation mostly for convenience since it was at the end of a travel day. Much to our pleasure and surprise, this was an outstanding restaurant.
Every aspect of the dining experience was five star.
We both had the lobster pie which was the best lobster we had ever eaten. They have a very nice wine selection. If in season, get the blueberry pie. I am not a blueberry pie fan yet this was an absolutely wonderful dessert.

The location, food, and service were great. Great views and food.

I recently got married in B.H. Decided to make reservations at a fancy place. Big mistake. The service was not good at all. Our waitress barely checked on us. It took about 15 between each check in. I made reservations months ago and we were seated at a table right next to the kitchen door. We got to hear a lovely assortment of swear words. The food, definitely not something to write home about. We ate at lots of restaurants and this was our least favorite but somehow most expensive. The food was blah. I would recommend side street cafe!

We visit the Bar Harbor Inn every year, and always look forward to dining in the Reading Room Reataurant. Once again, we are very pleased with the food, the service, and the ambiance,

Dinner was delicious as always and the service flawless. Always worth the drive from Southwest Harbor. Breakfast in the reading room must be the best kept secret in Bar Harbor. Light years better than any complimentary hotel buffet. Cathy Walton, Food Service Manager, runs a good ship.

Lovely ambience.....Husband's fish was good. Lobster bake was ok but honestly I wouldn't recommend it. Waiter was very good and we enjoyed the piano music. Nice view! Considering overall food quality thought food was pricey.

Fabulous meal location very pretty view of the harbor .

Joseph and his team were terrific. Another wonderful meal at the reading room!

Overall experience was very good. Staff was friendly and very accommodating. Food was very good, and prepared as we requested.

Excellent food and service.

Staff was friendly, but the service was incredibly slow.

Our evening at the Reading Room was wonderful. Our server Sabrina was a delight. The meal items chosen were all quite good : filet and lobster, cracked whole lobster, salads and dessert. Sabrina found out it was my wife's birthday and had the piano player play Happy Birthday, also allowing us to order the sorbet served between courses (delish!) as our dessert. The ambiance of the restaurant (reminds you of the dining room in Titanic) is quite charming with a beautiful view of the harbor.

Food was a C plus
Service was a B minus

I think I had the best meal of my life here. I got the lobster that was shelled, and my husband got the pistachio-crusted halibut. Both were excellent. The service was very attentive, the view was spectacular, and my only regret is that I don't live in Bar Harbor so that I could go to this restaurant at every opportunity!

Great night from start to finish. From apps to desert we loved it all. Some reviews said it was very expensive but we disagree. Most entrees were very reasonable.

Food was terrible, clam special had sand, fish was over cooked but our waitress was wonderful.

Awful from start to finish..

We have dined at the Reading Room in the past and have enjoyed it very much. Our recent experience dining there was a bit of a disappointment. Appetizer was cold, service was nothing to rave about and entrees were less than exceptional. Cioppino was a smaller portion than expected. Salmon was good and a nice size portion. We will probably try it again for the view and ambience but hopefully next time will be better.

Food was good but nothing spectacular. Service was poor. Waitress was terrible

Very nice table overlooking Bar Harbor. Beautiful!
Great service. Very friendly.
Waiter/chef willing to modify a standard entree which showed flexibility for customers.
My filet was good. My wife loved her Lobster Pie!

Setting was fabulous. Food and selection could not have been better. Fresh, local and flavorful.

It was comfortably polished, but not exceptional. The service was excellent.

Delightful meal with a fantastic water view and professional friendly wait staff.

Beautiful views, lovely live piano music, excellent food, and an air of bygone days in New England

Great cocktails. Service was attentive but not overbearing. Piano player was FANTASTIC.

We enjoyed 2 dinners and food great. Very busy restaurant but the staff handled it well.

Overall experience was fine. Ambiance was very good. Service was very good. The food was only average.

Fabulous. Halibut and lamb were delicious.

Appetizers (oysters, burrata) and desserts (blueberry pie) were very good, entrees were only okay. No variety with the sides, everyone got asparagus regardless of what you ordered. Over priced for average food. Wine list was average as well for a fine dining establishment.

Often the place with the best view does not also have the best food. The Reading Room is a wonderful exception -- excellent cocktails, knowledgeable and gracious service, three kinds of bread (cheese and cornmeal paper-thin crackers, a country loaf, and molasses bread designed to make me overeat), thoughtful wine pairings, all with a stunning view of the harbor. Sunset is splendid, but other times are equally impressive. We ordered salad, lobster dishes, and a blueberry dessert. And when the bill came, it compared favorably with our favorite special-occasion place at home. We couldn't have been happier.