Fore Street

Name: Fore Street
Address: 288 Fore Street, Portland, ME, United States, 04101
Telephone: (207) 775-2717
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.9

4.9 (4250)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 52 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
(207) 775-2717
Website
http://www.forestreet.biz/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Sam Hayward

Location
288 Fore Street, Portland, ME 04101
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

Mixed Organic Salad Greens
Barrel Aged Cider Vinaigrette
Chilled and Smoked Seafood Platter
Ever-evolving selections prepped daily from the sea
Wood Oven Roasted Maine Mussels
Garlic Almond Butter
Charcuterie
House made smoked sausages, confits, rillettes, brawns, terrines and pates. Hand Crafted Daily
Wood Grilled Natural Hanger Steak
Cipollini Onions and Greens, with a tomato and horseradish vinaigrette
Turnspit Roasted and Dry Rubbed Pork Loin
Natural Quebec Pork. Morse's sauerkraut with pickling spices
Turnspit Roasted Organic Maine Half Chicken
From Whitefield Maine. Charred cornbread rusk with toasted black cumin sweet butter
Wood Oven Roasted Whole Fish
Served tail on bone in, varying species

What 4,250 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

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Maine
Best Overall
Maine
Best Food
Maine
Best Value
Maine
Innovative
Maine
Hot spot
Maine
Contemporary American
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
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Fore Street offers an "exceptional dining experience" in Portland with "delicious food" and "knowledgeable, attentive staff." The open kitchen adds to the "warm, inviting ambiance," and the menu features "fresh, locally sourced options." It remains a "must-visit" for both locals and visitors seeking an "unforgettable meal."

4,250 Reviews

H
Hanna VIP
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had an absolutely wonderful meal!! Service was amazing and the food was elevated and fantastic
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P
Patricia
Greater Boston2 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food, Adam our server was just as excellent. Top notch!
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A
Annmarie
Atlanta8 reviews
3.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
We were a little disappointed with our first dinner at Fore Street. We took a very late reservation to be able to get in. The atmosphere was beautiful and although our waiter was attentive everything felt rushed. My husband got the hanger steak which was cold and missing the sauce. I had the mushroom cannelloni which was very good. We finished with a cheese plate and we received the bill before we were finished. It was good, but it does not live up to the hype.
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A
Adam
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
5.0
Dined on June 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Highly recommended. The experience could hardly have been better.
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A
Audrey
Greater Boston18 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 2, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Fore Street is a topnotch restaurant with a well-deserved reputation. The wine list extensive and with a nice variety of offerings. Our meal was very good: the bread, as always, was welcome and enjoyed, super fresh salad, yummy lamb sewers with chickpea puree and lentils, asparagus grilled well and prepared nicely. The Scottish salmon was undercooked (almost rare), and our server never came back to check on how our meal was. He was pleasant, but not attentive. We will be back.
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R
Richard VIP
Greater Boston31 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 1, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
The food was outstanding as always but the service was sub-par. Part of our order was not placed but that was acknowledged and apologized for. The issue that annoyed me was that the entrees and sides came out at different times. My expectation is that a restaurant of this caliber should be able to serve everyone at the table at the same time and with their full order, not piecemeal over 15 minutes.
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M
Michael
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Always one our favorite places. Took brother-in-law for his birthday. The asparagus salad was a big hit and my tuna tartare with the quail egg was very good. All the entrees were superb - from my bro-in-law's hangar steak, my venison and the ladies mushroom cannelloni's. Our server, Neil, was great!
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J
Joe
Greater Boston3 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great service and very tasty food. It's always noise level that is higher than I like for a great restaurant
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S
Steve VIP
Greater Boston18 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 31, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
So glad we had advanced reservations so we could “show off” Fore Street to out-of-town foodie friends. Magical night! As always, exceptional food and drinks, perfect relaxed meal pacing, gracious ambiance that supported conversation, and one of the best servers we’ve had in any restaurant in the world! Sydney’s attentiveness and charm made our evening at Fore Street extraordinary! We’ll reminisce about the evening for decades.
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Y
Yann
Greater Boston1 review
5.0
Dined on May 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First of all, our waitress was absolutely amazing, so nice and skillfully guiding us through options, always attentive and friendly, she definitely set the tone for us to have a wonderful time. Cocktails were perfect as usual, excellent selection of oysters and charcuterie, entrees were delicious, and then the desserts… so so light, a perfect end. We like to celebrate birthdays at Fore Street, so far we’ve never been disappointed, a highly recommended restaurant!
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FAQs

Fore Street is rated 4.9 stars by 4250 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 52 times today

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

Website
http://www.forestreet.biz/
Phone number
(207) 775-2717

Fore Street

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

Appetizers

Garden (Salads and Homemade Soups)

Raw and Chilled Seafood

Wood Oven Roasted and Grilled Seafood

Grilled, Pan Seared and Oven Roasted Meats

Chilled Meats and Offal (Charcuterie)

Entrees

Pan Seared Seafood

Wood Oven Roasted Seafood

Wood Grilled Meats

Turnspit Roasted Meats

Plants

Vegetables to Share

Desserts

Artisan Cheeses

Bite Size and Hand Crafted Cakes, Ice Cream & Pastries

Hand Made Chocolates

Signature Items

Mixed Organic Salad Greens

Chilled and Smoked Seafood Platter

Wood Oven Roasted Maine Mussels

Charcuterie

Wood Grilled Natural Hanger Steak

Turnspit Roasted and Dry Rubbed Pork Loin

Turnspit Roasted Organic Maine Half Chicken

Wood Oven Roasted Whole Fish

What 4,250 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Fore Street restaurant rated?

Is Fore Street currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information