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Scales, Portland, ME

Scales

4.9 (6837)
$31 to $50
Seafood
68-72 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 PM
Booked 159 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
  • Hot spot
A traditional New England restaurant with modern touches, Scales is located on Maine Wharf next to the Casco Bay Ferry Terminal. Enjoy classic fried seafood as well as locally sourced land fare, while enjoying the view of a quintessential working Maine harbor.

Bar seating is available for dinner service by reservation only. Please check with the host to inquire about bar seating.

Our lounge is open for cocktails and raw bar every day beginning at 4:00pm.

We are only able to seat complete parties at this time. Please note: our patio reservations are weather dependent. If we need to make a change because of weather, we will call you on the day of your reservation to cancel or reschedule your booking.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Contemporary French
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Frederic Eliot
  • Neighborhood
    Portland
  • Parking details
    We have complimentary valet parking while you are dining with us.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 6,837 people are saying

Scales 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
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Maine

    Hot spot

  • Maine

    Most Booked

  • Greater Portland

    Best Overall

  • Greater Portland

    Best Food

  • Greater Portland

    Best Service

  • Greater Portland

    Best Ambiance

  • Greater Portland

    Innovative

  • Greater Portland

    Good for groups

  • Greater Portland

    Hot spot

  • Greater Portland

    Great for fine wines

  • Greater Portland

    Good for special occasions

  • Greater Portland

    Lively

  • Greater Portland

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Scales in Portland offers an exceptional dining experience with "outstanding" food and "impeccable" service. Seafood lovers will relish the "best scallops ever" and "incredible" halibut. The vibrant atmosphere and stunning waterfront views add charm. Reservations are a must, as it's a "must-visit" spot for both locals and tourists alike.
6,837 Reviews
  1. Betsy VIP

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Get the steamers!! Best I ever had. Big and meaty and great flavor. Great food and atmosphere.

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  2. Jason

    New York City10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and cocktails. Probably the best grilled octopus and steamed mussels we’ve ever had. We sat at the bar and loved every bit of the experience.

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  3. Christine

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was fantastic. Highly recommend the mussels (order with double bread). Sandra was amazing! You should request her when you book. She was like our Scales tour guide that carefully guided us through the menu en route to an amazing experience.

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  4. Claire

    Indiana2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So so delicious! Best food we had in Portland. Had the steamer clams, halibut and scallops along with delicious angle food cake and sorbet for dessert!

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  5. Karen

    Greater Boston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Everything about our meal was outstanding. From the warm butter rolls, grilled octopus and pan roasted halibut, it was a blend of flavors that just burst with taste. I would highly recommend each dish and the apricot pudding dessert. We dine out frequently but this meal and the relaxed outdoors setting was exceptional.

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  6. Mary

    Washington, D.C. Area7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Terrific dinner at the bar.Food,service and ambience was tops. Hope to return next year!

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  7. Keith VIP

    Jacksonville / Northeast Florida1 review

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very ill at 1am following dinner at Scales. Although my wife and I had different entrees, we shared a salad and rolls. I betting the salad was the culprit.

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  8. Jess

    Atlanta1 review

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    This is one of our favorite restaurants when we come to Maine! My only complaint is that the two tops are really small and it’s difficult to share plates and also have room for glasses, wine bottles, etc. It also seems all of the two tops are in the middle of the aisles of the restaurant, so other guests and servers are constantly walking past and bumping into the table. It would be nice if you had some better two top seating instead of all of the ideal table locations being reserved for tables of 3+.

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  9. Kerry

    Cleveland / Akron / Canton1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing service and amazing food! I will come back to Scales every time I visit Portland.

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  10. Eleanor

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    3.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant is beautiful. A lot of the food was good, a few dishes had components that were too salty. Our server was a little inflexible with us. She would only take our drinks order, put it in and then she would take our food order (appetizers and main courses at the same time). We wanted to order drinks and appetizers and then figure the rest out later. I am sure this is a directive from the kitchen but it put a damper on the evening (essentially being chastised twice by our server).

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FAQs

Scales is rated 4.9 stars by 6837 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
9:30 PM
Booked 159 times today
Google Map for Scales

68-72 Commercial St, Portland, ME 04101

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Portland
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:30 pm–9:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:30 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, American, Contemporary French
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    We have complimentary valet parking while you are dining with us.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Frederic Eliot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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