We visited the bar 2 nights during our visit. The first night we had several old fashioned drinks and they were made perfectly. The 2nd night we decided to have dinner as well as drinks once we found out we could order off the full Reading Room menu. We started with the burrata wedge salad and the bread service- both very good. For entrees, I had the scallops and my husband had the land n sea and both were a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Wonderful presentation by the chef. We were talked into the blueberry pie and still can’t believe how good it was! (When in Maine….). Service both nights was on point. Highly recommend this spot.
Carol
Excellent service and the food was exceptional. There was so much we all took home left overs! Ask for Suzie - she was just fabulous and very attentive. What a great treat and wonderful experience to share with good friends
Jen
Dining at the Reading Room Restaurant at the Bar Harbor Inn was an absolute delight from start to finish. The atmosphere was refined yet warm, elevated by the talented pianist whose music set the perfect tone for the evening. The staff were incredibly attentive without being intrusive — every detail was noticed and every request anticipated. I enjoyed the surf and turf dinner, and the beef was cooked to absolute perfection — tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The freshly baked bread with blueberry butter was a wonderful local touch, and the palate-cleansing blueberry sorbet between courses was a refreshing surprise. A truly memorable dining experience that captures the best of Bar Harbor's charm and hospitality.
Victoria
Hostess was rude and treated us like peasants. We weren't good enough to sit at one of the many open window seats even with our reservation planned ahead. Steak was extremely undercooked and lobster was overcooked with zero flavor. High budget, low quality restaurant. Don't waste your money thinking you'll get a fine dining experience.
Robert
First rate food, excellent service, lovely ambience and unbeatable location. Pricey but worth every penny.
Callie Addington
A great experience! Overall, food was a solid 4/5 stars, but the service was awesome! I had the short rib and I did not have a single complaint. My boyfriend got the Land & Sea and was slightly disappointed at how little lobster he got. When they said “lobster tail” we imagined a bit more than he got. However it tasted great 🤷🏼♀️ blueberry pie was DELICIOUS.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Palmer Haynes
Good food and attentive wait staff - a solid option in town for a nicer dinner/date night.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
YVONNE
Reserved a window seat which I got (last one) but was next to servants collecting site. Told them it was for a celebration, so the table was not adequate/
Lisa Harris
My friends and I love fine dining while traveling and were excited to try Reading Room, as we had read many good reviews and were looking forward to a fantastic meal. Unfortunately we were very disappointed. The server was difficult to understand and he pretended to understand what we were saying but clearly he also struggled. The lobster portion was small and although it was well presented, it lacked flavor and depth. It was supposed to be accompanied by a corn salad…and when I tell you there was maybe a tablespoon of corn on the plate, I’m not exaggerating. The three stalks of asparagus were tasty but left me wishing I had a more healthy serving. Overall a huge disappointment and left us wishing we had tried another of Bar Harbo’s amazing restaurants.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Nimma85
Brought the Mrs here for her birthday dinner. It’s very nice inside and the server we had was good. Food was excellent as were the drinks. I mentioned when I booked it was the wifes birthday so was pleased to see there was a card and another nice touch was the pianist transitioning into the Happy Birthday tune as the desserts caved out.
Excellent food. Delightful Sunday brunch vibes. We sat at the bar and Sergio made literally the best espresso martinis we’ve had in Manhattan. Definitely worth finding. A hidden gem.
James Duke
Stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn and Spa and ate our last night’s meal at this special spot overlooking the water. Got a res at 5:45pm to soak in the scenery before sunset. Sabrina our waitress was fabulous. Incredible soups and our entrees were top shelf. I had the Lazy Lobster which was out of this world. Highly recommend this place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carrie Leggins
This place felt extremely stuffy and uptight - I'd suggest saving your money for a better experience elsewhere. We were celebrating an anniversary and our waiter was clearly annoyed that we didn't want to order a 4 course meal, and they put us in a back corner next to a bus boy cart full of dirty dishes. The food was good, but nothing I haven't had elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
WeLoveDisney2015
My husband and I recently dined here to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Thank you to all who made our night so special! The dining room is so lovely and we had a beautiful view of the harbor. Service was very attentive and everything from cocktails to desserts were delicious! We couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience for our special occasion. Thank you!
Nicole
Food was phenomenal! Atmosphere was cozy. We were there after the sun went down, so we didn't get to enjoy the views, but it was still a very lovely night for our anniversary.
We visited the bar 2 nights during our visit. The first night we had several old fashioned drinks and they were made perfectly. The 2nd night we decided to have dinner as well as drinks once we found out we could order off the full Reading Room menu. We started with the burrata wedge salad and the bread service- both very good. For entrees, I had the scallops and my husband had the land n sea and both were a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Wonderful presentation by the chef. We were talked into the blueberry pie and still can’t believe how good it was! (When in Maine….). Service both nights was on point. Highly recommend this spot.
Excellent service and the food was exceptional. There was so much we all took home left overs! Ask for Suzie - she was just fabulous and very attentive. What a great treat and wonderful experience to share with good friends
Dining at the Reading Room Restaurant at the Bar Harbor Inn was an absolute delight from start to finish. The atmosphere was refined yet warm, elevated by the talented pianist whose music set the perfect tone for the evening. The staff were incredibly attentive without being intrusive — every detail was noticed and every request anticipated. I enjoyed the surf and turf dinner, and the beef was cooked to absolute perfection — tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The freshly baked bread with blueberry butter was a wonderful local touch, and the palate-cleansing blueberry sorbet between courses was a refreshing surprise. A truly memorable dining experience that captures the best of Bar Harbor's charm and hospitality.
Hostess was rude and treated us like peasants. We weren't good enough to sit at one of the many open window seats even with our reservation planned ahead. Steak was extremely undercooked and lobster was overcooked with zero flavor. High budget, low quality restaurant. Don't waste your money thinking you'll get a fine dining experience.
First rate food, excellent service, lovely ambience and unbeatable location. Pricey but worth every penny.
A great experience! Overall, food was a solid 4/5 stars, but the service was awesome! I had the short rib and I did not have a single complaint. My boyfriend got the Land & Sea and was slightly disappointed at how little lobster he got. When they said “lobster tail” we imagined a bit more than he got. However it tasted great 🤷🏼♀️ blueberry pie was DELICIOUS.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Good food and attentive wait staff - a solid option in town for a nicer dinner/date night.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Reserved a window seat which I got (last one) but was next to servants collecting site. Told them it was for a celebration, so the table was not adequate/
My friends and I love fine dining while traveling and were excited to try Reading Room, as we had read many good reviews and were looking forward to a fantastic meal. Unfortunately we were very disappointed. The server was difficult to understand and he pretended to understand what we were saying but clearly he also struggled. The lobster portion was small and although it was well presented, it lacked flavor and depth. It was supposed to be accompanied by a corn salad…and when I tell you there was maybe a tablespoon of corn on the plate, I’m not exaggerating. The three stalks of asparagus were tasty but left me wishing I had a more healthy serving. Overall a huge disappointment and left us wishing we had tried another of Bar Harbo’s amazing restaurants.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Brought the Mrs here for her birthday dinner. It’s very nice inside and the server we had was good. Food was excellent as were the drinks. I mentioned when I booked it was the wifes birthday so was pleased to see there was a card and another nice touch was the pianist transitioning into the Happy Birthday tune as the desserts caved out.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excellent food. Delightful Sunday brunch vibes. We sat at the bar and Sergio made literally the best espresso martinis we’ve had in Manhattan. Definitely worth finding. A hidden gem.
Stayed at the Bar Harbor Inn and Spa and ate our last night’s meal at this special spot overlooking the water. Got a res at 5:45pm to soak in the scenery before sunset. Sabrina our waitress was fabulous. Incredible soups and our entrees were top shelf. I had the Lazy Lobster which was out of this world. Highly recommend this place!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place felt extremely stuffy and uptight - I'd suggest saving your money for a better experience elsewhere. We were celebrating an anniversary and our waiter was clearly annoyed that we didn't want to order a 4 course meal, and they put us in a back corner next to a bus boy cart full of dirty dishes. The food was good, but nothing I haven't had elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
My husband and I recently dined here to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Thank you to all who made our night so special! The dining room is so lovely and we had a beautiful view of the harbor. Service was very attentive and everything from cocktails to desserts were delicious! We couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience for our special occasion. Thank you!
Food was phenomenal! Atmosphere was cozy. We were there after the sun went down, so we didn't get to enjoy the views, but it was still a very lovely night for our anniversary.
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