The bartender was stellar, he was more attentive to us than the waitress. The only thing that was hot with our dinner was the yeast rolls which were hot but very dense. Both of our entrees were cold. So cold I could not finish my cod and the asparagus was overcooked and chewy. We were staying at the hotel (which was perfect) and didn't want to go out so took a chance on the restaurant, and we are sorry that we did.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
Vincent Errichetti (Taste of Massachusetts)
The Portland Harbor Hotel is always my go-to place to stay when visiting Portland. not only is it in the middle of all the best restaurants making them walking distance, but it also features in excellent restaurant and Bar with an enclosed Courtyard. Obviously the igloos this time of year make it a must visit.Portland Harbor Hotel
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelly Sawyer
Unfortunately, our experience was less than pleasing. We were seated in our igloo and told to adjust the heater and the server would be right out… 30 minutes later, the heater was barely working and the server had just arrived. Flash to another 15 minutes before our first drink came (45 min total) and asking about the heater, to be told “it’s just cold out, that’s all the heat it has”. Our appetizers arrived shortly after our drinks and were cold on arrival, which we would have told the server had she come back within 30 minutes. Our 2nd round of drinks arrived 35 minutes after the first and at this point, we asked to speak with a manager. The manager came to inspect the heater and declared it not working (after 1.5 hours freezing in the igloo) and offered for us to finish our meal inside. Our food was delivered and our server never checked on us again, which was upsetting as we all needed drinks and were missing a few items. Overall the service was extremely lacking, especially when the entire restaurant and bar was empty for almost the entire night, and the food was sub par. Very sad for what should have been a great night.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Vergie Javier
The restaurant is inside the hotel we are staying at. We decided to have dinner so we dont need to come out in the cold evening.The place looks fancy and spacious , few guests at the bar .They are happy and having a nice chat with the bar tender.The food presenation was excellent so was the drinks.Generous enough with alcohol.The crispy pork belly was really good.The linguini with clams could use more flavor and more sauce or gravy.The pkrk chop was dry .Our server was attentive .Otherwise overall experience was good .Was reading other reviews and noticed rental igloos.I will definitely avail on our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jennifer M.
The Harbor Bistro and Terrace is located inside the Portland Harbor Hotel. The terrace has an amazing fire pit - perfect for a cool evening. Conor was such a friendly and entertaining bartender - he was very easy-going, and a great conversationalist. He also mixes a mean cosmo! We had a great evening speaking with him and others at the bar. He gave us great area attraction directions, info about Maine in general, and tips about visiting Bar Harbor. Conor really made a great evening spectacular!
Lindsay Glaser
I recommend any other restaurant in Portland! Hostess was too busy flirting with the bartender to pay attention to guests. Only one server who clearly hates her job and lacks energy and enthusiasm. Food was ok, until we waited an hour for our entrees and pork chop was still rare and had to be sent back! And save your $$$ and don’t order the coconut margarita - more like coconut water tequila!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Whitney B.
We always enjoy a meal on their lovely outdoor terrace. It is gorgeous and feels like an escape. But...I am so surprised that they continue not to have a vegetarian entree option. I don't get it! In 2023, even steakhouses seem to have a default vegetarian option!
Elise Brown
Please go anywhere else if you want to enjoy a meal in Portland. Atmosphere was nice. The scallops were terrible. I would have preferred taco bell sauce to the "leche de tigre" that comes with it($17). The steak on the steak fries was cooked well, but had no flavor and depended on a sauce that tasted like instant boullion($40). If you are the owners, I beg you to taste the food you are serving and hire a new chef.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
mpetersen6
My wife had a nice salad. My gezpacho was excellent. All down hill from there. Both entres were sub par.
Mike Lowe
The hostess and our waitress were lovely and attentive. But the food was terrible and extremely overpriced. Our shrimp cocktail consisted of Walmart shrimp with ketchup, the steak was overcooked, and the fries were as if they came out of a bag and had salt and Parmesan cheese thrown over them, and the oysters were WARM. For what the cost of the food our party expected at least Mediocre food and we were VERY let down.
I don't just give out 5 stars, so the fact that 2 out of 3 categories were 5 stars says something. Service was outstanding. The server was attentive and fun! The igloos are probably a servers' nightmare, but she killed it for us. The igloos themselves were a little on the jenky side for what I was expecting... but then they would have been too much money for the likes of me. Overall experience was great and would do it again. The food was delicious but serving sizes left you wanting which is the main driver of the 4 star rating. Try it out it's worth the experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
David P.
I took my father here for his 82nd birthday, and the experience was exactly what I had hoped. Laid back, upscale, low-pressure. The food was perfect but not "stuffy." Very classy but has plenty of room for his walker etc. The valet parking staff was fast and kind, and patient while waiting for my Dad to exit my vehicle with his walker, get his balance etc. etc. Check-in at the restaurant was fast and polite. We're locals and enjoy drinks here every once in a while and had a great experience. Thank you for making my father's 82nd birthday special. The entire staff was wonderful.
Scott Meyer
The criteria searched for that brought us here was actually igloo rentals! ? We wanted to have a dining experience inside a heated igloo (while outside of course), and the options that seemed the best included places in Bethel and Bangor, but Portland was closer....Anywho, we went there this past Sunday early evening and found the restaurant not too busy inside and out. They have a red themed igloo and blue themed, we took red. I wish I remember our servers name, because she deserves 5 stars on her own. We were well tended to buy a most cherry personality that knew the menu options very well. Everything served between the apps, entrees, signature cocktails, and desert was worth the money and nothing was left behind ? The desert tasted even better as our original selection from the menu wasn't available, but they brought us out 2 of something special that wasn't on the menu and comped the desert entirely!The large fireplace in the courtyard nearby looked just as inviting and warm as the igloo we were in. This is a restaurant worth visiting any time of the year...
Alena Van Clief
We had an incredible experience here! I reserved an igloo for my husband's birthday and we all loved it! The food was amazing we ate every bite, the ambiance in the igloo was so cool, and even though it was the coldest night on record we were pretty cozy in there with the blankets and space heaters! Went inside after for some coffee and dessert to warm up a bit and even those were delicious! Danica was absolutely wonderful, I had a million questions trying to plan the whole surprise and was anxious about the cold, but she reassured me and made our night even better when she showed up as our waitress!! Highly recommended this spot, we will definitely be back.
Karen J.
Walked in at 9:50 am and stood at the host stand for 10 minutes. No one greeted us. We finally asked at the hotel desk (which was in plain sight of the host stand) and she said we could seat ourselves (no apology for being left unassisted). We sat ourselves and there were two other tables occupied. The kitchen staff was in the back laughing, talking, no idea there were new customers. Finally, as I write this at 10:10, someone finally came out and gave us menus and said our server will be with us shortly....no sign of anyone...the saga continues...So now there is one other table here, done with their breakfast, and us. We finally got coffee and ordered at 10:18. No spoons to stir coffee in the flatware set up, so we asked for spoons - took 3 minutes...again; lots of laughing and chatting from the kitchen while we waited, not serving anyone else in the dining room...our coffee getting cold (could have stirred it with our knives I guess?)...**I will say that the coffee itself was delicious**. 10:26 - Asked for ice water when we sat down - still no ice water provided...can't find anyone to get us water...no one is checking the dining room or the host stand at all...10:42 - breakfast arrived a few minutes ago...brought me scrambled eggs instead of over easy...the bacon is great - the oatmeal was lovely to look at but cold...when my over easy eggs finally came they were pretty much raw - more clear that white...Anyway - for what is supposed to be a high-end hotel...skip it. Go down the street to Becky's Diner.
The bartender was stellar, he was more attentive to us than the waitress. The only thing that was hot with our dinner was the yeast rolls which were hot but very dense. Both of our entrees were cold. So cold I could not finish my cod and the asparagus was overcooked and chewy. We were staying at the hotel (which was perfect) and didn't want to go out so took a chance on the restaurant, and we are sorry that we did.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
The Portland Harbor Hotel is always my go-to place to stay when visiting Portland. not only is it in the middle of all the best restaurants making them walking distance, but it also features in excellent restaurant and Bar with an enclosed Courtyard. Obviously the igloos this time of year make it a must visit.Portland Harbor Hotel
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Unfortunately, our experience was less than pleasing. We were seated in our igloo and told to adjust the heater and the server would be right out… 30 minutes later, the heater was barely working and the server had just arrived. Flash to another 15 minutes before our first drink came (45 min total) and asking about the heater, to be told “it’s just cold out, that’s all the heat it has”. Our appetizers arrived shortly after our drinks and were cold on arrival, which we would have told the server had she come back within 30 minutes. Our 2nd round of drinks arrived 35 minutes after the first and at this point, we asked to speak with a manager. The manager came to inspect the heater and declared it not working (after 1.5 hours freezing in the igloo) and offered for us to finish our meal inside. Our food was delivered and our server never checked on us again, which was upsetting as we all needed drinks and were missing a few items. Overall the service was extremely lacking, especially when the entire restaurant and bar was empty for almost the entire night, and the food was sub par. Very sad for what should have been a great night.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
The restaurant is inside the hotel we are staying at. We decided to have dinner so we dont need to come out in the cold evening.The place looks fancy and spacious , few guests at the bar .They are happy and having a nice chat with the bar tender.The food presenation was excellent so was the drinks.Generous enough with alcohol.The crispy pork belly was really good.The linguini with clams could use more flavor and more sauce or gravy.The pkrk chop was dry .Our server was attentive .Otherwise overall experience was good .Was reading other reviews and noticed rental igloos.I will definitely avail on our next visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
The Harbor Bistro and Terrace is located inside the Portland Harbor Hotel. The terrace has an amazing fire pit - perfect for a cool evening. Conor was such a friendly and entertaining bartender - he was very easy-going, and a great conversationalist. He also mixes a mean cosmo! We had a great evening speaking with him and others at the bar. He gave us great area attraction directions, info about Maine in general, and tips about visiting Bar Harbor. Conor really made a great evening spectacular!
I recommend any other restaurant in Portland! Hostess was too busy flirting with the bartender to pay attention to guests. Only one server who clearly hates her job and lacks energy and enthusiasm. Food was ok, until we waited an hour for our entrees and pork chop was still rare and had to be sent back! And save your $$$ and don’t order the coconut margarita - more like coconut water tequila!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
We always enjoy a meal on their lovely outdoor terrace. It is gorgeous and feels like an escape. But...I am so surprised that they continue not to have a vegetarian entree option. I don't get it! In 2023, even steakhouses seem to have a default vegetarian option!
Please go anywhere else if you want to enjoy a meal in Portland. Atmosphere was nice. The scallops were terrible. I would have preferred taco bell sauce to the "leche de tigre" that comes with it($17). The steak on the steak fries was cooked well, but had no flavor and depended on a sauce that tasted like instant boullion($40). If you are the owners, I beg you to taste the food you are serving and hire a new chef.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 2
My wife had a nice salad. My gezpacho was excellent. All down hill from there. Both entres were sub par.
The hostess and our waitress were lovely and attentive. But the food was terrible and extremely overpriced. Our shrimp cocktail consisted of Walmart shrimp with ketchup, the steak was overcooked, and the fries were as if they came out of a bag and had salt and Parmesan cheese thrown over them, and the oysters were WARM. For what the cost of the food our party expected at least Mediocre food and we were VERY let down.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
I don't just give out 5 stars, so the fact that 2 out of 3 categories were 5 stars says something. Service was outstanding. The server was attentive and fun! The igloos are probably a servers' nightmare, but she killed it for us. The igloos themselves were a little on the jenky side for what I was expecting... but then they would have been too much money for the likes of me. Overall experience was great and would do it again. The food was delicious but serving sizes left you wanting which is the main driver of the 4 star rating. Try it out it's worth the experience.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
I took my father here for his 82nd birthday, and the experience was exactly what I had hoped. Laid back, upscale, low-pressure. The food was perfect but not "stuffy." Very classy but has plenty of room for his walker etc. The valet parking staff was fast and kind, and patient while waiting for my Dad to exit my vehicle with his walker, get his balance etc. etc. Check-in at the restaurant was fast and polite. We're locals and enjoy drinks here every once in a while and had a great experience. Thank you for making my father's 82nd birthday special. The entire staff was wonderful.
The criteria searched for that brought us here was actually igloo rentals! ? We wanted to have a dining experience inside a heated igloo (while outside of course), and the options that seemed the best included places in Bethel and Bangor, but Portland was closer....Anywho, we went there this past Sunday early evening and found the restaurant not too busy inside and out. They have a red themed igloo and blue themed, we took red. I wish I remember our servers name, because she deserves 5 stars on her own. We were well tended to buy a most cherry personality that knew the menu options very well. Everything served between the apps, entrees, signature cocktails, and desert was worth the money and nothing was left behind ? The desert tasted even better as our original selection from the menu wasn't available, but they brought us out 2 of something special that wasn't on the menu and comped the desert entirely!The large fireplace in the courtyard nearby looked just as inviting and warm as the igloo we were in. This is a restaurant worth visiting any time of the year...
We had an incredible experience here! I reserved an igloo for my husband's birthday and we all loved it! The food was amazing we ate every bite, the ambiance in the igloo was so cool, and even though it was the coldest night on record we were pretty cozy in there with the blankets and space heaters! Went inside after for some coffee and dessert to warm up a bit and even those were delicious! Danica was absolutely wonderful, I had a million questions trying to plan the whole surprise and was anxious about the cold, but she reassured me and made our night even better when she showed up as our waitress!! Highly recommended this spot, we will definitely be back.
Walked in at 9:50 am and stood at the host stand for 10 minutes. No one greeted us. We finally asked at the hotel desk (which was in plain sight of the host stand) and she said we could seat ourselves (no apology for being left unassisted). We sat ourselves and there were two other tables occupied. The kitchen staff was in the back laughing, talking, no idea there were new customers. Finally, as I write this at 10:10, someone finally came out and gave us menus and said our server will be with us shortly....no sign of anyone...the saga continues...So now there is one other table here, done with their breakfast, and us. We finally got coffee and ordered at 10:18. No spoons to stir coffee in the flatware set up, so we asked for spoons - took 3 minutes...again; lots of laughing and chatting from the kitchen while we waited, not serving anyone else in the dining room...our coffee getting cold (could have stirred it with our knives I guess?)...**I will say that the coffee itself was delicious**. 10:26 - Asked for ice water when we sat down - still no ice water provided...can't find anyone to get us water...no one is checking the dining room or the host stand at all...10:42 - breakfast arrived a few minutes ago...brought me scrambled eggs instead of over easy...the bacon is great - the oatmeal was lovely to look at but cold...when my over easy eggs finally came they were pretty much raw - more clear that white...Anyway - for what is supposed to be a high-end hotel...skip it. Go down the street to Becky's Diner.