20 Best Italian Restaurants in Portland

“Just finished one of the BEST Italian meals ive ever had in my restaurant going life in a place id never have expected to and thats saying something being a 1st Generation Italian coming from NY ! ViA VECCHiA is Portland, Maine was absolutely 10/10 on everything they did! We started with Meatballs, Whipped Ricotta & Grilled Octopus. The meatballs reminded me of my mothers, the ricotta was tremendous with truffle honey & sesame breadsticks and the octopus was grilled perfectly. One dish was better than the next. We shared ravioli with as an entree and we never felt gross like we ate too much. The portion sizes were PERFECT. Wrapped the night off with a espresso infused cheesecake over salted caramel. Wow. Staff was incredibly accommodating, professional and polite. Service was excellent! If youre ever in Portland, ME you must go get a meal here!“

“Leeward is a phenomenal restaurant with food better than we’ve had in Italy. It has a carefully curated and thoughtful wine list, and the servers are extremely knowledgeable and friendly.

The one issue that detracts from the experience is the kitchen’s repeated failure to pace courses. Notwithstanding the fact that we have pleaded with servers on multiple occasions, busers continue to deliver plates before we finish each course. The result is feeling rushed rather than exhilarated by the Leeward’s incredible dishes. We hope the kitchen manager takes heed of this persistent problem since Leeward is one of our favorite destinations on the planet.“

“Good food, good service, lovely“

“We absolutely loved our dinner at Knotted Apron. The food was so delicious & inventive but more importantly the service was impeccable and made me feel like I was at home! ❤️ We will absolutely be back soon!“

“If I had those stars to give, I would give Ribollita at least 1 star: It was just that good! ⭐️⭐️ The chef makes his own pasta. The dishes are perfectly done. The sauces are perfectly prepared. When I asked if the chef could add a garnish of pine nuts to the Fettuccine Alfredo and spinach, he obliged me and toasted them perfectly. You will be glad you had dinner at Ribollita's when you visit this restaurant!“

“Tipo is a great neighborhood Italian spot that feels a little more relaxed than some of the restaurants downtown. The wood-fired pizzas are really solid, the pasta is flavorful, and the small plates make it easy to order a bunch of things for the table. It has a comfortable local feel and is definitely an easy place to recommend for dinner and drinks.“

“Absolutely loved my experience at Benny's! The food was phenomenal—especially the breaded chicken and the stuffed peppers, which were packed with flavor. The service was fantastic, and the whole meal was incredibly enjoyable. We will definitely be back!“

“Wonderful environment excellent service and impeccable food! What an amazing experience in such a historic home. Matt was our server and he did not disappoint! Every thing we ordered was so flavourful and the wine suggested was spot on! Coming all the way from Coral springs Florida this was a wonderful dinner experience south Florida could learn a thing or two!!“

“we had a very nice dinner“

“Thank you for providing pizzas for King Middle School’s Winter Dance last Friday! The students appreciated it so much!“

“Great atmosphere and great food.❤️“

“We dined with dear friends as a group of four and Mr Dimillo was so gracious to help us reserve a perfect table for some of Portland Maine's best consistant cuisine. With Frankie as our food and drink guide we were taken care of with all the perfect timing and grace that could be expected in any top restaurant. We appreciate him and his whole DiMillo's Team..scallops, salmon, and other yum yums were all on point! Thank you Dimillos...another superb experience!!“

“My Wife and I were told to try Maria's if in Portland by a friend. I must say, I could not be more impressed! We ordered the broiled seafood dinner. It was Christmas Eve 1960 at Gram's home! The amazing food was delicious and portions exceeded my expectations. Lobster, shrimp, cod and haddock filets and scallops! Everything cooked to perfection, in olive oil, thinly sliced garlic and butter, lite, not too heavy! I have not had such authentic Italian food since I lost Gram, 30 years ago. Be hungry as a sizable dish of linguini come with the mounds of excellent fish, lobster, scallops and shrimp! Excellent, true Italian entrées, and reasonable pricing! joined by wonderful service and an atmosphere that could be Naples, Venice or Rome! I cannot thank everyone at Maria's for an amazing experience in truly fine dining!“

“Friendly, helpful staff, in a relaxed environment.
Great selection of beer, liquor, and convenience store items.
But OMG the kitchen!!!
Their pizza and burgers are amazing, and the steak and cheese is to die for!
That guy who cooks nights, on the weekends is phenomenal, and should get a serious raise!“

“The food is awesome and for those that are not willing to wait if they are making it fresh you are going to miss out The best Italians ever“

“We dined with dear friends as a group of four and Mr Dimillo was so gracious to help us reserve a perfect table for some of Portland Maine's best consistant cuisine. With Frankie as our food and drink guide we were taken care of with all the perfect timing and grace that could be expected in any top restaurant. We appreciate him and his whole DiMillo's Team..scallops, salmon, and other yum yums were all on point! Thank you Dimillos...another superb experience!!“

“I am sure Councilman Dion and Mrs Dion were just having an off night - my wife and Granddaughter and I had dinner on Friday night and my veal parmigiana was awesome and my wife’s asparagus and Gorgonzola ravioli was as great ! Jim our waiter must have lit the table candle 50 times for my granddaughter to keep blowing it out ! Brunos rocks !“

“Andrew went above and beyond helping me with an order. I’m here on day three of no sleep with my dad in the hospital actively dying, and Andrew went out of his way to help me figure out how to order a sandwich for my aunt that the equivalent was a Greek salad wrap. Amato’s you have a great employee here!“

“Our family had a great meal tonight. We had a large pizza, small pizza, gluten free pizza, and a Caesar salad. They were quite busy when we arrived but our food came out quickly and everything was great! The sodas were nice and cold and bathroom was well kept. Their team in the kitchen seemed to be working well together.“

“We stayed at the Westin Hotel in Portland, ME. The pizza was amazing and the service was great! It was cooked perfectly and had a nice crunch to it! No fork/knife needed.“