Scales

"If you’re celebrating a special birthday, or just enjoy a quick glass of champagne and some oysters as much as we do, then Scales should be on your shortlist of dinner reservations in Portland. In a town where seafood is on the menu nearly everywhere, this place sets itself apart by keeping things elegant and simple with New England classics like homemade bread, fish and chips, and a stunning dessert list that features Indian pudding, frozen custard, and a butterscotch sundae. Between the great service, airy dining room, and beautiful waterfront views, Scales is one of the best places to start thinking about booking your next trip to Portland, or maybe just never leaving." - Alana Dao

"If you’re celebrating a special birthday, or just enjoy a quick glass of champagne and some oysters as much as we do, then Scales should definitely be on your shortlist of dinner reservations when visiting. In a town where seafood is on the menu nearly everywhere, this place sets itself apart by keeping things elegant and simple with New England classics like homemade bread, fish and chips, and a stunning dessert list that features Indian pudding, frozen custard, and a butterscotch sundae. Between the great service, airy dining room, and beautiful waterfront views, Scales is one of the best places to start thinking about booking your next trip to Portland, or maybe just never leaving." - Alana Dao 2, Team Infatuation

"Portland restaurant duo Sam Hayward and Dana Street have another success in this waterfront stunner with a classic seafood menu. Chef Fred Eliot adds his signature French touches with specials like head cheese and bone marrow onion soup pies. The dining room’s huge windows offer expansive views of Portland’s working waterfront." - Kate McCarty

"Scales, set in a bustling, post-industrial warehouse space on a wharf in Portland’s Old Port neighborhood, sports a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook one of the city’s busiest working waterfronts. In front of a sprawling open kitchen, ice falls from a ceiling-affixed metal chute—fish packing-plant-style—into a large open bin. The cubes keep the raw bar—a striking display of freshly caught whole fish, including octopus, oysters, and clams—appropriately icy cold. Even with 150 seats and a huge bar open to first-come first-serve diners, reservations are strongly recommended." - Alexandra Hall

"New England seafood with a French touch The vibe Sleek, energetic old warehouse The crowd Casually elegant city and country mice The drinks Exceptional martinis; vibrant old-world wines The service Warm and well seasoned" - Mindy Fox