We had to wait for over an hour for mediocre food very disappointed. Would never go there again. It is also overpriced.

What can I say But amazing! After getting s recommendation from our dear friend Briton (who used to work there ) we decided to make the 2 hour journey from Portland to dine at this famous place. Wow we weren't disappointed that's for sure! Upon entering the grounds and to see all the different plots of land dedicated to growing all of there produce and flowers it was quite amazing. The barns the animals very cool. We sat immediately and were offered a cocktail I had the primo Gin martini with house pickled onions very good. Jim had a new fashion bourbon fruit and procecco also very good. Dinner we started with splitting a Farmers salad Frisee, romaine and radicchio lettuces tossed with a lemon-parmesan vinaigrette olive oil fried croutons, house~made bacon and a backyard poache egg Excellent We split a mid course Pappardelle alla Bolognese with Local Pork and Beef, aged provolone Also amazing For our mains I had the Local Line Caught Halibut peas and morels, pommes fondant, sweet onion soubise...summer truffle and foie gras butter And Jim had the Pork Saltimbocca Roast garlic mash, garden spinach, prosciutto & mushroom~ yum yum yum Unfortunately we had no room for dessert . This is a bucket list restaurant make sure you check it out def worth the 2 hour drive. read more

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Great exciting menu options and excellent service. We always go to Primo's at least twice when we visit the area.

Awesome farm to table food. The freshest ingredients are used in all their recipes. The chickens are farm raised and they taste so good when cooked to perfection. The salads are so delicious and made with the sweetest garden tomatoes and veggies. The bread service is a must. Its funny actually paying for bread but its worth it at least once. The service is great and the quality of food is impeccable. I highly recommend but reservations are advised. read more

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COVID FACTS: Primo is one of the best restaurants in the world. If you are in Maine you must go. Primo is incredibly safe during COVID they have taken every possible measure to ensure safety. Everyone that works at Primo is wearing a mask. They have outdoor seating and indoor seating is over 6 feet apart from every table. Pork saltimbocca and the farmer salad are the best thing on the menu! read more

Made the reservation 4 weeks in advance and only 5:30 was available! Very much in demand! Is their reputation deserved? After coming to Rockland for years we were finally about to find out! They describe themselves as "Farm-To-Table". That's an overused and vague term these days but in this case, believe it. Parking in the overflow parking lot we walked through vast gardens growing everything imaginable, greenhouses for the delicate stuff and the winter months, and chickens galore: in the spacious yard and even some roaming around the grounds. Free-range indeed! Whatever they don't grow themselves they buy from local farms, including all the other meats, and the beef is of course grass-fed, and all origins are indicated on the menu. First impressions are important. In this case, first impression was they were trying to rush us. Trying to take our drink order within seconds of sitting down before even opening a menu. Asking for our entree orders with the appetizers, etc. Do they rush the "early birds" to make room for the later diners who are perhaps bigger spenders? Who knows. But after a couple of pleas to the waiter to "just give us a minute, please" things settled down and the rest of the evening proceeded at a comfortable relaxed pace. We actually spent over 2 hours there. So I'll forgive them for this - this time. My cocktail (Oaxacan Sunset) was truly unique and excellent. Mescal-based, infused with herbs and several liqueurs that I've never heard of. Too many flavors? No; they worked perfectly together. DW's drink was more conventional (Tito's Martini) but was also excellent. Appetizers: Fried Squash Blossoms stuffed with cheeses for her, a saffron-laced bread and seafood soup for me. But of course this can't describe the dishes adequately. With the abundance of herbs grown on site, the chef is free to add so many layers of flavors and she does it brilliantly so they blend together and "belong". Portions were generous for appetizers. My soup went especially well with the outstanding breads, made in-house of course. For entree, I had a sirloin steak. For those who know me that might seem like a boring choice. All I can say is, you have to try it to believe it! Not only was the meat outstanding and cooked EXACTLY as promised (medium-rare) but the herbed butter drizzled over it (again I have forgotten the details; they were described on the menu) made it special. And the plate really was a thing of beauty: The steak was sitting on a bed of tiny beans and adorned with two enormous garlic scapes protruding from the plate. They reminded me of green lobster antennae in appearance, and in flavor they were mild, nutty, with just a hint of garlic. DW ordered a simple pasta dish: spaghetti with parmesan and guanciale. (Think "carbonara" with the guanciale taking the place of the bacon.) But strangely they seemed to have left out the guanciale! She told the waiter who claimed that is not possible, that it may be hard to see because it "sort of melts in". Possibly but I consider that unlikely. We both examined her pasta in more detail and tasted the little bits: hard cheese. The waiter relented and went back to the kitchen to ask again. When he returned he brought a small dish of guanciale to add! A nice touch, and it is a fascinating ingredient: unsmoked and pale. I call it "Ghost Bacon" (Remember: You heard it here first!) Her dish now complete, it was also quite excellent. And her pasta, like all they serve, is made in house. I must say I am a but surprised by the push-back from the waiter about our complaint, but given the end result we were both pleased, and I'll give them another pass. Desserts: Budino for me: a complicated affair with cake, salted caramel, ice cream, fresh mint. If you're thinking "like a brownie sundae" you'd be wrong. Nothing like that. You must try it to believe it. The ice cream part was incredible: powerful fresh peppermint flavor with tiny chocolate bits. I couldn't identify the flavors in the cake part but it was also amazing, as was the caramel sauce. DW had an espresso float with chocolate and vanilla ice creams; also amazing! I can't wait to return. I want to try everything! read more

This was our second time at Primo. As was the first time, our experience was superb as was the service and the food. We went the tapas route, as the offerings are too varied and interesting to choose just one or two things. Our waiter was wonderful. He was attentive and knowledgeable of the dishes. He had forgotten our drink order briefly, but was back within a minute or two and told us such, while clarifying the wine selection and was profusely apologetic. The one time later he was delayed, he was again apologetic and it was clear that it was due to it being a busy Friday night. We started with the charcuterie board, and the included meats, pickled vegetables, and orange mustard aioli were all top notch. While one might not think of scrapple as something belonging on a board of meat samples, it truly found its home paired with the other offerings. We moved on to an order of parsnip frites and chicharrones. The chicharrones were perfectly crisp with a touch of chewiness, while I can't say enough about the parsnip frites; served with an aioli compliment, we ordered a second round. We also had Galician octopus and a haddock cake. The octopus was prepared well and well-seasoned to combat the normal neutrality in its flavor. The haddock cake was crispy and well-paired with another aioli sauce. For desert we had the Belgian chocolate cake and a very shortbread, the special at the time. The chocolate cake was paired with it's a mint gelato that complemented it perfectly, while the shortcake had a healthy serving or local berries. Both, again, were superb. I cannot recommend Primo highly enough. From its unique and cozy atmosphere to it's Michelin star-worthy offerings, this restaurant is a must for anyone within driving distance. read more

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What a disappointment! I've been coming to Primo annually since 2002. I've never had worse service or more inconsistent food than this year's visit. In regards to service- I can't remember the last time I've had to ask to order, ask to have water refilled, ask for bread service, and experienced radical delays in even seeing my server. In regards to food I sent back one brutally overcooked halibut to be given a second brutally overcooked halibut far after my dining companion had finished his meal. Both batches were under seasoned and for the first time I questioned paying $48 for tasteless, overcooked food. I'm lucky to be able to afford $200 plus for a meal for two, but shouldn't it be flavorful, or even well seasoned, not to mention cooked well?!? What an embarrassment tonight was. read more

A great experience! Our server Christina was outstanding! She was very efficient, pleasant and knowledgeable. The restaurant itself was very nicely decorated. Not a huge menu but could have ordered five or six different things! We started with mussels, oysters and stuffed zucchini blooms! What a treat! Also orders the bread basket for the table which included several types of bread lol delicious and loved that they brought us both olive oil and butter! I had the pasta special - very tasty! Others has the tuna, duck and the chicken millenase. Loved that they let you modify the sides! If prefer a side from a different entree you could switch it or what came with yours! Had a chocolate dessert has so good! Others had the Affagado! Not the traditional way it usually is served but so good! read more

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It was my husbands 50th birthday. I had worked with the restaurant to have a private room and just confirmed it two days before. Our group drove in from 4 different states to celebrate and when we showed up for the reservation we were told the room was no longer available because they had a larger party that wanted it. The hostess was horrible and rude. Never apology and just said the reservation is not a guarantee. They set us up at a table right by the hosted table. They had no care for how this made us feel when we' were trying to make a special evening for my husband. I have never experienced such horrible treatment and disregard. It doesn't really matter how the food was. It just ruined the night to be treated so poorly. read more

Sublime food, imaginative and cooked to perfection. Good service. A bit crowded but still manages intimate environment.

Pros: great concept of what true farm to table should be. The grounds are beautiful and worth coming half an hour before reservation to check out the gardens and livestock. Cons: Even though the price is on the high side, I understand how much work and effort goes into growing and handling the produce. However with the hype, awards won by the chef and the concept behind the restaurant, the food and service was very poor. If Primo can execute better on the two it would bring it to the next level. From previous reviews I'm sensing that it can be a hit or a miss depending on the day (not good but if the food selection is not as good maybe that's out of their control). However the level of service is something they can control regardless of the day/season. Very slow service and not even a "thanks for coming/hope you enjoyed your meal/hope to see you back" My wife and I left the restaurant pretty disappointed - maybe our expectations were too high but when you fall short on the two most important things when going to restaurant, it's not a good feeling. read more

It was our first time at this restaurant after wanting to go for years. Booked 7pm reservations for a party of 6. They sat us right away but everything stopped at that point. It took 30 minutes to get our drinks another 30 for an appetizer and etc. in total it took 2 hours 15 minutes to get our main course, our wine bottle sat empty with empty glasses for 20 minutes till I tracked down our waitress. As for the food it was good but not great, Overall we left feeling disappointed and probably won't go back. read more

After reading some of the reviews I was a little worried about the service, but I certainly should not have been! My family (my wife, brother & sister-in-law, father, and I) ate at Primo on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. I had made 6:30pm reservations through OpenTable back in June. When we got there the parking lot was PACKED; we had to park in the third (and last) lot up at the top of the hill. We arrived at 6:25pm and were seated right away. The food & drinks were amazing! Rather than give an extensive review of the food (which I thoroughly enjoyed) how about a few tips! 1. Make reservations. Yes, I made my reservations 3 months in advance. There was a long line of people waiting to get in; since we were seated immediately I can only assume those people showed up without reservations. I don't know how late they take reservations but they were still seating people at 9:30 when we left. 2. This isn't a "quick bite". We started with cocktails and then had four courses (appetizers, pasta, entrees, and dessert) and were there for about three hours. We never felt that it was taking a long time to be served and we were never rushed by the staff. 3. The cost. Okay, Primo is probably a little pricey for Rockland, but by Boston or New York City standards I did not find it to be unreasonably expensive. There were five of us and we each had a cocktail and then a glass of wine with dinner, an appetizer, a half-portion pasta dish, a dinner entree, and a dessert with coffee. Before gratuity our cost was about $125 per person. I would say this is in line with a similar restaurant in "the city". 4. The menu changes daily. The website was updated as of the day before we went but it was still outdated when we got there. Our server Ed was very attentive even though the restaurant was packed. We got a fresh set of utensils for each course so he was busy, but he never missed a beat. I absolutely hope to go back! read more

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Absolutely great restaurant in every way. As they say, it is truly a farm with a restaurant on the edge of it. Food was ridiculously fresh, creatively 'designed' and executed, and the ambience was spot-on/my speed. Recommend 100%. read more

Posting this review to yelp after getting no response from Primo after sending it to them over a month ago. My wife and I had a horribly disappointing meal at Primo in October. The disappointment was not from our server or the food, both of which were wonderful. Rather it was from where we were seated and the manners of the people around us. The hostess sat us on the second floor near the stairs and server stations. This meant that for our entire meal there were people bumping into us or moving around us. I understand tables are limited, but would have hoped groups making reservations months in advance would be prioritized for better seating or efforts by the restaurants would have ensured such seating issues do not exist in the first place. Worse than our table location issues, we also were seated directly next to two middle age white men who spent most of their meal talking loudly on phone calls (including at the same time!) and watching videos on their phones. Most troubling about their behavior were the phone calls that went into detail of a horrific accident. We heard many details about how much blood was lost, etc. Immediately after getting off the phone they then complained to the waitress about the doneness of their fish. While we know Primo cannot necessarily control the behavior of its diners, we were seated after these men and believe staff were already aware of how these men were behaved. We made our reservations almost three months ago for our wedding anniversary after strong recommendations from friends. For the cost of our meal, I would hope that Primo would ensure all diners would have been provided an equal (and excellent) dining experience. Unfortunately, my wife and I were unable to appreciate our food given the terrible seating and the horrendous manners of our table neighbors. Our expectations were high and they were not met. We live in Portland and have been excited to have Primo so close, but after our experience this evening, it is not a restaurant we would recommend or prioritize a return. read more

Great food and service! We had 7:15 reservations and were seated right away upstairs. Our waiter, Ian, was very helpful and answered all of our questions about the menu and specials. The duck with pear, hazelnut and farro with delicata squash was the star of dinner. Also can't beat the $2 oysters on Sundays. read more

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Great place amazing service nice and organized everything comes out nice and fast just keep in mind reservations only I guess for now read more

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Given its reputation, we booked dinner at Primo expecting it would be one of the best meals of our trip. Unfortunately, it failed to live up to our expectations. From tacky things like painting on the walls with prices listed beneath & pamphlets (like those cards you find at a tourist center advertising a water park or tour) announcing upcoming "special dinners" to a menu of dated offerings the place failed on so many fronts. Hosts - poor greeting Menu - lacked cohesion (ridiculous font by the way) Food - mediocre at best -when your paying $38 for a pasta dish it better shine! Service - Our waiter was fine. Ambiance - Little energy -somewhat geriatric crowd. We did like the garden -even though it needed tons of weeding. Certainly not Blue Hill at Stone Barns. But again, the real disappointment was the food. We didn't dare order dessert and both agreed we wouldn't return. At this price point, this place should be better. Does not live up to its rep. Make an effort to hit The Hichborn in Stockton Springs in you want a special meal in the area. They're firing on all cylinders. read more

After a number of years and a significant amount of praise regarding the quality of Primo to associates, I recently returned to the restaurant in Rockland, Me. The experience was very disappointing and not what one would expect from a Melissa Kelly presentation! Certainly, it was not a James Beard awarding winning offering. Service was satisfactory; however, the entrees were disappointing, at best. My swordfish and white bean plate was overly salty, but otherwise acceptable. My wife's halibut dish was cold and overcooked. One could not pierce the surface of the filet without effort. After complaining, another dish was offered where there satisfactory fish filet was placed on the original cold lentils and Brussels sprouts. When an additional complaint was lodged, the manager, Kelli, offered a third plate, which seemed irrelevant since I had finished my meal. Kelli's posture was condescending, at best, as she asked, what she should do! Primo's delivery does not live up to its website and reputation. read more

Simply the best restaurant experience I have ever had. Over and over again. Every facet is always a 10! Melissa and crew are second to none. First rate. Great food, great service, awesome ambiance. Oh, and the cocktails are great too! I keep going back! read more

I came here with my wife while on our honeymoon and we were blown away. The downstairs dining room was beautiful and intimate. The staff were extremely nice and professional. Even the people sitting near us were very nice (and were all celebrating anniversaries). The drink selection was vast and delicious. My bread and fish soup appetizer is currently the best soup I've ever had in my life. We love that the restaurant is farm-to-table and it definitely showed in our food. Everything we ordered was delicious, and everything is very reasonably priced for the quality of the food. This was a 10/10 experience and one of the highlights of our honeymoon. We cannot wait to go back! read more

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Apologies in advance -- this is rare, but much needed vent. I'm sooo agitated. Mark and I went to one of my (formerly) favorite restaurants on the midcoast to celebrate my birthday and an early Mother's Day. It just RE-opened for the season, we were just there earlier in the week and almost didn't head out because he had on hard week, and long day today, at work. We are both foodies so we relented ... what the heck, we said, let's go have fun!! We started off with a bang. Whiskey cocktails, beef tartare, cheese and charcuterie, sausage stuffed olives, farmers salad ... and then a wine and a pizza (instead of steak) because it is so good there and we wanted to save room for dessert. The waiter let us in on a little "secret" early in our dining experience that he was "not sharing with everyone". He said forget the Zeppole tonight because Melissa's mom made her award winning cheese cake. It is out of this world and you won't get another chance. [We usually get the Zeppoles (https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/zeppole-363570/amp) which are always amazing!] We said SOLD!! Boy .. we felt lucky, and super special. The waiter came back to check on us after we slowed down on the pizza. There was only a single slice of cheesecake left and he reserved it for us. We changed our after dinner drinks based on having this amazing cheese cake. The award winning cheesecake that was a rare treat - and better than anything else in the restaurant tonight. The drinks came and we sipped away. And sipped. And sipped. And, we waited for the amazing cheesecake. Our table neighbors ordered dessert, including a cheesecake. We still waited and our dessert drinks were just about gone when our table neighbors received one dessert .... and then had an elegant presentation of the second dessert by the manager, an award winning cheesecake by Melissa's mom on the eve of Mother's Day. WHAT??? Our waiter quickly came to our table to apologize for a "computer glitch" which showed more dessert than what was available. The manager quickly came to let us know that he comped the dessert drinks and offered to have the kitchen whip up another dessert on the house in less than five min. UHH? Whip up one of those dessert you told us to forget about since there was no comparison to the award winning cheesecake by Melissa's mom? To enjoy with the dessert drinks which we had already finished? No thanks!!! SIGH!! Our table neighbors were lovely, and also celebrating a birthday. One of the ladies worked at the restaurant and the staff was trying to surprise her. It was a wonderful gesture with TERRIBLE execution. And yes ... I am livid because I do not appreciate being lied to about a 'computer glitch'. It was a very disappointing experience from a Michelin star restaurant and horribly awkward for our table neighbors who were also celebrating a birthday. Heck ... our table neighbors were willing to share, we were willing to share. Just be honest with your guests!!!! We are all big people ... we could have laughed about it ... and Mark and I would have be thrilled to give up the cheesecake and stick with our beloved Zeppoles. But don't lie!! It was incredibly insulting and offensive. Be transparent ... it was clear to everyone involved and exceptionally awkward for everyone as well. Worst dining experience I've had in a long while ... I guess we'll be driving to Portland more often, and Boston. read more

We just finished dinner at what is usually a wounderful restaurant. I ordered one of their specials, a 14 ounce pork chop that was at least 60 percent fat. Our bartender and waiter asked if everything was okay and when my wife said she was horrified that there was so much fat he proceeded to tell her that this was what made this chop so special. We promptly paid our bill and there was no consideration for such a subpar ($45.00) dish. Not sure if we will ever be back. , read more

Spectacular...every dimension, from cocktails through desert. Incredibly diverse menu, unbelievably fresh, with on-site garden and farm to add to the experiential element of this remarkable culinary experience. We live almost 6 hours away, but would legitimately consider making the trip on a routine basis just to experience this gem more often! read more

Gorgeous location to start! Views of the ocean and a farm to walk around showcasing all of the ingredients you're about to eat! Grab and drink inside and walk around before your meal! The ambience inside is super homey and inviting!The food was unbelievable. We had a special appetizer (squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta, so good!), and a charcuterie board! The board was made up of all products from the farm! We had cavatelli pasta (perfectly made and cooked) with roasted chicken and mushrooms! Unbelievable. Our main dish was swordfish with a hazelnut orange piccata! So delicious! The portions were right on point and the kitchen was willing to split whatever dishes we got that they could as my boyfriend and I usually try each other's meals! The before dinner drinks a charred orange negroni and a cognac and prosecco drink were fabulous. My favorite part of the meal was the affogato float. I can't even begin to explain how over the top satisfying this was! You'll have to look in the pictures! Two kinds of ice cream! Dark and white chocolate curls! Whipped cream! AND it came with warm, cinnamon sugary zeppolis! You NEED to try this restaurant! Kudos to Melissa Kelly! read more

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Primo is booked for dinner about two months in advance. Our innkeeper recommended them anyway, telling us that they always reserve a few seats at the counter (bar area) for walk-ins, but to call ahead to ask about availability. We were advised to arrive when they open at 5:00. We did that, and we got in the long line at the door. They had an efficient system of checking guests in and got us right in at the bar. Our service was attentive, and the food was oh, SO delicious. We both ordered the Halibut, and it was exceptional. The fish was accompanied by some green beans with another couple of vegetables sitting on a bed of mashed potatoes or polenta, topped with a creamy, lightly cheesy sauce. The halibut was perfectly prepared. Their bread course was wonderful. The wine selections were ample. This restaurant is absolutely top drawer and we highly recommend it. read more

Perfection. Reservations in their dining rooms, upstairs service, oysters outside on Sundays at 0km. You cannot go wrong. Everything is artful, delicious, inventive, special. read more

We had three dishes, pork, skate fish and steak. Pork is delicious, so does the fish, but steak is not good at all, Charred on the outside, inside is actually raw. My son ordered medium rare, it's way too raw. The onion is also charred outside. The waitress offered to put the steak back in the oven, I don't know how it could have salvage the situation as the outside is already quite charred. No apologies and no credit are offered. We were so looking forward to this experience, but quite disappointed by it. Consider the experience we had, It's difficult for us to recommend this place to anyone else. read more

This place is very nice and trendy, if you want to explore different taste in foods from other places that you enjoy, this is your place. The wine list is extensive and has many options. The staff hustles from the time you arrive to have you seated or getting you a cocktail. There are three down sides, busy (compliment based on popularity) the parking can be challenging and price per portion, if your a big eater bring your credit card, definitely a must if you can acquire a reservation. read more

One of the greatest farm to table experiences in the US! Chef Kelly is doing extraordinary work. Her team is exceptional!!

We were there last night the eleventh, extremely busy, for 8:15pm we appreciate the fact that you folks accommodated our party, still you need to tone down a little on the salt , the charcuterie platter was excellent, so was the plate with the fresh mozzarella, my husbands squash soup was delicious, did you pickle the vegetables that went with the salmon? It made it to salty. My scallops and hoppin John were excellent, the ladies that had the chicken said that it was delicious, my brother in law thought it was an interesting pasta dish. He had the one that had like a lavender flavor to the pasta. All the desserts were excellent. Considering how busy you were the waiter was able to keep up. Our waiter was the tall gentleman bravo to him. Keep up the good work read more

My girlfriend took me to Primos two experience the essence of farm fresh food to table. It is a beautiful Victorian house with a porch and fine dining downstairs in the bar upstairs. We ate upstairs which was quaint and cozy very relaxed and I wonderful ambience all around. The waitstaff or our server was very kind prompt in a tentative. We started off with two organic hard siders and the roasted brussels sprouts as an appetizer. They were delicious I just love Brussels sprouts. My main dish was the pork which is the House specialty and it is absolutely divine! It was cooked to perfection and I had every bite of it but I finished off the dinner with the lemon chiffon sponge cake and we both had coffee lattes. I would highly recommend if you were in town to stop in and go to Primos because the menu changes all the time and it's farm fresh to your table you can't beat it!!!! read more

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Primo is widely hailed as one of the best restaurants in Maine. So in taking a romantic weekend in Rockland, this was a must-stop. When spending $200 on dinner for two, I personally expect atmosphere, service, and food/drinks to all wow. Atmosphere: The restaurant is surrounded by gardens that supply the fresh produce, herbs, etc for the meals. It brings new meaning to farm-to-table. Inside is romantic and classy, with dim lighting and lots of space. We were seated upstairs on perhaps the most comfortable cushioned corner table I've ever experienced. I could have slept there. Service: This was impeccable on all counts with a fleet of 7 servers (yes, I counted) holding court. Waters were refilled frequently but not obtrusively while the head server was knowledgable, prompt and friendly. Food/Drinks: This loses a star for me. The duck from Fore Street wowed me. So did the salmon at Grill Room. But the swordfish at Primo? Good, maybe very good, but it was missing something and was slightly overcooked. The Backyard Grilled Chicken was also good, but for $36, it missed perfection. The bread before dinner was excellent with 3 different varieties, and the salad (one of at least five) couldn't have been fresher. The apple cider with cream amuse bouche was also excellent. Primo has an exceptionally diverse dinner menu with over 15 options to please even the pickiest diners. We bypassed the multi page wine list for cocktails. These were fantastic and creative. With a good buzz and mostly (but not completely) satisfied with dinner, the dozen dessert options were impossible to resist. We sampled the nightly special with a fancy name, translatable to "Miniature Homemade Ice Cream Whoopie Pie." It was delicious. Primo is a special occasion restaurant experience and worth the trip. Some Old Port restaurants may have slightly better overall food, but as a complete package (and especially as a romantic getaway) Primo is one of the very best. read more

I saw this restaurant on No Reservations and thought "Yes! We're going to Maine soon anyway!". The restaurant is built like (or was) a nice sized house. We got a nice table in what would appear to be a small living room. The waitstaff was friendly and knowledgable about the food and the wine and answered all my questions. We knew that they had their own garden and animals, but it was dark out so we couldn't see anything - more on that later. We chose a nice, reasonably priced wine and got on to dinner. Complimentary cardoon and oyster mushroom soup shot One smooth, creamy mushroom soup shot with a hint of sherry (I think) Seared Hudson Valley foie gras Good simply because of what it is, great because of everything else. Large portion, served on a potato latke with fruit jus and syrup Steak tartare beautifully served with baby radishes, watercress, watermelon radish, quail egg. The tartare itself had nice texture, not like the mush you sometimes get. Wood grilled Muscovy duck duck was tender, earthy hen of the woods mushrooms and truffles, sweet corn and farro was so delicious! Even the grilled spring onion on top was an extra layer of flavor. Pumpkin ravioli Perfect sweet/savory balance in filling. Pomegranate seeds helped cut the rich cheese, walnut brown butter sauce. Seared dayboat scallops and porcini tagliatelle We had already eaten our meals, but I HAD to try this. Fortunately, they do half portions! The pasta was tender and had the earthy porcini flavor. Scallops were done just right and with the mix of herbs/veg/mushrooms/truffle it was just fantastic. Corn creme brulee Dessert was a surprise. The creme brulee texture was very light and had that sweet corn taste in the background. A small crepe was on the side with a berry compote and everything was topped off by the best caramel corn. Complimentary orange chocolate truffle, passion fruit marshmallow Truffle was pretty good (but I'm not a fan of chocolate and citrus so it doesn't really count) but the marshmallow, WOW. There is nothing like a hand made marshmallow, and the passion fruit taste just knocked it out of the park. What a great place! So, back to the garden. The next morning we were leaving Rockland so we decided to swing back around to Primo and see if we could look at the garden. The people working there were more than happy to let us have the run of land. We checked out the beehives, veg patches, greenhouse, chickens, and pigs. I'm sure it takes a ton of work to maintain it all, but it was really refreshing to see that people can care that much. read more

Simply amazing beginning to end. The food, service and ambiance were all beyond! We started with the squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta and the farmers salad - and wow - so scrumptious. The team serving us were amazing - attentive but not overbearing. We ended with the s'more dessert - and it did not disappoint. Highly recommend! read more

Not just a dinner, but a memory. There is something about Primo that puts me in mind of the British TV series/movie "The Trip" - taking a leisurely drive up route 1, pulling into a dirt parking lot and seeing the farm expanding in the rear, dining near a window during twilight in a plush room, the food has a Mediterranean flare, but the setting is distinctly British countryside fine dining. See also: "Whites" on hulu. The service here is five-stars for sure. There were so many specials that our waiter was running out of breath getting through them all, but he did a commendable job. Even at our early-bird-special reservation hour of 6pm the dining room was packed, but the bustle of servers seemed to be on top of it. (p.s. reservations recommended, you can make them on open table) For food, we started out with a delicious little taste of foie gras that was honestly one of the best things we ate all night and we didn't even order it! We split some razor clam ceviche for an appetizer which was perfectly light and fresh. For my entree I went with a fresh pasta, while my husband got a seafood special featuring fish in a savory broth. My entree featured scallops and local mushrooms and was the most umami thing I've ever put in my mouth. Weird, but good. Excellent pasta, but the whole thing left me feeling overly full. He was the better orderer this time I think. (It's always a competition, don't you know?) Over all, a dinner we won't forget for some time. Primo lives up to its reputation on all fronts. read more

Primo - Seafood - Mediterranean Near Me - Rockland, Maine

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My boyfriend and I went to Primo twice on a vacation to Rockland. This is a MUST, and if you're staying a little while I recommend going early on in case you want to go again. This is elegant but unpretentious farm to table and it really shows - everything is fresh and delicious. We made a reservation (weeks in advance) and were seated in a lovely booth upstairs. We started with cocktails and Oysters Two Ways - a hot and a cold, kind of a play on Rockefeller and one with a vichyssoise and caviar. Both perfect. My boyfriend had the lobster over spaghetti and I had the mezzi rigate with ragu. Both were superb and their wine pairs beautifully. Our server, who was very personable and patient with our indecision, made great wine recommendations. We finished with a lava cake and a hazelnut mousse dessert. Dessert is worth it. And have their Tisane - mine was fresh mint and the fresh herbs from the garden make all the difference. Tonight we went back and sat at the counter upstairs, where you need no reservation. We had oysters on the half shell ($1 oysters Thursdays and Sundays), a cuttlefish appetizer special, the foie gras, warm ricotta salata with house honey and sea salt, the gnudi, and cocktails. I love this atmosphere too, I would recommend either. We're definitely glad we went back. Everything here is tasty but I really think the pasta dishes are the stars of the menu. read more

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I thought this place was ok. I had high expectations because it was recommend to us. However, I didn't think my pasta was anything special. I got the chicken pasta and it was mediocre. I also got the pork belly to share with my husband and it was good just super small. However, my husband got swordfish and his was very good. I also wasn't happy with the service. I asked the waitress for more olive oil and she looked annoyed when I asked. read more

Definitely a wonderful experience all the way around. We walked in on a Saturday night in July, and went upstairs, waited maybe 15 minutes and then got a great table. Very cool big old farmhouse that's tucked away off the beaten path. So being gluten free and dairy free definitely limits me, but other than no dessert choices except sorbet, and no bread basket for me, I could eat (or adapt) maybe 90% of the menu, which is pretty great. I couldn't even make up my mind because of so many options. Our party of 3 ordered small bites: olives (warm and soft), nuts (like a crunch-a-munch, so yummy), zucchini spaghetti (my favorite all night, I took 1 bite and ordered another), the cod fritters I couldn't eat, but they loved them. All the apps were stunning and the entrees gorgeous, well seasoned, flavorful and I could eat them! I'd love to go back and eat my way through the menu. Pretty amazing evening. Thank you. read more