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    Scales

    4.3 (1.2k reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Scales Photos

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    SCALES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Classy
    Loud
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Scales

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    View from our table
    Christine H.

    Wow. One of my favorite meals ever. The oysters were phenomenal. So salty and delicious. Scallop entree was out of this world. We also ordered some clover rolls and calamari as an appetizer. Great view right on the water in old port. The place was full on a Tuesday night and I can see why!

    Maryana A.

    We visited Portland for days and looking for one of the best place to eat; Scales! Love the ambiance and interior design of it; simple and classics. All the staff are very friendly and accommodating. We ordered: Clams chowder l Grilled octopus Lobster rolls Pan seared Halibut Foods so amazeeeenggg but the star of the dishes is Grilled Octopus in our opinion. love it!

    Sea bass ceviche
    Kim O.

    Lovely meal! Went with three friends, although we had to take an early reservation it was totally worth it! The fried calamari was hands down the best I've had in Portland. Grilled octopus was tender and flavorful, true Spanish style. Dishes are clearly well prepared and done thoughtfully. Our server was delightful, appropriately attentive and made great suggestions. Loved the setting, the windows are awesome and the light feels good! Just awesome!

    Excited for the lobster!
    Sandahl T.

    Great restaurant right on the water in Portland Maine. Visited with coworkers on a Tuesday night and everyone was surprised we got a reservation because it's usually really hard to get into. The vibe is very cozy, dimly lit, and kind of romantic. There is a lot of wood and beige colors which make it feel warm. The food was amazing! I had a delicious lobster and the portion size was large! It came with cornbread and Cole slaw. We also got the fried calamari which was great. Someone ordered the scallops and they said they were really good. Another person got the clam chowder and she liked it. The wait staff was great and came by frequently to check on us. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for fine dining!

    Crab croquettes with a Cajun alioi sauce
    Jeffrey C.

    On Monday we had 7:00 reservations this was the first time we were at the restaurant and we were seated 15 minutes after arrival our waitress was outstanding helping with our food choices and she made great great suggestions. The Restaurant decor was modern nautical and watching the loon swimming outside the window made the evening memorable

    Albi A.

    Food was excellent and vibe very cool. Bar staff was a bit uppity and condescending. Dining staff superb and insightful.

    Sticky toffee pudding
    Olivia S.

    Our first time visiting & we will be back! Wonderful spot for seafood in Portland. Our server was super friendly and gave great insight & recommendations into the menu. We enjoyed the raw oysters and buns for an appetizer. We had the fried whole fluke and local catch hake. Both were wonderful. The fluke was great, but just a bit difficult to eat with the bones. Celebrated a birthday dinner with sticky toffee pudding. Loved how this restaurant was on the water. Even though we did not have a table right by the window, we could still see the water which provided a nice ambiance.

    Whole fluke
    John Z.

    The drive up Valet car park service starts the evening off right. Host was accommodating in providing a table that was not in direct sun in your face table. Cocktails were "okay" but a bit on the skimpy side for the price paid. Oysters were awesome. I got a dozen. Then I opted to get a dozen little necks on the half shell. Unfortunately they were very very small and had too much grit. I had them taken off the table. My wife had an awesome steak. Called Bavette. Very good. I got the whole fluke as you can see in the pictures. It was a bit of work to get to the meat which was a bit spongy. This visit was disappointing.

    Cornbread
    LeeLee S.

    What an amazing time we had at Scales! My husband recently got into Oysters and when we were thinking of where to go for our anniversary in Portland, he came across a picture of bar at Scales. He saw how they serve the oysters and he just had to go. We arrive and check in and the man behind the desk wishes us a Happy Anniversary, it took me by surprise and then I realized my husband wrote it on our reservations. They also wrote a little personalize card which they gave to us when we were seated. Our server came right over (I'm sorry I can't remember his name) and mentioned he heard it was our anniversary. He was great. Everything about our experience there was wonderful. Drinks were great, food, incredible, desert, delicious. It was also fun watching everything that was going on behind the bar. We were there so we thought we'd go big. My husband got his six oysters which he loved. We started with the Anadama Bread, New England Cornbread and Crab Fritters. For our meal, my husband got the Pan Roasted Halibut & I got the Pineland Farm Bavette Steak with a side of the Brocollini, absolutely delicious! The people next to us got a cheeseburger we both said we have to come back for lunch and have it. It looked so good. We had Frozen Custard for dessert. The service was top notch and the little extras made our anniversary dinner wonderful. I highly, highly recommend Scales!

    Green Salad
    Kate L.

    I made a reservation here days in advance...maybe even a week...and couldn't get any earlier than 9pm on a Monday! That says a lot about a place. It is located by the water downtown and has a charming vibe on both the outside as well as inside. Lobster tanks and huge vats of shellfish on ice when you walk in. Open kitchen which is always cool to see. I have to say giving this place a 5 even though I didn't get my own meal for the bites of food I tasted off my boyfriend's plate were phenomenal. We did split the green salad, and his halibut was incredible. Very tasty. Wish I wasn't full from all the food we already had that day!

    Seafood stew
    Heidy M.

    We came across Scales on an evening walk and decided to try it. It's located off the street and along the back of the harbor. It was very busy, and more on the loud side than anything, but we could still each other speak. We waited 15 minutes before being seating and greeted by a very friendly and attentive waiter. Everything on the menu looked delicious and we ordered way more than we could eat, but it was all very good. The bar area looked very inviting and the decor was perfect for the area. Live lobsters in open tanks, the kitchen is open and everyone was friendly. Scales is an upscale restaurant, prices are pretty reasonable for what we ordered and loved the vibe. Enjoy!

    Fresh fish
    Rachel M.

    I came here with my husband on our honeymoon and didnt have the best experience mainly because of how bad the service was. My husband made this reservation months before and they knew it was our honeymoon. We had the first reservation spot of the night right when the restaurant opened and the server was rushing us the entire time. When ordering appetizers we weren't ready to order our main course and he made us rush to decide what we wanted and said we HAD to put everything in all at once which is a bit ridiculous. I also ordered a cocktail and it came out luke warm like they hadn't shaken it with ice at all. I had to send it back and ask that they actually make it cold. Other than the terrible service and poorly made drinks, the food was decent. Solid fish & chips

    Fish sandwich
    Celena S.

    Scales was a beautiful restaurant! I loved walking in seeing the ice machine dropping ice to keep the fish cold and all the lobster tanks holding the lobsters for everyone to see. Our table was outside and it was chilly but they had plenty of heaters making it comfortable. I started with clam chowder which was good. And we split the molasses bread which strangely enough, I did not like. It was their brown bread with molasses on the top. It was beautiful but I guess I'm not a brown bread fan anymore. I had the fish and chips sandwich which was delicious! The tartar sauce was great too! My husband got the stew and he said it was incredible. I tried a calamari and a clam from it and they were yummy! Our waitress was extremely attentive and made sure to top our water and glasses with the bottle of wine we ordered. I wish I took a picture of it because it was delicious.

    Pan roasted halibut

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    9 days ago

    our friends just had the most amazing meal! the seafood is so fresh and served with the best paired flavors! Staff is outstanding!!

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    Scales Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Scales

    Are dogs allowed?

    Nope

    Is it okay for kids? And do you take reservations?

    They do not offer a children's menu but do not mention anything about kids being allowed or not. I would recommend you find a different spot for bringing kids though. They do take reservations though up to two months in advance.

    What is the dress code, if any?

    Anywhre from casual to semi-formal

    Are you open the month of October?

    Yes

    Any vegetarian options?

    I'm sorry but I don't think so

    Are you doing take out?

    Yes do

    Do they have gluten free options for people with celiac?

    I'm pretty sure the oysters are gluten-free.

    Do they take walk-ins?

    Yes, they do! It's actually one of the most charming things about the restaurant. When you walk in, they will seat you in a lounge area where you can order a drink while you wait to be seated. We only sat for maybe 10 minutes before snagging a seat… Read more

    View All 11 Questions

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    North43Bistro - Steak and cheese egg roll of the day

    North43Bistro

    4.1(119 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    We were here for a private work gathering…read more What a lovely place, it's not a huge space, so for the 60ish of us, it can get a little crowded and loud. The service was incredible. The team of servers and bartenders were great. The were on the move the whole night. Offering up food, refiling drinks and passing around appetizers the whole night. All with a smile and recognizing you might not want to hold the toothpick and napkin the whole time and taking it from you before you realize you have been holding it for 10 minutes LOL The food was delicious, the views were lovely. Parking can get a little tight with the big crowds, especially in the summer. Always check ahead, or make reservations, as they do cater to a lot of private events. I hope to return at some point without work people LOL

    This was our first time here it was valentines day, a preset meal. Every year we try a new place…read morethis year this was it. Let me just say none of the appetizers appearing to my husband. Secondly, I ordered the crab goat as my appetizer it came with two piece pieces that's it. Then the main entrée we picked was a piece of tenderloin with some kind of lobster. Something on top. Let me tell you it was like a pile of mush with a piece of potato underneath it. The meat was delicious. The lobster part was like mush and to me it had a fishy smell and taste. I don't like that my husband said well it's fish. Well I'm sorry but fish in a restaurant shouldn't really taste fishy or smell fishy. By now, we are ready to go home the preset desserts. We wanted to take home one we were told we couldn't even though we've taken home the same type of dessert before and never had a problem, but that's OK. The first thing we asked for we got him was bread. We normally have bread but not tonight because it's Valentine's Day and it's a preset meal. I explained to him that I am a diabetic, and my sugar was low. The waiter didn't seem to care and we still waited a good half an hour for our food to come. We asked to see the regular menu so that we may go back. Regular prices seemed reasonable for the area but to have a preset meal at $85 a person with stuff on there that we don't even eat and we didn't know about this meal when I made the reservation so we were kind of stuck on a Valentine's Day unless I wanted to eat in a fast food joint, which wasn't going to happen. I think if somebody is coming in there and they specifically ask you for something for a reason because they have a Medical need a piece of bread shouldn't be an issue. I don't know if I would come back here not for the price of the meal a cocktail plus tip. As a bonus, let me add this in our waiter said he only learned the menu 20 minutes before we walked in. He looked like a young kid and I said to my husband it was probably the best boy that they let me a waiter because he definitely did not seem like a seasoned employee.

    Photos
    North43Bistro - Inside seating

    Inside seating

    North43Bistro - Sirloin Entrée

    Sirloin Entrée

    North43Bistro - Dining area looking out

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    Dining area looking out

    The Honey Paw

    The Honey Paw

    4.3(779 reviews)
    0.2 miEast Bayside
    $$

    This. Is. It. Seriously, do not pass go. No notes. If you want to take a journey into tantalizing…read moretastebud adventures you must make it a point to get here. Super funky vibes. There's records being thrown down, cool lighting, nice decor and even super friendly folks. The employees here are beyond nice and welcoming. Like they know what they are doing here and they are offering you an experience that is fun and funky. We started off with two drinks. One was called a salad of some sort (sorry, blacked out) and it was delicious. The other was just as good. Ordered the eggplant app - do not leave without this. Absolutely amazing. For food, we ordered a rice bowl with pork sausage and a noodle bowl (with lobster and clams). Don't remember the names. Both were absolutely fantastic. The flavor profiles are just incredible. The rice bowl had so many things happening. Just terrific. The noodle bowl has a broth that you would drink daily. There wasn't one thing that could have made these dishes any better. Do not leave without dessert. Read that again!!! Get the honey sundae. This is what dreams are made of. You will question reality. No matter how stuffed you think you are, order this. This place is just full of magic and wizardry. Like seriously.

    Good meal, prices definitely on the high side…read more Vibe: really cohesive, cool, themed decor. Large shared table in the middle flanked by bar seating. Service: Great Food: We started off with soft serve and the seasonal earl gray outshined the house honey. The earl gray had a great flavor topped with an excellent syrup while the honey was mild and the chocolate shell didn't add anything, although the 'honeycomb' bits were delic. Crispy eggplant special - good, very small portion Pork katsu sandwich - pretty solid, interesting pickle Pad mee korat - good, small portion Value: Aside from the soft serve, the portions were very small for ~$17 price point, and the food was good but aside from the earl gray soft serve, didn't amaze to the point of paying a higher price point. Overall I did like this meal but portions were small for prices. I hope they keep the earl gray soft serve around!

    Photos
    The Honey Paw - Restaurant

    Restaurant

    The Honey Paw - Half Fried Chicken

    Half Fried Chicken

    The Honey Paw - Honey soft serve

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    Honey soft serve

    Bread & Friends - Soft Scrambled Eggs ($15)

    Bread & Friends

    4.6(196 reviews)
    0.4 miOld Port

    Nice place to chill out with...bread, and friends. Small but tasty menu, pleasant service, and a…read morebright welcoming space. Can be busy at times, especially on the weekend, but weekdays and outside of lunch hour, you should be able to get a table right away. I had the Dutch Baby and it was almost too pretty to eat, but I dug in after admiring the piece of art that it was. I loved the combination of flavors and textures - brie, mushrooms, egg, jam, greens, chewy Dutch baby, crispy bits. Yum!

    Bread & Friends was the start to my wife and my Valentine's Day! Due to past times of seeing how…read morelong the wait was we arrived before open and made the right choice being the second group in line. It took no time at all for the place to completely fill up. Which based on everything we had I completely understand why, this place makes incredible food and drinks. Overall it has a great inviting feeling to the space. To start off I enjoyed a Morning Bun Latte while my wife got the Honey & Juniper Latte. Both came out perfect temperature with well done latte art and delicious taste. My wife was obsessed with their pottery mugs that the lattes came served in. Food wise we were looking to split everything and it worked perfectly. We ended up choosing French Toast, Soft Scrambled Eggs, and the Fried Potatoes side. Every dish would be an absolute no brainer for us to order again. Every bite of food kept us wanting even more. Lastly we grabbed a chocolate croissant to go and that was just as tasty and enjoyed it after our visit. After this visit it is certainly a new favorite spot of ours, and look forward to coming back! Worth your time visiting!

    Photos
    Bread & Friends - Inside

    Inside

    Bread & Friends - Morning Bun ($6)

    Morning Bun ($6)

    Bread & Friends - Seeded sourdough that comes with the soft scrambled eggs

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    Seeded sourdough that comes with the soft scrambled eggs

    Union Restaurant - Farmers salad with lobster

    Union Restaurant

    4.1(372 reviews)
    0.4 miOld Port
    $$

    Wow... I've been going to Union for over a decade. Tonight, it would seem, may be the last time I…read morevisit. Before I rip them a new one, let me be totally up front and say the service was very good. Like many places in the Portland area, they're short staffed, and the people who work there are doing the best they can. Friendly, like genuinely friendly and nice waitstaff. They're doing the best they can with too few people. So, to be clear if any management read this? Your staff is fantastic. The food? That's another story. They used to have things on the menu like roasted Brussels Sprouts with all kinds of delicious. There was a pot roast, cooked over three days, which melted in your mouth, with truffle oil and parsnips and carrots. The cocktails? WAY above par. Now you may as well go to Applebees. Over seasoned, boring, and generally NOT worth the money by a long shot. It just tastes like all the other places who use Sysco or Gordon foods. I had the burger, which was so average. I mean REMARKABLY average. Yes, the lettuce on it was actually not just boring iceberg, but that doesn't make up for serving someone a mass produced, firmly packed slab with way too much salt. It says it's some fancy farm beef, but it sure as heck didn't taste like it. The dish my wife had was similar. Some decent ingredients but for the most part it was literally no better than what you'd get in something in a mall. WAY too much salt, way too little flavor. I also ordered a Manhattan. In a Manhattan, the forward flavor should be the whiskey (rye or bourbon or whatever). All I could taste was vermouth. AND it was served in a highball glass with a massive ice cube, and it was warm. The ingredients should go in a cocktail shaker or mixing glass, with ice, then stirred for at least 15 seconds while stirring. It should be served in a cocktail glass like a coup or a martini glass which has been chilled. Mine was in a highball glass. Not sure what happened, but I'm sure profits had something to do with it. You've got dozens of better choices in easy walking distance.

    Perfect date night spot! Vibe was sleek and clean. Staff were friendly and attentive. Their menu…read moreoptions had a good variety. Food was freshly made. We had the paella and steak. Both dishes were flavorful and unique.

    Photos
    Union Restaurant
    Union Restaurant - Scallop risotto

    Scallop risotto

    Union Restaurant - Shakshuka

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    Shakshuka

    Scales - seafood - Updated May 2026

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