Food excellent…read more... Service very good Ambiance beautiful Very lovely dining experience. .... Highly recommend!!

Food started strong then progressively went downhill. Service also started strong with the host,…read morebut once the server came over it became weak and continued to decline throughout the evening. He completely disregarded the other guest and only focused on my drink order, which felt disrespectful. After taking my order and walking awaynot once but twice, when he returned I had to ask, "Are you not going to take her drink order?" The tuna sashimi was great and the carrots were good as well. However, something about the halibut tasted off. I work with fish daily, and this personally was not it. I had one bite and could not continue eating it. The server boxed up the halibut for me, but then tossed a to-go container onto the table for us to box our own dessert, which felt inconsistent with the level of service. The bartender was wearing an H&H raincoat and appeared to be drinking on the job, while other female staff members were scrolling on their phones. Overall, not a great first impression. The ambiance itself was nice, but when you make an 8:30 PM reservation and receive a text at 7:30 PM saying your table is ready, it feels a bit off-putting. I had asked beforehand if anything earlier was available and was told no, so I intentionally booked later for an evening experience. Then upon arrival, the restaurant was fairly empty. Within the first few minutes of us being there, the kitchen doors were closed and cleaning was happening all around us. It created an unpleasant atmosphere for what was supposed to be a social evening out and a little hoorah celebration, and nothing was acknowledged by staff. It was clear that reservation notes or comments in chat of reservation were not reviewed. Overall, not thrilled with the experience. Been there, done that -- one visit was enough for me/us unless that 49-year-old male server Charlie learns how to properly serve guests and the kitchen team start to season the food a bit better. Would have been nice if Charlie checked in with us more like he did the other tables hence the eaves dropping to know more about him and the place. 4/10 experience, will not be back which is a bummer.

Bandaloop is a very inviting place. Having made reservations for the first floor, we ended up…read moreupstairs. About anywhere you sit would have been wonderful. Unfortunately, no outdoor dining before Memorial Day. Great knowledgeable and attentive service with Paul. Upstairs was busy but not crowded. Food was fantastic. Wild mushroom soup was delicious. A tasting of sunchokes, pan seared mousam bakery mushrooms and shishito peppers made a meal for one of the party and still had leftovers. Best was the entree, Maine style palusami was a complex flavor concoction that was a home run. Finished with black forest cake. Hope to return again from the West Coast. They can certainly compete with any restaurant in any big city

I have been wanting to try this place for soooo long, and was happy to finally have the…read moreopportunity. The menu (as far as I could tell) changes frequently, and it features several vegetarian dishes and small plates, in addition to other mains. The drink menu had some really fun offerings, and both cocktails were got were delicious. The food was very good as well, but nothing that blew us away. We were disappointed that they sat us in a different part of the restaurant than we reserved, which felt odd considering we specifically had to choose which area we were reserving a table in and it wasn't a busy night, but it was no big deal at all. All around was a great experience and we will return.

I've honestly needed a few weeks to process this visit because of how disappointing it was. We made…read morea reservation at The White Barn Inn Restaurant about a month in advance to celebrate my birthday, noting both the occasion and a simple seating request due to my husband's height. Upon arrival, we were initially seated in what felt more like a brightly lit, casual tavern or breakfast room, completely at odds with the refined dining experience we expected. Surrounded by families and very casual attire, it was confusing and frankly off-putting. After asking the host stand, we were eventually moved to the actual dining room, which was beautiful - dim, elegant, and exactly the ambiance we had hoped for. Service throughout the evening was polished and professional, and every dish was plated beautifully. Unfortunately, that's where the positives end. While we understand that tasting menus consist of smaller portions, each course, just two or three bites, was entirely forgettable. The flavors lacked balance and subtlety, which is surprising at this price point. The beef tartare in a cigar like wrapper was very mid. One of my early courses was a scallop dish, and the scallops were cooked so poorly they were the rubberiest I've ever had (an immediate red flag in a restaurant of this caliber). My main course, a tenderloin, arrived as an overcooked end piece. After sending it back and requesting rare, it returned slightly less well done, still an end cut, and completely overwhelmed by a salty, heavy red wine demi-glace that tasted more like something from a packet than a refined sauce. It was one of the least appetizing beef dishes I have perhaps ever had. The cheese plate featured Great Hill Blue which some might love but is available at my local Stop & Shop so didn't really knock my socks off, a boring cheddar and a third cheese I can't even recall. At a restaurant of this caliber, I was expecting a much more curated collection of exciting, super, stinky cheeses that one could not find at a chain grocery store. At nearly $700 for two people (with a few drinks and a multi-course menu), the experience simply did not come close to justifying the cost. The following night, we had a $200 dinner at Chez Rosa, the Little French bisto in downtown Kennebunkport. The meal there FAR surpassed this meal in both flavor and execution. Based on our experience--and what seems to be echoed in more recent reviews--the quality of the food here no longer matches its reputation or price point. This was meant to be a special occasion destination, but instead left us feeling frustrated and genuinely let down.

The White Barn is a place you go to have an experience and ours was a positive one. We ordered the…read moreblind chefs tasting, roughly 7 courses ranging in diversity from bite size to the main course. The food was creative and served at a good pace. The service was quite nice, it truly was a unique experience. I give it 4 stars simply because for the price, I'd expect everything to be perfect and there was on item in the tasting the neither myself nor my partner enjoyed as it tasted a little undercooked - it involved Lima beans. Other than that, I highly recommend this spot. Not a great place for kids. Dress nice and know that parking is easy. Settle in and enjoy a unique experience in a very pleasant ambiance.

Absolutely outstanding spot. One of the most beautiful places to walk around, with all the nice…read morelittle harbor clubs, and boat clubs in the area. A true main right of passage and staple establishment. The lobster roles are perfect. Everyone that works there truly cares about the place and quality of product that they produce. Eating inside at the restaurant is a more typical experience to eating at a restaurant... While using the to go window outside is a true Kennebunkport Maine-style experience. Highly recommend using the to go window and walking just a little further down the road to the benches that sit out on the rock wall pier overlooking the bush compound.

We stopped to pickup food at Mabel's Lobster Claw after reading it had gluten free rolls and fries…read more The service was subpar, the takeout bar didn't open on time, and the main restaurant wouldn't take to go orders. We split a gluten free lobster roll and fries, but the takeout person wasn't friendly and didn't really answer any questions. I've had better lobster rolls. This one was a bit overcooked, but still had good flavor. It sounds like dining in is the way to go here, based on other reviews. Kennebunk has no shortage of lobster rolls, so I'd maybe try another place next time.

Stopped in for happy hour drinks and apps. Great service and food. Loved the cocktails- shrimp…read moreand nachos were great.

Having lived here all my life and hearing about the food here I was looking forward to finally…read moretrying it. The haddock chowder was just ok. If I was to give it a rating it would be a 5 out of 10. I make it at home and it is way better. The blueberry cosmopolitan was terrible. Straight jet fuel. The only thing I can say for it is I got my $14 worth of alcoholic beverage, but it had to be CHOKED down. Another in our party could not get past the first sip and had to ask three times to have it taken away and removed from the bill. It was bad. Now to the server. He was Just. So. Rude. He was the kind of server that made you feel like everything you asked was an inconvenience to him and we were absolutely NOT a high maintenance party. (The only out of the ordinary request was the drink issue) Simple questions were met with rude, if any replies. And forget about asking to split the bill...you would have thought we asked him to pay the entire thing for us. I've never been met with such pushback before. He did not act like someone who works for tips. I was not in charge of the tip, but if I was it would have been about $10 (and we were a party of 8) I tip (generously when applicable) on service and not arbitrary percentage recommendations. To sum it up, the food was just ok, and our server acted like he would rather be anywhere else. And I'm sure he would, but a job in customer service dictates you put a smile on your face and do your job in a pleasant manner.

My husband and I stayed at the White Barn Inn and had breakfast one morning here and loved our…read moreexperience. The staff is all so nice and accommodating. It's cozy. I got the avocado toast with lobster and delicious! My husband enjoyed his breakfast sandwich. We wanted to try the pancake but didn't want to get a full order so they let us order one pancake and it was perfect!

Had guests visiting and wanted to take them out for a special night. What a disappointment! And…read morekind of scary. Most importantly, we felt that the server was not understanding a serious allergy issue. When we raised it at the front, we expected someone to come over and discuss the concerns and let us know it was handled; instead, they sent the original server to the table. She was defensive and mad that we had raised the concern. Soo, we still did not feel super comfortable. Also, there were issues with the drinks -- the server did not know what a Negroni is. We had to adjust to simpler drinks. My lobster cobb was the wrong size when it was brought out; instead of telling me this, the server took it away from me and brought it back to the kitchen. She then came back and told me the kitchen had messed up and did I want the larger size. By that time, our table was already well into their meals, and it would have taken longer. So, I declined. My son's food was mediocre. At no time did any manager or supervisor stop by our table to indicate their concern with the mistakes and the allergy issue. I wrote a lengthy letter to the White Barn detailing these concerns. I never heard back. Terrible from beginning to end. Truly.

I was looking for a farm to table place and this one did not disappoint. I was seated right away…read more The service was wonderful. I had an amazing drink with tequila and spicy salt, probably one of the best drinks I've had all summer. I also treated myself to oysters from the local area, and they were great, 3 different varieties. I didn't love their vinaigrette, it was on the sweeter side and it wasn't my taste. I had the gnocchi with lobster was great, I especially loved the poached lobster in butter. Varying flavors. I was offer beignets and I could order less than what came in the order. I truly appreciated that I can less than what comes originally. I just got 2, instead of the five which I appreciated that, because I was just one person. Overall, it was a wonderful experience.

Good meal and service. We made a Friday night reservation and the place was hopping. Excellent…read moredrink and mocktail list and I appreciate when free bread/oil is provided. Shared a crab cake app and it was delicious but very small for $14. I had the fresh pasta with confit chicken, sausage and peppers. Very tasty, but the pasta was a little gummy. Also ordered a yaki soba and was told it was good and hearty. The waiter was attentive and we did not feel rushed.