Choosing the 5 best Camden, Maine restaurants is no easy task, and like any ‘best of’ list, certainly open to debate. Foodies and aficionados alike may take umbrage, but one thing that all can agree on—no experience in Camden, Maine would be complete without an evening of fine dining, and you will not be disappointed in any of these local favorites.
The Best of Camden, Maine Restaurants
Natalie’s- FIND A TABLE!
Unwind and relax in the comfort of the Camden Harbour Inn and then wander downstairs to dine at the Inn’s award-winning restaurant, Natalie’s. Camden’s preeminent restaurant in fine dining, Natalie’s is a culinary destination throughout the entire region. The restaurant offers a range of prix fixe options to please the most tested palates. Locally sourced ingredients harvested from the sea, farms, and small gardens guarantee the finest and freshest ingredients for every dish. Running late for a show at the Opera House? You’ll find a lighter bar menu in the lounge. For warm, intimate ambiance, fine dining, savoring cuisine, and exceptional service, in Camden, look no further than Natalie’s.
Peter Ott’s on the Water
Peter Ott’s on the Water has been a mainstay in Camden for over forty years. The expansive restaurant is located right on the harbor. You’ll find more than a view. Executive chef Pater Masin-Peters locally sources the finest and freshest seafood and ingredients that Maine has to offer. There is a variety of soups and chowders, and seafood appetizers like lobster cakes, steamed mussels, and oysters on the half shell. Exceptional pasta dishes like lobster fettuccini alfredo or mushroom linguini, along with a healthy variety of grilled meats, seared and broiled fresh seafoods, and other entrees. All served up in a family-style environment. Eat indoors or out, and enjoy harbor side dining.
Long Grain Restaurant
Looking for Asian cuisine with a twist? Long Grain Restaurant has a wide selection of dishes inspired by many different Asian cuisines and cultures. Though often referred to as a Thai restaurant, you’ll find the same fare at Long Grain as you would in small eateries and dinner tables across Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Japan. The ‘locavore’ restaurant opened its doors in 2009 and has thrived using only seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. The menu features appetizers such as steamed local pork dumplings, Northeastern style Thai beef, and steam mussels in spicy coconut lemongrass broth; and dishes of daily house-made noodles, Maine crab fried rice, and smoked mackerel fried rice, spicy soups, curried noodles, and a variety of stir fries. Located on Washington Street, just off the Camden Village Green, reservations are taken up to a month in advance and are highly advised.
40Paper
Further up Washington Street, you’ll find 40Paper, a traditional Italian bistro that features Mediterranean influences and cuisines of Spain and France. Though a large exposed brick space—the restaurant is situated in an old civil-war era mill built over the Megunticook River that empties into Camden Harbor—the room is eclectic, warm, intimate, and inviting. Locally sourced food means the menu is ever changing with the seasons. The pasta is handmade in small batches, and rolled, filled and cut by hand to perfection. With every dish made to order, with sauces and flavors combined in the same pan, 40 Paper provides its diners with delicious food and unforgettable experience.
Fresh & Co.
Away from the main flow of traffic in Camden, you’ll find Fresh & Co. Restaurant. Elegant without pretension, Fresh and Co. is the perfect environment for its diverse, globally-inspired, locally sourced cuisine. The menu is inspired by classic coastal Maine dishes infused with the rich culinary traditions of the Mediterranean region. Designed around an open kitchen, the food and ingredients are all locally sourced, which means an ever-changing seasonal menu. Located on Bayview Landing in an intimate old brick building that once was a schooner slipway, Fresh & Co. is an experience in exceptionally fine dining.
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