24 Foodie Hours in Portland

This ones for the Non-Seafood Eaters!

Portland Maine is one of our favorite destinations. It was the first overnight trip of our relationship and we’ve made it a point to go back yearly. We have explored it throughout the seasons from summer to winter. But sometimes with a city with soooo many great options, its hard to know how to spend it if you are on a tight time frame. Here is my 24 perfect hours in Portland Maine. Portland is known for its incredible seafood, but what about if you aren’t a seafood lover (like myself)? This list has you especially in mind!!

First Stop: Coffee

Why We Love it:

One of the reasons we found this place was because it opened early. And if you only have 24 hrs you want to start early. They open at 7am and originally we went just for coffee and were planning to get donuts from a famous place in Portland you may have heard of. But while getting coffee their pastries looked so good, we had to give one a try. And they were in fact SO good, we went back the next day to get breakfast and coffee again!

Its a small shop, but does have seating. It even has a little street parking if you are driving. It’s not in Old Port, which can sometimes be good as its easier to pop in and out.

They have a variety of coffee and pastries as well as breakfast sandwiches, lunch options, and specials!

What we ate:

Highly recommend getting a breakfast sandwich. They all contain their homemade Liptao spread. A delicious combination of mashed potato, roasted red peppers, feta cheese, garlic, chives, olive oil and spices. It’s something I didn’t know all my breakfast sandwiches were missing, but now I do! I tried the chorizo, avocado, and egg on an English muffin, and it was divine. But do not miss out on their pastries! Rotating in different flavors and styles, just try anything, you likely wont be disappointed.

For drinks I tried their Maine honey Chai and a latte (both great) where as my husband had the cold brew, both of us had pep in our step the rest of the day.

NEXT STOP: Walking Tour

There is sooo much to see in Portland, and a great way to do that is walking around. Whether it is Old Port and all the shops around there, or either of the Promenades (Western or Eastern) both offer amazing views of the water and city. If you are really feeling ambitious and want to work off breakfast you can walk from the East End to the West End! In the winter, make sure to bundle up and have good shoes, but still recommend this activity in all seasons!

Meal Number 2: Lunch

Why we love it:

This ramen spot is one of my all time favs (peep it made it into my Ramen Rankings) but what makes it great for lunch is the variety of options. They have lighter fare like sushi or buns, if you don’t want ramen for lunch. Plus the cozy warm atmosphere is great for a winter reprieve from being outside. This can also be a great dinner spot, but there can sometimes be a wait, so keep that in mind! Another fun aspect is the open kitchen concept, you can watch eagerly as they prepare your dish!

What we ate:

We’ve been here several many times now, but our order always looks kind of the same. We start with the pork buns then we each get a flavor of ramen that is different so we can swap halfway through. Hey marriage is find the person who is willing to split every meal with you right?! We have tried the short rib, duck, miso, and shoyu ramen. All deliciously different. They, like many Portland restaurants have dishes geared to the local seafood, like their lobster miso ramen. So if you have a friend eager to try unique Maine seafood dishes, they wont be disappointed here and neither will you!

Worth a mention: A little outside of Portland Downtown proper is Maiz, a Colombian Street Food family joint. They honestly are great as a brunch alternative or lunch, even dinner! If its the summer time we recommend taking a bike ride around Black Cove and popping over for a bite. Excellent off the tourist path find

While You Are Here: Bubble Tea

Since you are already in the West End, if you can fit it, stop in to Uncharted Tea. Some of the BEST bubble tea we have had period. Stand out drink was the Shaken Brown Sugar, which has nitro coffee, oat milk, cinnamon, and boba. We still think about it a year later and haven’t had anything like it since! It also has a great vibe to just chill a while!

Let’s Not Forget the Brews:

Coming from a non beer drinker here. Portland is known for their plentiful breweries, and it can be a great way to pass the afternoon. Here are a couple of our favorites that are NOT beer!

• Après– a Hard Seltzer Brewery with lush interior and lots of nooks to get cozy in. They focus on hard seltzer but have lots of brews to enjoy (beer, cider, wine) and they have options for the gluten free people in your life. The Vibes are excellent here
• Urban Farm Fermentory– Have you ever had Jun? It’s what I deem as kombuchas tastier better cousin. I first had it at Urban Farm and go back ever since to try their new flavors. They also have a wide range of brewed options like beer, mead, cider, kombucha and of course JUN. Recommend a flight to try the variety. This is also great for anyone that cant have alcohol but wants to enjoy the brewery vibe
• Maine Mead Works– Mead is gaining speed in the brewery world and for good reason, it is delicious. Maine Mead Works is bringing it to the 21st century with interesting combinations like mead lemonade and slushies. They also sit in a row with several other breweries AND the Duckfat Frite Shack. Great location to bounce along with a group.

The Final Frontier: Dinner

Why we love it:

Have you ever had a dish so good you do a little dance in your seat? You are just instantly in a better mood because the food is really just that good? That is The Honey Paw. And it has been the several times we have gone. They never waiver on quality or service and we consistently leave saying “that was amazing”.

What we ate:

Normally I would say we tried a bunch of stuff and yatta ya, NO. When we go to Honey Paw we get the same things because they are JUST too addictive not to. And it looks like this: App- assorted pickles, Entrée: Half Chicken and Khao Soi. Although the khao soi is one of our favorite dishes at any restaurant we’ve ever eaten at, so we have also gotten 2 orders of it, so no fighting over it had to occur. They have a diverse and interesting menu, but we will always get the Khao Soi.

In Conclusion:

Honestly there is about 3 more places per category I could add, but that’s what makes Portland so great, is there is just SO many great options. I hope you found my little list helpful. You cant go wrong with a day in Portland, in any season!

These thoughts are all my own and have no affiliation or association with the locations referenced