Welcome to Camden, Maine, a resort town on Maine’s Atlantic Coast. Camden sits along Penobscot Bay, the Gulf of Maine, and the Atlantic Ocean.
The population in Camden triples during the summer because of the influx of tourists and summer residents.
The best restaurants in Camden offer some of the tastiest lobster in the world, plus a variety of innovative, casual, and classic dining options.
The Waterfront Restaurant
$$ | (207) 236-3747 | WEBSITE
The Waterfront Restaurant offers a friendly waterfront dining experience with innovative offerings and homemade desserts and bread made fresh daily.
The Waterfront Restaurant, using the freshest ingredients and locally sourced produce, meat, and seafood, offers weekly specials, plus a delicious menu of seafood.
Fish highlights the menu and is available in appetizers (Clam Chowder, Lobster Stew, Oysters & Mussels, etc.), salads (sauteed shrimp wedge), sandwiches (Crab, Bacon & Avocado Melt or Haddock Reuben, etc.) and Maine favorites (whole belly clams, haddock, and chips, crab cake & local scallops).
Natalie’s at Camden Harbour Inn
$$$ | (207) 236-7008 | WEBSITE
Natalie’s Restaurant is an award-winning, fine dining restaurant with views of Camden Harbor. The executive chef creates culinary delights using locally sourced, fresh ingredients.
Guests of Natalie’s can expect a remarkable culinary experience – including unusual plating styles and presentations. Natalie’s offers several menus, including a traditional, small-plate, and lobster-tasting menu.
Natalie’s offers something for everyone from Maine Oysters on the Half Shell to Lobster Bisque, Maine Lobster, NY Strip, Pork Loin, Ora King Salmon, and Black Bass.
Dessert lovers check out Natalie’s local cheese with accompaniments and lemon meringue tart with basil.
Long Grain
$$ | (207) 236-9001 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
Long Grain offers a delicious Asian-inspired cuisine – often with an innovative twist. Long Grain chooses to source its ingredients locally, which means they offer seasonal menus with new items every few months.
Long Grain’s menu items are inspired by Thai and Vietnamese street foods, as well as more traditional family meals from Japan and Indonesia.
Sample the Moo Ping (Pork Skewers), Hoi Mangpu (Steamed Maine Mussels), Tom Sab (Spicy Pork Stew), or traditional Pad Thai for something you will never forget.
Cuzzy’s Restaurant
$$ | (207) 236-3272 | WEBSITE
Cuzzy’s Restaurant, on Bayview in the heart of Camden, is a traditional bar and grill offering a friendly atmosphere in which to dine. Cuzzy’s Restaurant serves classic American fare highlighted by fresh, local seafood and brick oven pizza.
Check out the upstairs bar that offers live music, a comprehensive wine list, and delicious specialty beers or beer on tap for fun with friends.
From soups and salads to burgers and American classics, Cuzzy’s offers one of Camden’s most unique dining experiences. Don’t miss Cuzzy’s happy hour with discounted drinks and $5 food specials.
Hartstone Inn & Hideaway
$$$$ | (207) 236-4259 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
The Hartstone Inn & Hideaway is home to one of Camden’s most refined and sophisticated dining experiences.
The Hartstone Inn & Hideaway offers gourmet breakfast (Banana Foster Crepes, Prosciutto Sheered Eggs, Lobster & Asparagus Quiche) that is served daily on the porch overlooking the gardens.
Evening dining, with exceptional service and an impressive wine selection, is open to guests and all of Coastal Maine. Choose these dishes from this award-winning cuisine – Seared Quail, Pistachio Crusted Cod, or Rock Crab & Artichoke dip.
Save room for an amazing array of desserts, including the ‘passionate chocolate orange affair. There are vegan and gluten-free options that are available upon request.
Franny’s Bistro
$$ | (207) 230-8199 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
Franny’ Bistro is recognized to be among Camden’s best restaurants. Franny’s offers a warm and welcoming setting to enjoy classic American cuisine with ingredients sourced locally.
Choose from an array of appetizers like Shrimp Dumplings or Steamed Garlic Mussels, Lobster Fritters, or Franny’s Crab Cakes, among others.
Salad lovers check out the Mesclun Greens or Grilled Romaine Cesar Salad. Franny’s Bistro entrées offer delicious fish classics, like Shrimp Linguine or Pan Seared Arctic Char.
Meat lovers can enjoy a Grilled Rack of Lamb or Roast Poussin and Ribs and Slaw. Franny’s Bistro also offers a variety of gluten-free and vegetarian options.
Peter Ott’s On The Water
$$ | (207) 236-4032 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
Located on Camden Harbor, Peter Ott’s on the Water has been serving delicious Maine cuisine for more than four decades.
Fresh, quality ingredients are prepared to offer some of the dinner choices that have made Peter Ott’s on the Water the dining experience it has been known for.
With several varieties of chowder, oysters, mussels, and lobster quesadilla, Peter Ott’s offers amazing appetizers.
Burger lovers will delight in Peter Ott’s various burger (B&B, Dockside, or Classic) options, while lobster lovers can enjoy a dinner, lobster roll, or BLT.
Fresh & Co. Global Cuisine
$$ | (207) 236-7005 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
Fresh & Co. Global Cuisine is a family-run business focused on sustainable cooking that begins with local farmers and fishermen.
Fresh & Co. is located in what was once a schooner slip, with an outdoor area that allows diners to enjoy the fresh sea air of Camden Harbor. Fresh & Co. has been voted as one of Maine’s best local seafood restaurants in the Camden vicinity.
Fresh & Co.’s global menu is both eclectic and unique, with frequent menu item changes. Check out Fresh & Co.’s Maine Lobster Ravioli, Bread & Fish Soup, or Marshall Cove Mussels when in Camden.
40 Paper Bistro & Bar
$$$ | (207) 230-0111 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
40 Paper Bistro & Bar, housed with a mill that can be traced back to the Civil War, is a cozy eatery (and busy bar) that serves a variety of cuisines influenced by cultures throughout Europe.
The menu for 40 Paper Bistro & Bar, which includes tasty octopus or mussel served on small plates or hearty large plates of seared salmon, braised lamb shank, rotini, or gnocchi, changes based on the availability of ingredients.
There are vegetarian options and even gluten-free pasta for those on restricted diets. Dessert lovers check out the pumpkin cheesecake with an amaretto crust, gelato, or tiramisu.
BOWA
$ | (207) 230-8292 | WEBSITE
BOWA, an acronym for Best Of What’s Around, offers delicious and healthy options which are inspired by many cultures and cuisines across the globe.
The Sesame-Miso Soba Noodles are gluten-free and available with vegan options. Other options from around the world include Teriyaki Ramen, Pho Noodle Bowl, Thai Curry, Mojo Pork, and a variety of power salads.
BOWA also offers specialties such as local lamb meatballs and barley (aka Greek Lamb Goddess), Bibimbap, and Korean Fried Chicken with Japanese potato salad.
BOWA also offers an amazing selection of delicious beverages, including several varieties of Bubble Tea, Maine Root Brews, as well unsweetened teas, and organic juices, among others.
Wolfpeach
$$$$ | (207) 230-8315 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
Wolfpeach is a unique eatery in Camden offering delicious, locally sourced seasonal fare from their Elm Street location. Wolfpeach’s menu is among the most innovative and tasty, with a grilled herring or monkfish liver pate as an appetizer.
Spinach stuffed tout and monkfish with smoked mussels, clams, and squid in a tomato broth highlight the dinner options.
Even the sides offered by Wolfpeach are quite creative, including a cabbage wedge with eel grill sauce and papas bravas (smoke chilies with fish bone aioli). The griddle parsnip loaf cake is served with ginger & rosemary ice cream.
Blaze Brewing Company
$$$ | (207) 230-8713 | WEBSITE
View this post on Instagram
Blaze Brewing Company is among Camden’s latest casual dining establishments, with floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook beautiful Camden Harbor.
With a sister restaurant in Biddeford, Blaze Brewing has established a reputation for offering the best micro beers in the area, offering fourteen on-tap varieties.
Blaze Brewing offers wood-fire menu options and unique grub like pork belly lollipops, smoked brisket sandwich, house-made mac and cheese, and wild mushroom and balsamic vinegar pizza, Blaze Brewing will never disappoint.
Blaze Brewing Company is dog-friendly, so bring along your well-behaved dog for a patio meal.
Summary
Camden, which is home to the summer Shakespeare Festival and the Camden Opera House, has long been a Maine cultural and music center. The food scene is just as innovative and enjoyable with cuisines from around the world.
The lobster that is available on Maine’s coast is some of the freshest and tastiest you’ll find anywhere on the planet.
The really good news is that lobster can be enjoyed in so many ways – on a roll, in a bisque, or with a bib – the choice is yours. Or try all three for a true New England experience.
