8 Best Restaurants in The Southern Coast, Maine

Each and every meal feels like a special occasion at his splurge-worthy place, which offers thoughtful attention to flavor and texture and uses the freshest locally sourced ingredients. The seasonally inspired menu is always in flux, but you can be sure that even hard-core foodies will be delighted with this culinary experience.

Large picture windows make this one of the best places in town to watch the sun set (or rise) over the Atlantic. The intimate dining space features a touch of seaside elegance coupled with captivating, original local art, and Maine seafood and other local ingredients are used in contemporary takes on classic dishes such as lobster Thermidor, foie gras, swordfish, and seafood velouté.

Maritime accents and a crisp color palette help to make this unfussy, beachside restaurant a good place to relax and enjoy a prebeach bite or a post-beach sit-down meal. The menu features lighter seafood fare and salads alongside heartier options, such as lobster rangoons, crispy fried-chicken sandwiches, and burgers.

Overlooking Perkins Cove, Barnacle Billy's has been serving up fresh, local seafood since 1961. Place your order at the counter before settling into a table on the deck to await delivery of your clam chowder, fried clams, broiled scallops, or lobster roll. Leave room for the strawberry shortcake and whoopie pies. 

If you've had about all the fried seafood you can stand, try this intimate spot that focuses on creative cuisine served with flair. There are lots of seafood, poultry, and meat options, homemade pasta choices, and always a few vegetarian dishes (special requests like gluten-free are happily accommodated). Menu offerings include toasted peppercorn-seared sushi-grade tuna, served with coconut risotto on gingered vegetables, and pork served with a sweet pear-cream sauce. Even the breads and most desserts are made by the chef. Entrées include really large dinner salads with fruit and nuts as well as veggies atop the greens.

Since the 1950s, this tiny spot on Ocean Avenue has been serving lunches and dinners featuring lobster (baked and in rolls), clam chowder, and other seafood, as well as homemade pies. The decor includes paneled walls, wooden booths, and autographed photos of various TV stars (and members of the Bush family), and there's outside seating.

You can't get more up-close and personal with Kennebunkport's harbor than at this stunning waterside restaurant and bar that serves dressed-up, contemporary takes on classic Maine fare, alongside staples such as perfectly shucked local oysters, lobster tacos, and hearty clam and corn chowder. The inside spaces are warm and welcoming, with a maritime theme that's not too over-the-top. The wraparound deck is one of the best spots in town to grab a cocktail and watch the sun set over the Kennebunk River.

Nautical accents give this trendy restaurant a laid-back vibe that is the perfect transition from time spent out on the water (or at the beach) to a relaxed end-of-the-day meal. While fresh seafood plays a central role, you can't go wrong with one of the excellent burgers or pork chops paired with one of the many rotating local craft-beer choices.