Cheers! You might not think of a kitchen goods store when planning where to eat on your vacation, but I highly recommend timing a visit with Now You’re Cooking’s monthly wine and beer tastings—with snacks! Or you can shop in their well-curated wine and beer (and charcuterie) section and take it to go any time.
Bath, Maine is a small, almost petite city with a grand array of food and dining options. In the space of just a few charming blocks in our historic downtown, you can choose between three bakery cafes, one legendary donut shop and two charming diners for your breakfast.
A casual lunch might take you to an Irish pub, a riverside oyster bar, a throwback soda fountain or Midcoast Maine’s best sandwich shop.
For dinner, you can choose fine dining with cocktail flair, a brew pub, top-notch Thai and Vietnamese and an old-school seafood and steak restaurant festooned with nautical antiques and other hints of Bath’s history as the City of Ships.
Chocolate shake at The Fountain! I love their grab-and-go lunches and dinners, too. Take a picnic to Waterfront Park!
And the snacks! A candy store, a natural food market, a grocery store, and back to those bakeries for more.
This post features some of my favorite local spots—a real mix, with something for everyone!
NOTE: While in most cases I have linked to the restaurant’s website, in Maine, Facebook is by far the most common way eateries communicate with customers about hours, specials and events. Most places don’t require reservations, and the dress code is always casual, but call ahead to confirm.
The Bath Farmer’s Market takes place Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon at Waterfront Park on the Kennebec River. On Saturday morning’s walking tour, I can lead you through all the vendors’ stalls (and you’ll have time to shop after the tour)! Participants are always surprised to see “what’s fresh” in Maine. Our season starts and ends later than you might expect.
Breakfast
BREAKFAST (pictured above) Grab your morning or afternoon smoothie at bakery Cafe Creme (upper left), a stalwart in the heart of downtown on the corner of Front and Centre. I survived on these when we moved to Maine and were renting an Airbnb for a few weeks with no kitchen. It’s also my go-to bakery for comfort foods like quiche, scones and muffins. Solo Pane (middle), an Italian bakery, offers Instagram-worthy baked goods for any time of day, as well as pizza, sandwiches and gelato. The Bath Farmer’s Market (right) takes place Saturday mornings at Waterfront Park on the Kennebec River; you can get Chase Farm’s cider donuts and a variety of other only-in-Maine prepared foods and freshly harvested treats.
Lunch
LUNCH (pictured above) I myself am more of a savory (versus sweet) girl, so lunch is my jam. Featured above (left) are sandwiches from Solo Pane. I devoured the crab roll and crab reuben (middle) at Winnegance Store, just a little outside of Bath; these are just two of the highlights at this renovated general store cafe, where everything on the menu is seafood with a twist! OystHERS (pictured right) on the Kennebec River in downtown Bath is run by sisters whose lobsterman father inspired them to launch their own oyster farm, which led to the popular oyster and bubbly bar. This picturesque spot is great for group tours and the staff can even teach you how to shuck! 🦪🦪🦪
Dinner
DINNER (pictured above) All of the photos above are from JR Maxwell’s, what I would describe as an old-school, crowd pleasing, classic dining experience with friendly service, a stunning bar and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out on Front Street. With two large connected rooms, it is great for group tours. History lovers will enjoy the original artifacts and nautical pieces decorating the space. In the 19th century, the building was home to the Elliot House Hotel, and one can easily imagine the shipbuilders, investors, customs officers, sea captains and cargo agents mixing and mingling over whisky and cider and ships’ manifests and ledgers, making deals and stuffing themselves with bacon wrapped scallops. Today, after most other restaurants close, the downstairs Boatbuilder’s Pub stays open late Bath Iron Works' shipbuilders, other locals, and you, too!
Other dinner options abound, pictured from left to right above: the cozy Byrne’s Irish Pub, where you are most likely to find Navy personnel taking a break from training on the new destroyers under construction at Bath Iron Works; fine dining and cocktails at Linden + Front in Bath, just across from the linden trees that line Library Park; and a little out of town, in Georgetown, The Osprey restaurant overlooks Riggs Cove and Robinhood Marina. Yes, I like their margaritas, but I also love their mussels, lobster stew and fried chicken sandwich. Time your reservation to watch the sunset but come back the next day for lunch.
Our flagship Downtown Bath Walking Tour ambles past most of these places—a perfect way to take a casual, quick peek before deciding where eat after the tour. And, of course, I am always happy to offer my recommendations tailored to exactly what you are craving!
