Best of Portland, Maine | 2023 Summer Travel Guide

With an eye on what’s new for 2023, Yankee’s editors round up the best attractions, eateries, and hotels in Portland, Maine. For more of our Maine picks, check our comprehensive Best of Maine 2023 guide.

Editors’ Picks: Best Things to Do in Portland in 2023

Bakery, Sweets | Norimoto, Portland

When Martha Stewart visited here last fall, she became the latest to fall under a spell that baker Atsuko Fujimoto has been weaving in Portland for almost 20 years. Japanese and European flavors intertwine in things like green tea macarons and azuki–black sesame rolls with matcha powder, while the croissants and other sweet standbys are exemplars of their forms.

Cocktail Spot | The Jewel Box, Portland

A James Beard Award semifinalist two years running, the Jewel Box has earned national cred—but its feel is 100 percent local haunt. It’s the perfect spot for a girls’ night out or an evening chatting with fellow cocktail connoisseurs, who come for owner Nathaniel Meiklejohn’s ever-changing menu of drinks with names (Venus as a Boy, Mother of Dragons) as intriguing as their ingredients (Greek mastic liqueur, leather bitters).

Downtown Stay | The Press Hotel, Portland

Just a quick stroll from the city’s beating heart, the Old Port, the Press Hotel is an ideal base for urban explorers. Opened in 2015 in an Art Deco–era building that once housed the Portland Press Herald, the property offers 110 rooms outfitted with oversize HD TVs, Frette bed linens, and Maine artwork; at the top is a splurge-worthy penthouse suite with a private rooftop patio overlooking the waterfront, the harbor and islands, and the ocean beyond.

Gourmet Excursion | Wine Wise, Portland

Book one of these two-hour sailing tours, and sommelier and Wine Wise owner Erica Archer will help you navigate the fruits of various vineyards—Spanish, French, Californian, woman-owned, etc.—while the captain and crew of a replica 1800s schooner steer you around the beautiful waters of Casco Bay. All that’s left for you to do is sit back with glass in hand and gourmet nibbles at your side, and drink it all in.

Local Market | Rosemont Market & Bakery,multiple locations

Whether planning a picnic, stocking an Airbnb, or just looking for a quick bite, travelers should stop into one of Rosemont’s seven Greater Portland locations for a hit of Maine flavor. Breads and to-go foods come from the market’s own kitchen, while Pine Tree State growers and suppliers account for more than 60 percent of what stocks the shelves and cases, including seafood from Portland’s own Harbor Fish Market.

Vietnamese Restaurant | Cong Tu Bot, Portland

Acclaimed right from its launch in 2017, Cong Tu Bot is a familiar name to Portland foodies—as is the name of co-owner Vien Dobui, a perennial contender for Best Chef Northeast in the years that followed. But this ever-changing Vietnamese eatery is again ripe for rediscovery, having reopened last fall with a new concept and menu that skews more tavern than noodle shop (although some favorite dishes from the latter, such as the coffee-and-caramel flavor-bomb kem flan, still remain).

Check out our full 2023 Best of New England Summer Travel Guide to find our current editors’ picks in all six New England states.