Breakfast & Brunch
Arabica
2 Free Street map
(207) 879-0792
Portland is a crowded landscape of independent coffee shops. This place stands above the rest with the best coffee in town, a good selection of tea and fantastic toast. Not a huge space, but there are plenty of tables, a couple of comfy chairs and a couch by the window and a bunch of stools surrounding the coffee bar. Arabica is a hot bed of activity on Sunday mornings, with patrons pouring through newspapers hunched over Macbooks and engaging in some sweet chess action.
Becky’s Diner
390 Commercial Street map
(207) 773-7070
www.beckysdiner.com
Probably the most well known breakfast spot in town. It has had some facelifts over the past few years, but the food still has that same diner quality. The wait can be brutal on the weekends, however, it a nice option for the first meal of the day on a weekday.
Bintliff’s American Café
98 Portland Street map
(207) 774-0005
www.bintliffscafe.com
A well spoken but straight forward breakfast and brunch spot.
Five Fifty Five
555 Congress Street map
(207) 761-0555
www.fivefifty-five.com
The Front Room
73 Congress Street map
(207) 773-3366
www.thefrontroomrestaurant.com
A bustling brunch spot on Munjoy Hill. The atmosphere is great and the food is damn good, but be prepared to wait. There is usually a cluster of people huddled around the hostess stand and the wait once you get your food can bring dizzying hunger. In the end, it is well worth it. Try the baked eggs and their home-made brown bread.
Local 188
685 Congress St
(207) 761-7909
www.local188.com
Mismatched mugs + waiters in frilly aprons + mimosas = brunch success. Get the lexibun to start.
Marcy's
47 Oak St map
(207) 774-9713
The perfect amount of grease to zap a hangover. Small, dirty and covered in motorcycle memorabilia. Like I said, perfect.
Mousse Cafe & Bake Shop
1 Monument Way map
(207) 882-9955
Awesome breakfast and brunch spot. Breakfast burritos the size of your head, fresh squezed OJ, enough said.
The Works
15 Temple Street map
(207) 879-2425
A fairly standard bagel shop. Good coffee and decent bagels.