Category Archives: Life in Maine: Your Mount Desert Island Vacation Guide

Your more restful, less stressful Mount Desert Island Vacation Guide

How life in Maine is meant to be

Each year, over a million visitors come to Mount Desert Island. They arrive by ferry, by cruise ship, by car or by plane.

During the peak tourist season, everyone is asking the same questions, all at the same time:

As my guest, I provide you with the insider tips which will make your visit more restful, and less stressful.  I will help you avoid the crowds, and find the hidden gems no one else knows about.

If you find a job you love, keep your job!And most days, you’ll find me at the Front Desk of the Bar Harbor Inn, at the end of Newport Drive.  Please stop by if you can.

I am SO glad you chose to spend your vacation in Maine this year!  Welcome to Mount Desert Island.

Welcome to Life in Maine.

Sincerely, David Faris

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Dining on Mount Desert Island: What’s open (updated for 2021)

Dining in Bar Harbor in the spring and summer can feel like a game of musical chairs. The music stops. The stomach growls. And everyone rushes to find a place to eat.

To skip the introduction and find your next Mount Desert Island restaurant immediately, click on one of the categories below:

Breakfast ~ Lunch ~ Dinner

Not all the restaurants listed on the internet or in print are open. So I drive around the island, to make sure every restaurant I list is open... and find new treasures!
Finding a table at a restaurant at lunch time can be challenging, especially in Bar Harbor

Sometimes too many people try to “sit” at a particular restaurant at the same time. When this happens, you have to wait in line. “Hangry” tempers flare. Children scream… and you may not get to sit down until the mealtime is over.

And it is SO frustrating to make your way to a restaurant listed on the internet or in a travel guide… only to find out it closed.

Truly, the “game” of finding a place to eat on the Island is certainly a challenge.

With my own eyes, verified

As we slowly emerge from the COVID-19 age, not all the restaurants listed on the internet, or in the travel guides, are open. So to provide you a list of all the dining options on Mount Desert Island, I regularly drive around the island, to personally make sure “with my own eyes” that every restaurant listed on this website is open.

In addition, some websites and brochures list closed restaurants. Others list only the restaurants who pay advertising fees. As a result, hungry travelers fill certain restaurants and neglect others just a few hundred yards behind them.

Our website allows you to know every restaurant in Bar Harbor and on Mount Desert Island available to you: the newcomers as well as the old standbys.

To list them here at MaineStreams.com, we only ask two things of them:

  • they must be open for the season, and
  • they must have at least seven tables available for seating

This way, you can make the best choice possible when your family is ready to eat.

Dining is better on “The Quiet Side”

The best suggestion we can give you for finding a great place to eat on Mount Desert Island is to head to the “quiet side” of the Island. As of this year, we now list all the restaurants on the Quiet side on our website.

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What’s for Dinner in 2021 on Mount Desert Island?

Breakfast ~ Lunch ~ Dinner

Most of the restaurants open for lunch also serve the last meal of the day. On a day when cruise ships invade the bay, if you weren’t able to find a table among the crowds for lunch at your favorite island restaurant, you’ll be more likely to to find one during dinner.

There’s something about sitting down for a meal outside on a perfect night, and watching the sun set. Surrounded by family, or with your best friend, the time you spend together around the table will linger in your memory for years.

Only the dinner restaurants which open after 3:00 PM are listed below. For additional ideas of where to eat, please look at our Lunch Restaurant list.

Although lobster dinner is very popular on the Island, the restaurants in Bar Harbor also serve amazing steak dinners.

The restaurants listed below are open for dinner. As a result, you will experience several advantages to the other restaurants.

First of all, they are still open as the cruise ships have taken up the last of their passengers, ready to pull up the anchor and set out for the open sea.

Likewise, as with all the other restaurants which open after the cruise ships have “pulled anchor”, the dining area will typically be more relaxed. In addition, the servers and cooks will have more time to make sure that everything is as perfect as possible. Finally, the stroll back to your lodging in the night air will be more pleasant.

Note: The names of each restaurant listed below is linked to its website. And if you have a cellphone, you can click on their phone number to give them a call. This will easily allow you to be sure their schedule hasn’t changed, or to make a reservation when possible.

Reading Room @The Bar Harbor Inn (0.1 mi) DI *****
1 Newport Drive, Bar Harbor 288-3351
Delectable local Maine cuisine and attentive service are surpassed only by the magnificent panoramic ocean views of Frenchman Bay. Reservations highly recommended for dinner.
Open Daily 7:00 AM to 10:30 AM for breakfast, and 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM for dinner

La Bella Vita @ the Harborside Hotel (0.3 mi) DI DO ****
55 West Street, Bar Harbor 288-5033
La Bella Vita celebrates passion for the good life and good food. They use only the freshest ingredients to prepare wonderfully flavorful dishes only Italians can make
Open Daily 7:00 AM to 10:00 AM

Veranda @ The Balance Rock Inn (0.3 mi) DI ****
21 Albert Meadow, Bar Harbor 288-9900
As a rule, everything is made on-site, short of grinding grain or pressing oil. This uncompromising approach results in weekly menu changes, as well as being able to accommodate special requests.
Open Daily 05:30 PM to 10:00 PM

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What’s for lunch on Mount Desert Island?

Lunch time is a great time to sit, laugh and catch up with friends!

Lunch time is more than a meal. It’s also a great time to sit, laugh and catch up with friends! Lunch is the meal you’re most likely to enjoy here in town, if you arrived here on a cruise ship. Because of this, we want to be sure that you know all the options available to you.

To help you make the most of your time ashore before you have to get back aboard, we have listed the lunch restaurants of Mount Desert Island in the order of their distance from the Bar Harbor Pier. As a result, you will be able to find another restaurant quickly in case the one you chose seems too busy to serve you.

Breakfast ~ Lunch ~ Dinner

Likewise, as with all the restaurant pages on our website, we include every restaurant open for lunch that we know about. We try to remain upbeat and honest about what each restaurant has to offer. In addition, we strive to be the unbiased, helpful website which objectively shares with you what’s available.

Note: The names of each restaurant listed below is linked to its website. And if you have a cellphone, you can click on their phone number to give them a call. This will easily allow you to be sure their schedule hasn’t changed, or to make a reservation when possible.

Fish House Grill (0.0 mi) DI DO ****
1 West Street, Bar Harbor 288-3070
A favorite seafood restaurant among tourists and locals, who love admiring the view from the dock at sundown. Their kids’ menu features meals to please even the pickiest eaters.
Open Daily 12:00 PM to 08:00 PM, Weather Permitting

Terrace Grille @The Bar Harbor Inn (0.1 mi) DI DO *****
1 Newport Drive, Bar Harbor 288-3351
The perfect casual dining spot to experience a picturesque lunch or dinner under their yellow umbrellas
Open Daily 11:30 AM to Dusk, Weather Permitting

Paddy’s Irish Pub @ The West Street Hotel (0.1 mi) DI DO *****
50 West Street, Bar Harbor 801-3786
Paddy’s showcases Irish-American cuisine in a spectacular waterfront setting where you can always find good food, good friends and good music.
Open Daily 11:00 AM to 01:00 AM

Galyn’s Galley (0.1 mi) DI DO *****
17 Main Street, Bar Harbor 288-9706
Gayln’s serves fresh seafood and the very best Vegetarian menu in town. They firmly believe in providing local fare with attentive service.
Open Daily 11:00 AM to 09:30 PM

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