We went there late one night after arriving in Portland and had some beers after finding them through some well-aimed searches on the web. Has a nice, dark, pub-like feel with to it without being dingy or run down. We sat at the bar and had a relatively good bartender who was willing to talk beer in between busy spurts. Some things were more expensive than I would expect, but they also had some things I’d not seen in similar establishments. All-in-all, if I lived in Portland, this’d be a regular hangout.

I finally made it here. After all the talk I guess I expected more. The beer selection was by far the best in Portland. No trashy Shipyards or Sea Dogs (I just puked in my mouth a bit). Smuttynose Strawberry Short Weiss was on tap, one of my favorites. It was not the beer selection that turned me off. It was kind of a dingy atmosphere I did not expect. The bartender was outright rude. I asked what beer had the highest alcohol content (my buddy’s birthday drink) and she rudely responded with"It’s in the menu". Either she did not know or did not care, either way she was rude. Almost on the level of Ebenezer’s Pub and The Lion’s Pride, but not quite.

Établissement visité le jeudi 15 octobre vers 19h. Ambiance: Sous-sol en brique. Longue table à partager. Musique jazz en sourdine. Service: Sympathique et très connaisseur, ouvert aux suggestions. Sélection: 25 fûts et environ 150 bouteilles. Menu très bien fait. (140e rating d’établissement)

Located in the heart of the lively Portland but the place can be a little hard to find. There’s a board on the sidewalk but the pub is not directly on the street. This is truly a beautiful pub with the brick and wood interior and a nice large patio. Medium size and with a little medieval feel to it. Beer selection is simply crazy. This pub goes beyond what’s “supposed” to be available in Maine. 25 taps and not a single turkey. You won’t find Shipyard and other so-so brewery on tap here. About half imports (mostly Belgian) and half American. You are almost certain to find a rarity on tap, for instance I had a pint of Smuttynose Brett and I. Also plenty of timeless classics that we don’t get often enough on tap (Cantillon, etc.). Bottle selection is also very impressive if you don’t mind paying $80 for a Hommage or $60 for a 50ºN-4ºE. Service is beyond knowledgeable, the two dudes that took care of me were both beer geeks. Eclectic music at low-medium level, jazz and stuff, no pop music here. Food is mostly snacks. I had a sandwich and it was good. They have a nice cheese selection. But for a real Meal Novare Res is not the place. And that’s ok with me since the place remains a true pub with a true pub atmosphere. The beer is a little more $ than elsewhere but you get what you pay for. Simply put, one of my favourite beer bar ever.

Hello ! This was the end of my trip in the east coast... And what a surprise !? Lost in the frontier with the canada, I found an incredible place ! Super selection, good staff, nice owner, super large terrase to enjoy the sun of spring... That was really in extatic "point d’orgue" of the crazy tour we had. Go there and try that place ! You won’t regret it.

This beer bar may be a tad expensive, but have you looked at what they have on tap? They are in Maine, yet they had Struise Tsjeeses, Allagash specials (My Brother Daryl and My Other Brother Daryl), Cantillon Iris, one Marshall Wharf strong ale, plus a dozen other great Belgian selections and hundreds of well chosen Belgian and American bottles. When all else there is in town is Sebago and Gritty’s, this stands out as being absolutely satisfying. The terrace is large and secluded (no noise from the street), surrounded by the brick apartment building and laden with Allagash oak barrels. Service was friendly and knowledgeable and the interior rooms appeared very comfortable and convivial. What more can you ask for in a New England beer bar? This bar has a pretty similar tap selection to Ebenezer’s, and a similar bottle list too. Of course, Chris doesn’t work here, so you don’t have access to his amazing cellar. But I can’t really complain when all these quality brews can be had on their wonderful terrace.

Best Bar in Maine by Far! This place is fantastic. The selection is great, the staff for the most part is awesome. The limited menu is very yummy. The bottle collection is ever expanding...they’re up to close to 300 now. The huge deck/patio is great in the summer time. This is THE place for beer in Portland.

Went here around the end of December 08.The place is a little tucked away,we probably would not have found it if we did not see the sign on the main road.Went inside and it was eclectic and different,almost Bohemian like,which I enjoyed.The server was nice and friendly.gave us a beer menu,and had Dogfish Pangea on draft-which was great.Real nice selection-did not eat,the menu looked very small.Nice place though.

Ok this place depends entirely on what level of beer geekiness. It has a nice atmosphere but the music does not fit the vibe. I would have parked in the bank lot instead of the pay lot if they had said so on their website. Good draft selection and good bottle selection, highlighted by Cantillon if you haven’t had em all. If I went here last summer or the summer before I would have been in heaven, for now, its just an ok, place, also price is way above where it should be.

Can’t say enough about this place .Warm, friendly, great selection of brews on tap and the bottle list goes on and on. I ordered one brew and the server didn’t know much about it he tracked down the owner and had him give me a description of it. The only downside is I wish they had some food to go with the fine brews so I could talk the wife into staying for more than a couple brews. It really is dangerous to send them out to all the shops while you sit there and drink. Although you maybe pretty happy when you leave there so It might not matter