Reviews for Central Provisions in Portland, ME

While not my preferred type of brunch (which would be more traditional with pancakes/waffles), Central Provisions' more eclectic... options were fun and tasty. There was a great variety of drinks and my mimosa was solid. In terms of food, the beet salad wasrefreshing and the popover was delicious. It was very busy when we visited and I'd highly recommend making reservations. Read more

Amazing shareable plates restaurant that accommodates walk ins. The summer succotash was delicious. The burger was cooked... perfectly, one of the more filling dishes. The beet salad was good. The duck pasta dish was superb. The cauliflower melts inyour mouth. Wide array of drinks available. Close to most of the hotels in downtown so you can walk or park at the parkinggarage across the street. Read more

This was the meal of the trip! If I could give it more than five stars, I would. We ordered eight things: pics of everything and... our bill (so you can see what we ordered) are included. The service is operating at a whole other level of "wow," and the foodis out of this world! Definitely make a reservation and, if you can, request/sit at the counter that overlooks the open kitchen.Chef Chris is a gem and this place is outstanding in every possible way. Go hungry, leave full and happy! Alcohol-free optionsincluded several "temperance drinks." I had one that featured red bell pepper that was fancy AF. ???? Read more

This is my favorite restaurant that I've been to. Ate here recently for the fourth time. One caveat is that since COVID they... have started taking reservations whereas previously they were first come, first serve. The downside is you can't get areservation for more than six people unless you opt for a $100 per person tasting menu. Since there were eight of us we made tworeservations which was fine. The atmosphere is great. It's a small, busy space and they tend to play '90s hip hop (definitelynot a bad thing). The food here is absolutely incredible. The tuna tartare with caviar is probably the best thing I've evereaten. All the dishes have a ton of flavor and the menu has lots of options. One minor quibble is that we had a latereservation (9:45) and towards the end we felt a bit rushed. Last call for food and drink came fairly early. But the quality ofthe food more than makes up for it. Read more

We were able to walk in and sit at the counter. Our waitress was great and it was a cool space. The food was good but tended... to be over salted for my wife's and my taste. Really enjoyed the bone marrow toast, cocktails we're good too. Read more

This was one of those rare meals where there was consistency from the first bite to the last! While there was no rhyme or... reason to my dishes (Uni, bread, Spanish salad, cheese) or drinks (Manhattan, Slovakian wine, Pinky Pink wine, dessert wine),everything just paired well and tasted great. I have no hesitation recommending Central Provisions, and can’t wait for myreturn visit! Read more

Small plate Tapas and good energy. Starting my quick Portland Maine restaurant hop here. Sitting at the chefs counter with an... entertaining look at all the food being prepared. Ordered a “Peeper” local Maine Brewing Company beer (light and crisp $8)Which I paired with my first plate: “Spicy Beef Salad” (photo). This raw dish, was favorite of the night. Definitely a goodslice combined with what I would call a Thai style peanut, great cilantro and spicy taste. Delightful!! ($16) I followed thatwith the Amaranth Crusted Scallops ($25) which was served atop a creamy coleslaw and included four medium sized scallops whichI’d rate a 4 out of 5 after having the beef. I was told to get there early (even on a Tuesday night) which I did. It wasdefinitely full when I left an hour later. Read more

I went in with some reservations, the people who highly recommended Central Provisions to us have different food tastes, but... some of the items on the menu sounded appealing. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised, but Central Provisions is just on my listof, would go back to, versus will wait two hours to get into. The cauliflower was the big winner for me, great balance offlavors there. I will admit to not ordering any meat dishes, other than the crudo special, but they looked intriguing and fromour seats at the Chefs counter we saw almost every dish being prepared and plated. Read more