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Bresca

111 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101-4104
207-772-1004
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Ranked #24 of 484 restaurants in Portland
Price range: S$39 - S$63
Cuisines: Italian
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Restaurant details
Good for: Romantic, Local cuisine
Dining options: Dinner, Reservations
Dining style: Casual Elegant
Cross street: Franklin
Description: bresca opened in February of 2007 in the historic district of Portland, Maine. The dining room provides an intimate 18 seat restaurant setting in which to enjoy the relaxed yet refined cuisine of chef proprietor Krista Kern Desjarlais. The menu is designed to be small to take advantage of what each season has to offer and preparations with an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. The wine list features many selections from California, Austria, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. We feature many bottles with lesser-known varietals from smaller producers creating an eclectic and accessible list to complement the focus of simplicity and flavor in the food. The menu changes daily according to the season and the mood of the cook.
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70 reviews from our community

85% Recommend
    51
    9
    6
    4
    0
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
Bradford, United Kingdom
Senior Reviewer
9 reviews 9 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2013 NEW

or you won't get a table for lunch. It's a fabulous jewel of a restaurant. The sunchoke soup was so good I would have dived in if the bowl had been a bit bigger: it's right up there with their fabled shaved Brussels sprout salad. Me and my two companions pretty well covered the whole admittedly short menu but all... More

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See 2 more reviews by franmw for Portland
Maine
Senior Contributor
22 reviews 22 reviews
18 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 May 2013

Finally got to Bresca! My husband and I ate lunch here today and it was wonderful. It has a very limited menu, but the food was fresh and expertly prepared. I had read many reviews about the shaved Brussels sprout salad, so we felt compelled to try it. I can't say I loved it and would probably not get it... More

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See 3 more reviews by MaineMOM2 for Portland
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Top Contributor
57 reviews 57 reviews
49 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 19 April 2013

A friend recommended Bresca & I walked by a couple of times & kind of kept walking, but figured I would give it a try. So stopped in for lunch. It's a small but so comfortable spot. A bar with 4 seats & maybe 6 tables. The owner is also the chef & clearly this woman takes such pride in... More

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See 7 more reviews by Paula B for Portland
Portland, Maine
Top Contributor
179 reviews 179 reviews
161 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 21 cities Reviews in 21 cities
100 helpful votes 100 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 March 2013

Otherwise I'll never get in. OK, the secret is out. Anyone with a brain - sorry, stomach - knows that Bresca is one of the (deservedly) top restaurants in a town full of fabulous eating. And now that they're open for lunch - Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and (I believe) Saturday - is just icing on the cake. Besides delicious cake...eh,... More

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See 79 more reviews by theghostwriter for Portland
Lyman, Maine
Senior Contributor
39 reviews 39 reviews
35 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
19 helpful votes 19 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 March 2013

Knowing that Bresca served one of the most memorable meals in my life, I was hesitant to eat lunch there. Why run the risk of diminishing the memory for a luncheon meal? I have to admit that I was concerned on reading the menu when I arrived. Pork meatball sandwich? Hamburger? I should have had more faith in the owner/chef... More

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See 8 more reviews by Zeebart for Portland
Portland, Maine
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
18 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
6 helpful votes 6 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 March 2013

This restaurant just started serving lunch several days a week and is a real must to visit if you like tasty food. The deserts are wonderful. The prices are moderate for such delicious fare. It is some place to go for a delicious leisurely meal.

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See 7 more reviews by vacation023 for Portland
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
6 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 March 2013 via mobile

A sweet restaurant that has a small menu with fresh big tastes. A great place to have a business lunch or to meet a friend and enjoy a long and leisurely meal.

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See 2 more reviews by cohemm166 for Portland
San Francisco, California
Top Contributor
84 reviews 84 reviews
22 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 52 cities Reviews in 52 cities
75 helpful votes 75 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 14 February 2013

We stumbled on this restaurant which feels like a Parision Bistro. Best food in Portland says a longtime Portlandite. I was on my way to Duck Fat, but very happy to discover this jewel.

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See 3 more reviews by Adlai for Portland
Newton, Massachusetts
Senior Contributor
38 reviews 38 reviews
26 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 14 cities Reviews in 14 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 February 2013

This fine restaurant on Middle Street in Portland Maine was recommended to us by friends and we will be forever grateful to them. This place is small in terms of dining space (capacity under 20 seats) but the food is home cooked and locally grown and done with both pride and perfection. The staff of two servers are very earnest... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 2 more reviews by BobofNewtn for Portland
Maine
Senior Reviewer
7 reviews 7 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 4 cities Reviews in 4 cities
4 helpful votes 4 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 12 December 2012

A small restaurant with exquisite food. A wonderful dining experience! The chef is highly regarded in Portland and in the Food industry. Menu is carefully selected and draws on local foods. When we had the opportunity to go out to dinner with a highly regarded in the area, this was his first choice. Have to seek it out, it isn't... More

Was this review helpful? Yes 1
See 2 more reviews by MaineDebbie for Portland

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