Reviews for Reading Room Restaurant in Bar Harbor, ME

Food was wonderful. Disappointed to realize since we did not stay at the hotel, our seats were less than ideal even though spots... were available.. Even still, chair placement made it uncomfortable for passers by so hoping they figure that easy observationout for future patrons. Definia place where they had an air of not needing to prove their worth. Early October in Bar Harbor sodisappointed that the fireplace near us was not lit either as that would have been a viable alternative for lesser atmosphere.Waitress was not very engaging bordrring on monotone when we asked about menu items. Most experiences around the harbor were thecomplete opposite. View can be spectacular which was the reason we booked a reservation. Since we did not stay, they told usupfront preferred seating was not guaranteed, so be aware! Attire in the restaurant varied widely, so don't stress. You are onvacation!! Some appetizers are very unique but worth trying for the experience. Namely, pickled watermelon. Strange butmemorable in a good way if your palate wants to try something new. Read more

We ate here our first night in Bar Harbor. It was also our anniversary. Whether you just want a nice dinner or something... special, the atmosphere is beautiful and the food was some of the best we had in town. And honestly, very reasonable priced forsteakhouse type of cuisine. Best lobster bisque we found. Read more

If you want "fancy" dining with a palate cleansing between courses this place is for you. If you still want to be hungry after a... drink, app and meal, you may pick somewhere else. It tasted good but not really worth the almost 200 bucks it costs to eat here.The lobster dinner was so chewy my husband and I were worried we might choke. It was okay. Read more

I had a 3 course meal at the Reading Room (Lobster Bisque, Filet Mignon, and Blueberry Pie), as well as a delicious cocktail and... some wine pairings for the main course and dessert. I strongly recommend all 3 courses, and the wine pairings are expertlypicked. I have a hard time finding a part of the experience that wasn't a 10/10. Aside from the food, the attention to littledetails are what you'd expect of a restaurant of this caliber. Water refilled when halfway down, complementary pallet cleansersbetween appetizer and entree, and the presentation of both dish and drink were exquisite. Suzy did a remarkable job as mywaitress, and paid attention to every detail to make my dining experience as desirable as possible. Oh, and of course the viewstraight into the harbor can't be beat. I've yet to dine in a restaurant in New England that does. I don't know why you'd dineanywhere else for fine cuisine in Bar Harbor...nothing compares. Read more

8/8/2022 This review is for the Oasis Club Lounge that is attached to Reading Room Restaurant. I ordered the shrimp cocktail... and crab cake. You get 4 pieces of shrimp for $17 FOUR PIECES OF SHRIMP. The crab cake was fair to say the least, kind of sadhonestly being right by the water. There was NO lump crab meat in there and it was $16 come on get it together! On top of thatthe female bar tender needs some classes on service. Not once asked me how my food was so that was unfortunately reflected onher tip. ???????. I DO NOT recommend the Oasis Club Lounge Bar! Get it together Oasis Club Lounge!! Read more

This is a beautiful setting! We had been here about 20 years ago and had a wonderful time. I had ordered my whole lobster... de-shelled and it was probably one of the best lobster I’ve ever had. We were very excited about reliving the experience! Wearrived at 6:14pm for our 6:30 dinner reservations. The Hostess looked at a clock and said, “I’ll seat you in 16 minutes…you can wait in the bar and I’ll come get you from there.” So we went to the bar and ordered a couple of drinks… passingour empty table that was set for us on the way. The drinks hadn’t arrived by the time she came to get us 16-minutes later. Ithought that was really stupid and set a bad tone for the beginning of our meals. Sheree was our server and she checked on ourdrinks, they hadn’t been made yet, so she reordered them and they came out about 10 minutes later. Why they made us wait to beseated at our table, which was ready, was beyond me. Sheree was a very good, friendly and attentive server. The setting and viewwere spectacular! Our food arrived eventually and was ok. My wife’s steak wasn’t worth writing about and my lobster wasprobably the worst I’ve ever had. I couldn’t stomach eating the entire thing. (They did take it off our final check.) I’msure that it was a bad lobster, so not necessarily their fault. Luckily I have eaten 100’s of lobster so I knew better,otherwise I probably wouldn’t ever order lobster again… Anyway.. it was a big let-down after our first experience. :-( Read more

A wonderful experience. Very nicely designed restaurant with panoramic views of the harbor. The hotel is historical and dates... back to the 1800s! The oysters were average. The lobster was the best we’ve had in Maine thus far. The filet texture was off,but edible. The blueberry pie was the cherry on top! Read more

Elegant, classy, and upscale restaurant with a beautiful view of the Bar island. The service, food, and ambience is top notch.... Beautifully decorated restaurant. A feast for the eyes. We came here for breakfast and had a wonderful experience. Ordered theSmoked Atlantic Salmon, 3 Eggs Omelet, and Eggs Your Way. The food was incredibly delicious. If you are in the area check itout! Highly recommend 10/10!! Read more