Name: Twelve
Address: 115 Thames St, Portland, ME 04101, United States, Portland
Telephone: +12079107400

At a glance

#21 of 94 Restaurants in Portland

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.68

4,074.1 km from the center of Portland

Rating breakdown

5 ★86%
4 ★6%
3 ★6%
2 ★1%
1 ★2%

115 Thames St, Portland, ME 04101, United States

twelvemaine.com

+1 207-910-7400

Quick facts

What is the rating of Twelve?: Twelve is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 189 reviews.
How does Twelve rank in Portland?: Twelve is #21 of 94 Restaurants in Portland by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is Twelve located?: 115 Thames St, Portland, ME 04101, United States — 4,074.1 km from the center of Portland.
How can I contact Twelve?: Phone: +1 207-910-7400 · Website: twelvemaine.com

Reviews (8)

Lori B. 2023 Sep 23

You are made to feel like you're the most important person in the room when you're there. Such great artful, delicious food. We enjoyed the whole experience.

Samreena A 2023 Sep 08

We stumbled here without planning and they happened to have a patio seat for us. The ambiance and the service is amazing. The food didn’t impress as much, perhaps it was a bad day. I loved eleven and per se and given this place has ties to both, I think it deserves one more try.

Zachary Dennett 2023 Aug 27

Jenn, the bartend/ sommelier, deserves 7 stars at least. The rum cocktail, which was apparently new on the menu that night, hit the perfect balance across every dimension possible. The port paired with the tasting menu dessert now sits near the top of best ports I’ve ever had. And, the wines in between the cocktails and port also hit the mark.

The chef flirted with brilliance a couple of times and overall delivered a generally enjoyable dinner.

Starting with the best: the chef hit a home run with the “Tomato, Tonnato” appetizer. If it’s on the menu, everyone should order it.

The chef also delighted us with the dinner roles. It feels a bit strange to be singing the praise of a piece or bread. But, after you try it, you’ll agree.

On the rest of the tasting menu, the charred cucumber had a nice fresh taste but was not particularly remarkable. The bluefin tuna was good but seemed a bit plain - it could have used some flourish. We’d very much recommend the Strip Steak which was from a local farm and praiseworthy. The swordfish my wife liked a lot. I thought it was good but not up to the standards you’d expect at a restaurant like twelve.

Cam Peden 2023 Aug 05

Twelve is an experience of culinary excellence. Beginning the moment you walk in the doors and experience their first class service. The chefs menu is exquisite and has the perfect pairings from a drink perspective. If you're lucky you'll get a reservation, if you're blessed you'll get Andruw as your server. At the end of the day the entire staff is phenomenal. Which in my humble opinion is what takes the restaurant from a ten out of ten to a Twelve.

Well done to the entire team. 👏

Allan Robison 2023 Jul 02

Twelve is a high-end restaurant where you go for a culinary experience rather than for a particular dish or cuisine. There is an open kitchen. Each dish is filled with unique pairings of seasoning and complimentary ingredients. The restaurant was reasonably priced considering the experience you will receive. You will need to make advanced reservations. We managed to get seats at the bar. They offer a full menu at the bar. There are plenty of vegan options as well.

Maria Emma del Toro 2023 Jun 29

Sit at the chefs table for unparalleled views into this culinary master class! The pre fixe menu is worth every penny (and yes, so is that pesky upcharge for the flaky buttery lobster roll appetizer - promise!) The cod was perfectly silky and served in a luscious carrot bisque, and the dessert options were incredibly difficult to choose from. The rhubarb and buttermilk ice cream were a perfect finish without being overly sweet. The staff was attentive, but most of all very gracious and accommodating around dietary restrictions. The mocktails here are delicious for those among us who are teetotalers or simply unable to indulge at the moment :-) This restaurant is a must for anyone on the Portland foodie pilgrimage.

Sandy Summer 2023 Jun 18

My wife and I sat at the chef’s counter. We were greeted by our waiter who explained the menus to us. It was Portland wine week and they had a perfectly paired wine menu for each menu item offered as well as the prix fixe and a La carte menus. We were staying in Ogunquit and I had to drive back, so I didn’t order the wine parings but, I really wanted it. My wife ordered a glass of Andre Clouet Brut Nature Champagne which was very good and a second glass later as well. We both had the Charred Cucumber with sesame and green garlic as an amuse bouche. I normally can take or leave cucumber but this was an outstanding start to our meal. We ordered the Cured Halibut with Green almond, sorrel and horseradish. I am not a fan of halibut but, this uncooked cured version was so tender and balanced I loved it. This shows the true greatness of the combined talent in this kitchen. To get me to absolutely love things I don’t like. We then received the Grilled Asparagus which was cooked on a Japanese Binchotan Grill, with a Ramp sauce Gribiche, croutons and smoked trout roe. The asparagus were slightly Smokey and tender, salt from the roe, creaminess from the egg yolks in the sauce. Once again, spectacular. We added on the Lobster Roll as an appetizer. The roll was the best croissant so flaky and buttery and the lobster claw meat must have been Sous vide with butter with a touch of chives. This lobster was perfectly cooked. The only other time I had lobster cooked this perfect was at EVO a sister restaurant to Twelve. The Parker House Rolls came with a smoked pecan butter, fried shallot and pepper jelly to share, for our main course we ordered the Atlantic Cod which came with a carrot bisque, Jonah crab and fennel, and the Chicken which came as a thigh with sunflower seed crust, tender and juicy breast with Hakurei Turnip, sunflower seed and herb sauce, and chicken jus. For dessert we ordered the Roasted Rhubarb with buttermilk ice cream and crispy sourdough bread crumb and the Chocolate Sundae which had a super rich chocolate ice cream that was so creamy with not a single hint of ice crystals, sweet miso caramel and slightly bitter Urfa Pepper. The flavors, balance and textures of every dish was amazing. I can not compliment them enough. The talent list and resumes at this restaurant are simply amazing. Learning from Daniel Boulud, Thomas Keller, Daniel Humm, and Sean Brock to name a few. You need to try this restaurant! Thank you to the staff. We will be back.

Jerron St. Armand 2023 Apr 14

We were seated at the Chef's table which was quite a great experience, and I recommend everyone trying it, especially good for parties of 2. Watching the Chef's work together is something I've never seen before, and its nothing like Hell's Kitchen, there is no yelling, or stress by them. They work as a team and deliver a great meal.

The service was fantastic, and the food was even better. Everything is carefully explained to you, and more details provided if you asked. Each course was delicious in its own way, and we left full with even some leftovers to take home. Would revisit every time we are in Portland.