Project Social Kitchen & Bar in Bar Harbor, Maine

Project Social Kitchen & Bar is a small-plates operation that swings between inventive tapas, crêpes, and cocktails that actually justify their price tag. You'll see couples lingering over drinks, families hitting brunch, and locals who've claimed favorite corners. The space splits between a cozy dining room and a bar side with garden seating, though service can be uneven depending on where you land.

• Pork belly over crispy polenta is nearly universally praised.
• Craft cocktails that rival NYC and Paris bars.
• Crab cakes and lobster crêpe stand out for seafood.
• Thoughtful plating and globally-inspired tapas menu.

Start with the crab cakes if they're available, or go for the beef skewers with chili-peanut sauce. The lobster crêpe (with pancetta and butternut squash) is a signature move. Pork belly over crispy polenta cake is worth stretching the budget for. The butternut squash soup arrives almost too pretty to eat. Finish with an affogato.

Rustic-chic dining room on one side, a breezier bar and garden area on the other. The outside seating is particularly charming, though noise levels rise quickly once it fills up.

You're looking at $13-16 cocktails and small plates designed to be shared or stacked into a full meal. The kitchen sends things out on a thoughtful pace so you're not drowning in food all at once. Expect to spend real money, but guests consistently say it lands. Timing matters though. Hitting the main dining side gets you attentive service. The bar side, less so.

Guests rave about the globally-inspired dishes, the thoughtful coursing, and staff who anticipate needs like blankets on cool nights. One recent visitor called the pork belly "melt-in-your-mouth richness" and the cocktails "worthy of any NYC bar scene." The main caveat: service in the bar area can lag significantly, leaving some tables without water or attention.