Reading Room Restaurant in Bar Harbor, Maine

Reading Room sits right at the Bar Harbor Inn, where you'll find a proper steakhouse menu anchored by lobster, crab, and dry-aged beef. The crowd skews special-occasion: anniversaries, celebratory dinners, people who've made the reservation weeks in advance. Live piano most nights, a sommelier who knows the wine list, and large windows that frame Frenchman Bay.

• Filet mignon rivals what you'd find in Boston.
• Fresh oysters and lobster sourced daily.
• Live piano music most evenings.
• Water views from nearly every seat.

The filet mignon is the standout. Order it with the Land & Sea (filet plus lobster tail) if you want to cover both sides of the menu. The crab cake appetizer is a strong start. If it's on the menu, ask about the rack of lamb. Blueberry pie or the mocha espresso cake finish the meal well. Fresh oysters from the raw bar are worth a few plates.

Elegant and calm, with dark wood and candlelit tables. The live piano plays softly enough that you can hear your table, loud enough to fill the room without silence. Expect a mix of couples and small groups dressed up.

This is a place where the chef himself sometimes greets tables on big nights. It's not casual, but it doesn't feel pretentious either. Steaks and fresh seafood are the thing. Sides like green beans are seasoned with care. Desserts (mocha espresso cake, blueberry pie) land cleanly. Come hungry and plan to linger.

Diners rave about the filet mignon and the care taken with every course, from palate cleansers to table settings. The chef's personal touch resonates on special occasions. One recent visitor noted the 'impeccable service from hostess to server.' A few have griped about table location or timing inconsistencies, but most leave talking about the food and the views.