The Osprey

The Osprey sits right on the water in Boothbay Harbor, slinging cocktails and seafood with obvious care. The kitchen wants to please, they'll work around dietary issues, the owner works the room, but the place has an uneven track record. Some nights the mussels sing and the service sparkles. Other nights you leave hungry for what you paid.

• Waterfront deck with osprey views (bugs are real though)
• Thoughtful cocktails and hand-crafted small plates
• Kitchen accommodates food sensitivities readily
• Owner presence; attentive, friendly service staff

Start with the mussels if they're on. The kale and mushroom appetizer with cashew cream is worth trying. Clam chowder has fans who swear it's the best around. The halibut shows up often on the menu, though portion sizes seem to vary wildly. Cocktails are expertly thought out, not an afterthought.

Breezy deck seating with water views; lively but manageable noise. Inside is quieter and bug-free.

It's the kind of place where the owner might seat you and chat while taking your drink order, where the staff knows what they're doing. When the kitchen hits, dishes like kale and exotic mushrooms in cashew cream or house-made clam chowder feel worth the trip. When it misses, a $42 entree might be five bites of halibut and not much else.

Guests praise the hand-crafted cocktails and attentive service. The kale and mushroom dish earns raves, as does the clam chowder. But some diners feel shortchanged by portion sizes given the price point. One recent visitor called the service "on point" and the kitchen "willing and able to accommodate."