Water Street Kitchen & Bar in Wiscasset, Maine

Water Street Kitchen and Bar sits right on Boothbay Harbor with big windows framing the water. The kitchen handles seafood seriously, lobster, oysters, and scallops appear often on plates, but they're not a one-trick outfit. You'll find locals and visitors mixing here, especially at sunset, and the room reads more elegant than stuffy. Expect to pay for the view and the care put into each dish.

• Sunset views across the harbor from every table
• Crispy salmon and bacon-wrapped scallops done well
• Fresh oysters and lobster sourced seriously
• Waitstaff unhurried and genuinely attentive

Start with oysters if they're fresh that day, then consider the crispy salmon with potatoes and a touch of lobster on the side. The bacon-wrapped scallops are the real standout. Steamers come without toast points, so order those separately if you want them. Don't skip dessert, key lime pie and cinnamon bun cake both earn the hype. The Violet (a house cocktail) pairs well with the meal.

Relaxed and refined. Floor-to-ceiling views of the water dominate the room, and the music stays low enough for conversation. It fills up at dinner but doesn't feel rushed or loud.

The kitchen leans classical. Crispy salmon skin, mussels, pasta, bacon-wrapped scallops, and fresh oysters rotate through the menu depending on the season. One recent visitor noted the dishes skew slightly salty, and portions run modest for the price. But folks keep coming back for the quality of what lands on the plate and the professional attention from staff like Kiki, who apparently has strong opinions about dessert.

Guests consistently praise the harbor view and the caliber of the seafood. One recent visitor called it "warm, welcoming and romantic," and another noted that everything from oysters to pasta landed well. The price tag draws comments, but most agree it's worth it for a special meal.