Arborvine Restaurant in Blue Hill, Maine

Arborvine sits in a restored farmhouse just outside Ellsworth, where the kitchen sources local ingredients and builds dishes around them. You'll find couples on dates, families marking occasions, and travelers who've heard the buzz from Bar Harbor. The room splits between an intimate indoor space and a glass-enclosed patio lit up at night, both packed with care.

• Smoked salmon, beef medallions, scallops seared to order.
• Carrot and cauliflower purees that outshine the mains.
• Glass patio with plants and lights at night.
• Staff attentive and knowledgeable about dietary needs.

Start with the smoked salmon or baked brie. The oysters come with a chive mignonette slushy that pushes the flavors around. For mains, the beef medallions over scalloped potatoes and the roasted halibut both anchor the menu, but the scallop and lobster pappardelle has left people speechless. The carrot puree and cauliflower puree are sides you'll think about after you leave. End with the blueberry cobbler and homemade ice cream, or the Grand Marnier mousse if plating matters to you.

The indoor dining area is cozy and intimate, with wood and soft light. The glass-enclosed patio is the standout: heated, walled with plants and lit strings, it reads like a greenhouse room where you can actually eat.

Service is the kind that knows the menu cold and catches your empty glass before you ask. The wine list runs deep. This is the place people fly to Maine for, then tell everyone about for years after.

Guests describe meals here as life-changing. One recent visitor called it the best meal they'd had anywhere, full stop. People praise the staff for catching dietary needs without fuss, and the kitchen for making every plate look and taste deliberate. The patio at night seems to be the thing that stays with people longest.