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Leeward
Italian
Warm ochre walls, bookshelves stacked with dried flowers, and handmade pasta that regularly lands a James Beard nomination: this cozy Italian restaurant on Free Street is the kind of neighborhood spot that somehow becomes a national conversation. The chef's shapes and sauces pull from whatever local producers are doing well right now, and the wine program is its own reason to linger. Settle in and watch Portland's Arts District do its thing out the window.
Nine honors, in evidence:
The record strongest first
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Nominee · Best New Restaurant
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northeast · Jake Stevens
- Wine Enthusiast Forward 50 Restaurants
- The New York Times The Restaurant List
- Condé Nast Traveler 15 Best Restaurants in Portland, Maine
- Portland Press Herald Best 75 places to eat and drink in Greater Portland
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef · Kate Fisher Hamm
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Northeast · Jake Stevens
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Northeast · Jake Stevens
One number, weighted & current 88
How we score
Nearby in the record closest first
- Arcadia Eat · 52
- Regards Eat · 13
- Another Round Eat · 52
- Speckled Ax Eat · 52
- Artemisia Cafe Eat · 61
- Sur Lie New American Eat · 77
- Bread & Friends Eat · 87
- Nura Middle Eastern Eat · 52
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