The Corner Room Italian kitchen & Bar
A Casual , Affordable, Italian-Inspired Restaurant
Harding Lee Smith, Chef, Restauranteur
13+ Years of Service
The Corner Room, founded in 2009, is the third restaurant from award-winning chef Harding Lee Smith. Preceded by The Grill Room, an urban steakhouse, and The Front Room. serving new American comfort food, master chef Harding created an Italian-inspired rustic dining experience at The Corner Room.
Patrons can expect a warm, comfortable atmosphere marked by the rich aromas of housemade pastas, pizzas, antipasti and artisanal breads. Come and enjoy the taste of Venice in the heart of Portland, Maine!
Reservations available. Please call 207-879-4747. Walk-ins welcome.
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Stephanie Foster
22:08 21 May 23
Food was excellent and our server was great. Good atmosphere and enjoyed the breeze from the open door. The only negative was the older lady I assume was the hostess. Quite dismissive and short, the only unpleasant partWill come back next time I’m in town.
Kimball Packard
20:26 26 Apr 23
Always a great meal at The Corner Room. The only glitch this time, my server neglected to ring in the appetizer I ordered, discovered when my entree was delivered. She made up for it by comping a dessert for me, (but I sure was looking forward to the app).You gotta try the focaccia!
Devin Gourley
02:42 18 Apr 23
Absolutely wonderful Italian dinner. Nice happy hour menu, though not a huge selection of drink specials. The staff was warm and welcoming, knowledgeable with the menu and specials, and provided wonderful service all evening long. Some of the best pasta we'd ever had.
Robin Holden
09:11 17 Apr 23
Always our favorite spot to go for a date night, love it. The food is outstanding, we always get the bolognese. We also had the aranci this time, some of the best we have had, charcuterie, and a hanger steak special cooked perfectly with asparagus and confit potatoes.
Johnny Thompson
23:13 12 Apr 23
Excellent. Had caesar salad and Pappardelle mushroom dish. Great service!
Katie Lauver
16:42 11 Apr 23
After The Grill Room we had to try the Corner Room for my birthday dinner.We were skeptical based on reviews about service and even still concerned when we arrived and may have had the server in the negative reviews. We got lucky and had the best server ever.Everything was spot on. Great flavor, good portions, and a large variety. The whipped feta should be a permanent item on the menu. We couldn't get enough.As for cocktails, the current special was and iced earl grey and vodka drink. It was so refreshing.
Michael Koehler
10:42 08 Apr 23
Nice place, but...I really did like this place, but there were some quirky things that were wrong. The food was really good - I had the chicken Parmesan, which was huge and quite tasty - baby girl had the truffle mac and cheese, which was awesome - we had the Garlicl bread which was a large portion and very good. The service was Ok... the bartender was awesome - hostess and waitress not so much. The restaurant has a neat vibe, but the curtain used to block the cold when people entered and exited the restaurant really didn't work. The restaurant was either really hot or really cold. Which i think could be less of a problem in the summer. Other than that, it is a good place to dine
thomas
14:37 27 Mar 23
Been here multiple times and loved it. However this time we went in for some apps and drinks. Once the waitress found out we weren't there to spend $200 she developed a very rude and dismissive attitude towards us. Older lady with an accent, horrible service. Will still go again from previous good experiences but she was bad.
Kaitlin Altieri
00:15 13 Mar 23
The corner room was delicious! I am so surprised it took me so long to get here, but I made it! The food was great. Everything that came out was hot, fresh and delicious. The Squid Ink Campanelle was delicious and spicy in such a good way— the flavor was amazing! The arancini was the definition of comfort food. Perfectly crusted and salty! One of my favorite things about the menu is that you can order small or large portions of almost every dish. The staff and service was good, quick and kind. Reservations are usually available online, I would recommend taking advantage of that. There is no off street parking, so give yourself a little extra time to park!
Faylinda Kodis
14:43 21 Feb 23
This place is so yummy & the decor is warm & inviting. We ordered the beautiful piled-high charcuterie board full of favorites and surprises. 5 of us worked hard to demolish it. We also shared the beets. If you like this vegetable it is a terrific salad speckled with pistachios. I was so full I ordered the soup for dinner - garlic and walnut & I loved every mouthful. The restaurant stocks an Italian white wine that has a crown on the label - cannot remember the name- & even our non-wine drinkers liked it. Everyone at our table enjoyed their meal & appreciated the ambiance
Rich Cleaves
21:10 06 Jan 23
Little pricey but excellent!
Shealynn Williams
16:29 02 Jan 23
Lovely New Years Eve dinner. Excellent service, wasnt rushed or ignored. Food was superb, thoughtful and complex, just a great meal. Only small complaint was that it was so hot in there. The front door was open but it could only do so much.
Gerald Sousa
18:58 31 Dec 22
I always order short ribs if they are on the menu when we go out to eat, so I think it's fair to say I can do a reliable comparison. So of course I ordered the short ribs and have to say they were unbelievable. They were the best I have ever had. Even my wife who is not a big fan of meat loved them. We will definitely be making the146 mile trip to Portland again so I can get the short ribs. The appetizers were also great. We had Verduras marinated beets and roasted olives. The service and atmosphere was great.
Jim Saint
14:32 12 Dec 22
Went this past Thursday evening. First time in Portland for us and ended up at the Corner Room at the suggestion from a waitress at another Italian restaurant that we decided not to eat at (a “new Italian” place that didn’t even have any proteins like chicken, beef or veal). Well she made a great suggestion so thank you.Our waitress and service was excellent. It’s a small but vibrant welcoming atmosphere as well and the food was very good.We split a Caesar for an app, then we had cioppino and the fresh fish of the day which was scallops. Both meals were excellent, properly cooked and seasoned.We wouldn’t hesitate to go back again.
S Erickson
02:15 12 Nov 22
Food was amazing and service was fabulous.
Kevin M. Doyle
18:38 04 Nov 22
Good food, good vibes, value for money. Make a reservation if its the weekend....its a popular place!
Rachael Coleman
13:19 28 Oct 22
My favorite place for brunch, lunch or an after event nosh. I have too many favorites to list, but my go to nosh is the beet salad. Love the wait staff, always a delightful interaction.
Elyssa Cohen
00:00 13 Oct 22
This restaurant checks all the boxes - fantastic food, outstanding service, nice ambiance and best server in town (Megan). The space is quaint and homey.lThe chicken Parmesan maybe the best park in Maine. The cocktail list, soooo good and always fun and invigorating... Megan was friendly, helpful and attentive. Best value in Portland because of the service. It’s rare as we all know! The bartender makes the best drinks in the city!
Joshua Locke
06:32 08 Oct 22
Very dark,and small but food was fantastic. Waitress sucked older foreign lady
Sunita S
14:30 01 Oct 22
Sat at the bar. Great ambiance and perfect dat spot. Wish I'd got there in time for happy hour though. The bread that comes out complimentary was sooooo good! My drink was excellent. I got the beet salad and arrabiata pasta. It was exactly what I was craving. Delicious! I didn't take pics of those, that's how good they were. I just wanted to enjoy it.
Kayla F
02:45 04 Sep 22
I have to say thank you to the staff that closed two Saturdays ago. My husband and I were going on a belated honeymoon to Portland and we found this spot to eat. It looked so nice, and I love Italian food. It was going to be closed the rest of our time in town, so we booked a reservation for the night we arrived in Portland. Our flight was delayed and it was going to push us dangerously close to closing time. When I called ahead to notify them -- they were more than happy to work with us. We ordered the PIZZA MARGHERITA and TRUFFLE MAC & CHEESE. They got it out in no time and it was phenomenal! Instead of turning us away (for missing our reservation by most standards) they gave us a fantastic meal and a wonderful memory. We are so grateful for their kindness that night!P.S. My husband said their pizza was some of the best he had ever eaten!
Jeff Gendron
23:07 20 Aug 22
Our favorite restaurant in Portland. Amazing food. Seriously. Happy hour specials are an unexpected treat. Walk in early and snag bar seats. Can't wait to go back!
Madison Hubler
22:42 10 Aug 22
Stumbled upon this gem of a restaurant, and I’m so happy we did. The best Italian food I’ve ever eaten.
James MacWilliams
22:35 29 Jul 22
I would eat their fried squid every day. The microshaved lemon that is fried with teh sqiud and pepperoncis is so damm good.
Kyle Arnold
20:06 29 Jul 22
My wife and I ate here during dinner for our one night trip to Portland. The bread was incredible. The pasta dishes were incredible. The dessert was incredible. Our waitress was top notch and cleared up some confusion we had on the menu. Small place and every table was full by 7pm (we had a 6pm reservation). Some people were turned away because they didn't have a reservation (Thursday night), so make sure you make a reservation ahead of time. We will be back.
Paul Hathaway
14:16 17 Jul 22
Busy little Italian restaurant on the corner across from the Press hotel.Good food and a vibrant atmosphere. Did have to wait quite a while for service but overall experience was positive.
Mike Stevens
09:48 25 Jun 22
Very good. We had salads, several pasta dishes, and pizza. All were great. The summer sangria was really nice as well. Our second "room" restaurant. Long time fan of the Front Room.
Matt Roberto
01:23 23 Apr 22
Great service and phenomenal food for the price. Highly recommend
sarah simpson
10:23 21 Apr 22
Excellent cuisine and prompt service with courtesy. Have been visiting here since it first opened. Portland being the top among best cities in the U.S. for restaurants...and this place still is la crème de la crème. Authentic and exquisite ❤️
Sean Kaplan
01:23 03 Apr 22
The garlic bread and homemade marinara is is magnificent. Everything else is good too but that stuff is just memorable.
Max B
16:13 29 Mar 22
I've been here 3 times in probably 10 years and God do I love this restaurant. I'm not here enough, apparently. This particular time we had transcendent ricotta toast, cioppinno and mushroom and cream pasta as well as excellent rabbit ragu and a lovely, virtually unknown wine made with a lovely cousin of Riesling, Kerner. Paired with the most excellent service of Suzanne... How do you go wrong. Keep doing you corner room, and let me know when the oxtail hits the specials menu.
Steven Mccoy
00:46 29 Mar 22
Food is excellent great atmosphere
Lucas Brien
16:21 22 Mar 22
Excellent service, pretty good food
Chip Carlson
03:15 13 Mar 22
Sat at the bar and started with a hot spicy toddy to warm us up as it was snowing. I was wanting a specific Italian dish and the chef was able to prepare it perfectly! The service and food was amazing and we left with big smiles on our faces! Highly recommend!
Marc Dionne
13:00 15 Feb 22
The Corner Room was a delight. Fresh made pasta, with GF option available. Good atmosphere, attentive service. The place was very busy too, which is a good sign.
Donna Theriault
00:52 15 Feb 22
The pasta is made fresh. The bolognese was excellent, and I like that you can choose a large or small portion. We ordered a margarita pizza for an appetizer and that was great too.
James M
01:42 05 Feb 22
Visited while we were in town for 2 nights. Sat at the bar. Great atmosphere, terrific bartender, terrific food! Highly recommend.
Ray Lazarine
02:53 24 Jan 22
Great Italian food, very good service!
Dillon Ballweber
11:14 16 Jan 22
Friendly waitress and hostess, food was phenomenal!
Katie Hannon
13:02 21 Dec 21
This was a great restaurant. Ambiance was nice and good was very good. Our waitress was friendly and gave knowledgeable recommendations on both food wine. I much prefer Corner Room to Solo Italiano on Commercial St.Two things to be mindful of: tables are fairly close together so if you are being Covid cautious you may want to see if you can request a booth and the kitchen is open so that always comes with a bit of a food smell on your clothes when you leave 🙂
Lisa Steele l Fresh Eggs Daily
00:43 02 Dec 21
Probably the most perfect dinner I've had in a long time. From the quiet ambience, to the superb service, from the heady scent of garlic to the soundtrack playing in the background, The Corner Room delivered. Wonderful, hearty Italian fare. The bruschetta appetizer was the best I've ever eaten. Thick crusty grilled bread was the perfect chew beneath tomato, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil with a drizzle of balsamic and olive oil. The foccaccia came warm from the oven with olive oil, salt and herbs for dipping. For my main course I choose papparadelle with mushrooms and truffle cream sauce. Expertly prepared and garnished with fresh grated Parmesan. A Paloma fizz accompanied my meal. The portions were hardy, bit I couldn't resist ordering cannoli for dessert ( although I did get one of the two to go!). The plating was phenomenal - in keeping with the delicious ricotta chocolate chip filling and crisp shell. Even the decaf coffee was good. Served with cream and sugar. Five stars all around !!!!
Bettsy Fick
22:34 23 Nov 21
Samantha our waitress was fabulous...food was great...a little noisy, so if you want an intimate place, probably not here, however, everything was great!!!
Makaio Iokepa
17:34 21 Oct 21
Perfect!! They were so busy but still took such great care of us.
Teddy O
00:08 18 Oct 21
Awesome/perfect give it a go 🤠
Nicholas Teper
14:00 08 Oct 21
Great to have them back!
Brandon “SmokeDawg” Long
06:56 30 Jun 21
I loved working here!!!
ben bartlett
20:25 11 Jun 20
Fantastic charcuterie. Risotto balls are great.
