When Mr. Family Trip and I did our annual “parents only” trip, we had a fantastic time finding places to eat and play in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor isn’t big, but it is absolutely lovely.
The main point of our trip (besides the fact that I was, in some way, returning to my roots) was to hike and explore Acadia and Maine’s rugged coastline. Bar Harbor was an added bonus. This little town offers exactly everything you expect from Maine: local businesses tucked around a large village green, oysters and lobsters to eat, big cable-knit sweaters, rowdy pubs, foggy harbor views, and stores selling merchandise made from sailcloth.
There is a lot to do in downtown Bar Harbor. The hardest part is just trying to fit it all in!
Bar Harbor is 63.11 square miles, which already isn’t huge, but of that, 20.87 square miles are water! So, really, Bar Harbor is 42.4 square miles.
It is tiny but quaint and has retained a lot of its historic vibes. Think small, local shops without the ugly chains. (If you wanted to live in Gilmore Girls, this is going to be your place.)
This area is quite different from much of America. The year-round population is only 5,000 people, and this isn’t a town that is known for its diversity. According to census data, it is almost 95% white. During the year, Bar Harbor gets over 4 million tourists. That’s insane!
During the tourist season, the population of Bar Harbor swells from 5,000 to 18,000. It’s hard for any town or city to be that elastic.
The story here is complicated. All the tourism-related spending supports 6,600 jobs in the local area and has a cumulative benefit to the local economy of $685 million. (source) But there are also debates around how much tourism the area can handle and Mainers who have given up going to Mount Desert at all due to crowds. Bar Harbor has limited the size of the cruise ships that are allowed to dock and unload in order to control crowds just a bit.
None of this part of the story deterred us from visiting, seeing it for ourselves, or immensely enjoying our time. I think that planning helps – thinking through timing, and knowing how you want to experience the area is key to maximizing all the Maine vibes.
Things to do in downtown Bar Harbor, Maine
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How to get to Bar Harbor
We flew through LaGuardia airport into Bangor, Maine. Bangor is the closest airport to Bar Harbor with major airline service. It is a small airport, easily navigated. We rented a car and had an easy 1-hour drive to Bar Harbor. (There is an airport in Bar Harbor, but it is primarily for private jets or for a small airline service called CapeAir, which offers flights from Boston and Long Island.)
Many tourists make the drive from Boston, but that is a four-hour haul. It just so happens that Boston usually has great flight deals from other parts of the country, which lends it to welcoming more travelers.
Where to stay in downtown Bar Harbor
First off, there are many, many places to stay in the area if you want to explore Acadia National Park. There are a slew of lodges, hotels, glamping sites, and more available for every budget and every desire.
But we were very proud of our decision to stay in downtown Bar Harbor, walkable to the restaurants, bars, ice cream shops, cafes, and stores.
We stayed at the West Street Hotel, which was a reasonable price for us given we were there just before high season kicked in (another great choice on our part!). Our room was spacious, the lobby welcoming, and we had a view of the harbor to look at the clouds slowly form over Bar Island. It was great.
But, again, if that’s not the right fit for you, there are a lot of places downtown. Just be sure to book early if you want to come to Bar Harbor in the summer as things book up quickly!
Where (and what) to eat in downtown Bar Harbor
Breakfast!
- Sunrise Cafe | Link
We enjoyed this little shop on the docks so much we went twice. Our first time we enjoyed crepes, the second time bagel sandwiches. (Note we also had breakfast sandwiches at The Stadium (see below) but those are not their specialty and we didn’t particularly enjoy them. Go there for popovers and coffee.)
Lobster Rolls!
- Frenchman Bay Lobster Rolls | Link
The best place to get your lobster roll is going to be Frenchman Bay Lobster Rolls. This is a take-out only place and has limited hours. But lobster is really all they do.
- West Street Cafe | Link
Given weather, timing, and more, this is where I bought my lobster roll for lunch. Loster rolls are expensive wherever you go, but I was glad I sprung for the fresh meaty seafood delight. I don’t generally love mayonnaise (I can tolerate it in deviled eggs and that’s about all), but the light mayo mixed with succulent lobster satisfied.
Popovers!
Popovers are delicious pastries, think a muffin made out of a puff pastry that puffs over the top of the tin. (They say popovers are the American versions of Yorkshire puddings.)
- Jordan Pond House | Link
This is known as THE place to get popovers and is now famous for them. But be warned, this is a chaotic experience. See our post on Acadia National Park before you go.
- Stadium | Link
As I shared in that same post, we had popovers in downtown Bar Harbor without the chaos. The local rumor is that the person who makes the popovers at the Stadium worked at Jordan Pond House so the concept and quality is pretty much the same.
Soups!
- McKay’s Public House | Link
This was another spot recommended to us by someone who lives in Bar Harbor. This historic inn has, among other things, a French onion soup with all the chewy, salty perfection. (Also be sure to try New England clam chowder and lobster bisque while exploring food in Bar Harbor.)
Oysters!
- Blackfriars Pub | Link
This was our favorite meal we had in Bar Harbor. This was another recommendation by a local and it did not miss the mark. Blackfriars is tucked away in an old hotel and has very limited space. We managed to get an early reservation at the last minute and enjoyed every moment of this. They have great happy hour specials which include raw oysters, so going early wasn’t terrible. The atmosphere is so unique and feels like a warm hug from historic houses of yore. (You have to go to get it.)
Try something else!
- Paddy’s Irish Pub | Link
I know, this doesn’t really make sense (an Irish pub on the corner of quintessential New England), but wow! this was yummy. I loved the atmosphere, the location was great (right on the Harbor) and we went all in with post-hike, high carb comfort food, and it was delicious. We had big pretzels and duck fat fries and looked out over the water.
- Dinner | Link
This was another place recommended to us by a Bar Harbor resident. We didn’t have enough nights to make it there, but this was next on our list.
- Testa’s | Link
I am putting this at the end of the list since Mr. Family Trip and I had opposite feelings. We picked Testa’s after a long day, it was late, we were tired, and it looked cozy with good reviews online. I had a chowder and salad and really enjoyed my meal. Mr. Family Trip was less impressed with his meal. But the service was great, so it wasn’t a total loss!
Where to drink in downtown Bar Harbor
- The Stadium | Link
We mostly had coffee at our hotel, but we also enjoyed the coffee at the Stadium. The beans are small-batch grown in Maine.
- The Barnacle | Link
We did a little bit of bar hopping, but this was our favorite spot. It was loud and crowded in a cozy way. The drinks were good and the bartender was personable. (Incidentally, the Barnacle also has oysters.)
- Ivy Manor Inn Beer Garden | Link
This hit just right for us. The yard outside this historic inn has fire pits, Adirondack chairs, an outdoor bar and usually live music. After our bike ride, we sat outside and took in the sun while watching the people walk by, completely relaxed.
- Thirsty Whale Tavern | Link
We didn’t have time to try this spot, but it looked fun.
What to do in downtown Bar Harbor
Bar Harbor is most known for being the gateway to Acadia National Park. Since it is on Mount Desert Island (the largest swath of the national park – although two other pieces of the park are nearby), it is where most Acadia adventurers come to enjoy their trip.
- Sandbar Trail
Across the harbor in downtown Bar Harbor, you can see an island that is part of Acadia National Park – Bar Island. When the tide is out, a “sandbar” is exposed and people can walk across water and over to the island, looking back on downtown Bar Harbor. (For the official website, click here.)
If you know when low tide is (our hotel handed out updated tide charts when we checked in for this purpose), you have 1.5 hours before and 1.5 hours after to walk across. We wrote in detail about walking the Sandbar trail to Bar Island here.
- Bike
We also rented bikes in downtown Bar Harbor. While the downtown area doesn’t have much trail, we quickly found our way back into the park to bike the Carriage Roads. We wrote in detail about that experience here.
When Mr. Family Trip and I went, nearly all of our sightseeing energy was focused on Acadia National Park. We didn’t have much time in town. If we had more time, though, there was PLENTY to do in Bar Harbor without the park. Bar Harbor delivers something for everyone.
Other things to do in Bar Harbor include:
Whatever you find to do in Bar Harbor, Maine, I have no doubt that it will stick with you. Every time Mr. Family Trip and I travel we play the “could we live here?” game. He was a “no” for Bar Harbor since the winters sound awful to him. But I was in love. I was a resounding “yes” and even started snooping around on real estate websites. Bar Harbor sinks in. I loved it.
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