Nikanos Mediterranean Bar & Grille - Ogunquit, Maine

Amaury S.

We discovered Nikanos this summer, and we’ve already been back three times! It’s the perfect spot for dinner before catching a show at the Ogunquit Playhouse. I’m usually all about trying new restaurants, but in a town filled with tourist traps, it’s tough to find a locally owned place that serves quality food at fair prices.

Nikanos doesn’t disappoint! From the spanakopita and lamb meatballs to their famous pastitsio (think Greek lasagna) and moussaka, everything has been delicious. The drinks are a bit of a hit or miss — sometimes inconsistent — but I do love the fact that their cocktail menu is quite extensive.

The service is fantastic, even when they’re packed. We like to give ourselves about 1.5 to 2 hours before a show to relax and enjoy our meal, and that’s always worked well. The servers are incredibly attentive.

The vibe is totally Ogunquit! The outdoor seating is awesome during the summer and fall (they have heaters for cooler nights), and they often have a live band. It’s the perfect background music because you can still hear each other talk. I love sitting outside, soaking in the energy of the city.

Pro tip: definitely call ahead for reservations since they get busy!

Carmel K.

Was in town with 5 friends for Ogunquit’s Christmas By the Sea. We were fortunate enough to get a table for dinner. We started with the trio of dip with warm pita wedges. Tzatziki was the best I’ve ever had, hummus was tasty and creamy, and the red bean dip had a bit of kick and was delicious!
We then had the Greek Village salad which had the perfect balance of veggies, feta and dressing.
For dinner I had the Lamb tenderloin special which was served over mushroom risotto & asparagus. The lamb was tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked. The risotto was also delicious!
Others had the steak souvlaki, Ya Ya’s lemon chicken, and corn chowder with lobster on top. All of them raved about each dish.

Needless to say, we will be back next year! Great food, friendly staff and the owner made a stop at our table to make sure everything was good. It was better than good!

Johan N.

This place was recommended by a friend, the menu has a nice mix of things. I really enjoyed their spin on the calamari. The service was great, the environment and energy is high (just note that it can get a little loud with guests so if you have a hard time hearing you might want to go early in the evening for dinners).

David E.

As a family of 6 we made a reservation and they were ready for us with a nice table, great atmosphere with a fireplace nearby. Our grandson loved his seafood pasta, my wife had the Pastisio which she loved. My special of the day, shrimp & lobster stuffed haddock with Asparagus seemed a bit dry and our daughter and her wife ordered salads as they are very vegetarian. The salads were fine it's just that there were not many vegetarian options. Service was excellent and we very much enjoyed our meal.

Patti C.

Perfect way to start our vacation! We had a Greek Village Salad, Nikanos Fried Calamari, Pasta Nikanos, Traditional Greek Souvlaki with Lamb. We also had delicious desserts. All dishes were amazing. Wait staff was outstanding.

Marin M.

This place is amazing and deserves a higher overall rating! We had the octopus, Greek salad, and lobster pasta... Each dish was 10/10. The most tender octopus I've ever had, the salad was incredibly fresh, and the pasta was wonderfully balanced. Our drinks were also superb! I also loved the live music and atmosphere. Our waitress was also awesome and made our experience very enjoyable!

Robert A.

This was our first time eating here. We called the restaurant for reservations and they were very friendly. Our server was excellent and was very communicative regarding the specials. All in all our meals were excellent. We would highly recommend this restaurant to all that are traveling through this area. A+++

Bill D.

We had great experience at Nikanos. Located at the entrance to downtown Ogunquit. This Sunday was the start of their weekly Pasta Night. $17.99 gave you a selection of 1 of 10 pasta dishes. All looked really good. These came with a salad and dessert (donuts). We added on Pita with Tzatziki dip. Very fresh and appetizing. They also serve 2 kinds of bread, all baked there and tasty. We maybe had too much bread. Drinks were perfectly mixed and the entrees were incredible. I had chicken piccata. If I had 1 issue was that it was dense and roasted, not breaded and sautéed. Not a big deal. Chef did a great job marrying the sauce & pasta. Many other local places who serve pasta have trouble intertwining the sauce and flavors. My wife had chicken and eggplant parm. Spot on, very good. Overall this place has a warm vibe and it’s evident locals love this environment. That staff worked well to hit all points of service even though it filled up all at once between 4:00 and 4:30. We got there early because we had a feeling this would be the Sunday night spot to be.