Pondicherry House — Restaurant in Bridgton

This restaurant looked adorable but we had an extremely disappointing experience here. The waitress was completely incompetent. I asked a simple question—where are the scallops from? She said she was going to find out and then didn’t come back for 15 minutes to take our order. I asked her again where the scallops were from and she said she hadn’t found out yet. The restaurant is small with an open kitchen. It didn’t seem possible, but she said she would go ask again. Strange. She finally came back a third time and still didn’t know. We were all very hungry at this point so I just said all I wanted to know is if they are local and she said yes but seemed vague about it. We put the order in, and then someone else came to tell me they had run out of the scallops. Fine. I ordered the lobster pasta. After waiting for about 20 minutes the appetizers came and were good—18 oysters for 5 people and one dish of mussels. Then, another 35 or so minutes went by. We asked another waitress—maybe the wife of the owner?—where our food was. She went to check and said she sincerely apologized and that it would be out soon. It seemed they hadn’t gotten our order, even though they had managed to assess the lack of scallops. While we were waiting another 20 minutes (by this time there was hardly anyone even left in the restaurant) the owner came over and offered in a free bottle of wine. We were all driving so we said no thank you. Then he came back to offer my daughter another mocktail. She had already had one which was enough, so we said no thank you. Then he came back and said, how about dessert? We said we weren’t sure if we were having any but we’d let him know. We finally got the food and the lobster was tough and old tasting, not at all worth the astronomical price of $49. The rest of the entrees was meh, but we decided for some odd reason to take him up on the dessert offer. We order three desserts for the table. While we were waiting, again, the owner came over again to tell us that he had looked at our bill and couldn’t believe how many oysters we had ordered. “Most people order a dozen but you guys went for 18!” He said. He then mentioned that he had eaten 35 at one sitting once. We had the dessert, also middling and then got the bill. He hadn’t comped any part of it and charged the full price for all three desserts. My husband didn’t say anything, preferring to just get out of there. But the whole experience was very unpleasant and disappointing and we will certainly...

🍽️ Last week, I had the delightful experience of dining at Pondicherry House, nestled at 2 Cottage St in the heart of downtown Bridgton, Maine. This charming wood-fired kitchen and bar offers a modern American menu that emphasizes local and seasonal ingredients—a true gem for food lovers!

🌊 The Damariscotta oysters, sourced locally, were fresh and flavorful, earning a solid 8/10. The mussels served in a spicy tomato sauce base were simply irresistible. But the star of the evening was undoubtedly the pappardelle pasta with mushrooms—a dish so divine, it deserved a perfect 10/10! 🍄❤️ The pasta sauce was good enough to drink!

🥩 The steak with truffle shavings, cooked to a perfect medium rare, was another highlight. It was tender, juicy, and rich in flavor, scoring a 9/10. Accompanying our meal, the cocktails were expertly mixed, enhancing the dining experience with each sip.

🏠 The ambiance at Pondicherry House, featuring an open kitchen concept, was lively and inviting 7/10. The focus on locally sourced ingredients means the menu is always exciting and varied, promising new delights with each visit.

💰 In terms of affordability, it leans on the pricier side with a score of 6/10, but the quality and uniqueness of the food justify the expense.

🔥 I’m already looking forward to my next visit to try their pizza from the wood-fired oven. Pondicherry House is a must-visit for anyone seeking high-quality, inventive cuisine with a local twist. See you...

The restaurant has a really enjoyable atmosphere. It has a small menu which I find to be a virtue since it means the chefs will be focused and execute each dish well. My wife and I also enjoyed speaking with the owners when they checked in on us. We asked them many questions about their cocktails and food and they were incredibly kind with their time answering our questions.

The cocktails by far are fantastic. I enjoyed the “Queen of the Rodeo” and the “And She Was”. My wife really liked the “Red Daisy” since she hadn’t had strawberry puree in a cocktail before. But honestly you can’t go wrong with your choice. Between the two of us we sampled all but one of their cocktails I think.

The food was excellent. Today’s special was the beef and pork ragu with homemade pappardelle. Simply outstanding. My wife had the mussels diavolo. I’ve never seen such meaty mussels and the sauce was divine. Make it a point to drop in on this place if you are in Bridgton or adjoining city. You absolutely won’t regret it. Next time we’re up this way we’ll for...