Crown Jewel — Restaurant in Portland

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.5/5 stars)

A honeymoon finale with charm and a few shortcomings

My husband and I chose The Crown Jewel for our last night of honeymoon celebrations, and what an adventure it turned out to be. Tucked away on Diamond Cove, this restaurant is only accessible by ferry, water taxi, or private boat—a unique selling point that immediately caught our attention when a former colleague recommended it.

The Experience

The journey itself is part of the charm, though it comes with a price tag to match. Taking the water taxi to reach the restaurant adds an element of romance and exclusivity that you simply can’t find at mainland establishments. The restaurant itself is quaint and cozy, with 90s R&B creating a nostalgic throwback atmosphere that perfectly complemented the intimate setting.

The Drinks (and the Disappointment)

Unfortunately, our visit coincided with their bartender’s vacation, which significantly limited the cocktail menu. This was particularly disappointing given The Crown Jewel’s reputation for inventive mixology. We made do with their house punches, which were genuinely delicious and helped salvage the beverage experience.

The Food

The culinary offerings were consistently good, though nothing reached the level of exceptional. The standout dish was undoubtedly the coquettas—imagine clam chowder transformed into something you can hold and crunch into. It’s soul-warming comfort food that defies easy description and comes highly recommended.

The deviled eggs with n’duja were perfectly adequate but forgettable—the kind of dish that fills a spot on the plate without creating lasting memories. Similarly, the lobster tail was tasty but lacked the memorable quality you’d hope for at a destination restaurant.

Surprisingly, the burger and fries stole the show. While not the obvious choice at a place like this, it was exceptional enough that it would top our order list on any return visit.

Service

The staff demonstrated thoughtfulness that elevated the entire experience, surprising us with complimentary glasses of sparkling rosé to celebrate our wedding. These personal touches make a significant difference and showed genuine care for their guests.

Bottom Line

The Crown Jewel offers a unique experience that’s part adventure, part dining. The remote location, boat access, and intimate atmosphere create something special, even if the food doesn’t always match the setting’s ambition. It’s expensive when you factor in transportation costs, and the limited bar service during our visit was frustrating.

If you’re seeking a memorable experience and can accept the logistical challenges and premium pricing for what amounts to solid but not spectacular food, The Crown Jewel deserves a spot on your list. However, given Portland’s incredible dining scene, we’ll likely explore other options before making the journey back to...

Very hyped up place... not sure it lived up to the hype? More of a snack/appetizer place. Questionably worth the time and effort to visit for an actual meal, but aesthetically pleasing, with good vibes and delicious food!

TDLR- take a ferry, pay $100 per person, eat delicious snacks off paper plates, be just full enough to not be hungry, wait an hour for the ferry back to Portland.

The food itself was fantastic, but portions were very small- more like snacks for the price ($15-$35 for two-ish bites), which compared to any upscale restaurant in Portland feels like you're being scammed a little by thinking this would be a meal. I'm all for small portions and I think they can be done tastefully as many restaurants on the peninsula, but these portions were so small they felt disingenuous. I think it would be more accurate if this place was advertised as a snack bar or appetizer spot.

The food also came in plastic/single use bamboo plates and utensils, which made us feel like we're at a picnic spot- sure for the "environmental" piece of it, but wouldn't it make more sense to have real cutlery so you can actually use it over and over again? Not sure it made much sense from any standpoint, and took away from overall experience.

Ferry times are really awkward if you're going for dinner, which makes you either rush to finish your meal, wait an hour or two before eating or, an hour or two after eating. Fine in daylight because you can explore the island but less so in the dark. More of a nuisance, but would probably be worth it for the right restaurant.

It's a cool experience to catch the ferry for dinner and back, but not sure if I would go again, especially with all the good restaurants in Portland that is easier to access, with more elevated experiences for...

For our Maine trip, we decided to make a reservation at Crown Jewel after planning to take a mailboat ferry there since the restaurant is located on an island that is only accessible via ferry. Upon arriving at the ferry terminal in the morning to get our tickets, we learned that the mailboat ferry is a 2.5-3 hour tour that you stay on for the entire time. I then reached out to the restaurant to cancel, but I was hit with a $50 cancellation fee. I tried reaching out several times to the restaurant to explain the situation, but I heard nothing back from them. Eventually, after returning from my trip, I received a nasty response accusing me of basically lying - the restaurant quoted the marketing blurb of the mail ferry and stated that it runs every day, including holidays. I responded back that this was not what I had said - and that the mail ferry is a tour that stops only briefly at the islands and that we were tourists who were trying to navigate the situation and had canceled when we realized we were not able to make it to the island to dine. I would not recommend this restaurant based upon the horrible customer service and the difficulty of trying to figure out how to get there to dine. As another reviewer said, it seems like they cater mostly to locals, looking down on tourists. Other than this restaurant, many of the restaurants in Maine were friendly and welcoming to tourists. Try...