I went on a winter vacation getaway this week to The Federal Hotel located at 10 Water St in Brunswick, ME📍 This hotel offers excellent accommodations and has a spectacular on site restaurant called 555 North.
🍹 Cocktails:
Sage Advice: A delightful blend of Lunazul Blanco Tequila, blackberry, sage, lime, and seltzer. As a tequila enthusiast, I found this concoction to be a true winner, earning a solid 9/10. The interplay of flavors, especially the herbal notes from sage, created a memorable experience.
Leef Peepin: Featuring Barr Hill Gin, pear, vanilla, and honey, this drink offered a commendable mix, though it left me searching for that extra something. A respectable 6/10, but the creativity in its ingredients deserves applause.
🧀 Farm to Board:
The charcuterie board showcased 555 North’s commitment to quality with 2 meats, 2 cheeses, pickled vegetables, and jam. A delightful ensemble deserving of an 8/10, though a tad more crostini would have elevated the experience.
🥗 Roasted Winter Squash Salad:
Despite the switch to carrots due to a squash shortage, the salad maintained a standard appeal with goat cheese and a cranberry vinaigrette. A fair 6/10, but the creativity in adapting to ingredient challenges is acknowledged.
🥩 Entrees:
The Filet Mignon, cooked to a perfect medium rare, showcased creamy potatoes and stole the spotlight with roasted wild mushrooms and an au poivre sauce. A stellar 9/10, the savory blend of pepper, Cognac, and cream in the au poivre sauce elevated the dish.
The Scallops, generously sized and paired with a carrot and vanilla sauce, stood out with a fennel potato puree. An easy 9/10, the thoughtful combination of flavors and textures made this a standout dish.
🍰 Desserts:
Sticky Date Cake: A unique and visually stunning treat featuring caramel apricot gel and coconut icing. A memorable 9/10, it was as delightful to the eyes as it was to the taste buds.
Apple Creme Brulee: A creative twist on a classic, with perfectly cooked apples. A solid 9/10, showcasing the chef’s ingenuity in reimagining a beloved dessert.
In summary, 555 North at the Federal Hotel in Brunswick, Maine, offers a diverse and inventive culinary experience. From expertly crafted cocktails to thoughtfully designed entrees and desserts, the restaurant demonstrates a commitment to quality and creativity. I highly recommend checking this spot out on your next winter vacation!
Food: 9/10🍽️ Affordability: 6/10 💸 Ambiance: 8/10 ✨
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Fantastic atmosphere, food and service! Not a single complaint. We had farm to board charcuterie, bread & butter, squash soup, fish in paper, the duck and autumn pasta. Everything was spectacular. They did a champagne toast for my birthday.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Creamy 5 Onion Soup
OH. MY. My second time here and I am genuinely mind blown. I have been to many restaurants but have never been mind blown by every course. This was spectacular- from the appetizer, the onion soup is to DIE for.
Then the entrée - Lobster Sandwich… between two pieces of tomato was so creative and insanely good.
The drink, the Cicada, a sweet, yet strong and has a spicy hint, so goood!!!
And finally - the star of the show, the desert, the Croissant pudding with the ice cream, reminded me of childhood, having a warm apple pie with vanilla ice cream, but even better because the flavours are enriched and beautifully blend together, absolutely mind blowing.
Try this restaurant out, you seriously won’t regret it!!! Hats off to the chef and the owners!!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
Recommended dishes
Five Onion Soup
The good: drinks were excellent, bartender was great. Desserts were top notch. Atmosphere is excellent.
The bad: once seated went almost 20 minutes without a drink. Wait between apps and entrees was an hour, which isn't a big deal except her duck was cold in the center. Oddly they comped 2 drinks and the wait time.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 2
Service: 3
Atmosphere: 5
We decided to make reservations this past weekend because of the great meals we had at the Portland location and last year in Brunswick. Though after this last visit I think it may be sometime before we return again. The meal overall was a disappointment. First off the pork belly app was two slices, neither crispy as you hope and it tasted more of pork loin then belly. The burrata is bland and two slices of toast smeared with a bean paste if I recall just seemed to miss the mark. My onion soup was good and ordered by a lot of guests as I overheard. Our entrees of duck and beef tenderloin were both a disappointment. I wish I had read the other reviews concerning the rawness. It is raw, making it chewy. Causing it to have to be sliced thin to chew it. Perhaps they should explain that better than saying it is cooked per chef choice. I like my duck pink and red in the middle but not raw. Both protein portions were small, just two 1 inch by 3 inch slices, I understand inflation, but really, for 40 dollar entrees. The highlights of the entrees were the mashed potatoes and black rice. We ordered dessert, my husband liked his affogato, and I really hoped to like my sticky date cake but the coconut frosting and orange sauce on top did not work. Such a tart and tropical tasting topping just did not work with the dates. The service was good, attentive and our dishes and drinks all came out in a timely manner which was appreciated. Just very sad to say we did not enjoy our meal. Perhaps we ate on an off night and should have read the reviews to have ordered wiser, but for a $200 meal for two I expected a lot more satisfaction. Definitely a disappointment.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$100+
Food: 2
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Five Onion Soup
Excellent service, but some odd choices on the menu.
The high:
The five onion soup is excellent. This is a must have.
The lobster presents well in the lobster mac.
Cocktails are excellent, and drinks in general are well made and enjoyable.
Creme brulee is unique and worth a go.
The low:
Bread and butter is optional and the orange zest and olive butter can be safely skipped.
The scallops are destroyed with a mountain of pepper cooked into one side, which is a shame as the dish is otherwise excellent if you can taste it.
Small portions.
Synopsis:
Dinner and drinks at $100/head after tip can be very enjoyable if you're menu savy. The level of service can not be overstated here, it is excellent. Some of the flavor choices are questionable, and location and parking are well below the price point but again, service is key.
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
We made a last-minute decision to go to dinner at 555 North based on a recommendation. We arrived at 6:30 on a Sunday evening without a reservation. They quickly accommodated us with a beautiful table on the porch. They had a limited local craft beer selection on draft, cans, and bottles. They offered a signature spirited and non spirited drink list. We ordered the five onion soup, the garden salad with goat cheese, bread and butter, the sword fish steak, and the Five's Steak House filet mignon.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 4
Recommended dishes
Creamy Five Onion Soup
Blown away and not expecting such a wonderful dinner and service. The presentation of each course was beautiful. We had The Homestead cocktail which had unique ingredients that was so delicious. Our apps included Bangs mussels and a nice bread. Then our party had the pork, scallops, duck, and fish entrees. Wow!!! Finally we had the carrot cake that was exactly what we needed to finish off our meal. This place will be our new go to.
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$30–50
Have eaten dinner here on three occasions now. Each time the food was excellent and the service very good. Last time we went for my birthday and they gave me a free glass of champagne - very nice. My husband has some diet restrictions and they have been very accommodating on that front. The duck entree was excellent, as was the lobster fettuccine I had on a previous occasion. I’ve also had the scallop entree, which was phenomenal. The restaurant is beautiful and - drumroll - even when packed (as it was on the times we’ve eaten there) it is quiet enough that you can actually hold a conversation without having to raise your voice. THANK YOU!!!!!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 5
One of the best restaurants in Maine, which I was not expecting when I was invited for a last minute dinner. The food was top notch, beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. I was also very impressed with the serving sizes - rather than being enormous and too much to eat, there were small to medium-sized portions served over a five course meal, each enough to satisfy but not stuff. A small but powerful menu. The flavor combinations were wonderful, unique and absolutely delicious. The service was also incredible, attentive and immediate serving, all the food came out warm and at the exact same time to our party. I also enjoyed the ambiance of the room and the atmosphere. All in all, this is one of my best dining experiences in Maine thus far, and I will certainly be coming back!
Service
Dine in
Meal type
Dinner
Price per person
$50–100
Food: 5
Service: 5
Atmosphere: 5
