Lily Bistro

Sadly Lily Bistro closed in Dec 2011

Angels Secret zinfandel 2008 is incredibly rich and spicy.
Atlantic halibut seared to crispy, fingerling potatoe salad, fava beans, green beans and carrots follows. The earthy, fresh veggies provide a wonderfully substantive balance to the delicate and tender fish. The potatoe salad is starchy while full of butter and flavor simultaneously.
The warm chocolate ganache with chocolate ice cream melting on top is a melty dark chocolateness heated well with a bowl of cappucino concludes an excellent forray into one of Rockland’s coolest new eateries.
Lily Bistro has a nice bar with grand store front windows to watch the passersby traverse main street. The table seating is cute and cozy. An equisite beer menu along with a fairly robust wine menu accompanies the food. A sweet little spot ready to serve you fine dining

My wife and I were in Rockland, ME, at the end of July, and went to Lily Bistro. The food and atmosphere were outstanding. The owners are husband and wife chefs, and the menu is simple, with about 6 main entrees and appetizers. While pondering the mains, the server suggested the hamburger, which she guaranteed would be the best I would ever eat. And… I would not want to put ketchup on it. That was a challenge too good to pass up. Well… it WAS the best I’ve ever eaten. Goat cheese on top of a very juicy proprietary mix of beef. WOW! My wife ordered the pork belly. Again, wow! The chef even came out and introduced herself, which made the dining experience even more pleasurable. When in Rockland, do not miss this place!

Best meal I had in Maine. Incredible grilled cheese, delicious salad, perfectly paired with a dry sparkling cider, and finished with a great cupcake. M had the burger (sourced from a local farm) and said it was in his top 5 ever. The waiter was one of the nicest people we’ve encountered up here (service tends to be slightly surly, to say the least, and he was the opposite). We would be here all the time if we didn’t live 8 hours away.

I went here for lunch. OMG, the food was outstanding!!!
I’m sitting there and fresh lettuce right from the farm is being hand delivered. They make their own bread. Everything was sooo tasty, fresh and very well prepared.
Service — sooo friendly and welcoming.
Definitely stop here when visiting Rockland for some great food.

The food is definitely 5 stars! I had the scallops and was blown away! They have an unoaked Chardonnay (which is hard to find) so I was more than happy.
The reason for 4 stars was because of the service. I made a reservation and when I walked in, the waitress didn’t even say hello just «I’m not taking anymore customers. I just had a party of 8 turn into 20.» first — I don’t care. 2– my reservation was for 1 person! I travel for work and eat alone — seriously, what is 1 person going to do.
It took FOREVER for my food to come out — let alone for me to just get a menu. The wait staff complained the entire time about the group I started feeling bad for the customers.
Quick Tip — they do not take Amex.
The food will bring me back, but the tips will be small!

Up and down. My last two meals were mediocre, which is too bad considering how good they once were. Nearby are some fabulous alternatives: Primo is outstanding and Café Miranda is fun. Natalie’s, Francine’s and Hartstone Inn are all first-​rate and worth the 10 minute trip to Camden. Also, Shepherd’s Pie in Rockport. It’s tough to go wrong with any of them.

Went here again about a year after the first visit. Absolutely top-​knotch. The flavors are fresh and complex. Gazpacho was subtle yet powerful. I continue to recommend strongly

One of the best dinners I have ever had. I came here with my best friend, we both grew up in Rockland, and it is great to finally see some quality places when we visit. We snacked on fresh bread and a mystery spread that we could not stop eating — chicken liver mousse. Chef Max, an old friend, made us some stuffed zucchini blossoms: ricotta, herbs, wrapped in prosciutto, with a sweet pea spread. Then, we shared the steak and lobster plate. Best! We fell silent and chewed each bite about 50 times.
They have fresh, fresh ingredients and an always changing menu. I have not been able to forget that dinner, nearly 2 weeks ago, and it’s really ruining every other meal I eat: D I recommend making a special trip to this restaurant now!

This is an amazing little restaurant tucked away in a small, coastal Maine town. Very impressive.
Look no further on the appetizer menu than the pâté. I’m sure everything else is good but when I see pâté on a menu I order it.
The menu tends to be on the small side but that ensures everything they serve is as fresh as anything you have ever tasted. From talking to the owners, I gleaned that they literally travel out to farms during the day to see what is available and then write their menu for the evening service. I like it!
There were four people in our party and two had the Steak frites. The steaks were unbelievably tender and flavorful and the fries were out of this world. Crisp on the outside and super soft on the inside (with plenty of garlic flavor thrown in). They should win awards for those things.
I had a whole roasted Dourade with fingerling potatoes and veggies and my wife had a pan roasted sea bass. Each fish tasted so fresh that I bet they were caught that morning.
Next time I will try the cassoulet. It wasn’t on the menu the night we were there so I had to take away a star. But everything else was spot on!

My wife and I went here for a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner for two. Lily had come highly recommended by a few friends, and it exceeded our expectations in every way.
There are two floors, and both are very cozy and intimate — the street level is dark wood and mood lighting, and about a dozen tables. Downstairs, one wall is massive granite blocks, one wall is a built-​in wine rack, and the other two are whitewashed. It’s brighter downstairs, but no less intimate (8 tables).
Our waiter was Bob, the proprietor. We ordered the salad and scallops for apps, duck and salmon for entrees, and chocolate ganache and crème brûlée for dessert. Although all six were absolutely delicious and very carefully prepared, the scallops were the star. The best scallops either of us had ever had. We said, «Bob, these are the best scallops we’ve ever had. Tell us about them.» He said, «Well, I have this guy, Peter, who dives for me. He calls me up in the morning to ask how many scallops we need. He then dives that morning, shucks them in the afternoon, and delivers them to us in time for dinner.» You can’t get much fresher than that.
The portions are small enough that you need to get an app, entrée, and dessert, but at that point you are perfectly satisfied. Neither hungry, nor overstuffed. Just happy.