The Honey Paw
A loud, handmade-noodle bar where Maine seafood meets Southeast Asian curry — book it when you want a Portland table that gets a group talking.
A loud, handmade-noodle bar where Maine seafood meets Southeast Asian curry — book it when you want a Portland table that gets a group talking.
Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley opened The Honey Paw on Middle Street in 2015 as the "nondenominational noodle bar" next door to their oyster temple, Eventide. The premise was simple and slightly mischievous: handmade noodles and bright Southeast Asian heat, built on Maine ingredients, with no allegiance to any single national cuisine. Within a year the room was a 2016 James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist, and the smoked lamb khao soi had become one of Portland's most-ordered dishes. It remains the city's most confident argument that fine New England produce belongs in a coconut curry.
Chef-restaurateurs Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley — James Beard winners for Best Chef: Northeast through their Big Tree Hospitality group — run a kitchen that treats borders as suggestions. The signature smoked lamb khao soi layers crisp and soft egg noodles in a coconut curry shot through with fermented mustard greens, the lamb smoked in-house until it pulls apart. The honey lobster roll, around $34, glazes Gulf of Maine lobster with the restaurant's namesake honey; the fried chicken wings, near $17, arrive with lime and chili. Dishes mostly run $14–$19, so a broad order lands at roughly $40 a head before drinks. Pastry has long been a quiet strength — the caramelized honey soft-serve under a cracking chocolate shell is the standing finish.
The Honey Paw is a single bright, hard-surfaced room of perhaps 50 seats: a long counter facing the open kitchen, a scatter of tables, and big windows onto Middle Street. It is intentionally loud — tile and glass bounce the sound, and the energy climbs through the evening. Lighting is warm but functional rather than romantic. Dress is casual; nobody will blink at jeans. The counter seats are the best in the house for a solo diner who wants to watch noodles being pulled, while the tables suit a group passing plates.
This is one of Portland's best rooms for a celebratory work dinner, for three concrete reasons. First, the menu is built to share — curries, wings, large-format noodles and whole-plate mains are meant to land in the middle and get passed around. Second, the volume works in your favour: the buzz means a table of eight laughing over the khao soi never feels like it's disturbing anyone. Third, the price is forgiving for a group, so ordering broadly across the menu doesn't blow the budget. Picture a sales team crowded around the counter, lobster rolls and beers going down, the soft-serve arriving to a cheer.
Skip it for a quiet anniversary or a hushed deal you need to hear every word of — the room is hard-surfaced and genuinely loud, and it doesn't take large reservations, so a big group may wait.
Address
78 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101
Neighbourhood
Old Port
Phone
(207) 774-8538
Price Per Person
~$30–$50 before drinks
Cuisine
Pan-Asian, Handmade Noodles
Dress Code
Casual
Reservations
Mostly walk-in; call ahead for groups
Hours
Dinner Wed–Sun (hours vary seasonally)
Kids
Welcome early; lively later
Dietary
Vegetarian options; ask about gluten
What is The Honey Paw known for?
The Honey Paw is a pan-Asian noodle bar from Big Tree Hospitality's Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, best known for its smoked lamb khao soi and a honey-glazed lobster roll. It was a 2016 James Beard Best New Restaurant semifinalist.
How much does dinner cost?
Plan on roughly $30 to $50 per person before drinks. Most dishes run $14 to $19; the honey lobster roll is around $34. The menu is built for sharing, so a table ordering broadly lands in that per-head range.
Does it take reservations?
The Honey Paw is primarily walk-in, with counter and bar seats turning over through the evening. Larger groups should call ahead at (207) 774-8538. Weekend evenings fill quickly.
Where is it located?
At 78 Middle Street in Portland's Old Port, sharing a wall with sibling Eventide Oyster Co. It is walkable from the waterfront and most Old Port hotels.
Is it good for groups?
Yes — handmade noodles, fried chicken and large-format plates meant to be passed make it one of Portland's best rooms for a relaxed team dinner. The volume runs high, which suits a celebratory group over a quiet conversation.
Back to all restaurants in Portland, Maine — read the Portland, Maine dining guide — see the Team Dinner and Solo Dining occasion guides — or compare Fore Street and Scales.