ViA VECCHiA

ViA VECCHiA is a restaurant in Portland, Maine, serving small plates inspired by Italian cooking. The menu runs from a cicchetti section of fried artichokes and warm olives into small plates such as buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and Bangs Island mussels with pancetta. Handmade pasta dishes include bucatini with local Maine clams and lemon caper butter, and pork and beef bolognese lumache. Larger plates cover Italian staples such as risotto and pork Milanese, and the pizzette dough is hand-mixed and topped with seasonal ingredients. The menu changes with the seasons. The restaurant holds a rating of 4.50 from the customers who have reviewed it.

The dining room sits in a historic brick and ivy covered building overlooking cobblestone streets. Re-imagined in 2020, the space centers on a wrap around bar with 20 seats, surrounded by velvet booths. The bar program pairs old world sophistication with new world technique, and the drink list spans craft cocktails and Italian wines, with separate wine, cocktail, aperitivo and dessert menus alongside the dinner menu.

ViA VECCHiA is at 10 Dana St in the heart of the Old Port, about a tenth of a mile from the Old Port neighborhood itself and the same short distance from Commercial Street. Portland Discovery Land and Sea Tours, the Berlin Wall Memorial, the Wall of Heroes and Boothby Square are all roughly a tenth of a mile away.

Its positive customer rating reflects how it is regarded by those who have eaten there. For Italian small plates and a serious cocktail and wine program in the Old Port, ViA VECCHiA pairs old world Italy with coastal Maine.