ViA VECCHiA sits in an iconic brick and ivy-covered building in the heart of the Old Port, overlooking Portland's cobblestone streets. The room was re-imagined in 2020 around a large wraparound 20-seat bar surrounded by velvet booths, with the cocktail and Italian wine program given equal billing to the kitchen.
The menu opens with a cicchetti list — fried artichokes, warm olives — before moving into small plates like buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and Bangs Island mussels with pancetta. Handmade pastas include bucatini with local Maine clams and lemon caper butter, and lumache with pork and beef bolognese, while large plates run to risotto and pork Milanese. The menu changes seasonally.
The restaurant is run under Miranda Restaurant Group. Regulars point to the service, the cocktails, and the upscale atmosphere as reasons they keep coming back.
The menu opens with a cicchetti list — fried artichokes, warm olives — before moving into small plates like buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and Bangs Island mussels with pancetta. Handmade pastas include bucatini with local Maine clams and lemon caper butter, and lumache with pork and beef bolognese, while large plates run to risotto and pork Milanese. The menu changes seasonally.
The restaurant is run under Miranda Restaurant Group. Regulars point to the service, the cocktails, and the upscale atmosphere as reasons they keep coming back.