The Island Inn

There are so many wonderful things to say about the Island Inn in addition to the good food, magical location and beautifully simple and quaint décor.
Let’s start with the staff and the owner. My cousin and I arrived not having realized our room had a shared bathroom. (It was on the reservation receipt, but we didn’t notice until the night before). The staff and the owner, Michael spent a good amount of time juggling and re-​arranging the room schedule to accommodate us and found us a King room (which had an amazing view of the harbor, BTW) with a private bath. They even converted the King into two Twins for us! How easy would it have been for them to say ‘sorry, that’s what you reserved. That’s what you’ll get’. What a comfortable, lovely room we had for our week there!
The dining room is also an Art Gallery. Beautiful Local paintings. Did I mention that Monhegan is an art colony? The dinners are delicious, sophisticated, and convivial. But the breakfast buffet (which is included in the room rate) is AMAZING: Lobster Scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes, bacon Fruit, fresh OJ, granola, yogurt, fresh baked goodies… etc, etc!
Special care? So many things!: I was in Monhegan for a pre-​season painting workshop. That means it’s not quite summer. We ARE on an Island off the coast of Maine, mind you. There WAS weather. Plein Air painting in the rain? not me! Mivchael let us set up our easels on the gorgeous, expansive porch facing the bay to shelter from the wind and rain; I needed some milk for my very early morning tea (there’s tea and coffee in the lobby at 7:30am), but I had forgotten to get milk from the market the night before (yes, a communal refrigerator for the guests). Michael got it for me with a smile! whew!
Oh, I could go on and on… too many things and considerations! But let me leave you with this: I will return again and again!

This review is for the food.
We had two meals during our stay — breakfast and dinner.
Breakfast was very nice and a good value considering that a very nice lobster scramble and blueberry stuffed french toast with unlimited helpings was on offer. They had a full complement of the usual warm breakfast offerings as well as a nice selection of continental items that included some decent baked goods and good quality fresh fruit.
Dinner was expensive but not a bad value. The quality of their ingredients really stands out. My wife had the filet mignon, I had the haddock, my younger daughter had salmon, and my older daughter had roasted vegetables with quinoa. All used absolutely top flight ingredients and my haddock portion was immense. The visual and creative appeal of these dishes was limited, however, and this restaurant would not warrant a return visit (for dinner) if it were located in Boston, Cambridge, or Portland.
That said, you cannot beat the view at the Island Inn, and they definitely have a wonderful breakfast offering. For dinner, the Monhegan House beats the Island Inn hands down, if you are more concerned about the food than the view.

You can’t bet the location, setting, or the view. This was our second visit, the first was thirty-​four years ago to the island. Hasn’t changed too much although there are more options for dining on the island, more vehicles (local trucks and golf carts and tourists), and an art gallery. But back to the Island Inn. Everything was very nice; dinners are very, very good. Breakfasts are amazing-​buffet traditional: French toast, bacon, eggs cooked to order, pancakes cooked to order, real dark coffee, cereal, toast, super scones, muffins, etc. Breakfast is included in the price. The price is high, considering the room size. We had a corner room on the third floor with a bath – hardly enough room to turn around in. All the rooms are small, but rooms 14 and 15 seemed to have more space. Bathroom sharing, which we did not have, seemed to be an acceptable option as they were always free and much larger than the one in the room, so it could be considered. Service in the dining room was usually good for a summer hotel in Maine.

Perfect for the setting. It’s very picturesque, inside and out. The lobby and small reading room are charming, and the dining room is just delightful. (I loved the butter yellow color on the walls.)
My boyfriend and I stayed in a queen ocean view room with a shared bath. The room was small, but tasteful and just right for a couple nights. And of course the view from our second story window was wonderful. No problem at all with the shared bath.
They had my favorite tea (Harney & Sons) available in the morning — great to keep you warm on a morning walk. Dinner and breakfast were very good.
Overall, the Island Inn was the best place we stayed on our entire weeklong trip up the coast of Maine and Monhegan was a definite highlight.

The restaurant at the Monhegan island Inn sits high above the harbor and even higher than it’s mainland competitors. Considering that every washed linen and bottled condiment has to cross the chill Atlantic to be ready for a dinner here, the Inn’s Menu rivals any destination resto, and at reasonable prices too.
Our table enjoyed a colorful and flavorful parade of delights, including baby spinach salad with candied nuts, feta, and cranberries. Sweet, tiny yet meaty Maine mussels in aromatic butter broth. Roasted beets beside bright kale. Salmon filet with a brush of horseradich glaze, accompanied by rosemary red potatoes and sauteed kale mixed with butternut squash. Dessert was a granola topped, deep bowl of rhubarb and berries.
Other tables applauded tall filet mignon topped with two large, un-​shelled lobster claws. A quinoa dish rounded up all the veggies in the kitchen and came with either curried scallops or grilled chicken.
The Inn has it’s Region’s best fare. And timed nicely, you can finish your meal in time to enjoy the setting sun over Mañana island from a rocking chair on the Inn’s expansive porch.

loved monhegan, disappointed in the island inn.
we were going out here for my birthday. my wife called about special dietary needs. girl on the phone said their chef would handle it no problem, even talked to the chef. we go there and we are told the chef couldn’t really do anything special for us. very disappointing.
the island inn is the most «normal» lodging on the island, next time we go i am willing to try something a little more worthwhile. even if it doesn’t have electricity or running water at least we won’t be lied to about services!

my favorite place to stay at my favorite summer weekend spot. Overlooking the beautiful deep blue Maine water — the rooms are comfy, the food is amazing and I firmly believe this is the place to stay to truly appreciate a weekend on this fantastic island.