What are the opening hours?

Monday 4pm - 8:30pm Tuesday 4pm - 8:30pm Thursday 4pm - 8:30pm Friday 4pm - 8:30pm Saturday 4pm - 8:30pm Sunday 4pm - 8:30pm

The Ark

Name: The Ark
Address: 20 Main Street, Deer Isle, ME, 04627, US
Telephone: +12073486615
Price range: $$$

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Known as Pilgrim's Inn from 1977–2026. We are historic inn featuring waterfront dining and overnight stays in Deer Isle, Maine.

Overlooking picturesque Northwest Harbor and our tranquil mill pond, Pilgrim’s Inn on Deer Isle, is the perfect place to experience Downeast Maine at its best. Built in 1793, our historic post and beam Maine inn welcomes you with an ambiance and warmth of a bygone era. Lovingly restored and meticulously maintained, the inn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a member of Inns Along the Coast of Maine. Twelve rooms and three cottages offer you a range of lodging options to best meet your needs from mid - May through mid - October. Our location on beautiful Deer Isle Maine in Penobscot Bay will offer you unlimited activities to fill your day. From kayaking our rocky shoreline, to eating fresh lobster, exploring our many art galleries or just relaxing in a comfortable Adirondack chair, you’ll find out why Deer Isle has enticed visitors to this area for generations.

10/07/2026

Dealing with an excess of apples? You are in luck, because Sunday, October 11 at 2PM, we are pressing apples here at The Ark! We’ll provide the press, you bring the apples, and you’ll get to walk away with freshly pressed juice. Join us for the perfect fall afternoon, filled with friends, family, and of course, apples. 🍎🍏 🍎

10/04/2026

Chefs in Residence Justin Tootla and Jennifer Jackson have been digging into old recipe books and the cooking of 18th- and 19th-century New England, finding inspiration for an entirely new Tavern menu for fall.

The result isn’t historical cooking, but their own spirited take on the kind of food we want to eat as the days get shorter: a baked pasta; halibut chowder with littlenecks, tomato, and cream; beef stew with buttered Maine potatoes; their take on a grass-fed burger; and plenty more.

Justin and Jen have extended their stay and will be leading our kitchen through the end of the season—bringing bold combinations and a sense of discovery to the Dining Room through October 13, and leaning into something warm, generous, and comforting in the Tavern through October 25.

The new Tavern menu is on now. Walkins welcome. Come settle in.

09/24/2026

“This selection of photographs span the last decade of my career in Maine. They reference moments that I can now recall with a fondness that leaves me with my arms folded into my sides, swaying side to side, humming a tune I remembered once- once, in a crowded room, surrounded by drunken fools and unrestrained, tender hearts.”
— Héctor Nevárez Magaña

We’re very happy to share Héctor’s photographs at The Ark this fall, alongside work by Sal Taylor Kydd.

On view throughout the inn and restaurant through October 25.

09/21/2026

Our final Chefs in Residence of the season, Justin Tootla and Jennifer Jackson, launched their menu last Friday, and it has been a delight to welcome them into our kitchen and community.

They wasted little time getting to know this place—visiting local farms, foraging along the beaches, meeting the people who grow food here, and lovingly working with the seafood we’re so fortunate to have at our fingertips.

Justin and Jen are longtime culinary collaborators and partners whose cooking brings together Justin’s South African and Indian heritage and Jen’s Southern roots. Both graduates of The Culinary Institute of America, they cooked in celebrated kitchens before going on to open the acclaimed restaurants Voyager and Bunny Bunny in Michigan. More recently, they competed together on Bravo’s Top Chef.

But what has been most exciting to watch is the way they’ve approached Deer Isle: with curiosity, fluidity, and a genuine desire to understand what grows here, what comes from our waters, and what this special place has to offer.

Their residency is underway with a focus on dishes meant to be enjoyed by the table and evolve with the season’s harvest. For now, that includes crab rice, steamers with potatoes and husk cherries, and seared mackerel over romano beans. We can’t wait to see what unfolds over the coming weeks.

Justin and Jen’s menu is featured in our Dining Room—with some dishes available in the Tavern—through October 13.

09/19/2026

Deer Isle in the fall is a magical place. It’s the perfect time of year to connect with the natural beauty that surrounds us. Take a hike and watch the trees change color, or hop in a kayak and experience the view from the sea. Something as simple as a drive around the island could lead to a surprise encounter with an owl. Crisp air perfumed with the scent of apples and the sea—there is nothing better for a weekend of rest and relaxation.

09/17/2026

Sal Taylor Kydd’s photographs explore memory, loss, and our relationship to place. Her work moves between photography and poetry, looking at the ways landscapes hold memory and how traces of experience remain with us over time. 2026 TaylorKydd.pdf

We’ve gotten to know Sal over the past few years as a regular guest at The Ark. Working with her on this exhibition, we’ve also gotten to see the incredible care she brings to her work. She is rigorous and thorough, and her attention to detail can be felt in everything from making an image to its printing, framing, and presentation.

We’re so happy to have her photographs throughout the inn and restaurant this fall.

Opening reception tonight. On view through October 25.

09/14/2026

This season we introduced the fourth guestbook in The Ark’s history. Our guestbooks are more than names and dates—they hold the experiences shaped by former innkeepers and the memories guests have created here.

There are over 100 years of reflections and remembrances in these pages, and we are honored to be the keepers of that history as The Ark continues to grow.

One thing rings true from our guests’ words over all these years: The people make the place.

[Image 1 by Ari Anthia Kellerman | Photographer ]

08/31/2026

The state of Oaxaca, Mexico is firmly inscribed in our story.

Early in our relationship, we visited Oaxaca together, spending several days in the city and exploring the surrounding villages—each specializing in a particular craft. Years later, we were married on the coast, near Puerto Escondido.

So, it is especially meaningful to host Chef Neftalí Durán and serve food inspired by his home.

Deer Isle and Oaxaca are very different places, but both have a strong sense of place and a spirit unmistakably their own. There are things we love deeply about each: the attention to craft, the importance of food, traditions shaped by generations, and the way life gathers around a table.

Having Chef Neftalí here this summer has brought that connection to life. His energy, determination, generosity, and belief in what we are building have meant a great deal to us. Together with our team, he has brought so much to the restaurant at The Ark.

It feels very special to see these two parts of our lives come together here, even for a short time.

A+B

08/23/2026

Welcome to Rugosa Rose, your home away from home. Inside this private cottage, you’ll find a kitchenette and living area on the first floor, with a staircase leading to the bedroom and bath upstairs. 
In the morning, enjoy your breakfast box on your private deck overlooking Mill Pond. After breakfast, sated and content, you’ll be ready for whatever adventures Deer Isle has in store for you, whether that’s wandering through the shops in Stonington, exploring the sculptures at Nervous Nellie’s, heading into the woods for a hike, or simply staying put for a while.

Rugosa Rose is one of our most sought-after stays at The Ark, so don’t be surprised if it’s already booked. The good news? Every room offers an exceptional stay, a delicious breakfast, and all the wonder and charm of Deer Isle.

08/17/2026

We are thrilled to welcome our next chef-in-residence, Neftalí Duran . Chef Neftali is originally from the coastal mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico. Raised in a Mixteco family of cooks and healers, Durán spent years working in professional kitchens before focusing his work on community organizing and equitable food systems. Chef Neftalí has become an influential voice advocating for Indigenous culinary traditions, and his work sits at the intersection of Indigenous foodways, migration, and food justice.

Neftalí’s food is now the menu: one changing seasonal offering rooted in the flavors of Oaxaca, made with local produce and seafood, and served throughout the Tavern and Bar.

Oaxaca, by way of midcoast Maine.

Walk-ins only. Come early. Reservations for overnight guests.

Address

20 Main Street
Deer Isle, ME
04627

Opening Hours

Monday	4pm - 8:30pm
Tuesday	4pm - 8:30pm
Thursday	4pm - 8:30pm
Friday	4pm - 8:30pm
Saturday	4pm - 8:30pm
Sunday	4pm - 8:30pm

Telephone

+12073486615

Website

https://www.arkdeerisle.com/

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