KENNEBUNK, Maine — Dining in a barn by the beach sounds like a casual affair. But beneath the rafters at the elegant White Barn Inn, butter-poached smoked lobster served with crisp chardonnay by a discreet staff has set the impeccable standard for 42 years.
You don’t attain five-diamond status serving pub grub, so it is interesting to learn the grande dame of Maine barns started out as pedestrian as the rest — a home for livestock, horses and chickens. During the Civil War, the barn with an attached farmhouse was a boarding house, advertising “three squares a day.”
Through the years, the barn was used for storage and once was an ice creamery. The property became the Forest Hill House in the 1880s, and for a period the barn served as a bunkhouse for male employees working at the guesthouse during the summer.
In 1973, the barn was fully restored and became the White Barn Inn. The restaurant and inn quickly gained a reputation for the best service and food north of Boston. The property is only on its fifth owner, according to assistant innkeeper Albert Black, proud of the hotel’s heritage.
Today, well-heeled diners who enter the classic barn for dinner are greeted by the tickling of the ivories. A piano player with a giant picture window backdrop transports guests to a bygone era.
Cocktails are served at a well-stocked bar tucked under the former hay loft. How many wedding proposals happened here? How many secrets confessed? Only the rugged barn boards know for sure.
As the name suggests, the barn itself is the trademark of this luxurious Relais and Chateaux property. Its vaulted ceilings and gourmet aromas keep locals, vacationers and day-trippers from Boston and beyond returning year after year.
“It’s authentic New England,” Black said. “It’s authentic Maine.”
At some point, a second barn — originally located on the property — was moved and attached to the larger barn to accommodate more diners. At capacity, The White Barn Inn can serve 70 people. The second barn, encased in wood with low ceilings, is a bistro, offering a more relaxed a la carte menu — a nod to contemporary tastes.
In both barns, over-sized picture windows reveal a colorful riot of showy flowers. “It’s like the Museum of Natural History,” Black said.
In the main barn, some guests dine at tables set in former horse stalls, which have become private nooks. This elevated floor is a good platform for haute cuisine. A giant American flag hangs from the rafters. “It’s a great canvas for us to put the show on,” said executive chef Derek Bissonnette, whose $165-per-head tasting menu is the main act. “The structure in itself is quite magical.”
Servers navigating the uneven barn floors with artfully plated entrees practice a delicate ballet — a synchronized barn dance.
“There’s a lot that goes into it, from preparation of food to service,” Bissonnette said.
Although presidents — the local first family among them — have dined here, the space, decked out with terra cotta pots, sculptural roosters, tools and old signs here and there, still feels warm and welcoming.
