Academe Maine Brasserie & Tavern Is Now The Kennebunk Inn & Tavern

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 4, Episode 14

Academe Maine Brasserie & Tavern was the dining room inside The Kennebunk Inn, a Kennebunk, Maine hotel dating to 1799, at the time it appeared in the 'Reinvented Classics' episode, which paired restaurants with a chef's take on a familiar dish. The inn's kitchen operated as an upscale brasserie-and-tavern concept serving updated versions of classic American fare alongside the property's lodging and event business. Since the episode, the inn has continued operating its restaurant under different branding: The Kennebunk Inn's own website, in a September 2026 check, lists its on-site dining room simply as 'The Tavern,' with no reference to the 'Academe' name anywhere on the site. According to the inn's tavern page, hours run 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., closed Sundays and Wednesdays, with menus and pricing subject to change. The inn remains located at 45 Main Street in Kennebunk.

Food Paradise, Season 4, Episode 5 Aired 2012

"Pot Pie Paradise" (aired 2012) featured Acadene Maine Brasserie & Tavern, a brasserie-style restaurant operating inside the historic Kennebunk Inn. A brasserie is a relaxed-setting style of French restaurant known for dishes such as steak frites, according to Wikipedia. According to the business's own website, checked 2026-09-07, the inn's restaurant now operates as The Tavern at The Kennebunk Inn, serving lunch and dinner from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closed Sundays and Wednesdays, at 45 Main Street in Kennebunk. Google Places lists the address as operational.

The inn's website notes that tavern hours, menus, and pricing "are subject to change." The inn's website also promotes overnight lodging alongside the tavern, describing itself as a historic property in downtown Kennebunk. No closure or ownership change has been reported for the property.