The Village Cafe was a 550-seat family-owned Italian restaurant in Portland, Maine, United States. It was in business, at 112 Newbury Street, for 71 years (1936–2007)^[1] and was one of the few restaurants in the Old Port during the restaurant's existence.^[2][3][4] It stood across Hancock Street from the Shipyard Brewing Company, in a space now occupied by condominiums—The Village at Ocean Gate—which maintain The Village's name.^{[5] [6]} The restaurant closed at 11:30 PM on weekdays and 12:30 AM on weekends.^[1]

The restaurant was founded as a twenty-seat café in 1936 by Maria (1884–1967) and Vincenzo Reali (1892–1981),^[7] the grandfather of the restaurant's last owner, John Reali. Amedeo Reali (1926–2010),^[8] John's father, took it over, with co-owner Albert DiMillo Sr.,^[9] after Vincenzo's retirement. He had initially only planned on helping out for two weeks upon returning from service in the Navy during World War II.^[5] The restaurant was renovated in 1998.^[1]

John Reali won the Restaurateur of the Year Award from the Maine Restaurant Association in 2001. Amedeo Reali won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.^[10]

After increasing competition from the numerous restaurants opening to take advantage of Portland’s "foodie town" status, the restaurant's owner decided to close the business, rather than spend an estimated $500,000 on work the building needed. It was under contract in 2006 and sold in 2007. There was a plan to downsize the restaurant and include it on the first floor of the condominium, but this did not come to fruition.^[5] In December 2007, after 71 years in business, the restaurant closed.^[11]

Amedeo Reali died in 2010, aged 83.^[7][12]

In the 2010s, the restaurant was torn down and replaced with the Bay House condominium project.^[13] The Bay House, an 85-unit condo on Middle and Newbury Streets, was built by Reger Dasco Properties.^[14] Since then, the neighborhood has been filled in with high-end condos, hotels and offices. In 2021, a one-unit condo in the Bay House was listed for sale for $625,000.^[15]

The Village Cafe served a traditional menu of Italian food. The menu listed soups, salads, Italian specialties, pastas, pizzas, seafood, steaks, sandwiches, and desserts.^[16] Menu listings that have been remembered by customers are veal parmigiana, clam sauce, red sauce,^[17] homemade bread, baked stuffed haddock, and eggplant parmigiana.^[18]

Two menus from the restaurant in 1982 and in 1989 are included in the collection of menus at the Portland Public Library.^[19]