Weekends in Wilmington can include strolls down the riverfront and delicious French cuisine, games of bowling, frozen cocktails and the greatest fried chicken you’ll find anywhere. These are the top restaurants in town from local gems to nationally recognized award winners.
Snuff Mill
$$$ | 302-303-7676 | WEBSITE
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In the middle of a strip mall, you might not expect to find a quaint café with only 28 seats. The Snuff Mill achieves success where others have failed thanks to the leadership of Robert Lhulier, who is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished chefs in the region, and to Dave Govatos, who is the proprietor of the establishment.
In their cooking, the chefs at Snuff Mill make use of a wide variety of fresh, locally sourced foods, such as veal, seafood, cheese, as well as fruit and vegetables.
Charcuterie and cheese platters present an opportunity for discovery if you are in the exploratory mood. An assortment of cheese is made from local ingredients, fruits in season, honey from Iris and Callisto, artisan crackers, sliced salami, and roasted nuts to choose from.
Everyone should, if their budget permits it, order the Long Bone Steak, which is a bone-in tomahawk steak that is 36 ounces in size. This charbroiled masterpiece, which can feed two people, comes with fingerling potatoes baked with tarragon and veggies that are in season.
La Fia
$$ | 301-543-5574 | WEBSITE
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La Fia, one restaurant that helped put Wilmington on the map for its gastronomic scene, is the kind of warm and inviting bistro that every city requires.
Dishes like duck confit that are flavored with yuzu, pomegranate, sesame, and miso are examples of how French cuisine embraces a more global perspective. The evening meal is accompanied by a delectable assortment of wines originating from both the Old World and the New World.
On Wednesdays, they provide a $40 prix fixe menu that includes an appetizer (such a seasonal salad or their distinctive pork belly dish), a main course (like their handmade pasta or beautifully cooked steak), and dessert. Even while weekend evenings are busy, they’re perfect for having a laid-back meal with some friends or having a romantic evening all to yourself.
Le Cavalier
$$$ | 302-594-3154 | WEBSITE
Tyler Akin, a Philadelphia-based chef and restaurateur, transformed the Green Room at the historic Hotel DuPont into the French brasserie Le Cavalier. Akin renamed the restaurant after the room.
In a setting with soaring ceilings and vintage chandeliers, velvet banquettes, and a marble mosaic and terrazzo floor, guests can savor steak frites, French onion soup, Parisian gnocchi, and drinks from a display bar that seats 13.
The cuisine for the Sunday brunch, which is offered from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, deserves special recognition here.
The mandatory Belgian waffles, which are served on their own with a Nutella ganache, provide a pillowy mouthful of flavor that, when combined with a Le Cav Bloody Mary, makes the beginning of any day an enjoyable experience.
Bardea
$$$ | 302- 426-2069 | WEBSITE
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Diners from all along the East Coast have been flocking to Bardea, which is now a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award on two separate occasions.
Antimo DiMeo, the restaurant’s chef, creates unexpectedly contemporary Italian cuisine. Try his burrata pop tart with fennel and sweet onion jam. Try the excellent pizza and pasta, and his contemporary takes on Italian cuisine standbys.
In addition to an extensive beer and wine selection, this restaurant also features a raw bar with a variety of delectable appetizers, such as oysters, bay scallops, and a gorgeous shrimp cocktail.
The small plate menu, which includes ricotta gnocchi, charred octopus, bison picanha, tortellini en brod, Cheshire pork, and a special long hot sausage, was one of our favorites.
Bardea’s “Feed the Table, a true table share experience” is a function that, when utilized, creates the ideal environment for a get-together with one’s family.
This experience is not complete without the table offerings of Szechuan heritage chicken with lavender and honey soy au jus, Mojo citrus rubbed bone in ribeye, and the fish of the day cooked in acqua pazza brine and Mediterranean spice.
Kelly’s Logan House
$$ | 302-652-9493 | WEBSITE
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Since 1864, Kelly’s Logan House, the oldest Irish pub in Delaware, has been located in what is now known as Trolley Square, which was formerly known as the Forty Acres.
Because it has served as the hub of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for the past nearly 150 years, the United States Department of the Interior has designated it a National Historic Site. At the moment, Kelly’s Logan House comprises a bar, a restaurant, a reception space, and live performances of music.
Spend some time there at lunch enjoying one of their handcrafted beers and sampling some of Kelly’s signature dishes. We were very impressed with Mike’s Philly Rolls (100 percent shaved rib eye, American cheese, fried onions, and horseradish cream).
Another customer favorite is the Eastern Shore Pretzel Bites, which are bite-sized pretzels prepared in the Eastern Shore style and topped with homemade queso cheese, scallions, crab meat, and bacon.
At dinner, you can get the special seasoned grilled salmon that Chef Kenny makes, which is grilled to perfection and paired with vegetables from Key Largo and Jasmine rice. This is most likely the most delicious meal that won’t break the bank in all of Wilmington!
Docklands Riverfront
$$ | 302-658-6626 | WEBSITE
In Wilmington, Delaware, there is a restaurant by the water called Docklands Riverfront. It is famous for the extensive menu it offers, which features a variety of delicacies such as hand-tossed pizzas, prime rib, fresh seafood, and gourmet sandwiches.
The outdoor patio and bar at Docklands Riverfront are two of the establishment’s most well-known features and routinely feature live music.
The vegetable curry was a vegan pleasure cooked with vegetable rice, bell peppers, onions, carrots, snow peas, zucchini, and squash, and yellow curry sauce. It was one of the best dishes we tried. If you aren’t a vegan, you have the option of adding salmon, chicken, or shrimp to your order for less than ten dollars each.
The House of William & Merry
$$$$ | 302-234-2255 | WEBSITE
To enjoy great dining and artistically prepared food in a lovely 100-year-old farmhouse, visit Hockessin, Delaware, just outside of Wilmington.
Merry Catanuto and Bill Hoffman, two world-renowned chefs, are the brains behind the name of their restaurant, The House of William and Merry.
Their menu changes with the seasons and always has dishes that appear almost too gorgeous to eat because of the combination of sophisticated technology and hearty, rustic ingredients.
While everything on the entrée menu shows why the chefs here are James Beard nominated, one meal stood out for us. The Grilled Hudson Valley Duck Breast is worth the wait and price.
Prepared with a maple-foie gras glaze, chantrelle mushrooms, farm to table beets, shaved truffle and a red wine jus, this dish is one to write home about.
Timothy’s Riverfront Grill
$$ | (302) 429-7427 | WEBSITE
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Timothy’s Riverfront Grill offers a wide selection of delicious homemade soups, main dishes, burgers, wraps, and salads to its patrons. You can choose from an array of delicious options, including their famed buffalo wings, crab cakes complete with generous lump crabmeat, and excellent slow-cooked ribs.
The Reef Seafood & Steak
$$-$$$ | 302-529-1985 | WEBSITE
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Just off of Naamans Road in North Wilmington is where you’ll find The Reef, a bar and restaurant that has a calm and delightful ambiance and is located in a handy location.
This casual restaurant is open till the wee hours of the night and specializes in serving seafood, steaks, and burgers. Furthermore, there is frequently live music to enjoy. The Delaware Sports Lottery operates out of this particular facility.
There are quite a few lunch items and appetizers that won’t blow your budget but will still satisfy your taste buds and come in a variety of price points.
You owe it to yourself to indulge in some of their chargrilled Certified Angus Beef for dinner. You can get it in the form of a center-cut sirloin, a cajun ribeye, a New York Strip, or a ribeye with a rich marbling.
Summary
If you are checking out the area, looking for the best dining experience ever, or just hoping to catch a glimpse of the Bidens, there is a world of dining options in Wilmington.
Hayden has been a digital director for years. He has five years of experience editing and writing about food, restaurant, and recipe review content. At Birch Restaurant, he’s in charge of scouting, showing up unannounced in different restaurants, and writing a thorough food guide!
