16 Incredible Restaurants in Wilmington, DE You Need to Try
Wilmington sits where the Christina River meets Brandywine Creek, about 33 miles southwest of Philadelphia, and its dining reflects both its corporate history and its Italian-American roots. The du Pont company was making gunpowder on the Brandywine by 1802, and the Hotel du Pont has stood on Rodney Square since 1913. Many of the best kitchens cluster along North Market Street downtown. Little Italy, around Union and Lincoln streets, has Italian-American cooking and an Italian Festival every June at St. Anthony of Padua Church. The Riverfront, once a shipbuilding district, has been redeveloped since the late 1990s and now has waterside seafood. Concord Pike and Kennett Pike add more places a short drive north.
This guide covers 16 places, from a 1940 Little Italy red-sauce kitchen and a French brasserie in the Hotel du Pont to a steakhouse in a strip mall, a Riverfront raw bar and a breakfast diner whose roots go back to 1922. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
Mrs. Robino’s
Mrs. Robino’s anchors Wilmington’s Little Italy at 520 North Union Street. The restaurant’s namesake began cooking Italian food at home on Howland Street for family and neighbors, and the crowds grew until the family opened a restaurant around the corner in 1940. The original row house still stands, the dining room is hung with family photos, and the founder’s great-granddaughters still run it. The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives has featured it.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 1,800 Google reviews, it is known for red-sauce classics made in house. Order the spaghetti and meatballs, the ravioli or gnocchi, or the hand-breaded eggplant. Lottie’s Special is a creamy dish of shrimp, scallops and crab. The 1903 Howland pizza, named for the family’s first kitchen, comes with long hots (long hot peppers), sausage, ricotta and garlic. First-timers often choose the Tour of Italy sampler.
The restaurant asks guests to call (302) 652-9223 to reserve, and booking ahead is recommended. Portions are large and the price level is moderate, so plan on leftovers. Parking can be tight on weekends, so leave a few extra minutes. The Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes is a tradition here, and tables for it can be booked months ahead. Check hours before you go.
Address: 520 N Union St, Wilmington, DE 19805
Website: mrsrobinos.com
Le Cavalier
Le Cavalier is a French brasserie inside the Hotel du Pont at 42 West 11th Street. It opened in September 2020 in the hotel’s old Green Room, the city’s social hub since the hotel opened on Rodney Square in 1913. The dining room keeps its high painted ceilings, chandeliers and velvet banquettes, renovation crews uncovered a mosaic floor beneath the carpeting, and there is a 13-seat bar. The name honors the Brandywine Valley’s horse-riding tradition.
Rated 4.1 stars from more than 600 Google reviews, it is a dressy night out rather than a quick bite. The menu leans on French classics. Try the onion soup with Madeira and Gruyère, the 14-ounce New York strip with au poivre (peppercorn) sauce, the roasted chicken with brandy foie gras cream or the duck breast with mustard spätzle (small egg noodles). There is also a Le Cav burger with Comté and caramelized onions.
Book through Resy or call the restaurant at (302) 594-3154. Weekend brunch is well reviewed and brings a croque monsieur (a ham and cheese sandwich), a lox platter and brioche French toast. The bar is lovely enough to visit for a drink on its own. This is one of the pricier tables downtown, so it suits a special occasion. Weekday deals have included a discounted burger on Tuesdays, and menus change often, so check what is on.
Address: 42 W 11th St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Website: lecavalierde.com
Bardea Food & Drink
Bardea fills a corner of North Market Street downtown, at number 620, in a former Kennedy Fried Chicken building. It opened in 2018 with about 120 seats, and many people credit it with starting the downtown dining revival. Chef Antimo DiMeo, a James Beard Foundation semifinalist, cooks modern American food rooted in Italian tradition, with inventive riffs on pizza, pasta and shareable plates.
With 4.6 stars from more than 1,200 Google reviews, it is one of the most reviewed restaurants downtown. The burrata pop tart, a pastry stuffed with burrata and served with fennel and onion jam, is the signature starter. Also look for the spicy honey pizza, the risotto with Maryland blue crab, fusilloni with spicy sausage and the heritage chicken. The menu is built for sharing and changes with the season.
Reservations go through OpenTable, and booking ahead is wise on weekends. The room has a lot of energy and can get loud when full. There is a happy hour at the bar with cocktails, wine and snacks, so check the times. Plates add up, so expect a dinner out rather than a quick bite. A 20 percent gratuity is added for parties of six or more.
Address: 620 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Website: bardeafoodanddrink.com
Columbus Inn
The Columbus Inn stands on Pennsylvania Avenue in a building that dates to the late 1790s, when it began as a bakery. It was a tavern by 1812. The Senza family ran it from 1953 until it closed in 2007, and after a sale in 2009 and a full renovation it reopened in 2010 as a 175-seat restaurant with a bar, a raw bar and a brick oven. Chef Ross Essner leads a seasonal kitchen.
With 4.6 stars from more than 1,000 Google reviews, it is a reliable all-around dinner stop. The summer menu leads with crab cakes served with creamed corn and old bay fingerlings, plus cheesesteak spring rolls and burnt ends brisket bites for sharing. Pizzas bake in an 840-degree brick oven. For a main, try the steak frites, the blackened trout with andouille cornbread stuffing or the chicken parm.
Reserve on OpenTable or call (302) 571-1492. The website lists weeknight deals, such as a three-course Steak & Cake Monday and half-price bottles of wine on Wednesday, though promotions can change. Sunday is brunch, served as a buffet, so check the current schedule. A 20 percent service charge is added for parties of six or more. The menu is seasonal, so dishes will change.
Address: 2216 Pennsylvania Ave, Wilmington, DE 19806
Website: columbusinn.net
Banks’ Seafood Kitchen and Raw Bar
Banks’ Seafood Kitchen and Raw Bar sits at 101 South Market Street on the Riverfront, beside the Riverwalk, with patio dining over the water. It opened in 2003 as Harry’s Seafood Grill and took its current name in 2018 after chef David Banks became sole owner. Banks trained at the Hotel du Pont under chef Hubert Winkler before culinary school and spent nearly 30 years with the Harry’s restaurant group before going out on his own.
Its 4.3-star rating across more than 1,700 Google reviews rests on the raw bar and the crab cakes, which the restaurant calls award-winning. Start with oysters on the half shell or the New England clam chowder. Then try the jumbo lump crab cake, the cornmeal-crusted rainbow trout or the grilled whole bronzino. The menu also features lobster, and the cooking style is classic rather than trendy.
Reservations are suggested for lunch and dinner and can be made on OpenTable or by phone at (302) 777-1500. In warm weather, ask for a patio table by the water. The restaurant has about 50 wines by the glass and a polished, upscale feel, so expect seafood-house prices. Listings show it closed on Mondays, so check hours before you go.
Address: 101 S Market St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Website: banksseafoodkitchen.com
La Fia Bistro
La Fia is a bistro at 421 North Market Street downtown, owned by chef Bryan Sikora and Andrea Sikora, with chef Dwain Kalup running the kitchen. It is a warm, neighborhood-style room, and Philadelphia magazine counted it among the restaurants that helped put Wilmington on the dining map. The menu is seasonal, with small plates and full mains and a European lean.
Its 4.7-star rating across more than 400 Google reviews comes mostly from shareable plates. Order the cheese board, the eggplant milanese (breaded and pan-fried) with lemon tahini, the grilled octopus and the beef tartare. For a main, look for the black truffle gnocchi or the braised short rib over rice porridge. The kitchen changes dishes with the seasons, so ask what is new.
Reservations go through OpenTable, and weekend nights are busy. The bar is first come, first served, which helps if you walk in without a booking. On Wednesdays the restaurant offers a three-course prix fixe with an appetizer, an entree and dessert, which is the best-value way in. Otherwise, expect a night-out price tag.
Address: 421 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Website: lafiawilmington.com
La Fête
La Fête is a modern French restaurant at 2530 Concord Pike (Route 202), north of downtown and next to the Charcoal Pit, a diner open since 1956. The style is French comfort food with garden-inspired charm, in a comfortable dining room with a bar and a patio. The wine cellar holds about 500 bottles chosen by an advanced sommelier, and the cocktail list runs from pre-Civil War recipes to no- and low-alcohol drinks.
Rated 4.7 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, it is a place for French classics done with care. Dishes on the menu include steak frites with béarnaise, moules frites (mussels cooked in cider, served with fries), escargot (snails) in puff pastry and ravioli filled with corn and truffle. Duck, roast chicken and seafood plates change with the season. Sunday brunch brings a salmon cake Benedict and a classic French omelet.
Book through Resy or call (302) 374-0779. Reservations are worth making for weekend dinners, and the patio is the place to be in good weather. Expect a special-occasion price level, though a few drinks and small plates at the bar make a lighter evening. Menus change with the seasons, so check what is currently on.
Address: 2530 Concord Pike, Wilmington, DE 19803
Website: lafetedelaware.com
Snuff Mill
Snuff Mill is a steakhouse, butchery and wine bar in Independence Mall on Concord Pike, an unlikely strip-mall setting for one of Delaware’s top-rated steak dinners. Restaurateur Bill Irvin opened it in July 2021 as a 28-seat dining room with a meat case near the entrance. Co-owner Dave Govatos runs the wine program and owns the bottle shop next door. Tasting Table named it the best steakhouse in Delaware in 2025.
Rated 4.9 stars from more than 1,000 Google reviews, it is best known for steak frites, an 8-ounce flat iron steak with Café de Paris butter (a herb butter) and skinny fries. Other favorites include the carpetbagger, with flash-fried local oysters, shaved filet mignon, bacon and Roquefort, plus crab cakes and creamed corn. Steaks are finished in a broiler that reaches 1,800 degrees, according to the menu. The signature beef burger is a lunch favorite.
Reservations are available on the restaurant’s site and are smart for dinner. An afternoon menu at the bar and outdoor seating is first come, first served. The restaurant is closed Sunday and Monday, so plan around that. Steaks are priced for a special occasion, from a filet to a 36-ounce tomahawk meant for sharing, so the burger is the budget move.
Address: Butchery & Wine Bar, 1601 Concord Pike Ste 77-79, Wilmington, DE 19803
Website: snuffmillbutchery.com
Dorcea
Dorcea is an American bistro at 1314 Washington Street in the Midtown Brandywine area, in the space that was Domaine Hudson, a wine bar and restaurant that opened there in 2005. Dorcea opened in 2020, in the early months of the pandemic, and built its following by word of mouth. Tony Bomba often tends the bar and his brother Michael runs the kitchen. A cozy bar with booths and local beers on tap are part of the draw.
Rated 4.8 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, it has a big, crowd-pleasing menu. The char-grilled meatloaf with a spicy tomato glaze is the house specialty, and the Korean salmon comes with gochujang sauce and charred pineapple rice. The blackened chicken Alfredo is another popular order. Firecracker shrimp, fried calamari and the soup flight, which lets you sample several soups, are good starters.
Book through Resy, and call (302) 691-7447 for larger groups, since there is a private dining room and the restaurant handles parties well. Dinner is the main event, and it is closed Mondays, so plan accordingly. The menu is generous and fairly casual, so it suits a relaxed night out rather than a formal one.
Address: 1314 Washington St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Website: dorcea.com
Scalessa’s “My Way” Old School Italian Kitchen
Scalessa’s “My Way” Old School Italian Kitchen is a small, casual place at 1836 North Lincoln Street in the Forty Acres neighborhood, just outside Trolley Square. The room has a living-room feel. Chef Donnie Scalessa cooks Italian favorites the way many families remember them, and the name nods to Frank Sinatra’s song. Lunch and dinner specials change weekly.
Rated 4.8 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, it is best known for Sunday gravy, a giant bowl of rigatoni in red sauce loaded with pork and sausage. Other favorites include chicken parmigiana, four-cheese gnocchi, meatball sandwiches and the cheesesteak Italiano. At lunch, try a hoagie or a meatball salad. Finish with cannoli made with fresh pizzelle (thin Italian waffle cookies).
The restaurant takes reservations for parties of all sizes, so call (302) 656-1362 to book a table. The room is small, so planning ahead is smart on weekends. The website lists lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, so check hours before you go. Portions are generous, so consider sharing to try more dishes. Check the weekly specials when you call.
Address: 1836 N Lincoln St, Wilmington, DE 19806
Website: scalessas.com
Walter’s Steakhouse
Walter’s Steakhouse is an old-school chop house at 802 North Union Street, in Little Italy, with dark wood paneling and a classic feel. The restaurant calls itself the oldest steakhouse in Wilmington, and local guides date it to 1993. It serves certified Angus beef, and its banquet rooms hold up to 60 guests, which suits family gatherings and business dinners as well as a night out for two.
Rated 4.5 stars from more than 600 Google reviews, it is known for prime rib, served as a queen cut or an Adams cut, or on a sandwich. Other steaks include rib eye and Delmonico, and the menu adds a raw bar, seafood and poultry. Start with crab-stuffed mushrooms, French onion soup or a shrimp cocktail, then add creamed spinach. Bananas foster is a classic finish.
Call (302) 652-6780 for reservations. It serves dinner only, and parking on this busy stretch of Union Street can be tricky. Ask whether the prime rib special, a full dinner with soup or salad, an entree and dessert, is running. Sharing an entree costs a small extra charge that includes a salad and a potato, and a 20 percent gratuity is added for parties of six or more. Confirm hours when you call.
Address: 802 N Union St, Wilmington, DE 19805
Website: walters-steakhouse.com
Buckley’s Tavern
Buckley’s Tavern is a historic house at 5812 Kennett Pike in Centreville, in the Brandywine Valley northwest of the city, though many listings give a Wilmington address. The house dates to 1817, when it was a private home, and a blacksmith shop stood where the parking lot is now, back when Kennett Pike was a dirt road. Dennis Buckley bought the property in 1951 and gave it his name. Chef Tom Hannum, a former Hotel du Pont chef, has led the kitchen since 2012.
Rated 4.4 stars from more than 2,000 Google reviews, it is a comfortable tavern with a broad menu. Start with the cream of mushroom soup, made with Kennett Square mushrooms, or the Thai noodle soup. Then try the crab cakes, the tavern burger, shrimp and grits or the macaroni and cheese with roasted tomato jam. Chicken pot pie, meatloaf and fish and chips are the comfort-food choices.
The tavern is open daily for lunch and dinner, with brunch on Sundays. The website does not describe a reservation policy for regular dining, so call (302) 656-9776 if you have a larger group. It has a private dining room and is a popular spot for holiday parties, so call well ahead in December. Gluten-free options, including gluten-free buns, are available. Parking is on site.
Address: 5812 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807
Website: buckleystavern.com
Three Amigos Mexican Grill
Three Amigos Mexican Grill is a family-owned restaurant at 1016 North Lincoln Street, in the middle of Wilmington’s Little Italy, a neighborhood better known for red-sauce Italian. The dining room is casual and colorful, with outdoor seating, and the long menu covers regional Mexican dishes and Tex-Mex favorites. It works for families and groups, and there are vegetarian and vegan options, including vegan enchiladas.
With 4.8 stars from more than 500 Google reviews, it is known for tacos, enchiladas and nachos. The restaurant lists guacamole, fajitas and chimichangas among its specialties. Popular orders include tacos de carnitas (slow-cooked pork), the Three Amigos enchiladas, the chicken quesadilla, nachos Acapulco and the fajita taco salad. Reviewers also single out the steak bowl and the salsa.
You can dine in, sit outside or take it home, since the restaurant offers takeout, delivery and online ordering, and it has a rewards app. Call (302) 510-6119 ahead for a larger group. Listings show it open daily for lunch and dinner, but check hours before you go. It makes an easy change of pace in a neighborhood where most menus are Italian.
Address: 1016 N Lincoln St, Wilmington, DE 19805
Website: threeamigosmg.com/home
Kozy Korner
Kozy Korner is a small breakfast and lunch diner at 906 North Union Street, in Little Italy. John Vouras opened the original in 1922 at Delaware Avenue and Washington Street downtown. His son Nicholas took over in 1964 and ran it until the building was torn down in 1984, then reopened it on Union Street in 1992. Nicholas’s son John has run it since 2002. Inside are a few booths, small round tables, a bench for waiting and a view of the grill.
Rated 4.4 stars from more than 500 Google reviews, it has won Delaware Today’s Best Breakfast award several times, and it topped a Delaware News Journal reader poll of the state’s diners in October 2026. Order the French toast or pancakes, the homemade chipped beef on toast, or a Spanish omelet with fried potatoes. Scrapple, a fried slice of pork and cornmeal that is a Mid-Atlantic breakfast staple, comes crisp outside and creamy inside.
The room is small and often busy at peak times, so expect to share a table or wait on the bench. It serves breakfast and lunch only and closes in the early afternoon, so go in the morning. Reports say it is cash only, so bring bills. Plan on walking in, and check hours before you go.
Address: 906 N Union St, Wilmington, DE 19805
Website: kozykorner-restaurant.com
Coterie Cafe + Kitchen
Coterie Cafe + Kitchen is a neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot at 1139 West 7th Street. The space is cozy and eclectic, and the kitchen takes familiar breakfast, lunch and brunch favorites and adds creative twists. It posts a seasonal menu, with a Fall 2026 edition online now, and the cafe also does catering and private dining. Reviewers describe the chef and owner as personable.
Rated 4.8 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, it is known for chicken and waffles, French-inspired breakfast plates and a sausage, egg and cheese bagel. The cheesesteak and the sausage omelet also draw praise, and the house coffee has fans. The menu changes with the seasons, so look at the current list before you go and treat these dishes as examples.
Coterie is open for breakfast and lunch every day and closes mid-afternoon, so go earlier rather than later. Online ordering is available through Toast and DoorDash if you want to take your food home. Outdoor seating allows dogs, and parking is nearby. There is no reservation system mentioned on the site, so plan on walking in.
Address: 1139 W 7th St, Wilmington, DE 19805
Website: coterieck.com
Urban Kitchen
Urban Kitchen is a comfort-food restaurant at 3228 Kirkwood Highway that opened in 2022 and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. The setting is warm and rustic, and its website says it has become a gathering place for families, friends and neighbors. The menu runs from skillets and pancakes to crab cakes and Italian entrees.
Its 4.5-star rating across more than 1,000 Google reviews comes from a big menu. At breakfast, reviewers name the cinnamon French toast, sweet cream stuffed French toast with berries, sausage gravy and biscuits and eggs Benedict, and the menu adds signature skillets and omelets. Later in the day, look for crab cakes, meatloaf, chicken croquettes, grouper and cheesesteak egg rolls. A black-and-white milkshake is a popular finish.
The restaurant is closed on Mondays, serves from morning to evening Tuesday through Saturday and closes in the afternoon on Sundays, so confirm hours before you go. Last seating is about 20 minutes before closing. The website does not mention reservations, so plan to walk in, and online ordering and catering are available.
Address: 3228 Kirkwood Hwy, Wilmington, DE 19808
Website: urbankitchende.com
Final Thoughts
Book ahead for weekend dinners at the downtown places and at La Fête, Snuff Mill and Mrs. Robino’s, and note that some restaurants use OpenTable, some use Resy and some want a phone call. Several favorites keep short schedules: Snuff Mill is closed Sunday and Monday, Urban Kitchen is closed Mondays, and Kozy Korner serves only breakfast and lunch and is reported to be cash only, so check hours before you go. Little Italy gets busy during the Italian Festival in June, and Mrs. Robino’s Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes fills up months ahead. Downtown places cluster along Market Street, but Concord Pike, Kennett Pike and Kirkwood Highway are easiest by car.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guide to the best things to do in Wilmington, DE.
Main photo, from left: Andrey Stakhovskiy, Bruna Branco and Joseph Gonzalez / Unsplash
