5 Best Restaurants in Wilmington, Delaware

Italy-trained chef Antimo DiMeo's exciting, creative Italian fare using regional ingredients helped spark a culinary resurgence in Wilmington and makes Bardea's 120 seats a popular reservation. Service is professional and warm, and the industrial-look space, with high ceilings, tile, and wooden floors and tables, is attractive, but the food on the changing menu steals the show: small plates like ricotta gnocchi; pastas and pizza; and shareable mains and vegetable dishes make it possible to compose a feast in different ways (just keep an eye on the price). Desserts deserve attention, including an artisanal cheese plate.   

A sleek modern space in the historic DuPont Building holds this trendy 250-seat food hall, now managed by the Bardea Restaurant Group, with six vendors open for lunch and dinner, offering choices such as Bean by Bardea (Italian coffee and house-made baked goods; opens earlier for breakfast), the popular Al Chu's Sushi, Taqueria el Chingon, and the full-service Casa Nonna Italian restaurant, which has a happy hour. It's not a huge food hall in terms of number of vendors, though plans call for expansion, but DE.CO is a family-friendly and reasonably wallet-friendly option downtown. 

Fresh ingredients, modern American dishes, and a well-rounded wine list are served in a neat dining room warmed by red wood tones and potted plants. Take it easy with a simple bacon cheeseburger with balsamic onions and buttermilk–blue cheese dressing, or step it up with ricotta cavatelli with duck confit, English peas, mushroom ragu, and ricotta salata cheese.

This three-in-one food boutique produces sweets and artisanal breads in the bakery, gourmet take-away in the market, and farm-to-table refinement in the dining room. Stock up on doughnuts and sticky buns for breakfast or pack out paté, imported cheese, and a rustic olive loaf for a picnic. Linger in golden evening light with pork osso buco with French lentils, wild mushroom lasagna, or pan-seared fillet alongside gnocchi with sweet-green-chili pesto.

Robino family members still run this local favorite that Mrs. Tresilla opened in her basement in 1939. A year later, growing demand convinced her to move into larger digs, now the entrance, first room, and kitchen of today's large restaurant. Many meals begin with the chopped antipasto salad full of salami, provolone, and vegetables. Pasta is house-made and is especially tasty with spizzato, a veal-and-fresh-tomato sauce made with red wine.