These are the 15 Best restaurants in Wilmington, Hands Down!

If you’re looking for a delicious meal while in Wilmington, you’ll be spoiled for choice. There are many great restaurants to choose from, each with their own unique flavors and atmosphere. Here is a selection of the best restaurants in Wilmington – based on reader feedback and personal experience. Enjoy!

Best Restaurant in Wilmington

Savorez

• Address: 402 Chestnut St #4026, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (1151)
• Phone: +1 910-833-8894
• Website: Link
• Price Info: Moderate
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

  Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

  Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

  Thursday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

  Friday: 11:30 AM – 10:00 PM

  Saturday: 12:00 – 10:00 PM

  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Feature: Dine-in, Take-out

Top 15 Fancy Restaurants in Wilmington

Little Dipper Fondue

• Address: 138 S Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (811)
• Phone: +1 910-251-0433
• Website: Link
• Price Info: Expensive
• Opening hours:
  Monday: Closed

  Tuesday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Wednesday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Thursday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Friday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Saturday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM

  Sunday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM
• Feature: Dine-in
• Reviews:
  When you walk in you notice how clean this place is with friendly ready to serve staff. The scenery has salt water fish ready to greet you at the door-very impressive!
  The food style goes above and beyond like anything traditional you’ll find. This is a fondue setting to be prepared to have fun and indulge on portions where you walk away full! Don’t be discouraged though for a first timer because staff walks you through everything and even leaves you a place card in case you forget!
  HIGHLY RECOMMEND and definitely a come again place.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Jacqueline King (9 months ago)

  What a lovely place! I sat out on the deck during their live Thursday night music. The service was wonderful. Brian took care of me, and was also the bartender for the night. The drinks he made were delicious. I had the key lime pie martini and a chocolate martini. I also did the fontana cheese Fondue. It comes with a bowl of bread and then a plate with a mix of fruit (apples and grapes) and veggies (roasted potatoes, carrots and broccoli) everything was really great. My husband’s favorite was the potatoes, I love bread so that was mine but I also really enjoyed the broccoli and apples. But really all of it worked really well with the cheese. The only thing I would change, and it’s just a personal opinion, I would love if the bread, even if just some of it, was toasted or grilled or in some way heated up to give it a little crunch. But really everything was perfect as is. Next time I go I want to try one of the dessert Fondues. I saw a few come out and they looked amazing. I was too full this time for anything else. Great live music, beautiful spot where you can see the river and watch the sunset. I met the owners who were so kind and friendly. I have some friends coming in town that asked for suggestions. I told them about little dipper and plan to tell many more people about this spot.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By theresa (4 months ago)

  This was our first time and it was fantastic! We were in Wilmington for a few days and this was in walking distance of where we were staying. I’m so glad we came and we will definitely be back the next time we visit. The wait staff was fantastic! Our server, Brian, knew it was our first time and was super helpful and friendly. Can’t recommend this place enough!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Abby H (a month ago)

  While on an evening stroll through downtown Wilmington, The Little Dipper caught my eye. I walked in and was immediately greeted by Julie. Julie then sat me down at the bar where Brian gave me a cheesecake (with a candle for my birthday). While enjoying my New York style cheesecake (there is a huge difference between a regular cheesecake and New York style…) the manager, Jenna, struck up a conversation with me and made me feel very comfortable and at home. All staff I encountered, including the bussers, were polite and welcoming. As a new Wilmington resident, I truly appreciate the hospitality.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Zachary Pridgen (2 months ago)

  This was my wife’s first time getting fondue, which blew my mind, and it was great. We order she crab soup and got the havarti dill cheese blend for the cheese course. For the main course we had the Port and beef style with filet, pork, mahi, and portobello mushrooms. We choose four different dipping sauces: yum-yum, creamy horseradish, creamy dill, and Caribbean jerk bbq. All went great with our entree choices. We finished up with port and the chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel course. We actually had desert at home but my wife was having such a good time we decided to get it there for the experience. It didn’t disappoint. I’d recommend this place to anyone. Why go to melting pot when you can go out downtown and support a local business?

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Chris Escue (3 months ago)

Caprice bistro

• Address: 10 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.8 (617)
• Phone: +1 910-815-0810
• Website: Link
• Price Info: Moderate
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Tuesday: Closed

  Wednesday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Thursday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Friday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Saturday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Sunday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM
• Feature: Dine-in, Take-out
• Reviews:
  This place is amazing.
  I had the crepe Caprice as my meal and my date had the salmon. Both were excellent the ‘Marie Antoinette Left ‘ cocktail was amazing also.
  Highly recommend.
  The atmosphere was very relaxing and romantic. Nick our server was great.
  5 stars all around.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Carla Elkins (8 months ago)

  With lots of dining options in Wilmington, only the best will stand the test of time and Caprice is one of those. Excellent French cuisine and quality service. The Escargot Petits Gris appetizer was excellent, the toasty French bread for dipping into the sauce made it even better. The Waterzooi house special is an assortment of fish and seafood in an herb & cream broth – superb! My wife had the a Gazpacho soup special (not pictured) and the Duck Confit as an entrée, loving both dishes. Our waiter Drew was knowledgeable with regard to the dishes and provided great service. Though our bill was over $100/person, that included cocktails upon arrival, a bottle of wine, and an after dinner desert wine. You can enjoy an excellent meal here for about $50/person and I highly recommend you try Caprice Bistro.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Doug Silverberg (3 months ago)

  If I could give six stars I would! Not only was the food outstanding, the service was even better. You will not regret your visit here. Thank everyone who hosted us tonight, it was fabulous.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Bob Manley (6 months ago)

  The food is always impeccable! Top notch with a attentive wait staff. This style of cuisine is not easy to find and well worth a trip downtown!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By W Janega (9 months ago)

  In celebration of the 5th wedding anniversary of my son and his lovely wife, Caprice Bistro made it one to always be remembered. My son said it was the best lamb he’s ever eaten. My compliments to the chef, Patricia, the server and everyone who made this a special day.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Bobbi Farewell (5 months ago)

Genki Japanese & Sushi Restaurant of Wilmington NC

• Address: 4724 New Centre Dr #5, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (909)
• Phone: +1 910-796-8687
• Website: Link
• Price Info: Moderate
• Opening hours:
  Monday: Closed

  Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Thursday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Friday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Saturday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Sunday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM
• Feature: Dine-in, Take-out
• Reviews:
  This place absolutely had the authentic Japanese sushi bar feel! The staff was friendly and greeted me at the door and the placements at each seat were a nice touch to the authentic feel. The food was great and prepared by a chief working right in front of you (if you sit at the bar). They were moderately busy for lunch but for a small place they seemed to have more than enough seating. It was clear they were lacking in staff members (who isn’t?) but that didn’t affect my experience at all and defiantly helped get them their 5 stars!

  Great price, great location, friendly staff, and for an authentic Japanese sushi bar feel, this place was as advertised!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Zach B. (2 months ago)

  The food here was so good! Authentic Japanese food and sushi. We were in visiting for the weekend and stumbled upon this place. While there, a kind customer bought a round of sake shots in honor of the owner and sushi chef because of his hard work. The food definitely spoke of his hard work as well. We felt like locals and could find this place being a regular for us if we lived in the area. Highly recommend it in search of good authentic Japanese food at a reasonable price!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Taylor Vy (2 months ago)

  I have enjoyed many Japanese food restaurants and this place was amazing. As soon as you walk in you get greated with Japanese “welcome” and the look of the place is very traditional. The food was amazing and the sushi was very fresh and properly made. The staff was friendly and courteous and the pricing was fair even with inflation and the prices of everything going up. I did not find it too high at all especially with the high quality ingredients used. It was me and my wife’s first time coming but you now have regulars from here on out. Thank you for your service and we cant wait to try something new next time around.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Ezequiel Toro-Román (5 months ago)

  This is absolutely hands down the best Sushi I’ve ever eaten in the US. My girlfriend ans I frequent this place and recently I introduces my son to the place…. He was amazed and yet again we had a fantastic experience.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Douglas Wittenborn (3 months ago)

  Edit- This lady replies to every single review if it’s not glowingly positive. The 1star review is mostly because of how rude she was to us. We didn’t argue with her and were completely polite. She knows it’s too long of a wait and is ready to be combative with customers. Don’t worry, we can make our own sushi at home and often do. No need for us to ever deal with this restaurant again.

  Honestly this place gave us one of the worst experiences we have had at a restaurant. I wasn’t even going to review until the owner/manager came over and was rude and aggressive towards us. We came when they OPENED for lunch. We were two of the first 6 people in the door. Waited 1 hour and 20 minutes for our food. I know they are short staffed. We saw the signs. 80 minutes at lunch is still excessive. The guys who were servers were great and helpful. Honestly if you are so short staffed, you have to close or only accept reservations or something. You can’t open your doors with one guy working, and make everyone wait for 1 hour+ and then be rude to your customers when they express they waited a long time. She came over and asked us, we were honest, and she was defensive. She said “Is it your first time here?” Is that seriously what you say? This place is just “worth the wait”? Only it’s not.. because on top of all of this the sushi was just OK and it was expensive. The search for decent sushi in Wilmington continues. We won’t ever be back here.

  ✭ By Brianna Riley Barnett (11 months ago)

Seabird

• Address: 1 S Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (309)
• Phone: +1 910-769-5996
• Website: Link
• Opening hours:
  Monday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Tuesday: Closed

  Wednesday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Thursday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM

  Friday: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Saturday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 5:00 – 10:00 PM

  Sunday: 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM, 5:00 – 9:00 PM
• Feature: Dine-in, Take-out
• Reviews:
  Seabird was recommended by a family friend and it couldn’t have been better. My wife and I decided to dine there on a Sunday Evening and little did we know the treat we were in for. The waiting staff was very attentive, and knew the menu inside out. We started with the oysters which were an absolute delight and followed it up with the catfish and oyster pie. For the entrees, my wife had the Phytoplankton Spaghetti and I had the Fried Catfish and Grits. Both dishes were 10/10. They had a great selection of wine and cocktails. Definitely a must if coming to Wilmington, NC.

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Amos Mason (4 months ago)

  Y’all!!!! And I mean that with all the Southern flattery as possible!!! Go check this place out. Jamie and his crew are AMAZING!! We were caught in severe thunderstorms and had been rudely turned away from another place. We made it to Seabird and we were DRENCHED to the bone. They welcomed us in. I tried to apologize for the water we were getting on the floor but they were already handing us towels and said they wanted us to get dried off and to get comfortable. We sat right down and were immediately greeted by Echo. She was so friendly and went over the menu items. The food was phenomenal!! We had the baked BBQ Shrimp Oysters, Peel and Eat Shrimp, Smoked Tuna Salad, Habanero Pork Ribs, the Brownie dessert and the Custard dessert. The best service and wonderful food made for an incredible evening. We will be back!!! ?

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Christine Cameron (5 months ago)

  Chef Dean makes his dining room a space of perfect welcome.
  The calm pace of the food, the genuine warmth of the crew, the music, the balanced design, it all syncs to become a space to really pause and sense, to taste, and to taste fully.
  And taste is something this kitchen does well. Emphasizing the story of the ingredients, the local sourcing of the elements, while showing the communal loops among the flavor notes that play in these dishes, all while nailing this keen scale of flavor orchestration … the food here is of rare refinement. The experience is worthy of her swelling attentions.
  Thanks Seabird gang- it was marvelous and we will return again!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By jay edge (3 months ago)

  Wow!!! This place hit my top favorites. The food and flavors are Creative and Delicious. I cant say enough about the Broiled Hollandaise Oysters, I will go ahead and tell you to get 2 orders. We also had the tuna appetizer but I ate the oysters first so nothing can compare to the oysters but it was also very good. The ribs were also delicious. I had the flounder for my entree and it was very good . The grits were on point! Had the flour less torte dessert and was very good but I didn’t love the bananas but the torte bites are amazing. I love this place. Make reservations well in advance!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Jennifer Davidson (a year ago)

  Magnificent meal tonight! Amazing start with the smoked tuna decorated with thin sliced veggies and salad mix. The fried catfish was light and tasty surrounded by tiny turnips, sweet potatoes, greens, grits and a splash of tomato curry and limes. The cioppino was full of seafood, andouille sausage and charred bread giving way to so many textures and flavors. Finale was the brownie dessert of sweet and salty on your tastebuds!! Bravo!!

  ✭✭✭✭✭ By Karen & Ken Matsumoto (9 months ago)

Black Sea Grill

• Address: 118 S Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.7 (173)

Indochine Restaurant

• Address: 7 Wayne Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (3293)

The Copper Penny

• Address: 109 Chestnut St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (3137)

The Fork ‘N’ Cork

• Address: 122 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (1965)

Ceviche’s

• Address: 7210 Wrightsville Ave, Wilmington, NC 28403, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (1009)

Circa 1922

• Address: 8 N Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (803)

Pinpoint Restaurant

• Address: 114 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (547)

Catch

• Address: 6623 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.6 (479)

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar

• Address: 5500 Market St #130, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (1309)

The Basics

• Address: 319 N Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (1190)

Roko Italian Cuisine

• Address: 6801-105 Parker Farm Dr, Wilmington, NC 28405, United States
• Map: Click here
• Rating: 4.5 (361)

That’s it for our list of the best beaches in Wilmington! If you have any arguments or additional information, please leave a comment. We love to hear from our readers. And don’t forget to check out some of the other posts on our blog for more travel inspiration. Happy beachcombing!