Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Delaware

OpenTable

Updated September 05, 2024

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Delaware? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

La Fia

4.9

4.9 (2045)

$30 and under

Farm-to-table

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Travel down historic Market Street towards the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware and you will find La Fia Bistro. La Fia is an intimate dinner destination in a historic building located on the corner of 5th and Market. Chef Dwain Kalup's menu utlizes carefully sourced ingredients reflecting the seasons, local region and local farms. The menu at La Fia features small plates, pastas and creative entrees. Our cheese and charcuterie is one of a kind and not to be missed!

Due to the small size of our restaurant we allow 2 hours for guests to enjoy their dining experience. If you feel you need more time please reach out to us directly.

Top review

Jamesvip

Dined on Sep 4, 2024

We celebrated a birthday and had a brilliant diner. We ordered from the Wednesday nite Prix Fixe menu. Delicious! Highlights included the Tuna Credo Appetizer, Grilled Pork Coppa, and the German Sekt to go with the appetizers. Our server was excellent and very attentive to our questions about the wine list as well paying superb attention to us on what was a busy midweek night. This was our second visit to La Fía and we definitely will be back.

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Popular dish

Grilled Spanish Octopus

Popular dish

Squid Ink Spaghetti

Popular dish

Crispy Duck Leg Confit

Bahama Breeze - Newark - Christiana Mall

4.9

4.9 (526)

$30 and under

Caribbean

Newark

About the restaurant

Bahama Breeze Island Grille offers a To Go menu with easy online ordering. Take home a taste of the islands today. Bahama Breeze offers all your favorites: burgers, salads, seafood, chicken-all with our island flair. From jicama or plantains to jerk chicken pasta, you can enjoy the islands one taste at a time, discovering new flavors along the way. If our Latin and Caribbean-inspired recipes sound delicious but you're not sure you're ready to explore, ask us about the ingredients or preparation. We're always happy to share our knowledge of Latin American and Caribbean cuisine.

Top review

Elizabeth

Dined on Aug 10, 2024

I had a very nice meal and the drinks were great. I also loved our server. One of my party asked for a well done piece of salmon, but it was really overcooked. She was also concerned there was food on her napkin when she unrolled it. The server quickly retrieved a new napkin.

Bardea Food & Drink

4.8

4.8 (2268)

$30 and under

Italian

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Bardea, pronounced: bar-DAY-ah, is the Italian term for "the goddess of food and drink." The stunning, 120-seat restaurant utilizes ingredients from local Delaware Valley farms and purveyors, and features modern interpretations of traditional Italian and Mediterranean dishes. In 2019, Bardea Food & Drink received a semifinalist nomination in the James Beard Foundation's "Best New Restaurant" category.

Top review

Jeff

Dined 2 days ago

Staff and food were amazing! Without question, the best calamari I've ever had!

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Crow Bar - Trolley Square

4.7

4.7 (41)

$30 and under

Global, International

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Global menu of chef inspired small plates, entrees and pizza. Inspired and creative cocktails, 12 beers on draught and a lively dining room in the Trolley Square neighborhood!

Top review

CarlosP

Dined on Aug 31, 2024

Our first ever visit to Crow Bar did not disappoint. Having read some reviews first, we were not discouraged by any neigh sayers. A bar is lively, and we did NOT find the noise level to affect having a conversation. So, if you want delicious food and drinks with kind and caring service that doesn’t smother you, this is a great place! My wife and I enjoyed everything we ordered! Tomato and Peach and Burrata Salad was an unexpected delight. The Octopus was perfectly cooked and fresh as well as delicious and the Hangar Steak tender with a sauce that made it way more satisfying than “just a good steak”. We would eat here again, which is saying something as we live over an hour away from Wilmington. Great Job Crow Bar!!! And I would get “naked and famous” with you anytime! Delicious cocktail!

The Bellefonte Cafe

4.6

4.6 (243)

$30 and under

Fusion / Eclectic

Wilmington

About the restaurant

The Bellefonte Cafe: Great Food, Great Atmosphere, Great Music, since 2002!

Top review

Lou

Dined on Aug 24, 2024

We enjoyed the excellent food, up-scall bar food but perfect for this type of place. We enjoyed the Band, "Diamond Jazz Swing Band". We even did a little dancing off to the side.

Santa Fe Mexican Grill-Wilmington

4.5

4.5 (331)

$30 and under

Mexican

Wilmington

About the restaurant

We Welcome you to Santa Fe Mexican Grill. Our award winning casual Mexican restaurant brings traditional flavors in a modern, vibrant yet comfortable atmosphere. Since March 2003, our culinary team has offered creative and thoughtful dishes influenced by the regions of Oaxaca and Mexico city “El D.F.” alongside some family recipes from their home state like Puebla and Jalisco. Moles, Tlayudas, Chimichangas, Tacos al Pastor, and creative guacamoles made to order are at the center of the stage. Our cocktail list incorporates some trendy ingredients, relevant tequilas, and a very exciting Mezcal cocktail list.

Our mission is to exceed all of your expectations and become your number one choice to unwind after a long workday or celebrate a special occasion with friends or family.

We cannot wait to meet you!

Top review

Elaine

Dined on Aug 17, 2024

The food was very good and the service was excellent.

The Garden at Bardea

4.5

4.5 (25)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Located in downtown Wilmington, The Garden at Bardea is the fifth restaurant concept from the James Beard-nominated Bardea Restaurant group. This outdoor space promises to become the city's go-to destination for alfresco dining and a good time. Guests can expect a dynamic outdoor dining room, with a mix of lounge and traditional seating surrounded by lush planters and fountains. Retractable awnings provide shade during the day, while fire pits and heaters keep guests cozy after dark. It will be the perfect spot to relax and unwind after a long day at work or groove into the evening over cocktails with friends

Top review

Cindy

Dined 2 days ago

Beautiful evening, fantastic food, very busy, but waitstaff did their best to keep up, bar service was a bit slow, but the food was worth it all. Can’t wait to come back before snow……

Iron Hill Brewery - Wilmington

4.3

4.3 (2090)

$30 and under

American

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Welcome to Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, where you'll find fine handcrafted beers, creative yet informal cuisine, and friendly, attentive service in a casual, upscale atmosphere. We're passionate about producing distinctive, full-flavored handcrafted beers, accompanied by fresh–from–scratch New American cuisine in a comfortable, casual atmosphere. Our goal has always been to provide food and beer that is inspired, consistently crafted and presented by a knowledgeable and courteous service staff.

Top review

jane

Dined 5 days ago

The pumpkin beer was amazing! The schnitzel and mushroom soup were incredibly delicious !!

Chelsea Tavern

4.2

4.2 (1480)

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Chelsea Tavern is a local popular gastropub located in downtown Wilmington, directly across from the Grand Opera House. The kitchen prepares delicious comfort food consisting of locally grown and house made ingredients, that is complemented by our dynamic craft beer selection. Chelsea’s ever-changing inventory features 33 beers on tap, hundreds of large format bottles, cans, and single serving bottles of seasonal and local brews. Chelsea is a neighborhood favorite that is perfect for a quick lunch, weekend brunch with friends, pre-show dinner, or a group gathering. Join the energetic bar scene to watch the big game, or on our spacious patio for comfortable outdoor dining.

At Chelsea Tavern, we look forward to serving you soon!

Top review

Claudia

Dined 5 days ago

Great variety and good drink options. George, our waiter, could not have been nicer. Good food and service- couldn’t ask for better.

Iron Hill Brewery - Newark

3.7

3.7 (1523)

$30 and under

American

Newark

About the restaurant

Welcome to Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant in Newark, where you'll find fresh handcrafted beers, creative yet informal New American Cuisine & friendly & attentive service in a casual, upscale atmosphere.
We've been voted Best Overall Restaurant and Best Brewpub by the readers of Delaware Today.

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant is a non-smoking environment, with smoking allowed in designated outdoor areas only, however cigar & pipe smoking is prohibited. Reservations & "Call Aheads" are accepted for lunch & dinner seven days a week. We accept all major credit cards & are handicapped accessible.

Top review

Markvip

Dined on Aug 15, 2024

Haven’t eaten there in a number of years since I worked out of Glasgow Business Community. Still the same great food and drink, only now parking is difficult and you have to pay. Luckily, they reduced the bill by $2.00 to offset the cost of parking.

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