2 Best Restaurants in Wilmington, The North Carolina Coast

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We've compiled the best of the best in Wilmington - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.

Seabird

$$$ | Downtown Fodor's Choice

On a prominent Market Street corner, chef Dean Neff's celebrated seafood-and-cocktail lounge lures diners in with wide windows, sparkling white tile, smooth wood chairs, and gold flourishes. The open kitchen fully delivers, from the selection of local raw oysters to the impossibly buttery swordfish schnitzel, served with lemon jam and a mustard emulsion. A comfortable bar and small dining room's throwback style invites leisurely meals lubricated by addictive concoctions that rotate with the seasons. The bar doubles as one of the city's best coffee shops in the morning and fills in on weekends for a brunch menu highlighted by fish and grits and a smoked cobia Benedict. 

1 S. Front St., Wilmington, NC, 28401, USA
910-769–5996
Known For
  • A magnificent seafood tower, featuring seasonal catches like blue crab claws and littleneck clams
  • Creative, delicious cocktails
  • Wine and oyster pairings
Restaurant Details
Closed Tues.
Reservations recommended

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Catch

$$$$ | Midtown

Native Wilmingtonian chef Keith Rhodes is a James Beard Award finalist who sources local seafood for inspired, beautifully plated Asian- and Southern-influenced dishes. Copper fish sculptures decorate the dining room's sky-blue walls and watch you enjoy lump crab cakes, blackened swordfish, pan-roasted grouper, and other seafood dishes.

6623 Market St., Wilmington, NC, 28405, USA
910-799–3847
Known For
  • Locally sourced seafood
  • Artistic presentations
  • Celebrity chef owner, of Top Chef fame
Restaurant Details
Closed Sun. and Mon.
Reservations recommended

Something incorrect in this review?