Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Wilmington area by diners
Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Wilmington area by diners
Fine dining in the United States isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; these days, it's all about cutting-edge culinary experiences.
Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller and his three-Michelin-starred restaurant, French Laundry, unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.
Between the rise of chefs' tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.
With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in the Wilmington area using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.
Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of June 25, 2025.
Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!
#30. Shark Bar and Kitchen
- Rating: 4.2/5 (496 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13 East Salisbury St. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#29. Origins Food and Drink
- Rating: 4.2/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 102 Autumn Hall Drive Unit 120 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Salad, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Tandoori Bites
- Rating: 4.2/5 (239 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1620 South College Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Indochine
- Rating: 4.2/5 (1802 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7 Wayne Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Thai, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#26. CAVA
- Rating: 4.3/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1011 International Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Salad, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Benny's Big Time Pizzeria
- Rating: 4.3/5 (429 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 206 Greenfield St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Floriana
- Rating: 4.3/5 (212 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Ida Thai Cuisine
- Rating: 4.3/5 (281 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5924 Carolina Beach Road Ste 170 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Thai
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Dram Yard
- Rating: 4.3/5 (164 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 101 South 2nd St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Southern, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Catch Restaurant
- Rating: 4.3/5 (364 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 6623 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Salad, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Michael's on the Waterfront
- Rating: 4.3/5 (188 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 South Water St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#19. manna
- Rating: 4.3/5 (273 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 123 Princess St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. JohnnyLukes KitchenBar
- Rating: 4.3/5 (534 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5500 Market St. Ste 130 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Diners, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Quanto Basta
- Rating: 4.4/5 (155 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 107 North 2nd St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Blue Surf Cafe
- Rating: 4.4/5 (594 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 250 Racine Drive Ste 1 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Cafes, Sandwiches, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Cafe Chinois
- Rating: 4.4/5 (89 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3710 South College Road Ste 123 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Vietnamese, Thai
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Little Dipper Fondue
- Rating: 4.4/5 (294 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 138 South Front St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Fondue
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Kyoto Asian Grille
- Rating: 4.4/5 (160 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4102 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Asian Fusion, Japanese, Thai
- Read more on Yelp
#12. PinPoint Restaurant
- Rating: 4.4/5 (390 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 114 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Copper Penny
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1312 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 109 Chestnut St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: American, Sandwiches, Pubs
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Cape Fear Seafood Company
- Rating: 4.4/5 (797 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5226 South College Road Ste 5 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Seaview Crab Company - Midtown
- Rating: 4.5/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1515 Marstellar St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood Markets, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Sealevel City Vegan Diner
- Rating: 4.5/5 (266 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1015 South Kerr Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Caprice Bistro
- Rating: 4.5/5 (374 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 10 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: French
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Jerry's
- Rating: 4.5/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 7220 Wrightsville Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Ceviche's
- Rating: 4.5/5 (691 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7210 Wrightsville Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Latin American, Caribbean
- Read more on Yelp
#4. The Green House Restaurant
- Rating: 4.6/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1427 Military Cutoff Road Unit 106 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp
#3. On Thyme Restaurant
- Rating: 4.7/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 918 Castle St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Savorez
- Rating: 4.7/5 (629 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 402 Chestnut St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Latin American, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Maine Lobster Roll Company
- Rating: 4.8/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5202 Carolina Beach Road Ste 6 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 319 metros.
