Bardea Meals & Drink in Wilmington, DE, is a must-visit vacation spot for progressive eating. Recognized for its fusion of Italian delicacies with fashionable culinary twists, Bardea provides an unforgettable eating expertise that has made it probably the greatest eating places in Delaware, and past.
Bardea Meals & Drink Evaluate
One go to to Bardea is all it takes to see why this downtown Wilmington hotspot is redefining town’s meals scene. Since opening in 2018, Chef Antimo DiMeo and co-owner Scott Stein’s flagship restaurant has earned nationwide recognition, a number of James Beard nominations, and most just lately, a spot on USA TODAY’s 2025 Eating places of the Yr record.
As a New York transplant who’s known as Delaware house for 20 years, I can confidently say Bardea delivers the standard, vitality, and innovation of NYC’s landmark eating places with out the tolls or practice fare. It’s fantastic to have a eating expertise of this caliber proper right here in Wilmington.
The title “Bardea” comes from the Italian time period for “the goddess of food and drinks” – and after eating right here, you’ll perceive why divine references are completely applicable.
First Impressions: Fashionable But Welcoming
The bustling bar at Bardea Meals & Drink in Wilmington, DE | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Upon coming into Bardea, you’re greeted by a bustling bar space and a pleasant hostess station. The vibe is stylish and upscale, however not in a means that feels stuffy or pretentious. It’s a classy spot with a contemporary, trendy design accented by rustic components that subtly nod to its Italian influences with out falling into clichéd trattoria territory.
We arrived at 5PM to seize a window seat for pictures, and by 6PM, the eating room and bar space have been packed. Reservations are completely a should. Even when full, the house by no means feels overwhelming. It’s full of life with out being chaotic and the acoustics are excellent, permitting for simple dialog regardless of the energetic buzz of the eating room.
Service at Bardea: Considerate, Seamless, and Impressively Environment friendly
A typical Saturday night at Bardea | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Bardea’s service is flawless. Our server, Emily, was pleasant, educated, and attentive with out hovering. Drinks have been refilled with out asking, and plates arrived at simply the proper tempo—by no means rushed, by no means leaving us ready too lengthy.
What actually stood out? The plate-clearing precision. Since Bardea makes a speciality of dishes meant for sharing, it will be straightforward for a two-top to get overwhelmed. However right here, empty plates by no means sat for greater than a minute earlier than a pleasant employees member (our unofficial MVP of the night) requested to clear them away. In a packed home on a Saturday evening, that degree of well-orchestrated effectivity is uncommon and spectacular.
Bardea’s Menu: Daring, Stunning, and Brilliantly Crafted
Bardea’s menu, led by James Beard-nominated Government Chef Antimo DiMeo, is the place issues get fascinating. His strategy takes traditional Italian flavors and reinvents them, incorporating fashionable methods and sudden international influences. Each creation is as visually gorgeous as it’s scrumptious—that is meals as artwork, however with out the pretension. Pure consolation meals, elevated to the following degree.
All of the dishes we ordered showcased Chef DiMeo’s constant excellence – superior flavors and plating throughout, with every presentation being a pleasant shock.
What We Ordered at Bardea
Rooster Parm Bao Bun ($16)
Bardea’s signature Rooster Parm Bao Buns | Picture: Higher Dwelling
If you happen to suppose hen parm doesn’t belong in a bao bun, suppose once more. This dish blew us away. A pillowy, chewy bao bun full of crispy hen parm, melty mozzarella, and vodka sauce—it’s an Italian-Asian fusion masterpiece that someway works even higher than you’d think about. Absolute must-order.
Crab Taco ($18)
Bardea’s artfully designed Crab Taco | Picture: Higher Dwelling
This artfully composed dish redefines what a taco may be. It contains a vibrant inexperienced tortilla base topped with a tempura-fried squash blossom that’s been full of creamy crab filling. The distinction between the crunchy exterior and the wealthy, velvety crab inside makes every chew distinctive. Dots of lemon kosho and kanzuri add brilliant, advanced flavors and delicate warmth, balancing the dish. It’s a main instance of Chef DiMeo’s meticulous consideration to element.
Linguine ($25)
Bardea’s luxurious Linguine with XO sauce and caviar | Picture: Higher Dwelling
The pasta is completely al dente with a wealthy, umami-packed scallop XO sauce and topped with rock shrimp and caviar. Each chew is a mixture of silky noodles, briny pops of caviar, and tender shrimp. This dish feels indulgent in all the proper methods.
Ravioli ($22)
Bardea’s intricate persimmon and robiola cheese ravioli | Picture: Higher Dwelling
A dish made for sharing, these delicate rounds are crammed with candy persimmon and creamy robiola cheese, then topped with crunchy pecans. They relaxation in a light-weight amber broth that ties all the pieces collectively fantastically. Every raviolo provides the proper chew – tender pasta giving solution to a filling that balances candy fruit with tangy cheese in harmonious proportion. The flavors lean pleasantly to the candy aspect, making these an sudden spotlight to our savory programs.
Iberico Pork ($23)
Bardea’s expertly ready Iberico Pork | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Seared to perfection, with a crispy exterior and melt-in-your-mouth heart, this dish will get additional depth from truffle-chili au jus, inexperienced apple, and nutty Comté cheese. The candy, salty, and umami components make this one an prompt favourite.
The Working Lady ($16)
The Working Lady cocktail at Bardea Meals & Drink | Picture: Higher Dwelling
A classy tequila cocktail that mixes reposado tequila, chinola, aji amarillo ardour fruit syrup, lemon and pineapple juices, pechauds bitters, and toasted coconut agave. Topped with an isomalt garnish dusted with sweetened coconut and togarashi powder, it’s each visually putting and deliciously advanced. Candy, tart, and subtly spicy, it complemented the various flavors all through our meal.
Candy Finishes: Desserts Price Saving Room For
Bardea’s decadent desserts: Sticky Toffee Pudding and Olive Oil Cake | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Bardea’s dessert program, led by Head Pastry Chef Amanda Nichols, deserves particular recognition. Her journey is simply as spectacular as her creations. Beginning as a part-time pizza cook dinner when the restaurant opened, she now leads the pastry division, regardless of a extreme gluten allergy. Her desserts showcase each technical talent and creativity throughout all Bardea ideas.
Sticky Toffee Pudding ($12)
This isn’t your normal sticky toffee pudding. Bardea’s model arrives heat and aromatic, with a theatrical tableside pour of koji toffee sauce that provides advanced, nearly umami-like depth. The pudding itself is dense but tender, with almond accents offering texture. A quenelle of mascarpone gelato slowly melts into the nice and cozy cake, making a silky counterpoint to the caramelized flavors.
Olive Oil Cake ($12)
This cake is insanely good. It’s wealthy, moist, and topped with pistachios and olive oil whipped cream, with one other dramatic tableside pour of vibrant guava sauce. Mild, but indulgent, the presentation is beautiful. It’s a Mediterranean-inspired dessert that’s each inventive and comforting.
Desserts listed here are as thoughtfully composed because the savory programs, and a beautiful finale to the Bardea expertise.
Bardea’s Eating Strategy: The Artwork of Sharing
Bardea’s menu is constructed for sharing, so portion sizes fluctuate. Positively ask your server for steering. Many objects come out as pairs preferrred for sharing, whereas “feed the desk” choices can serve a small group. The menu is split into useful classes like “snacks,” “small plates,” “pasta,” and “from the ocean,” making it straightforward to assemble your meal.
Additionally they serve superb wood-fired pizzas which can be completely value ordering.
💡 My tip: Get a pie. Take pleasure in a slice whilst you’re there and take the remainder house so it can save you your urge for food for extra of their inventive plates. Plus, their pizza heats up extremely effectively the following day.
The Imaginative and prescient Behind Bardea: Meet the Crew
Chef Antimo DiMeo
At simply 30 years previous, Chef Antimo DiMeo has already earned a number of James Beard nominations and educated beneath Michelin-starred cooks on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. His strategy pushes the boundaries of Italian delicacies whereas nonetheless respecting its traditions. Each plate tells a narrative, mixing traditional flavors with fashionable methods.
Scott Stein
Co-owner Scott Stein comes from 4 generations of restaurateurs within the Better Philadelphia space. His experience in creating unforgettable eating experiences is clear from the second you enter. Collectively, he and DiMeo have constructed greater than only a restaurant—they’re constructing a culinary empire that has put Wilmington on the map.
Past Bardea: A Rising Culinary Empire
The success of Bardea Meals & Drink has spawned a formidable restaurant group. Their portfolio now contains Bardea Steak (a boutique steakhouse), Pizzeria Bardea, Taqueria El Chingon, an out of doors idea known as “The Backyard,” and their latest enterprise, Casa Nonna (a tribute to Chef DiMeo’s Italian grandmothers’ house cooking).
The group has additionally taken over culinary operations at Wilmington’s DE.CO meals corridor, bringing their progressive strategy to extra informal eating codecs.
Nationwide Recognition That’s Effectively-Deserved
Bardea was simply named one in every of USA TODAY’s 2025 Eating places of the Yr, securing its place among the many high 44 locations to eat in America. The restaurant earned a James Beard Basis semifinalist nomination for Greatest New Restaurant in 2019, and in 2022, Chef DiMeo was nominated for Greatest Chef Mid-Atlantic.
Even President Joe Biden and First Woman Jill Biden have dined right here, and the White Home has chosen Bardea to cater Italian dinners for world leaders visiting Delaware – an extra testomony to its distinctive high quality.
Closing Verdict: Why I Hold Coming Again
Bardea’s elegant eating room | Picture: Higher Dwelling
Bardea captures that unmistakable, big-city eating vitality—vibrant, sudden, and price in search of out. It’s the sort of place I used to journey for, however now it’s simply minutes away. Each go to brings one thing new, with a menu that’s always evolving and a degree of creativity that retains issues thrilling.
Past the excellent meals, there’s a novel heat to the house that makes the meal really feel communal. We’ve truly met new buddies on a number of visits—one thing you don’t discover simply wherever.
Whether or not you’re planning a particular date evening, entertaining out-of-town company, or just craving distinctive eating, Bardea is proof that the meals scene in Wilmington, DE has arrived on the nationwide stage—and it’s right here to remain.
💡 Professional Tip: If you happen to’re touring to Wilmington particularly for Bardea or planning a culinary staycation, we extremely suggest staying on the Lodge Du Pont. Its prime location makes it the best house base for exploring the Bardea Group’s distinctive eating scene. With a number of of the group’s eating places positioned proper onsite or only a brief stroll away, you’ll be able to bask in exceptional delicacies whereas having fun with the resort’s luxurious lodging. That is eating and lodging in type – an ideal marriage of culinary vacation spot and complex retreat.
BARDEA FOOD & DRINK
620 N Market St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Reservations extremely really helpful
Named one in every of USA TODAY’s 2025 Eating places of the Yr
A number of James Beard Nominations
