Top Restaurants in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

A Rehoboth Beach dining tradition for the past 30 years, Blue Moon first opened its doors in 1981. The locally owned restaurant has been charming patrons with its sophisticated cuisine, lively atmosphere and beautiful locale ever since. Located in a quaint Victorian Sears Craftsmen house built in 1907, Blue Moon is consistently ranked among Delaware’s top restaurants – and no wonder, with executive chef Lion Gardner cooking up inspired American dishes like the Maine lobster pot pie with brandy, tarragon and house bacon.

A long-standing brewpub that first opened its doors in 1995, Dogfish Head Brewing and Eats is a cozy bar and restaurant with a laid-back, friendly atmosphere and traditional pub-style interior finished with antique barn wood. Founded by owner Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head offers a menu full of beer-centric grub, specifically selected to complement its unique beers. Sandwiches, burgers and wood-grilled pizzas are available alongside other entrées such as grilled swordfish with Fifer Orchards’ tomato and cucumber, caper berries, shallots and a basil vinaigrette. It would be a sin not to sample a brew or two, the popular Chicory stout – a dark beer flavoured with roasted chicory, organic Mexican coffee, St. John’s Wort and liquorice root, is a must-try.

With its beautiful, romantic ‘beach-chic’ dining room full of intimate booths, flowing drapes and twinkling lights matched by impeccable service, Eden’s exciting and adventurous American cuisine isn’t the only reason to book a table next time you’re in town. That isn’t to say that chef Andrew Feely’s seasonal menus aren’t a major pull at Eden, with creative dishes like the wood oven-roasted quail appetizer with a mushroom and apricot stuffing, and the pan-seared grouper main with lemon faro risotto, ramps, asparagus and herb oil waiting to delight the palates of guests.

Named after Rehoboth Beach’s former moniker, Henlopen City Oyster House was established by seasoned local restaurateurs Chris Bisaha and Joe Baker in the summer of 2010 and, as its name would suggest, offers an extensive range of oysters from across the Eastern seaboard and beyond. Try sweet and salty Pemaquid oysters from Maine or a briny, buttery variety from Rhode Island at the restaurant’s raw bar, or alternatively, choose a heartier dish such as the Pacific halibut with celery root and parsnip mash, gravy and a grilled fennel and orange salad. Henlopen City also offers an extensive range of wines, micro-brews and unique mixed drinks.

With dishes inspired by Asian cuisine, Saketumi – Rehoboth Beach’s New York City-style modern Asian restaurant – is a refreshing alternative to the city’s abundant American kitchens. In Saketumi’s stylish, intimate interior, Chef Shigeki Tanaka, a trained sushi chef with 30 years’ experience under his belt and a flair for artful presentation, offers tempting dishes like the tea-smoked spare ribs and green papaya salad starter, or the Chinatown roast duck main with baby bok choy and jasmine fried rice.

Describing its cuisine as a ‘Delaware beach picnic’, Salt Air offers guests an upscale atmosphere and a farm-to-table dining experience built around fresh and local seasonal produce, sustainably caught seafood and organic meat and poultry. Executive chef Matt Kern, the 2014 winner of Southern Delaware Tourism’s Top Chef of the Culinary Coast competition, creates tempting dishes showcasing the best produce the mid-Atlantic region has to offer. The crab devilled eggs starter and the sweet tea brined pork chop main with bacon campfire beans, beet greens, cornbread and charred scallion honey butter are perfectly complimented by Salt Air’s great wines, microbrews and cocktails.

Salt Air, 50 Wilmington Avenue, Rehoboth Beach, DE, USA, +1 302 227 3744

Just a few steps from Rehoboth Beach’s beautiful coastline, Shorebreak Lodge’s relaxing gastro pub atmosphere and stunning signature seafood dishes make it the perfect dining destination after a lazy day at the beach. A nautical theme is reflected in Shorebreak Lodge’s menu and throughout the restaurant, with blue and white decor. Chef Rob Stitt cooks up dishes that seafood fans will fall in love with, like the Smith Island crab cakes with corn and edamame succotash and remoulade. If fish isn’t your thing, fear not – the menu also features plenty of meaty mains and vegetarian tapas-style dishes like the spiced lamb and chorizo meatloaf or pumpkin mushroom bisque.

An Italian cuisine collective consisting of three restaurants, including its branch on the outskirts of Rehoboth Beach, a bakery and delicatessen, Touch of Italy is operated by co-owners Bob Ciprietti and Joseph Curzi, who established the company to bring traditional Italian dining to the region and pay tribute to their Italian ancestry. The Rehoboth trattoria features a welcoming, stylish interior with a magnificent skylight, cozy communal tables and warm brick walls, while its menu features rich tried-and-tested family recipes like the much-raved about appetizer bocconcini con prosciutto.