bachelorette dinner in wilmington

[lauralaura]

hi everyone,

i'm hosting a weekend at carolina beach for a friend's bachelorette party. we plan to drive into wilmington on a saturday night for a nice dinner and some good old-fashioned carousing.

what are some good restaurants downtown that would be in close proximity to a few fun bars? we're a pretty laid-back bunch, we're just looking for good food and a little atmosphere. most any kind of cuisine is ok, as long as the wine and/or martinis are good.

any recommendations? recs for the drinking part of the night are more than welcome as well :)

thanks!

[joshuahmel]

For a bachelorette party, I would recommend Circa 1922. They have something for everyone and it's a crowded and fun atmosphere.

[Andiereid]

The Basics is down on the North end of downtown and we had an excellent dinner there not long ago:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/498969
Good atmosphere and creative cocktails to start an evening out.

Deluxe is always one of my favorites downtown for a nice dinner downtown. Excellent food, great atmosphere, good bar, good wine list. A little more expensive, but nice for a special night.

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Deluxe Cafe
114 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401

The Basics
319 N Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401

[timechime]

Circa 1922 is a great Tapas place. If you go for some fun sushi...Yosake is a must on Front St...great atmosphere!

[megabytes]

Cafe Phoenix is another good choice for downtown.

[Ando]

Yes, I forgot about Caffe Phoenix. We've had many nice meals and get togethers there. Another one is Yosake. Good food, fun place, and nice people. The truth is that there are so many great restaurants in downtown Wilmington, and they are all close to fun bars.

[Ando]

A few of our favorites are The Copper Penny, Chelsea's, and Circa 1922. There's lots to choose from downtown. Have fun!

[schmems]

Circa is a great choice. Good wine and cocktail list.

I would steer clear of Tres Benzio. I stopped in there with friends that were in town visiting. Although we were the only people in there, the bartender and the owner could not have cared less about us. Took about 10 minutes to get our drinks because the bartender was too busy talking to his friend. Unless they have made some serious improvements in service and quality, don't go!

It can get a bit crowded though at any restaurant downtown on a Saturday night so I would recommend making a reservation at whichever place you choose.

Have fun!!