My husband and I recently had a great meal at Bardea. We arrived to relative quiet around 5:15 pm on a Saturday night and by 5:45 to 6:00 the place was really active and lively. It was a little noisy and my husband had some...trouble hearing our server at times. The service was efficient but not exceptional. We did not feel ignored but there was some waiting for our server occasionally. (I know that the restaurant industry has been having staffing issues, so I'm willing to be patient when I go out.) The food was excellent. We started with the avocado. I've never had a warm avocado, and the preparation was unusual but incredibly satisfying. The grilled romaine was also a hit with us. For our "entrees" my husband had the rigatoni with bolognese and I had the chitarra on gluten-free pasta. Both were very well prepared and presented and extremely tasty. The flavors really filled the palate! The gluten-free pasta was perfect. The portions are small by American standards--you will not have leftovers for lunch--but we were both satisfied at the end of the meal. The negatives: 1) Both of us thought the wine portions were on the skimpy side--they seemed like they were 4 or 5 oz. as opposed to the typical 6 oz. and were $11 to $17/glass. But in all honesty, I can't claim that they weren't standard as we forgot to mention this to our server before we left. 2) I noticed that they charged us $4 for the water; we had tap/still water not sparkling, and the bill stated "Vero Water $4". It looked like every table had the same carafe of water. 3) As another reviewer mentioned, there is a 5% "restaurant service charge." I don't have any idea what this covers and I agree it is disappointing that this is tacked on with no knowledge of it beforehand. In the end, our meal with the 4 plates, 3 glasses of wine and the water and restaurant service charges (@ $9 total) came to $113. w/o tip. We enjoyed the food so much but may or may not return because of the negatives.More

I wrote a very positive review of Bardea in 2018. Since living in the same building they are located, I must write a new review. For Delaware, Bardea boasts of being one of the best restaurants, often claiming to be in the league of those...in great foodie cities. I enjoy good food and am willing to pay for it. However, after living the building it is located for over a year, I avoid it like the plague. Why? Because there have been countless times I have entered or left the building via the residential elevator and corridor to find Bardea's food UNATTENDED and UNCOVERED. This building is full, many tenants of pets and we share the elevator and entrance with Bardea. The first couple times I went into the restaurant (typically before they opened so they weren't packed) and told someone there was unattended food in the elevator or hall, however, it clearly annoyed the GM (or main host, the bald guy), so I decided to document and share such instances. Prior to experiencing this, I ate there about once a week.More

I had a great experience at Badea for my birthday. It was delicious food and excellent and friendly service and staff. Kristen was my waitress and I listened and picked all her recommendations for food. Noel as hostess stopped to talk to me serval times...and the hostess at the door knew it was my birthday and said happy birthday on my way out. You need to valet park which is on the corner of a one way street. Drink: The Dream. Lavender vanilla vodka, coconut crème, yuza, rosemary 1st course: Lamb skewer with humus and pita. 2nd course: Cheshire Pork. Koji pineapple, pork garum Dessert: Lamanated donut with matcha and apricot jam. Coffee It was a great experience!!More

Beware of undisclosed "service" fee. As good and interesting as this restaurant is, this is what I'm leading with. I am leading with the petty and obnoxious 5% fee that they don't tell you about until you receive your check. Nowhere on the website, menu...or anywhere do they disclose this. It makes me sick when restaurants that are thriving and charge the prices that they do still tack on a fee. The positive... The food is very inventive and unlike any restaurant in the area. Service is excellent. I see why the chef is up for a James Beard award. My husband and I enjoyed the small bites. He really liked the pizza and I thought the hummus and avocado were very tasty and different. We are very bored with the food scene in this area because all the restaurants are the same and this one at least is a little different. We come here every few years because it's not our thing but it is a nice change from the norm. If you are looking for a quiet intimate setting, this is not your place. It's very loud. Also if you want entrees but you and your partner like different proteins, this may not be your place either. The entrees are all called feed the table. If you want fish you need to buy about $100 worth of it that is meant to feed a few people. Despite how unique and tasty the food was, being surprised with that obnoxious, disgusting fee at the end ruined the experience. We've been able to avoid restaurants who charge fees because they are transparent about it but not here. My husband told me to keep my mouth shut this time. So I'll post it on the review that hopefully lots of people will see. If that doesn't bother you, great. We boycott restaurants who charge these fees. We are already paying so much for food and drink and tipping more than generously so now that I have to pay a fee on top of all of that... Nope. Unfortunately this petty fee is my takeaway from what could be an excellent dining experience. Sneaky buggers.More

Seems they're aiming for a unique dining experience. The decor is great, the general experience was okay but loud, the food was intended to be exceptional, but was not. Dinner started out good with prompt service and timely food delivery, but as the crowd increased,...the service declined. Had to flag server to replenish drinks and the second rounds of plates were very slow coming. Worst of all, we ordered the black bass which was $100 (no lie) - it was super dry. The recipe preparations are unique, the portions are small as intended, but I didn't leave feeling it was worth the cost. My opinion, they need fewer tables and/or fewer menu choices to focus on quality.More

Amazing food! But do not use their Valet! This place consistently remains one of the best restaurants in Wilmington but please please do not use their valet service! I had items missing from our rental car after we used the valet here. I asked for...them to bring the car back, during the middle of our dinner bc I remembered that I have left personal items out. When I received the car, yep those items were missing in the car, unfortunately. After the meal, when we returned back out all of the valet drivers and even the host was gone. When I asked Bardea to let us back in, they had locked the doors, they informed us that my keys were behind the bar with the bartender. When we asked the bartender, she did have the keys but did not know where our car was. Sorry? “ We are two different businesses,” the bartender said and raised her hands. Our waitress then told us they usually leave the cars parked near the restaurant. When we finally found our car it was down the street, and my items were still missing. Do not use their valet. And food remains great!More

So let’s charge entree pricing but serve less than a quarter of the food. That way everyone will have to spend three or four times as much to have a meal. We literally paid $14 for five pieces of pasta. You will need lots more...to eat. It is a scheme that separates you from your money very quickly. The cocktails are good. The food is good just wish there was more. Very loud and hard to hear the help. If you go just be sure to eat somewhere first and go to Bardea for a nice drink and a nibble. If you go hungry you will leave hungry or broke. What’s amazing to me is how many people have bought the hype.More

Love this place, but my husband and I noticed how the quality of their food had gone down. The calamari is not the same, less flavor and price had gone up. The server explained that it’s the same flavor, nope not the same even the...presentation is different. The server was ok, certainly not the best we’ve had. The ribeye steak was good, but is it $102.00 good? Nope. Could have gone elsewhere for less.More

Fantastic meal and outstanding service. Our waiter reviewed the menu and specials with us and gave us a great wine pairing recommendation too. Great decor and vibe. Food is tapas style and small portions, we ordered something from each section and each had unique preparations....Delicious! Our waiter said they are building a steakhouse soon so will definitely try it too.More

Overall the experience was as expected based on other reviews I saw prior to going. We were able to choose indoor or outdoor seating and arrived about 6:15 on a Friday. We decided on outdoor. There is courtesy valet parking as promised and this is...a super convenience. We ordered the lamb skewers, goddess fries, oysters, red snapper and grilled romaine. This dinner was for my husband’s 50th birthday. The food did not disappoint. The waiter returned frequently and was very friendly offering suggestions without us asking. Typically I ask for suggestions. We will return. It’s a must try..More

This place has the most creative and great food with a very good selection. Great atmosphere (a bit loud), and great service.

Spending a lot of time in Wilmington over the past year, wanted to try this much talked about restaurant. The good.......hostess was great, bar was nice, food was of good quality and taste. Nice decor throughout. The bad......while I favor quality over quantity, there is...a happy medium, and I found these portions just too small for the price. It was also very loud inside, and it was hard to hear conversation from people at our own table.More