Delaware is a small state with a big talent for surprises. Some of its best restaurants are not on busy commercial strips or in obvious dining districts.
They are tucked inside a working airport, an 1822 tavern that once served ship captains, a Victorian house with no sign out front, and a building where someone used to shoe horses. The contrast between what a place looks like from the outside and what is actually happening inside is part of what makes eating out in Delaware so entertaining.
A few of these spots require a bit of a drive down an unexpected road, and at least one requires knowing that the parking lot used to belong to a blacksmith. The 12 restaurants on this list all share one thing in common: finding them is half the fun.
Le Cavalier, Wilmington, Delaware
Beneath gilded chandeliers and an ornate plaster ceiling, Le Cavalier occupies one of the most historically significant dining rooms in Delaware. The restaurant took over the Hotel Du Pont’s celebrated former Green Room, a space that opened in 1913 when the 12-story Italian Renaissance building was constructed under the direction of DuPont Company president Pierre S. du Pont…