Eclipse Bistro

Delicious spot! Service and atmosphere were wonderful. My favorite dish in our party was the lobster linguini. Fresh ingredients and nice flavors in all the dishes.

Meal: Dinner
Ordered: Special — «41 Day Aged» Ribeye
Summary: Maybe we caught them on a bad night, maybe we ordered the wrong thing, but whatever the case was the experience was disappointing all around.
Context: Came in with 4-​star expectations based on Unilocal reviews. Entered with a large group of people.
Service: Woefully slow. When I approached the manager about the more than hour wait for our main course, the response I got was «You’re a large group. There was another large group in front of you. We serve tables in chronological order.» Ok… Thanks for the service lesson, but a simple «I’m sorry, the kitchen is very busy tonight» would have neutralized any concerns.
Food: Very underwhelming. When the server sells the «Special» as the best thing on /​off the menu, you understandably have high expectations. When said «Special» comes out as a thin overcooked slab of meat with no presentation (for $ 36+ no less) you leave disappointed.
Drinks: One positive was the slightly above average beer selection highlighted by the Goose Island Matilda.
Bottom Line: I’ve heard great things about this place, so I’m willing to give it another shot, but I’ll stick to the regular menu and try to go at non-​peak hours.

My husband and I had a rare date night and selected Eclipse. It was so awesome — not only was the food exceptional, our server was wonderful. I had the salt roasted beets and burrata for my app and the sweet corn agniolotti for my entrée. I asked our server for an opinion on which entrée to select and he told me the pasta — it was incredible. My husband had the beef carpaccio for an app and pork over polenta for dinner. We were both so happy and so full!

Not sure why this place got good reviews. Fish special for the night had a sauce that was so bitter it was inedible. They exchanged it for a chicken dish that came out on a bed of watery polenta with a very greasy sauce on top. The gelato had no taste except for the taste of cream and the pieces of chocolate that were in it were so small you could not taste them at all. In addition, the service was very slow for such a small place.

Amazing Food. Had the lobster with Bow Tie Pasta and Beef Carpaccio appetizer. What might be better is the cocktails. Best Manhattan I have had in a while. My wife had the sour cherry martini where they make their own sour cherries.
Wait staff as sharp and attentive.(Jack). I bit of a know it all, but I like that.

Great Sunday night meal. I had the calamari (very good) and the scallops (not too heavy and fresh ingredients). Service was good.

We’ve been frequenting this restaurant more and more (about once per month now) for the last few months. We really like it. Two stand outs so far: awesome «Our Manhattan» cocktail with a nice orange flavor. We love a great cocktail and their bartenders are real pros. Also, the cheeses & meats plate: very fresh and inventive. Good bread on the table. Had the slow roasted veal ribs which were cooked nicely with a nice mushroom jus. I had a trout dish previously (which I think was a special) I also enjoyed. Few other things on their menu I would like to try. This is a really small place and only seats about 60 so reservations are suggested say on a Saturday. Only complaint: they aren’t on Open Table so you have to call them on the phone (so 1980’s).

My husband and i live in different states (great right). Him Baltimore, MD
ME PHILLY. We decided to link up halfway for dinner. (he forgot his golf clubs.) My husband pulled it up on Unilocal.Figured we’ll give it a shot. It was the most amazing place we have ever been they nailed it. We had no reservations we were seated in five minutes place was packed on a Tuesday night.
Really ?? Yes … Our waiter was amazing. We had the buffalo hummus & argula to start. Delish … I had goat cheese gnocchi Omg. Hubby has clams with sausage & goosh goosh. WOW …&. I picked up my glass of wine and my knife fell to the floor within seconds I mean seconds it was replaced all the way across the room he heard it fall and came over and replaced it. (having four kids I was OK with the five second rule) Huh ?! Yea class they get it .
And to top it off we had dessert OMG … Vanilla crème brûlée. OMGAWD … Hubby had malt ball cake HAAA yea I’ll have 3 please .
We couldn’t find one thing wrong with this place … even the bathrooms were fantastic. Lol the atmosphere was perfect. Great choice we will most definitely be returning .
Sincerely. 2 very happy people
Teresa& Pat Mangin

I find I have less to say about places that just nail it. For me, when a meal and dining experience is fantastic there isn’t much to say as that is how it should be when you are paying a premium price to dine out.
Eclipse has been worth every penny I’ve spent there. It’s a pricey place, but for a good reason — top notch dishes, fresh ingredients and service that makes you want to tip.
So far, my only wish is that I can earn more more so I can dine here more than 2 – 3 times a year, and take all my friends and family for a try.

3.5 star place.
Came here with a group of friends and I think everyone ordered either the linguine or burger as their entrée. I wasn’t about to shell out $ 26 for pasta so I ordered the burger, cooked medium.
Burger temperature was done perfectly. One of the few times I’ve seen a burger not charred or have it still mooing when requesting medium. The burger was appetizing, but not $ 15 worth. Gourmet burgers should be mouth watering and wanting you to crave more. The beef was high quality, but the burger lacked flavor and creativeness. The meal came with a portion of boardwalk style fries and a lettuce, tomato, pickle combination on the side.
Those who ordered the linguine did not complain about their meal, but as an onlooker, it appeared mundane, insulting for a dish that should cost $ 18-​$ 22.
Eclipse tries to bill itself as a higher end meal in Wilmington, and by comparison to the competition, it may do just that with little effort. This is evident in the artificial ambiance and unimaginative menu.
Eclipse has fine dining prices without the fine dining package.

Fantastic, a meal that was delicious through and through. Second time I have been there (alone), and as an out of towner looking to try various places, I really didn’t plan to go back, but then couldn’t find a good reason not to?
I was disappointed that the menu, which is seasonal, was not right on Google. I almost left because of the disappointment. But I let the bartender guide me, and had a phenomenal experience for the second time.
This time, ate a seasonal salad (off the menu, special), crabcakes, and a delicious crème brûlée. Last time I was there, I went more hearty, a lamb dish which is not on the menu.
I will be back!

I’ve been back three times since my initial review and have not been impressed. Eclipse needs to pick up its game if its going to compete with Morro and La Fia. Last few times I came to Eclipse the menu in general was disappointing. It lacked the creativeness I expect in a high end restaurant. Furthermore, the food was sub-​par.

This was the absolute best meal I’ve had a long time. My boyfriend and I went for our four year anniversary and this place went beyond our expectations. At our waiter’s (Jason M is the man btw!) suggestion we ordered the brussel sprouts and cauliflower appetizer which is flash fried and awesome. For dinner my boyfriend ordered the free range venison and i ordered the short rib encroute. Oh my goodness! I can’t even put into words how delicious the short rib is let alone the combination of a flaky crust, mashed potatoes and the pickled red cabbage. We ended our night of with vanilla crème brûlée which was classic but perfect. At one point I ordered a glass of wine. I was brought the wrong glass of wine but didn’t realize until after a few sips. Our waiter brought over the correct glass and told me to keep both. I always like to see how a restaurant bounces back from even a small mistake. Eclipse naileded it. Overall, we had a perfect meal with a fantastic waiter! Someone who we assumed was an owner kept circulating which was nice too!

Was looking for a new place to try for my boyfriend for his birthday and found this place on Unilocal.Small quaint little dining room. We started with the calamari which had a unique sauce drizzled on it… yum! For my main dish I ordered the venison which was excellent. My bf had the pork shoulder which was delicious. Good food, attentive staff, a little pricey but you do get what you pay for. We will be back.

I stopped here after visiting Winterthur for dinner with the family. Very easy and close to get to from Winterthur.
Tip: Make reservations early when they open (5:00−5:30pm) so that there is street parking (free for 2 hrs) available. If you come later, you will be stuck driving around and walking to the restaurant.
A small bistro size restaurant with limited seating so reservations would be best. Reservations are only made on the phone.
We had a waiter who was not that enthused and sweating profusely (gross) and the restaurant just opened. I didn’t take any stars away due to our waiter because other tables got great waiters who made recommendations and overall cared for their guests.
The food was very good. Crème brûlée was excellent. Scallops and steak were cooked perfectly. I would definitely return to dine if I was in the area.

First time back in nearly 9 months. Love the new interior! Food was just okay.
Beet and goat cheese salad, as expected. Special was a white fish, just okay. Spouse had the strip steak, very good; started mushroom soup, not the best especially considering it’s mushroom country. Service staff, although fast, was attentive to the «man of the table».
Over all, it dropped as a favorite in our book. Still good.

Dinner and our server were both amazing! I had never been there but read and heard great things about Eclipse so I was interested to try it out. I really liked the look of the place, fancy and formal, yet comfortable and friendly. Great food and great service. Thanks Eclipse Bistro!!!

How have I lived here for a year without eating at Eclipse? No, seriously. I’m shaking my own head at myself for this one.
Atmosphere and service were just fine, nothing too crazy, nothing negative either. This is mostly based on food and drink.
My dining companion had the chicken and based on his almost licking the plate, I think he enjoyed it. Didn’t make him go into specifics though. Oh! He also loved the bread and herb butter /​pesto that came out before the entrees, and I agreed that they made for an interesting preview to our dinner.
I had the watermelon and tomato salad and a side of the fingerling potatoes. Jumping jehosephat! Who would have ever guessed that watermelon and tomatoes could taste so special?! The presentation made the watermelon almost look like a rare steak between two slices of tomato — bonus points for creativity. The sweetness of the melon, the smooth tartness of the balsamic vinegar, and the mellow taste of the fancy tomatoes all made for a perfectly light yet somehow complex flavor. The fingerling potatoes were ‘crushed’, not mashed, and the seasoning was perfect, not to mention that the potatoes were cooked perfectly. I want this meal all the time. :)

Quite possibly the best seafood meals I’ve ever had. In a city where there aren’t many options for restaurants or anything else for that matter, this place is an absolute gem. Stopped here during a business trip to Wilmington and had lunch. All I can say is that the Unilocal reviews are spot on.
I had an order of the petite crab cakes for an appetizer and the lobster broil for an entrée. The crab cakes were right up there with some of the best I’ve ever had. Very tender, not over cooked and the remoulade sauce that came with it was delicious. Pretty much perfect.
The lobster broil consisted of mussels, shrimp, spicy sausage and potatoes in a fennel broth with a piece of bread. The entire thing was perfect. One of the meats could have easily been subpar compared to the others, but everything was delicious, especially the sausage. I must admit, I was skeptical about the sausage mixed in with all that seafood, but it was delicious. The broths was delicious as well and everything pretty much mixed perfectly.
Hard to accomplish, but this place provided a perfect experience. Food, service and atmosphere. 100% recommended and I’ll certainly be back here on my next stop in Delaware.

The dipping sauce they serve with the bread is OUTSTANDING. They should bottle it and sell it! It’s garlicky and delicious.
I brought my boss and a client here for dinner when we were in Wilmington. They both really enjoyed the food here!
I had the heirloom tomato salad to start which was good, and a bit interesting with the fried capers on the side. I ordered the filet as my meal, and asked for a substitution — the lobster risotto that’s served with the Ahi Tuna caught my eye, so they were able to substitute the risotto in for the potatoes that are normally served with the filet! SO GOOD!
Steak was a hair overcooked (I had ordered it rare and it came out medium rare — but I wasn’t going to complain — it was still delicious)!
Service was attentive. And HOT. Seriously, my server was HOT. I was a fan!
Dessert was apple crisp and molten chocolate cake. Will definitely go back if in the area again!