One of the very best restaurants in the entire area including Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. Remarkably creative main courses by owner/chef Matt Kern who is a finalist for the James Beard Award. Make reservations very early.
Alice
Wonderful experience at One Coastal. The food was fresh and delicious and the presentations are beautiful. The ambience is friendly, casual yet very professional. Staff are well-trained. Cannot wait to enjoy another meal there!
BOBA
Creative menu and excellent food and service. Time limit for dining though is bush league. I want a leisurely, relaxing atmosphere, and don't want to be having to keep an eye on my watch. Ordered a glass on wine instead of a bottle so wouldn't have to rush drinking. Also skipped dessert and an after dinner cordial because the clock was running out. Otherwise a very nice place. But I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere. (Unless you enjoy eating fast).
MarxandEngels
This is a special place with a special mission, and the fantastic food reflects that. We tried just about every appetizer on the menu (highly recommend). Each was distinctive, but my favorites were the Korean fried hen of the woods mushroom and the strawberry salad. Chef Matt and company are also wonderfully gracious and personable.
OakCove
Absolutely delicious beet salad, duck breast with lentils and a yummy sauce, and blue catfish. Service was speedy and attentive. One section was adequate. Can't wait to go again and try everything on the menu.
JOE BONFIGLIO
The chef is highly rated and makes awesome meals. A little small inside but that keeps quality high, in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ChrisS
First time eating here. A bit of a quirky vibe at first but welcoming staff, interesting food and drink options with attentive but not overbearing service. Food was expertly prepared, look forward to going back soon.
Jack
The focus here is on the food and it shows. Room is relatively small and tables are close, so if you are looking for a quiet meal not your place, but if you are looking for a creative and delicious approach to food this should work pretty well. Appetizers and entrees are all thought out extremely well, all adding a variety of flavors and textures to the main ingredient to excellent results. Service is casual but professional making the dining experience exactly what you would want it to be. Definitely on the pricier side, but if you are looking for chef driven cuisine in this area you would be hard pressed to top this one.
KarenW
Everything was delicious - from the wine, to the Two If By Sea appetizer, to the fried catfish entree and the cacio de Pepe entree and ending with the carrot cake cinnamon bun and the buttermilk lemon pie. Service was welcoming, efficient but never rushed. Chef Matt Kern puts together ingredients and makes them sing. Also need to shout out about the snowflake rolls - they are like clouds melting in your mouth. As local residents we appreciate Chef Kern's support of sustainability and use of locally grown and sourced ingredients. One Coastal is a gem!
JohnH
My wife and I enjoyed our first visit to One Coastal and really enjoyed our experience. The bartender introduced himself to us and welcomed as did the wait staff. We were expecting good food since Mr. Kern is a recent Beard finalist and we were not disappointed. We had the steak tartare as an appetizer - delicious. My wife had the flank steak and enjoyed it and took some home for another meal. I had the tuna and it was cooked perfectly and enjoyed the white bean and fennel accompaniments. Our cocktails were also very good and I shouldn't leave out the dessert - flourless dark chocolate cake - just great!.. Will be coming back soon to try other dishes.
EXCELLENT! When you go to a fine dining restaurant you expect to Not just eat and get full. You expect an experience. From the food to the service to the atmosphere. One Coastal delivered. The chef should be a James Beard Finalist. Oh! That's right! He is! God bless him.
CherylH
Our first experience and it was wonderful. We felt very welcome, decor was homey, our table was a little too close to others but we didn't mind too much, most important - the food was outstanding. We are still talking about the chicken liver pate and biscuits - do yourself a favor and try that. Our server was lovely and helpful, not overly intrusive. We will be back - can't wait to go back and try everything we did not order this time!!
BlueDiamond
Exquisite tastes! We had the chicken pate...the best I've ever had. Also had the tuna entree. This is a must try. The tuna was cooked to perfection. The accompanying white bean salad was the perfect compliment. We also had the steak entree. The steak was fabulous. The most impressive part of the meal was the combination of flavors. If you are looking for the best flavors and tastes, this is the place.
J C
Stellar dining experience with One Coastal. Probably the best "team service" we've ever experience at a restaurant. They had two servers plus a bartender on staff that night, and everyone came and went from our table with the perfect touch of service. Food was perfection. We did the cheese board, tuna crudo, caccio e pepe (MUST TRY THIS), and the pork (also amazing). The carrot cake desert was out of this world too. It was our anniversary and were treated to a champagne toast, which is a nice surprise. They even decanted the wine! 10/10 must-go. Worth making the trip to the beach just for this restaurant. Congrats to Matt as well on the 2024 James Beard finalist nod.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe, North Carolina Tuna Crudo
Rugbymom
We've been to One Coastal numerous times, and we have always had an outstanding experience. Amazing leek and potato soup, incredible catfish fried in cornmeal, and a tasty bavette steak with trumpet mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and a delicious Bordelei sauce. Don't miss the desserts, they are once in a lifetime and so creative.
One of the very best restaurants in the entire area including Rehoboth Beach and Lewes. Remarkably creative main courses by owner/chef Matt Kern who is a finalist for the James Beard Award. Make reservations very early.
Wonderful experience at One Coastal. The food was fresh and delicious and the presentations are beautiful. The ambience is friendly, casual yet very professional. Staff are well-trained. Cannot wait to enjoy another meal there!
Creative menu and excellent food and service. Time limit for dining though is bush league. I want a leisurely, relaxing atmosphere, and don't want to be having to keep an eye on my watch. Ordered a glass on wine instead of a bottle so wouldn't have to rush drinking. Also skipped dessert and an after dinner cordial because the clock was running out. Otherwise a very nice place. But I would not recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing, welcoming atmosphere. (Unless you enjoy eating fast).
This is a special place with a special mission, and the fantastic food reflects that. We tried just about every appetizer on the menu (highly recommend). Each was distinctive, but my favorites were the Korean fried hen of the woods mushroom and the strawberry salad. Chef Matt and company are also wonderfully gracious and personable.
Absolutely delicious beet salad, duck breast with lentils and a yummy sauce, and blue catfish. Service was speedy and attentive. One section was adequate. Can't wait to go again and try everything on the menu.
The chef is highly rated and makes awesome meals. A little small inside but that keeps quality high, in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time eating here. A bit of a quirky vibe at first but welcoming staff, interesting food and drink options with attentive but not overbearing service. Food was expertly prepared, look forward to going back soon.
The focus here is on the food and it shows. Room is relatively small and tables are close, so if you are looking for a quiet meal not your place, but if you are looking for a creative and delicious approach to food this should work pretty well. Appetizers and entrees are all thought out extremely well, all adding a variety of flavors and textures to the main ingredient to excellent results. Service is casual but professional making the dining experience exactly what you would want it to be. Definitely on the pricier side, but if you are looking for chef driven cuisine in this area you would be hard pressed to top this one.
Everything was delicious - from the wine, to the Two If By Sea appetizer, to the fried catfish entree and the cacio de Pepe entree and ending with the carrot cake cinnamon bun and the buttermilk lemon pie. Service was welcoming, efficient but never rushed. Chef Matt Kern puts together ingredients and makes them sing. Also need to shout out about the snowflake rolls - they are like clouds melting in your mouth. As local residents we appreciate Chef Kern's support of sustainability and use of locally grown and sourced ingredients. One Coastal is a gem!
My wife and I enjoyed our first visit to One Coastal and really enjoyed our experience. The bartender introduced himself to us and welcomed as did the wait staff. We were expecting good food since Mr. Kern is a recent Beard finalist and we were not disappointed. We had the steak tartare as an appetizer - delicious. My wife had the flank steak and enjoyed it and took some home for another meal. I had the tuna and it was cooked perfectly and enjoyed the white bean and fennel accompaniments. Our cocktails were also very good and I shouldn't leave out the dessert - flourless dark chocolate cake - just great!.. Will be coming back soon to try other dishes.
Restaurantji Recommends
EXCELLENT! When you go to a fine dining restaurant you expect to Not just eat and get full. You expect an experience. From the food to the service to the atmosphere. One Coastal delivered. The chef should be a James Beard Finalist. Oh! That's right! He is! God bless him.
Our first experience and it was wonderful. We felt very welcome, decor was homey, our table was a little too close to others but we didn't mind too much, most important - the food was outstanding. We are still talking about the chicken liver pate and biscuits - do yourself a favor and try that. Our server was lovely and helpful, not overly intrusive. We will be back - can't wait to go back and try everything we did not order this time!!
Exquisite tastes! We had the chicken pate...the best I've ever had. Also had the tuna entree. This is a must try. The tuna was cooked to perfection. The accompanying white bean salad was the perfect compliment. We also had the steak entree. The steak was fabulous. The most impressive part of the meal was the combination of flavors. If you are looking for the best flavors and tastes, this is the place.
Stellar dining experience with One Coastal. Probably the best "team service" we've ever experience at a restaurant. They had two servers plus a bartender on staff that night, and everyone came and went from our table with the perfect touch of service. Food was perfection. We did the cheese board, tuna crudo, caccio e pepe (MUST TRY THIS), and the pork (also amazing). The carrot cake desert was out of this world too. It was our anniversary and were treated to a champagne toast, which is a nice surprise. They even decanted the wine! 10/10 must-go. Worth making the trip to the beach just for this restaurant. Congrats to Matt as well on the 2024 James Beard finalist nod.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe, North Carolina Tuna Crudo
We've been to One Coastal numerous times, and we have always had an outstanding experience. Amazing leek and potato soup, incredible catfish fried in cornmeal, and a tasty bavette steak with trumpet mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and a delicious Bordelei sauce. Don't miss the desserts, they are once in a lifetime and so creative.