I'll start with the negative: The beef in the pricey beef bourguignon : what is supposed to be "slow-cooking tough cuts of beef until they are fork-tender" was extremely tough and took a lot of effort to cut through with the supplied serrated steak knife. I left half of the meat due to the unappealing chewy gristle. Not that it makes it much worse, but there were only potatoes with the meat.. normally the recipe includes several vegetables. The onions in the pricey onion soup seemed barely cooked, like that dish was also rushed. The positive: Service was excellent and friendly Atmosphere and decor were excellent My wife's savory crepe was excellent Would have complained then and there, but it was a special event meal during the holiday and didn't want to spoil the evening for my wife. I feel cheated by the restaurant.
7118Loqust
Four couples for a 6:15pm reservation on a Wednesday night. Pro: we were promptly seated and the food was good (only after waiting 1 and 1/2 hours) Con: The portion size on the beef bourguignon was small. Service was substandard, but obviously understaffed this evening. Wait time was horrible - drinks came 40 minutes after being seated. Dinner came out so very late. Atmosphere: quiet as very few tables were booked Value: charged extra 3% for using a credit card
Mario Marotta
Had an amazing experience — the atmosphere was cozy and laid-back, the service was super friendly, and Chef James absolutely crushed it with the food. Everything came out fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. It’s the kind of spot where you instantly feel comfortable, get treated well, and leave talking about how good the meal was. Easily a 5-star visit and a place I’ll be coming back to for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jen T
I never leave reviews but after the second time having the most atrocious service at what use to be our favorite restaurant, I had to leave one. Both times we had the same waiter who was so rude and unfriendly. The first terrible time, we waited almost 45 minutes for our drinks and anytime we asked where they were, he was so rude in his response. Never an apology. We ended up going upstairs and getting our drinks ourselves. Both times our dinner took so long to come (like over an hour). I get the “French experience” is having nice long dinners to enjoy company and savor your food. But I have been to Paris plenty of times and I’m sorry service is nothing like this! We waited 45 minutes for our appetizer last night. Then our salads came with our dinner instead of before. By the time the food finally came we didn’t even care. The waiter never checked on us, never asked us if we needed anything or ask us if we liked the food. There was never an acknowledgment that our food was taking an insanely long time to come. Just a simple hey sorry it’s taking so long would have been nice. Instead he completely ignored us. We were splitting several dishes between the four of us and when we asked for extra plates they said it would have to be small bread plates, otherwise we would have to wait for regular size plates?! This makes no sense - the restaurant was not full. How can you not have extra plates? The food was good but between the rude service and long wait, it was hard to enjoy. We had to shove our food down in order to make our after dinner drink reservation (which we already had to push back several times while we were waiting for our food). I have lived in Wilmington my whole life and Caprice has always been a staple and the place we went to for any special occasion. You have lost life long customers. What a disappointment.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Jennifer
Absolutely horrible service. A usual go to of ours for the past 20 years. The last 2 times our service was the worse we have ever experienced - both times by the same rude waiter. It was almost laughable how terrible it was. Such a disappointment but will never return.
Sarah
Our waitress Lauren was amazing! It looked like she was handling a whole section by herself and was very attentive. Delicious food, cute spot!
Ted
The food was very good and the menu option gave everyone something that they wanted (actually we wanted try many more things). The house special fish stew was great!
Jenna
Unfortunately, this was not the best experience for a first-time visit on a Friday night. They were clearly understaffed, or poorly managed. It took 15 minutes for us to be acknowledged - by someone that was not suppose to be our server (but later ended up keeping us as their table. It took 30 minutes to get water and place a drink order. The restaurant is not set up for success as the bar is all the way upstairs. That seemed to cause a huge breakdown with efficiency. Our server was nice and doing his job the best he could, just clearly overwhelmed. The food itself tasted good, no complaints, but the restaurant environment and overall chaoticness of the service really took away from our overall experience. Lastly, I got a notification after form open table saying we missed our reservation when that was not the case. The host missed checking us in I guess. We are out of town guests so will likely never be back, but still wanted to share feedback for improvements to those that do frequent or live locally.
Timothy
Our reservation was for 6:30. Our food did not show up until 7:45. Horrible food. Pathetic service. I had Beef Bourgogne. It had no red wine or tomatoes; it tasted like a pot roast cooked in a crock pot with canned broth. Definitely had higher expectations, especially since it had come highly recommended. We won't be back.
SusanS
Disappointing experience. We have been to Caprice Bistro on several occasions and have always been pleased with the food and service. However, we had reservations last Friday night, and it was so awful we may not return. We arrived at 6:00 pm for our reservation and were seated right away, but it took 40 minutes to get a drink. The Caesar salad we ordered was of poor quality, and the mussels had nearly no "meat" in them. Probably the worst mussels ever in a restaurant. All in all, it took 2 hours and 40 minutes to have a glass of wine, a salad, and an entree. The server gave no explanation or apology.
Our server was lovely and the food was so good! I highly recommend the Parisian Fog cocktail. The tables were a little crowded but other than that we had a great time :)
Excursion26511333501
Sometimes you are in a new area and looking for a place to eat., Wilmington has many good places to try. But one night it was a bit early and we wanted to find someplace new. We found Caprice Bistro before 6pm and decided to step in. This was like stepping back into Paris, where we had been a few months before. It was exactly what you would find there. Sitting at our table the place was still empty, but was beginning to fill up with reservations. We were lucky. Also, at the hour we arrived they still had a special offer on special dinners prior to 6pm. Looking over the menu the waiter told us of the specials for the evening along with the special meals at that time. We always could order our beverages (red wine of course) and any other items to select. While he went for the beverages, we looked at the menu in detail. When he returned we knew what we wanted. To start, our appetizer was a Cheese Crepe to start with. This was a freshly made crepe that was filled with four (4) different cheeses known of in France. There was also a slice on the folded crepe. The crepe itself was covered with a sauce with fresh mushrooms and spice. It was rich and flavorful, and warm. Ideal to slice a piece and have it with the freshly made bread that was ideal. With a glass of wine this would make a meal unto itself. Next course, and a special of the evening, is Steamed Mussels in a red sauce (your choice). It was served with an order of French Fries that was also freshly made and warm. The mussels themselves were fresh and sweet for the day. These were new and enjoyable. The portion the right size. Just enough to have and enjoy. One other course to have was French Onion Soup. This was as you expect in France. It was not heavy and filled with onions. It was trastey and flavored with the right amount of onions. It naturally had the slice of bread in the broth. As for the cheese, it was more than you expected. So, if you like cheese on the soup, this is how you get it in Paris. Having this dinner put us back to being in Paris and eating at the same pace you eat in Paris. Casual and relaxed. Conversations and dinner. Ideal and making you wish you had ordered even more. At the end of this meal we were done. No room for dessert. But that looked good. The team is excellent and kind. The portions are typical of France. The price is good for what you are receiving. Caprice Bistro will be a place I shall return to next time I am in town. I am already thinking of what I might order the next time I am there. Our compliments to the chef. Merci....(in my limited French).
Gordon Riseborough
We had a memorable anniversary dinner here. Over the years, their quality has been consistently EXCELLENT! Thoroughly enjoyed their Cou rouge salad, mussels marinières and steak frites!! Wonderful cocktails and wines too! Little bit noisy - even on Thursday evening - because they are so popular and so good!!
Classic bistro. Food was only average. Not quite as good under the new ownership. Nice vibe. Not rushing back there which is sad as it was once one of our go to places. Server was very pleasant but inexperienced.
Hannah
I was excited to book here again under new ownership. I had hoped to see some enhancements inside as the last few times I have been it seemed a little dated and needed some sprucing up. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case. We ate upstairs fro the first time. I've been coming here for years and it has always been a favorite. I like the experiences upstairs, it's warm and cozy and not as loud as downstairs. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and he took good care of us. We started with salads - way too much dressing. Otherwise would have been really good. One in party got the mussels and gave it a 2 out of 5..not enough sauce for dipping and flavor not up to par. The pork chop received very good reviews for flavor and quality. My fish entree was warm at best...I think had it been hot it would have tasted much better...too much salt for sure. This has been my go to for over 20 years for special occasions and I always recommend to friends visiting Wilmington. I'm hopeful the new ownership will get the kinks worked out and improve the quality and taste of the food.
I'll start with the negative: The beef in the pricey beef bourguignon : what is supposed to be "slow-cooking tough cuts of beef until they are fork-tender" was extremely tough and took a lot of effort to cut through with the supplied serrated steak knife. I left half of the meat due to the unappealing chewy gristle. Not that it makes it much worse, but there were only potatoes with the meat.. normally the recipe includes several vegetables. The onions in the pricey onion soup seemed barely cooked, like that dish was also rushed. The positive: Service was excellent and friendly Atmosphere and decor were excellent My wife's savory crepe was excellent Would have complained then and there, but it was a special event meal during the holiday and didn't want to spoil the evening for my wife. I feel cheated by the restaurant.
Four couples for a 6:15pm reservation on a Wednesday night. Pro: we were promptly seated and the food was good (only after waiting 1 and 1/2 hours) Con: The portion size on the beef bourguignon was small. Service was substandard, but obviously understaffed this evening. Wait time was horrible - drinks came 40 minutes after being seated. Dinner came out so very late. Atmosphere: quiet as very few tables were booked Value: charged extra 3% for using a credit card
Had an amazing experience — the atmosphere was cozy and laid-back, the service was super friendly, and Chef James absolutely crushed it with the food. Everything came out fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care. It’s the kind of spot where you instantly feel comfortable, get treated well, and leave talking about how good the meal was. Easily a 5-star visit and a place I’ll be coming back to for sure.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I never leave reviews but after the second time having the most atrocious service at what use to be our favorite restaurant, I had to leave one. Both times we had the same waiter who was so rude and unfriendly. The first terrible time, we waited almost 45 minutes for our drinks and anytime we asked where they were, he was so rude in his response. Never an apology. We ended up going upstairs and getting our drinks ourselves. Both times our dinner took so long to come (like over an hour). I get the “French experience” is having nice long dinners to enjoy company and savor your food. But I have been to Paris plenty of times and I’m sorry service is nothing like this! We waited 45 minutes for our appetizer last night. Then our salads came with our dinner instead of before. By the time the food finally came we didn’t even care. The waiter never checked on us, never asked us if we needed anything or ask us if we liked the food. There was never an acknowledgment that our food was taking an insanely long time to come. Just a simple hey sorry it’s taking so long would have been nice. Instead he completely ignored us. We were splitting several dishes between the four of us and when we asked for extra plates they said it would have to be small bread plates, otherwise we would have to wait for regular size plates?! This makes no sense - the restaurant was not full. How can you not have extra plates? The food was good but between the rude service and long wait, it was hard to enjoy. We had to shove our food down in order to make our after dinner drink reservation (which we already had to push back several times while we were waiting for our food). I have lived in Wilmington my whole life and Caprice has always been a staple and the place we went to for any special occasion. You have lost life long customers. What a disappointment.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 1
Absolutely horrible service. A usual go to of ours for the past 20 years. The last 2 times our service was the worse we have ever experienced - both times by the same rude waiter. It was almost laughable how terrible it was. Such a disappointment but will never return.
Our waitress Lauren was amazing! It looked like she was handling a whole section by herself and was very attentive. Delicious food, cute spot!
The food was very good and the menu option gave everyone something that they wanted (actually we wanted try many more things). The house special fish stew was great!
Unfortunately, this was not the best experience for a first-time visit on a Friday night. They were clearly understaffed, or poorly managed. It took 15 minutes for us to be acknowledged - by someone that was not suppose to be our server (but later ended up keeping us as their table. It took 30 minutes to get water and place a drink order. The restaurant is not set up for success as the bar is all the way upstairs. That seemed to cause a huge breakdown with efficiency. Our server was nice and doing his job the best he could, just clearly overwhelmed. The food itself tasted good, no complaints, but the restaurant environment and overall chaoticness of the service really took away from our overall experience. Lastly, I got a notification after form open table saying we missed our reservation when that was not the case. The host missed checking us in I guess. We are out of town guests so will likely never be back, but still wanted to share feedback for improvements to those that do frequent or live locally.
Our reservation was for 6:30. Our food did not show up until 7:45. Horrible food. Pathetic service. I had Beef Bourgogne. It had no red wine or tomatoes; it tasted like a pot roast cooked in a crock pot with canned broth. Definitely had higher expectations, especially since it had come highly recommended. We won't be back.
Disappointing experience. We have been to Caprice Bistro on several occasions and have always been pleased with the food and service. However, we had reservations last Friday night, and it was so awful we may not return. We arrived at 6:00 pm for our reservation and were seated right away, but it took 40 minutes to get a drink. The Caesar salad we ordered was of poor quality, and the mussels had nearly no "meat" in them. Probably the worst mussels ever in a restaurant. All in all, it took 2 hours and 40 minutes to have a glass of wine, a salad, and an entree. The server gave no explanation or apology.
Restaurantji Recommends
Our server was lovely and the food was so good! I highly recommend the Parisian Fog cocktail. The tables were a little crowded but other than that we had a great time :)
Sometimes you are in a new area and looking for a place to eat., Wilmington has many good places to try. But one night it was a bit early and we wanted to find someplace new. We found Caprice Bistro before 6pm and decided to step in. This was like stepping back into Paris, where we had been a few months before. It was exactly what you would find there. Sitting at our table the place was still empty, but was beginning to fill up with reservations. We were lucky. Also, at the hour we arrived they still had a special offer on special dinners prior to 6pm. Looking over the menu the waiter told us of the specials for the evening along with the special meals at that time. We always could order our beverages (red wine of course) and any other items to select. While he went for the beverages, we looked at the menu in detail. When he returned we knew what we wanted. To start, our appetizer was a Cheese Crepe to start with. This was a freshly made crepe that was filled with four (4) different cheeses known of in France. There was also a slice on the folded crepe. The crepe itself was covered with a sauce with fresh mushrooms and spice. It was rich and flavorful, and warm. Ideal to slice a piece and have it with the freshly made bread that was ideal. With a glass of wine this would make a meal unto itself. Next course, and a special of the evening, is Steamed Mussels in a red sauce (your choice). It was served with an order of French Fries that was also freshly made and warm. The mussels themselves were fresh and sweet for the day. These were new and enjoyable. The portion the right size. Just enough to have and enjoy. One other course to have was French Onion Soup. This was as you expect in France. It was not heavy and filled with onions. It was trastey and flavored with the right amount of onions. It naturally had the slice of bread in the broth. As for the cheese, it was more than you expected. So, if you like cheese on the soup, this is how you get it in Paris. Having this dinner put us back to being in Paris and eating at the same pace you eat in Paris. Casual and relaxed. Conversations and dinner. Ideal and making you wish you had ordered even more. At the end of this meal we were done. No room for dessert. But that looked good. The team is excellent and kind. The portions are typical of France. The price is good for what you are receiving. Caprice Bistro will be a place I shall return to next time I am in town. I am already thinking of what I might order the next time I am there. Our compliments to the chef. Merci....(in my limited French).
We had a memorable anniversary dinner here. Over the years, their quality has been consistently EXCELLENT! Thoroughly enjoyed their Cou rouge salad, mussels marinières and steak frites!! Wonderful cocktails and wines too! Little bit noisy - even on Thursday evening - because they are so popular and so good!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Frites, Mussels Provencal
Classic bistro. Food was only average. Not quite as good under the new ownership. Nice vibe. Not rushing back there which is sad as it was once one of our go to places. Server was very pleasant but inexperienced.
I was excited to book here again under new ownership. I had hoped to see some enhancements inside as the last few times I have been it seemed a little dated and needed some sprucing up. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case. We ate upstairs fro the first time. I've been coming here for years and it has always been a favorite. I like the experiences upstairs, it's warm and cozy and not as loud as downstairs. Our server was friendly, knowledgeable and he took good care of us. We started with salads - way too much dressing. Otherwise would have been really good. One in party got the mussels and gave it a 2 out of 5..not enough sauce for dipping and flavor not up to par. The pork chop received very good reviews for flavor and quality. My fish entree was warm at best...I think had it been hot it would have tasted much better...too much salt for sure. This has been my go to for over 20 years for special occasions and I always recommend to friends visiting Wilmington. I'm hopeful the new ownership will get the kinks worked out and improve the quality and taste of the food.
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