410 Bank Street
410 Bank Street
609-884-2127; 410bankstreet.com
For 29 years, chef Henry Sing Cheng has charmed diners from far and wide with his blend of Caribbean, New Orleans and Asian cooking and his romantic restaurant’s lush gardened seclusion.
The Blue Pig Tavern
29 Perry Street
609-884-8422; congresshall.com
This cozy-cute retro tavern in the Congress Hall Hotel (celebrating the 10th anniversary of its renovation this year), offers a well-made, long and varied New American menu at reasonable prices. Much of its produce comes from its own Beach Plum Farm down the road.
The Ebbitt Room
25 Jackson Street
609-884-5700; virginiahotel.com
Elegantly ensconced in the gingerbready Virginia Hotel, the Ebbitt Room is one of the flagships of fine dining in Cape May. Chef Lucas Manteca always finds ways to enliven his Beach Plum Farm-to-table American menu.
Gecko’s
31 Perry Street, Suite 6
609-898-7750
A popular spot for Southwestern and Tex-Mex food, Gecko’s is reasonably priced and BYO. Get there early to grab a spot on the outdoor deck, the best place to sit.
George’s Place
301 Beach Avenue
609-884-6088
From the outside, it doesn’t look like a diner (just a plain brick facade with little windows), but inside, George’s Place, while small, is diner heaven. The food is fresh and well made, with a number of Greek specialties; the service is fast yet friendly; and the place, a BYO, is always jumping.
The Mad Batter
19 Jackson Street
609-884-5970; madbatter.com
Cape May’s dining rebirth began in 1976 at the Mad Batter in the Carroll Villa Hotel. People still line up for the dining rooms or the coveted seats on the Victorian porch. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are fun affairs, often supplemented by live music and on-site art exhibits.
Tisha’s Fine Dining
322 Washington Street Mall
609-884-9119; tishasfinedining.com
Founded in 1988 in Wildwood by Letitia “Tisha” Negro, this BYO moved to Cape May in 1995 when Tisha’s son Paul and his wife, Jennifer, took over. They are still serving lively, sophisticated food—mostly American, with a pasta menu—in a gracious setting. Good place for breakfast, too.
Union Park Dining Room
727 Beach Avenue
609-884-8811; unionparkdiningroom.com
Under chef John Schatz, Union Park, in the Macomber Hotel, has become one of Cape May’s brace of reliable spots for fine dining. Schatz finds pleasing ways to tweak his New American menu. Local wines available or BYO.
The Washington Inn
801 Washington St; 609-884-5697
washingtoninn.com
The Craig family lavish care on their 1840 plantation house and on their guests, and chef Mimi Wood does the same with her rewarding American menu. The Wine Bar has its own small-plates menu. Try a tart beach-plum martini, made with juice from beach plums the Craigs grow.
Click here to read more from our annual Shore issue.