Harbour Restaurant at Canal Square
Lewes, DE holds the distinction of being the ‘first town in the first state,’ a unique historical fact that does not mean it is the oldest town in the United States; that distinction rests with St. Augustine, Florida, founded in 1565 by Spanish admiral Pedro Menendez. The point of land separating the Atlantic Ocean from the Delaware Bay, now known as Cape Henlopen, was discovered by the explorer Henry Hudson in 1609 and settled in 1631 as Lewes (New York’s Hudson River was later named after his first sailing it in 1609). Started as a seafaring town, Lewes was established as a whaling station, and soon came hungry fisherman looking for quick boat-to-dining options, overlooking the Delaware canal. Harbour Restaurant didn’t open until centuries later, of course, but its approach to waterfront dining harkens back to those formative years, especially with seafood and coastal cuisine, along with plenty of waterside dining, among the most tempting in Lewes. Offering a seasonally-changing menu, Harbour focuses on mid-Atlantic cuisine, including at its popular weekend brunch, and specialty cocktails and a locally impressive wine list. Dockside and indoor dining are offered at the upscale but casual restaurant, but does the food match the ambience and history? Sometimes. Fish dishes are less than inspiring, especially at their lofty prices, and Harbour’s menu-favorite brisket is stiff and boring, surprising given its lofty reputation and focus. To some, Harbour’s chicken and duck dishes are missing flavor and texture – to ‘rubbery’ – so, stick with seafood specials as they are more likely to hit their intended mark. It always is a good culinary idea for an eatery to focus on its core cooking, especially when the restaurant has “harbor” and “canal” in its name, but Harbour Restaurant only thinly delivers on its seafood menu. Harbour is a destination place for its location and wine/cocktails menu, but with so many fine dining options in the area, expensive dining is a luxury, and there are better options from which to choose, especially given the sometimes tepid and uninspiring service. For a place with such history and views, and the promise of fine dining with a talented well-known local chef, Harbour too often misses its mark.