Among the finest dining and most expensive white tablecloth restaurants at the Delaware shore, The Hobbit seems better suited for the downtown office worker crowd then the casual Delmarva dining family.  But excuse the (sometimes) blazer and khaki patrons and dare to wear your preferred casual gear, because The Hobbit is worth the under-dressed stress of tourists not knowing better, exciting culinary delights with high-end dining tucked on the ground floor of a condo complex with bay-facing views from every seat.  Specializing in creative fish dishes inspired by farm-to-table vegetables, sauces, and, sometimes, bold cheese garnishes, The Hobbit encourages chef to experiment with daring and innovative cooking sure to please the ficklest of big city elitist appetites.  A variety of salads and creative appetizers complimenting innovative coastal cuisine leaves almost no room for the simplest of desert offerings, save for Mary’s Delight, a crowd-pleasing cake offered for more than three decades of The Hobbit’s long run.  There is a reason The Hobbit has remained a popular, special occasion restaurant for so long; the food is wonderful and not rushed, and while families and children are not un-welcome (there are no high-chairs available), diners are typically adults looking to be removed, if only for two hours, from Ocean City’s usual hustle.  The Hobbit is not an everyday restaurant, instead destination dining when you need a special meal in a relaxed atmosphere, reminded of the splendor of fine coastal cooking enjoyed with a long view of the Assawoman Bay.

121 81st St. (Rivendell Condos)

Ocean City, MD 21842

410-524-8100