Little Dipper Fondue The

One of the best places in Wilmington. For a girls night? Wednesday is $ 9 cheese and chocolate. Date night? Go Thursday or Friday for a fantastic 3 or 4 course meal. Getting married and need a rehearsal dinner space? Rent the back room or deck and have the perfect mingling experience.
Such good prices for fondue, such great cheese, and a cozy atmosphere that always makes it the perfect night. My only recommendation would be to not go here for a first date. If you figure out early on that the guy is terrible at conversation, you are in for a long, awkward night.

Simply wonderful. It’s a cozy space with warm lighting and cool décor, filled with people enjoying a nice night out. I got lucky tonight because it was Tuesday — the local’s special night — $ 10 for both cheese and chocolate fondue. Not only was it a fantastic deal, the meal was wonderful.
I really enjoyed the Cheddar Ale fondue, which was just delicious. It comes with an assortment of veggies, fruit, and bread, all of which were fresh and delicious. It’s always interesting to decide what goes (and what doesn’t!) with your cheese selection. For instance, the raw broccoli — not so good. But the apples — yay!
I also got a Seasonal Spinach side salad, with walnuts, apples, blue cheese, and dried cranberries. The raspberry vinaigrette was a nice complement for the salad, and the salad itself was a refreshing difference from the rich cheese fondue.
Although I swore it would be hard to fit in dessert, I managed to finish most of the triple play — dark chocolate, peanut butter, and caramel. Honestly, the peanut butter was way too rich and I basically skipped it in favor of the other two. The fruits, pretzels, marshmallows, etc that accompanied my fondue were well-​chosen.
I should also mention that my server was great. She explained the menu, did some performance art putting together my cheese fondue, and was always helpful but never in the way. Thanks, Whitney!

This restaurant is a perfect date spot. The intimacy and conversation over sharing courses of fondue is unmatched. The first time I went to the Little Dipper was in 2006 when a family friend rented out the restaurant for the wedding rehearsal dinner. It was great because you could mingle from table to table trying different types of fondue course options. The bride’s son and new husband also played music on the back porch. I’m sure it was an expensive event but it’s a really cool place to have a large family style intimate party.
The standard three-​course fondue menu is impressive and expensive. It is very hard to decide on just one broth, and one protein. I have been once on a date, did the full menu with drinks and salad but my bill was over $ 100. One of the really great things about this business is the specials. One night a week they do a price fix menu, other nights drink specials, and my personal favorite of Ladies Night where two courses of cheese and chocolate are $ 8 per person. The specials change during seasons so call ahead.
Most recently I went by for ladies night with a few girlfriends. It was cheap wonderful. All the seasonal features were also perfect. I had the spiced apple sangria and as a table we ordered the seasonal Brie fondue. Omg! This really needs to be added to the standard menu. Overall it was great but it’s important to make reservations ahead because we couldn’t get a table until 9:30, which is late for a weeknight. I also felt bad for the couple having a romantic celebration because the restaurant was packed with tables of screeching women. Service was a little slow and we didn’t leave till after eleven. Next time I will make a much earlier reservation.

Cute date spot in downtown Wilmington! Some of the best fondue we ever had. The quantities are big… you will get full. We tried the steak, chicken, and shrimp which were all great. My favorites are the cheese dip with salsa for appetizer and the chocolate peanut butter dessert dip. We will definitely be back!

I wish I could review without leaving a star rating because we did not actually eat anything at this restaurant. We had made a reservation at The Little Dipper to celebrate our anniversary. We had never been here before but the reviews made us extremely excited to try it out. Our only experience with fondue in the past is with The Melting Pot.
We walked in an were immediately accosted by a slightly offensive smell. I’m sure it was the combination of the cooking liquids but either way, it wasn’t very pleasant. We were seated in a loud, open area with very little to help reduce the noise. We were seated next to a party of 6 ladies, which probably didn’t help either.
We asked if there was somewhere quieter that we could eat and the table we were offered was still too close to the noise so we decided to leave to find a more romantic restaurant to have our anniversary dinner at. I think I would like to come back sometime to try out The Little Dipper’s food and this time just know going in that it’s not a great place for a romantic date. When we do try it sometime, I will come back to update my review!

It was my 1^st fondue experience & a very pleasant one. Our server Carrie walked us through everything & was very helpful & cheery.
We will definitely be back again!

What an improvement over The Melting Pot, in so many ways. The Little Dipper is a fun atmosphere, with original décor and less of the forced «upscale» feel of its competitor. They have a good selection of wines — so good that we had a hard time choosing.
The menu is a bit daunting at first, but our server did a great job helping us with it. We ended up building our own fondue dinners, since my husband doesn’t eat meat or shellfish. The chicken dumplings were delicious, the tuna yummy, the veggies fresh, and the cheese fondue tasty. The side sauces ranged from good to outstanding. The wasabi lime aioli sauce and Sriracha sauce were our favorites. We finished off our meal with the fluffernutter fondue that was totally yummy.
If you’re used to traditional Swiss fondue, The Little Dipper’s version is a little tame (the Swiss and French love to put a fair amount of alcohol in with the cheese), but knowing that now, I’d just ask for a bit more of the Kirsch when the server is building the fondue.
We’ll definitely be back!

We recently enjoyed a great meal and experience here. Everything was exceptional from the staff, décor, experience and food. We started with the Tuscan Sun Dried Tomato fondue and then the Fab Four entrée for four. We finished our night with a Supreme dessert with dark chocolate to dip it in. Don’t think you could go wrong eating here.

Great place. We went on a romantic weekend in Wilmington over Labor Day. Great quality food and good service. All bottles of wine were half off so that was a big plus ! I would go again if I go to that area again. We had a very private booth for two and it was Perfect.

My wife and I dined at the Little Dipper fondue restaurant two years ago and again tonight… a great experience both times! Select a cheese fondue, salad, main entrée (My wife built her own combination and I had pork marinated three different ways), and select three sauces for dipping (the spicy coconut curry is my favorite). It’s fun dipping, dunking, and cooking your own food. Plan on enjoying a long meal (ours was about two hours). Be sure to save room for one of their wonderful desserts!
Our server’s name was Elora… Request her, she is awesome!

This place is so beautiful for a date. You can either have a several courses fondue meal or a chocolate fountain fondue. Either way the fondue demands a bit of attention from you so it helps generate a conversation, making the experience fun. Even more, the food is very nice and tasty. Take your time. Fondue can’t be eaten in a rush. And make a reservation. The place can get seriously full.

I have been wanting to try this place for a few years, so I decided that a birthday celebration would be the best way for me to go, so I picked it out for my party a couple of years ago. The waitress was very nice and made my special day go very smoothly. From the cheese fondue to the entrée, everything was even better than I had hoped it would be. This restaurant is rated so highly for a reason, and is a definite must when visiting downtown Wilmington. I have been back several times since that initial visit, and each time is even better than the one before it. I like to reserve my spot on OpenTable, just because it does get busy from time to time. They do have several specials as well. On Wednesdays, it is Ladies Night, and you can score cheese and chocolate for your table for $ 9 a person. Along with that special, another popular one happens on Thursday nights, which is the «Prix Fixe Menu,» which means that you can get a 4-​course meal for $ 27…not too shabby. When I first started coming here, I thought to myself that there was no way that I would get full off of this… I was wrong. It does take my husband and I a good 2 hours for the 4-​course meal, but totally worth it. The pleasant atmosphere makes it all the more enjoyable. I am turning 30 next month, and I hope to find myself in one of the booths here on that very day *fingers crossed*.

Had a dream that I was surrounded by delicious food and beverages. Then the waiter asked if I saved room for dessert and I realized I was actually in haven. Or as some call it The Little Dipper.
The knowledgeable staff make it so convenient to pair your meals with the correct drink, perfect cheese, and cooking styles. I was blown away by the atmosphere and décor as well
Now for the good part: the food. The filet mignon is so delicious and an excellent quality cut. The selection of side salads is event on point.
Dessert is a must here. If you’re on a date this will seal the deal my friends. Recommend this restaurant to everyone of any age.
Our server was Aaron and will be requesting him everytime

So delicious! Great adult/​date spot. I don’t think I would bring little children here. My husband and I went on a babymoon to Wilmington and has dessert here and loved it. We had the triple play and man was it great! Prices are not bad, location is good, and service was good as well. Highly recommend this !!

Had a fantastic and affordably priced meal here. Usually when you go out for fondue you run out of items to dip, we did not have that problem — there were tons of options and lots of sauce at every step along the way. We held back to conserve space for dessert and were not disappointed. Highly recommend the port beef cooking sauce for the main course.

I’ve been here twice, and both times was more than satisfied with the food and the service. If you like fondue this place blows the melting pot away. The meats & seafood always seem like great quality & the mojitos here are really good too.
It is a little bit pricey, but well worth it and I’d say on par with similar chain restaurants that offer lower quality food. I’ll be back soon!

The Little Dipper is the cutest fondue spot I’ve ever been to. The atmosphere is unique and sexy. I used to always go for Ladies night on Wednesday nights for cheese and chocolate. The service is always on point. I would definitely make a reservation!
Just a tip: my husband swears he doesn’t «get full» off of the portions, so keep that in mind, you hungry men ;)

My husband and I chose the Little Dipper as a date night restaurant after reading many reviews about it, so we decided to give it a shot.
We made a reservation for 6pm on a Saturday night. We ended up getting there at 5:30pm and they were kind enough to seat us then. We started off with the Fontina Fondue. I’m not a huge fan of cheese (why go to a fondue restaurant I know) but man, that fondue was DELICIOUS. I ate it all up along with my husband. Second course I received a garden salad with caesar dressing and my husband got broccoli cheddar potato soup. I didn’t like my caesar dressing because all I tasted was anchovies blended into it. My husband shared his soup with me instead, which itself was a hearty delicious soup. Cheese, again, I couldn’t stop stuffing my face with it. For our entrée, we choose the Instant Karma which is a platter for two that included filet mignon, chicken, and shrimp. We choose the vegetable broth and four dipping sauces. The entrée wasn’t as delicious as I thought it would be. Cooking the chicken in the broth gave it a too soft of a texture and the shrimp wasn’t amazing. We ended up gobbling down the filet mignon and vegetables. Sadly, we had no room for dessert.
TL;DR I enjoyed it because it was something different for a date night, rather than the typical movie and dinner. I wouldn’t make it a regular place to attend, but only for special occasions or when we feel like we need to change it up. Overall, lovely experience.

We went here not long ago and it was beyond fantastic! The service was excellent, the food was amazing, and the ambience was spectacular!
Definitely worth the price and distance. Can’t wait to go back!

We stopped in for dinner while in Wilmington for the night. I went with a «date night» menu option in an attempt to simplify the process but it didn’t. The menu just isn’t clear with respect to the decisions you need to make. The food was good. I really liked the tuna while my wife enjoyed the filet. But she loved the last course, dark chocolate and fruit, the most.
I enjoyed the experience but felt it could have flowed much smoother. This was our first time at a fondue restaurant and while I enjoyed it, I’m not sure I need to do it again.

un restaurant à fondue très satisfaisant ! le repas est composé de 3 plats différents. une fondue au fromage (différentes sortes/​combinaisons sont possibles) avec des morceaux de pains et des petits légumes. puis une salade composée. puis la fondue à la viande /​poisson avec là aussi assez de choix pour satisfaire tous les goûts. le tout est quand même bien copieux. pour ceux qui ont encore faim, ils pourront goûter la fondue en dessert accompagnée de fruits rouges. entre les 3 plats, le dessert, la boisson et le pourboire, comptez au minimum 50 $ par personne (60 $ me semble même plus réaliste si vous prennez de l’alcool)