La Duna Paradiso

Beautiful new restaurant with a stunning interior and great atmosphere. Service was excellent and very attentive. The food was a mix. The spaghetti was outstanding (10/10), and the roasted black bass was delicious and well prepared — both highly recommended (10/10) . I love crudo but the scallop crudo was very small and not particularly memorable (7/10). The calamari plancha, unfortunately, was slightly undercooked and felt more like an appetizer than an entrée (4/10) Cocktails were well made, and the staff was happy to prepare a classic drink off the menu. Overall, I would come back for the ambiance and to try other dishes. The place has great potential, though a few menu items could use some refinement.

While staying at Trailborn we had breakfast here a couple times! It was always very good food! The avacado toast was huge and I was sooo full after. The bacon was delicious and fruit and yogurt parfait were delicious too. I wanted to keep trying everything for breakfast haha! Hopefully we will be back another year.

This is a must visit dining experience if you are lucky enough to be in Wrightsville Beach Area. I had heard about the renovation of the hotel and restaurant after Marriott bought the Blockade Runner. We got a 6pm seating on a Saturday night and I can tell you it was easily the best dining experience I've had this year. We had a kale ceaser salad to start and split it easily..dressing was amazing. Our entrees were the roasted Chilean Sea Bass and the Spaghetti and Crab. Both were amazing and the portions were generous. We finished with an Olive Oil cake and Gelato. The meal was a value considering the view (see the pictures) at the golden hour nonetheless! Our waitress had a trainee under wing and they both spoiled us silly. They knew the menu and skillfully guided me towards our choices for which I was grateful. I had never been to this hotel and had never eaten here but I know I will be back.

La Duna Paradiso is a great spot for breakfast. The avocado toast was really good—fresh and flavorful. If it’s not too hot, definitely sit outside. It’s a nice setup and a great way to start the day.

Delightful evening dining outside! Feeling like a tourists!! Meal was delicious! The Waitstaff were very polite! Weather was amazing! Very comfortable atmosphere! And not loud! Great for conversation!

La Duna Paradiso delivered an outstanding dinner that exceeded our expectations. We began with the kale salad and focaccia bread - both excellent starters. The salad was perfectly fresh with just the right amount of dressing, never overwhelming the greens. The focaccia was warm and fresh, creating a nice complement to the lighter salad. For entrees, I ordered the bucatini carbonara, which completely won me over despite not typically being drawn to Italian cuisine. The pasta was cooked to absolute perfection with an ideal texture, and the dish managed to be rich and satisfying without feeling heavy. The crispy pancetta added wonderful smokiness and depth of flavor throughout. The real star of the evening was my wife's halibut - easily one of the best fish dishes we've had in Wilmington. The fish itself was flawlessly executed with beautifully crispy skin, but what made it extraordinary was how all the components worked together. The eggplant and olive caponata, buttered polenta, charred broccolini, and pancetta just created a symphony of flavors that elevated the entire plate. The only minor disappointment was the cocktail program. The honeysuckle soirée was underwhelming - served in a glass that felt barely half-full even with the large ice cube, and the drink itself was quite strong without the smoothness to balance it out. Despite the cocktail hiccup, this was a fantastic dining experience overall. It's exciting to see such a talented, decorated chef bringing this level of culinary excellence to Wilmington. La Duna Paradiso is definitely going on our regular rotation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Checked out La Duna Paradiso for an impromptu date night, and couldn't have been happier! Cocktails were great, food was spectacular. We had the bruschetta and scallop crudo to start, shared the bucatini carbonara and stripsteak, and finished with almond cake and cheesecake. Everything was absolutely lovely. Amazing flavor on the steak, and the carbonara was the exact right level of richness. Luke was our server, super attentive and good suggestions. 10/10 would recommend.

My family enjoyed the best ever traditional Thanksgiving meal at La Duna. Each dish was perfect. The meat was moist and flavorful, each of the sides were either traditional or slightly elevated and delicious. Our server, Nick, was very personable and went above and beyond to make sure our holiday meal was great. I had modest expectations as I’ve often been disappointed when eating out for Thanksgiving. Thank you for far exceeding everyone’s expectations. Amazing!

Checked out La Duna Paradiso for an impromptu date night, and couldn't have been happier! Cocktails were great, food was spectacular. We had the bruschetta and scallop crudo to start, shared the bucatini carbonara and stripsteak, and finished with almond cake and cheesecake. Everything was absolutely lovely. Amazing flavor on the steak, and the carbonara was the exact right level of richness. Luke was our server, super attentive and good suggestions. 10/10 would recommend.

the food and ambiance were amazing! Chef Michelle and the team are the best. our waitress Madison was so sweet and attentive

The octopus appetizer and clam linguini were both awesome and highly recommended. Maybe a few more clams? Order the bread to soak up the sauce!! Service was excellent. Knowledgeable one the dishes with excellent descriptions. The restaurant was not crowded and it did make it seem odd or unwelcoming . As more guests arrived they were all packed together in one section. .

OK. You and your sweetheart are away for the weekend because it is your 43rd wedding anniversary. Everything has been splendid so far and you decide to go to a restaurant that other is than your usual spot for celebrations. Italian, we cheer! Of course ! This is a perfect choice! We go to trusty YELP and put Italian in the search engine.. Hey! Here's one; it's only six minutes away and it's got fairly good reviews. Let's go there!! It is LaDuna Paradisco. (their sign could've been better lit, we missed it the first time round.) We enter, giddy in love even after all these years; we do really have a lot to celebrate. We still love each other. 43 years!! The entrance decor was a real delight. The furnishings reminded us of Hemingway's Cuba, all bamboo, pale green and white striped tropical, retro-modern and low to the ground. Just charming. We are happily greeted and seated in a far away corner. This crew knew we had our anniversary and did everything that they could to make it romantic, including turning the lights down low. We ordered martinis; we both had to admit that they were quite generous. Then we ordered our food ... It was downhill from there. We ordered two salads; again, quite generous, the greens were cold, fresh and lovely. The dressing was not. It was far from Italian, and while there was couscous added, it made the salad somewhat gritty. The Buscetta we ordered was unexpected. Expecting grilled bread with olive oil and garlic, we received bread topped with a menagerie of ingredients. Again, the prosciutto was lovely, but the rest of it was misplaced. We split an order of pasta carbonara. The process itself was to the tooth and excellent; pancetta, was toasty and crisp but the dish overall was incredibly dry. Now let me share: it has been our experience / as most other people - having a celebration, the chef and restaurant usually goes out of its way to offer a dessert in the celebration, sometimes with great flair and humor. We were handed our check. Period. Go figure...

We came in for breakfast since we are staying at the hotel. It's trendy and beautiful view of the grounds. We came in around 9am... Several people were waiting on a table and the restaurant was empty. Maybe people go into town? Overall, the service was slow. We enjoyed our food but portions are big. Highly recommend ordering the banana bread. 2-4 people could have shared it! So come hungry or plan on sharing.

Made reservations online for a Saturday at 5pm. No parking in their parking lot. They do have valet, but we just parked on the street metered parking and paid for the max 2 hours ($10.50 with convenience fee). High chairs and booster seats are available. Atmosphere and decor were nice. Did not see a baby changing table in the women's bathroom. Bread and pasta are made in house. We started with the bruschetta and burrata appetizers. Both were good enough, not amazing. In the bruschetta appetizer, it's not your typical bruschetta you would think of. Couldn't taste the rosemary in the rosemary focaccia bread. There was nothing "blistered" about the " blistered heirloom tomatoes" as listed on the menu. They were huge fresh firm tomatoes. Not sure where the "miso" comes in for the miso toast in the burrata appetizer, but I liked the rye bread. For entrées, we had the Bolognese and Cavatelli con rapini. Both were good. I've had better Bolognese elsewhere though. Cavatelli was very garlicky, in a pesto like sauce. For dessert, they gave me a complimentary gelato for my birthday. I could choose the flavor, one of them was chocolate chip, and another was espresso. Went with the espresso, which was good, but not the smoothest. Also tried the cheesecake, which was good. After dinner, we walked around their pretty lawn area behind the restaurant and onto the beach. Saw a bunny in their lawn. It was nice they had a water hose to hose off the sand from your legs and feet. Extra star for the nice scenery indoors/outdoors and beach access. Overall, the food was alright. If I did come back another time, I would look into trying the valet.

Not a great experience, bad cocktails, wrong orders. There was also some kind of very loud construction going on at 6:30 pm in the middle of dinner service. Kinda ridiculous. Only saving grace was our server. Won't go back do not recommend

The service was fantastic and the food was amazing. The ambiance was so nice as well. we will definitely be back.

Excellent meal! Friendly informed server. Chicken, halibut, bolognese and calamari were all delicious! We look forward to coming back!

Probably the most bland fries and smash burger ever, no seasoning.. cool atmosphere to sit outdoors but food could be better. The service was quick and it's a cute spot

We went here for the first time for my birthday dinner and it was Britton's first time serving....you would have thought he was 5 years in. AMAZING service!!!! Definitely coming back!!!

Hidden gem on Wrightsville Beach! Enjoyed a fantastic meal. Great views and attentive service.

We were skeptical about this new restaurant, and it wasn't perfect. But everything is fixable, and I had one of the best plates of food I've eaten in a long time. The halibut with eggplant and olive capponata, grilled broccolini, and polenta was utterly delicious. Perfectly cooked fish, which with halibut is nearly impossible. Seasonings were spot on. The manager is professional and experienced. Our server was delightful. This is not a fancy place, but the quality of the food and the obvious interest in doing a good job makes this a really nice addition to Wilmington area and Wrightsville Beach options. Other than the fire alarm going off twice during our meal, we had an enjoyable evening!

The food was spectacular as well as the service. Why 4 stars and not 5? Everything is made from scratch apart from the pasta. The chef and her pasta sauces are too good to not have homemade noodles. It is like having a Ferrari with a 4 Cylinder engine rather than a V12. Fresh homemade pasta please to highlight the Chef's talent.