4 Best Restaurants in Brandywine Valley, Pennsylvania

The pricey eight-course prix-fixe dinner at this cozy, cult-favorite market and eat-in spot in the heart of Kennett Square requires advance planning, but fortunately Talula's has its own artisanal cheeses, house-cured meats, and handmade breads and pastas throughout the day, along with a coffee bar and prepared meals for takeout. Breakfast and lunch at the communal table feature seasonal soups, salads, and sandwiches. You can also just pick up the makings for a picnic. The prix-fixe dinner (about 20 people maximum at two tables)—is a particularly special treat that is so popular you have to book a year in advance, making it one of the Northeast's top restaurant reservations.

Locals and visitors flock to this cash-only wood-panel outpost, a cottagelike diner open since 1950, for hearty breakfast specials such as omelets with roasted Kennett Square mushrooms and corned beef hash with eggs. Hank's is also open for home-style lunches and dinners (come early, as it closes at 7 pm), serving old-fashioned favorites like French dip sandwiches, rainbow trout, and spaghetti and meatballs. Sit at the counter and watch one of the cooks if you want the full experience.

Silver beaded lighting fixtures create a fun and sexy vibe at this small, local-favorite café where everything is done up in the color purple—walls, tablecloths, and even the coffee mugs. The kitchen and waitstaff are attentive to details as they serve superior Cajun and Creole fare such as smoked alligator sausage, blackened crab cakes, jambalaya, étouffée, and other French Quarter favorites. Alternatives like ahi tuna and hanger steak also appear on the menu.

An old Woolworth's building with tin ceilings and maple floors is now this large, bustling restaurant and brewpub in the heart of downtown, one of a number of Iron Hill outposts in the state. The extensive menu lists everything from nachos and flatbreads to all kinds of burgers (meat and non-meat), steaks, and salads. True to the name, the eatery also brews a large variety of beers and ales, many of which have won local awards. In warm weather the outdoor tables provide a nice spot for people-watching.