The Colington Cafe is a standout dining destination in Kill Devil Hills, offering an upscale, eclectic dinner experience in a beautifully preserved tree-shaded Victorian house with a garden setting.
From the moment guests arrive at 1029 Colington Rd, the atmosphere feels special—cozy, historic, quiet, romantic, trendy, and refined, making it an ideal choice for memorable evenings, intimate celebrations, or a polished solo dining experience.
With a strong reputation built on 1,325 reviews and an impressive 4.80 out of 5 rating, this restaurant has earned the trust of locals and visitors alike by delivering a dining experience that feels both distinctive and consistently rewarding.
What sets The Colington Cafe apart is the care behind every part of the experience. Guests can enjoy fast service, thoughtful table service, and a menu that balances comfort food with healthy options, small plates, and local specialties.
The beverage program is equally appealing, featuring great cocktails, great coffee, a strong wine list, beer, and alcohol to complement the evening.
Whether you are planning a relaxed dinner, looking forward to dessert, or hoping to enjoy a private dining room for a more personal occasion, the restaurant offers a setting that feels warm, elevated, and welcoming.
Its dinner-only focus allows the team to concentrate on delivering an exceptional evening from start to finish, with reservations required and dinner reservations recommended to help guests plan ahead for a smooth, stress-free visit.
The Colington Cafe is also designed with convenience and accessibility in mind, offering wheelchair-accessible parking, entrance, seating, and restroom facilities so more guests can enjoy the experience comfortably. Flexible service options—including dine-in, takeaway, delivery, and on-site services—make it easy to enjoy the restaurant in the way that best fits your plans.
With accepted payment methods including credit cards, debit cards, and NFC mobile payments, every detail is designed to keep the experience effortless. For those seeking a restaurant that pairs excellent food and drinks with a welcoming, high-quality atmosphere, The Colington Cafe offers more than a meal—it offers an evening worth anticipating.
Popular Items
Frequently ordered and highly recommended items at The Colington Cafe
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Full of crabmeat with a hint of sherry. The best around!
Plump local scallops wrapped in bacon, topped with a teriyaki ginger sauce.
Large shrimp, breaded in shredded coconut and lightly fried, served with an orange mustard sauce.
Four coconut shrimp, four scallops rumaki and two crab cakes (serves four)
A single crab cake served over mixed greens and a horseradish-caper sauce.
Pears, blue cheese, red grapes and candied pecans over mixed greens drizzled with a balsamic vinaigrette.
Warm brie cheese served with french bread, chutney and fresh fruit.
Tender greens and house made croutons with your choice of homemade Honey Dijon, Blue Cheese, or Raspberry Vinaigrette.
One of the best on the Outer Banks! *
Always the freshest available. Ask your server about today's selection. *
Changes Daily.
Lightly marinated and grilled, or fried or sauteed in lemon butter- (choice of one)
Large Shrimp sautéed with butter, fresh garlic, tomatoes, lemon and white wine.
A wonderful combination of both fresh shrimp and scallops in a sherry cream sauce.
A combination of shrimp and scallops grilled to perfection topped with our pineapple-mango salsa.
Crispy fried crab cakes served with a creamy horseradish-caper cream sauce.
Crispy panko crusted shrimp and lump crab cake served with a remoulade.
Sautéed seasonal vegetables with tomatoes and pesto topped with fresh parmesan cheese. Add a protein for additional charge.
Grilled Chicken Breasts over fettuccine and broccoli with an Alfredo sauce.
Penne pasta tossed with sautéed shrimp, scallops and applewood smoked bacon in a light cream sauce.
Grilled to perfection and topped with béarnaise. *
Grilled to perfection and topped with béarnaise. *
A petite filet mignon sautéed with large shrimp in a sherry demi-glaze cream sauce. *
A grilled 6 oz filet mignon topped with fresh jumbo lump crabmeat and finished with Béarnaise. *
Sautéed medallions of beef tenderloin and mushrooms in a rich Dijon black peppercorn sauce. *
A combination of grilled 6 oz filet mignon, grilled shrimp and jumbo lump crabmeat served with béarnaise. *
Grilled 6 oz filet mignon with béarnaise and a crab cake with horseradish cream sauce. *
A wonderful combination of grilled teriyaki glazed beef brochette and crispy panko crusted fried shrimp, with a spicy orange dipping sauce. *
Sautéed Chicken breasts and apples in an apple brandy cream sauce, garnished with toasted almonds.
Boneless breasts of chicken marinated and grilled, finished with a raspberry mustard sauce.
Sautéed boneless breast of chicken and large shrimp in a Dijon tarragon sauce.
All our desserts are made in-house and change daily. Ask your server!
Hear from our valued guests
On Tuesday April 28,2026, our vacationing group of 7 women enjoyed dinner at the Colington Cafe. It's become an annual tradition to dine here during our visit to the Outer Banks. The appetizer platter served as dinner for several of the group. The salmon (special) and Shrimp and Scallop Napoleon rounded out the dinner choices. Salade Composee was enjoyed by a few of the group and all agreed it was enjoyable. Miscellaneous desserts were chosen when our server presented a platter of available sweets to the table. The Coconut Cream Pie got two thumbs up from all who ordered it but the other dessert choices were applauded as well. The service was impeccable and the presentation of each dish was beautiful. We always make our reservation as soon as we reserve our beach house! Colington Cafe is truly the best restaurant in the OBX!
The Colington Cafe on the Outer Banks of NC was wonderful. We were first time diners there and couldn’t have been happier with our delicious and fresh seafood dinners of grilled tuna (catch of the day) and Cobia with crab cake. Simply outstanding. We started with, and I’m not kidding, the best Caesar salad I’ve ever tasted and delicious She Crab bisque. And our friendly and helpful server, Mariah, made the whole experience perfect! And I’ll add this extra tidbit … on the way out I saw their restaurant cleanliness grade … they got a 100% rating. I don’t think I’ve EVER seen that so thought it was worth a mention. The whole restaurant is neat and clean as a pin. Highly recommend.
The Colington Café is such a charming spot! The restaurant is set in a beautifully transformed house, giving it a cozy, intimate feel. Soft background music adds to the atmosphere without making conversation difficult. Service was impeccable from start to finish, and every dish we tried was delicious. The wine list is reasonably priced. A wonderful dining experience overall. Highly recommend!
This was the cutest little hidden gem and the most delicious food we have had in OBX! The adorable cottage is set back off the beaten path and offers a selection of seafood, beef and vegetarian options with a French flair! The ingredients were fresh, the service was friendly and attentive and the atmosphere was relaxing. Highly recommend and will be coming back the next time we are in town!
We both enjoyed our filled mignon, crab meat and chicken breast. The vegetables and mashed potatoes were also excellent, as was our server. Terrific meals!
We celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary here, and it couldn’t have been more perfect! From the moment we walked in, the staff made us feel so special — kind, attentive, and genuinely courteous throughout the entire evening. Every dish we ordered was absolutely delicious — full of flavor and beautifully presented. The seafood pasta and filet were cooked to perfection! The service was exceptional without ever feeling rushed or overbearing. To top it all off, our waitress Lauren surprised us with a bottle of champagne to celebrate our anniversary, which was such a thoughtful touch and made the night even more memorable. Truly an amazing dining experience from start to finish, thank you Lauren for your wonderful service! we can’t wait to come back! 🥂💛
It’s just an amazing cozy restaurant where French fusion cuisine takes place . I found it intimate and interesting. I ordered a savory Brie cheese as entree, sea food as main courses, shrimps grilled to perfection and scallops that blow your mind. Their homemade bread it’s warm and tasty, at the end we share a soft crème Brûlée which made my dinner perfect. Their staff is very special and professional service is fast and convenient. I chose this place to celebrate my anniversary and it didn’t disappoint. Thank you guys for making an unforgettable night. Please make your reservation. You will be very satisfied.
What a delightful dining experience. We were seated upstairs with a lovely view of the gardens out back. The food was delicious and prepared with care and our server Zach was friendly and attentive! We will definitely return when we are in the area!
I spent my 55th birthday at Collington Cafe ~ dinner for 1 please. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The waiter made sure I was comfortable and enjoying my birthday. The hostess was gracious enough to take my picture outside, so I can capture the moment and create a memory to last a lifetime. The food was delicious and I highly recommend this Cafe.
This was our first visit here and gosh it was amazing ✨ ask for Taylor to be your server! She knows the menu and wine selection thoroughly and has a heart of gold. 10/10 service. We ordered some apps and both seafood specials- salmon/flounder/shrimp/softshell crab were the main players. The dinner was fresh and full of color and flavor. The sides were all dressed to impress. It was our first time and def won’t be our last.
Common questions about The Colington Cafe
The Colington Cafe is located at 1029 Colington Rd, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948, United States, Kill Devil Hills, NC, United States.
You can reach The Colington Cafe by calling +1 252-480-1123.
The Colington Cafe has a rating of 4.8 out of 5 based on 1325 customer reviews.
The Colington Cafe features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
The Colington Cafe features the following service options: On-site services, Takeaway, Dine-in, Delivery.
The Colington Cafe features the following highlights: Fast service, Great cocktails, Great coffee, Great dessert, Great wine list, Serves local specialty.
The Colington Cafe features the following popular for: Dinner, Solo dining.
The Colington Cafe features the following offerings: Alcohol, Beer, Cocktails, Coffee, Comfort food, Healthy options, Private dining room, Small plates, Vegetarian options, Wine.
The Colington Cafe features the following dining options: Dinner, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
The Colington Cafe features the following amenities: Restroom.
The Colington Cafe features the following atmosphere: Cozy, Historic, Quiet, Romantic, Trendy, Upmarket.
The Colington Cafe features the following crowd: Groups, Tourists.
The Colington Cafe features the following planning: Reservations required, Dinner reservations recommended, Accepts reservations, Usually a wait.
The Colington Cafe features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
The Colington Cafe features the following children: High chairs, Kids' menu.
The Colington Cafe features the following parking: Free parking lot, Free street parking, Paid parking lot, Plenty of parking.
Business Features
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