109 Best Restaurants in Virginia, USA

Known for locally sourced seafood in a chic historic setting, Saltine offers a primo dining experience in Downtown Norfolk. Go for the Mon.-Fri. happy hour: James River oysters and peel ‘n’ eat shrimp plus beer, wine, and craft cocktail specials

Set back from the street next to the water, this take-out place dishes out delectable made-to-order salads, sandwiches, and roll-ups, plus homemade soups and baked goods, much of it vegetarian or vegan. There are a few tables outside if you don't want to take away.

Here in one of the area's few places for "fine dining," the waiters are tuxedo-clad, the tablecloths crisp linen. The menu's offerings resemble those available on a luxury cruise ship. Rum buns begin the meal, where the highlights include enormous crab cakes and filet mignon topped with crabmeat and rich béarnaise sauce. Order one of the showy flambé desserts, which are prepared table-side. They also have an extensive children's menu.

Proprietor James Shields served the lesser gentry and upper middling ranks of locals and travelers in the 1740s. Today, the largest of the colonial taverns now serves more than just light fare, though soup, salads, wrap sandwiches, and pie are still popular. This tavern closes at 9 pm.

This elegant steak-and-seafood house is in the converted tobacco warehouse district known as the Bluffwalk. With warm exposed brick walls and an urban sensibility, the restaurant offers a wide variety of steaks, chops, and classic seafood dishes. Think traditional, with a variety of cuts and preparations, in addition to seafood standards from surf and turf to shrimp cocktail and lobster bisque.

A popular choice for locals, this barbecue joint is known for brisket, daily specials, and some of the best happy hour deals in town. If you're visiting for lunch, get there either on the earlier or later side to avoid the business crowds. When the weather is fine, enjoy a cocktail on their pup-friendly sidewalk patio.

Located at City Center, this is a great place for lunch. The interior has tall ceilings with exposed ducts and shelving with exotic sauces and dips to sample and buy. Affordable fresh sandwiches, soups, and salads can be made by their suggestions—or make up your own. The grilled chicken salad with grapes and celery is very Virginia. Add fresh cucumbers and balsamic vinaigrette for a twist. Other choices include Virginia ham, roasted red peppers, and Chesapeake crab cakes. The food is fresh and local, and they even have gluten-free choices. They offer boxed lunches to take while exploring the area and deliveries to hotel rooms.

Whitewashed stucco walls and colorful macramé tapestries bring a bit of the Mediterranean to the center of Old Town. The menu takes diners on a trip around Greece—each dish identifies its region of origin, and the whole country is represented. Favorites include exohikon (lamb baked in a pastry shell) and fish sautéed with artichokes. Thursday evenings bring live music, and if you are so moved, plates for breaking are free for the asking—opa! A buffet brunch is served on Sunday.

This popular neighborhood restaurant with funky decor is known for its weekend brunches and freshly squeezed margaritas. Tacos are a mix of traditional like carnitas and al pastor, as well as fun, such as fried chicken and cauliflower. The complimentary chips and salsa are surprisingly delightful.

The Vintage Kitchen focuses on local foods, artisanal cheeses, and microbrews. It's a place where you can order five-spice duck breast and also a superb cheeseburger. All the spices and sauces come from an outdoor herb garden. A special seven-course tasting meal is available by appointment Monday through Wednesday. Huge windows with tables facing the Elizabeth River make for great ambience.

Homemade pasta—about 20 different kinds—fills the menu in this cheery, yellow-stucco restaurant in the city's Old Town. Owners Franco and Marcella Stocco and their son Riccardo serve up their native northern Italian cuisine, including lobster pansotti (lobster-filled ravioli in a sauce of white wine and lemon). Try the Trio Violino, an antipasto platter with duck breast prosciutto, homemade venison bresaola, and duck salami with a raspberry vinaigrette. A strolling violinist entertains diners on weekends. The outdoor patio, enclosed by potted plants, is a quiet spot in the midst of street bustle.

Housed in what was once a feed house in the 1800s (now beautifully restored with reclaimed wood, antique bricks, and glass panes), this lively American tavern serves an all-day menu and weekend brunch, and has a club-like feel on weekend nights. You can sample a wide variety of selections with a seasonal bent, from red wine–braised short ribs and pasta puttanesca to a grilled chicken BLT or a quinoa salad.  Make reservations, especially on weekends, because the large space gets packed quickly!

Part of a complex of five historic buildings, this restaurant is in a gristmill that dates from 1700. A walk-in wine cellar, set among the gears of the original waterwheel, has 100 wine selections; diners may step in and choose for themselves. The dining area is decorated with Currier & Ives and Audubon prints. Some menu favorites are fresh smoked trout and chicken Fantasio (breast of chicken stuffed with wild rice, sausage, apple, and pecans). Desserts include such Old Virginny recipes as a deep-dish apple pie baked with bourbon. On Sunday, try the hearty but affordable brunch.

Fresh seafood is the drawing card at this large wooden building, which wouldn't look out of place in a New England fishing village. Despite its out-of-town look, the restaurant has an authenticity sometimes hard to find in touristy towns. Locals come in for the fresh Virginia scallops, shrimp, fish, and other seafood. Steaks and lemon herb chicken are available for the non-Whalers. The restaurant is off U.S. 60 near the Route 199 interchange.

While you're strolling the downtown pedestrian mall, pick up a gourmet nosh from Hamdingers Food Cart. This one-man show makes global cuisine from local ingredients. Try the Moroccan chicken or masala curry. He's open weekdays from 11:30 until 2.