THE SOUTH
The Best Restaurants in Virginia Beach: Where to Eat Beyond the Boardwalk
By Maria Rodriguez | Sept. 10, 2025
Atlantic on Pacific
AUTHOR BIO: With a day job that requires constant travel, Maria Rodriguez is likely a frequenter of your favorite restaurant. She’s reviewed restaurants since 2007 in publications from Barcelona to Bakersfield.
To me, Virginia Beach has always felt like two cities. There’s the oceanfront stretch where you dodge T-shirt shops and order hush puppies by the basket, and then there’s the version locals know—where chefs are coaxing flavor out of Tidewater oysters or serving pasta that could stand up in New York.
On a recent visit, I found myself eating in both worlds, and realizing the line between them is getting thinner. Call it the city growing up, or just chefs tired of the usual fried platters, but the list of best restaurants in Virginia Beach is longer, sharper, and more interesting than it has ever been.
Here then are my favorite spots in Virginia Beach, a town divided and yet still very much full of great restaurants.
1608 Crafthouse
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Named for the year Captain John Smith explored Virginia’s coast, this gastropub riffs on local ingredients with a global accent. Chef Kevin Sharkey keeps the menu lively—Korean pork belly tacos, Chesapeake Bay oyster stew, shrimp and grits. Local craft beers line the taps, making it as much a bar stop as a dinner choice.
Best for: Creative pub fare with a coastal accent
Aloha Snacks
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Chef Jesse Wykle brought a Hawaiian-style poke shack vibe to Virginia Beach, and the locals responded. Bowls built from fresh tuna and salmon are topped with everything from avocado to wasabi peas, while the smash burgers became cult items on their own. Bright, unfussy, and just fun.
Best for: Poke bowls and burgers that feel like a beach vacation
Atlantic on Pacific
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You won’t find fresher local-sea-to-shore ingredients prepared so well. Right on the oceanfront, it’s all oysters, scallop ceviche, raw bar small plates, and cocktails built on house-made bitters. David Brue’s seafood-centric menu actually respects the catch, sourcing East- and West-Coast bivalves and plating them with minimal interference.
Best for: Elegant seaside small plates and oysters with cocktails that know what to do
Becca Restaurant & Garden
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At The Cavalier Hotel, Becca is the kind of hotel restaurant that doesn’t play it safe. The dining room faces a manicured garden, and the kitchen sends out plates like butter-poached halibut and lamb racks sourced nearby. Sunday brunch has become a local ritual, a reason to dress up in a city that rarely does.
Best for: Brunch or dinner that treats hotel dining like a main event
Civil Libation
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Delynda Woods Rowell’s gastropub pairs cocktails (think jalapeño-spritzed or vegan nightcaps) with inventive bites like squash rings and flamin’ hot mac & Cheetos. Exec Chef Anthony Pascua riffs on comfort fare and makes meat-free options feel central, not token.
Best for: Sharable, quirky bar fare and cocktails with a wit
Coastal Grill
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Coastal Grill has been a Virginia Beach mainstay since 1989, celebrated for straightforward seafood dishes done with polish. Think crab cakes, soft-shell crabs in season, and grilled tuna that still draws crowds. It’s not chasing trends—it’s confident enough to remain classic.
Best for: Straightforward coastal seafood done right
Commune
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Kevin Jamison’s original farm-to-table café still feels ahead of the curve. Breakfast means grits with farm eggs, or duck hash with coffee roasted in-house. Everything comes from the region, which explains why it all tastes so honest.
Best for: Breakfast or brunch that defines farm-to-table
Esoteric
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An old 1940s building in the arts district now houses an ingredient-obsessed, chef-run experiment. Chef-owners Tim and Kristina Chastain transformed it into a food-and-beer sanctuary, growing produce on-site and pairing it with curated craft brews. There’s a sense of place here—as if the building itself insisted it was time to create something bold.
Best for: Craft beer lovers who want their dishes to feel grown, not just plated
Heirloom
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Brent Cowan doesn’t just cook farm-to-table—he sources from friends and built his wife’s family’s homestead into the restaurant’s ethos. The menu swings between whole fried snapper and bone-in pork chops raised nearby. Shaunna Cowan’s reclaimed-wood design makes the space feel just as personal as the menu.
Best for: Farm-to-table dishes that taste like your neighbor’s garden
Orion’s Roof
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Up on the rooftop, Orion’s Roof kitchen delivers Nikkei dishes, aka, Japanese-Peruvian fusion: yellowtail carpaccio, lamb sous-vide with a bulgogi glaze, and rockfish plated as thoughtfully as the skyline outside. The view pulls you in; the cooking makes you book again.
Best for: Rooftop dining with Nikkei finesse
Prosperity Kitchen and Pantry
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Commune’s Kevin Jamison and head baker Ishiah White turned a former storage space into a hybrid bakery-pizzeria with intent. By day, sticky buns and croissants; by night, sheet-pan Roman pies tipped onto wooden boards. Slow-fermented dough and carefully sourced toppings make it all feel like someone’s quietly obsessing over your next bite.
Best for: Carry-out pastries turned into pizza intentions
Steinhilber’s Restaurant
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Open since 1939, Steinhilber’s is a landmark that has evolved instead of fossilized. String-light patios and fire pits modernize the setting, while fried shrimp remain the reason many still make the drive. Longevity here means knowing exactly what works.
Best for: South-shore fried shrimp and patio evenings that lean mellow
Tautog’s Restaurant
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Inside a restored 1920s beach cottage, Tautog’s menu runs on hearty seafood plates—crab cakes, seared tuna, shrimp and grits—that feel more soulful than flashy. The bar is perpetually packed, evidence this is as much a hangout as it is a dinner stop, and the wine list is deep enough to earn it Wine Spectator honors.
Best for: Lively nights with friends over unfussy seafood plates
Terrapin Restaurant
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Chef Rodney Einhorn has quietly maintained a seasonal, refined approach at the oceanfront for more than a decade. Known for contemporary American cuisine that earned Einhorn a James Beard House invitation, Terrapin feels elegant without ever being stiff. The open kitchen offers a window into craft executed with care.
Best for: Smartly crafted seasonal plates with long-term consistency
Zoës Steak & Seafood
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Wine is the star here, with a cellar recognized by Wine Spectator year after year. The kitchen balances seafood and steak—prime cuts, lobster tails, seared scallops—with a finesse that makes the pairing menu essential. Zoës remains one of the city’s few white-tablecloth options.
Best for: Wine-driven fine dining where surf and turf meet
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