🍲 Where to Eat · Virginia Beach, VA
Restaurants in Virginia Beach
52 real, currently-operating restaurants across every category — oceanfront seafood houses, Chesapeake Bay crab houses, and Town Center dining.
🏙️ Chesapeake Bay Seafood
✅ Verified Open
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🦀 Seafood
🍽️ Fine Dining
🥩 Steakhouses
🏙️ Town Center
🥞 Breakfast & Brunch
🍖 BBQ & Casual
🍺 Breweries
🌍 International
Virginia Beach’s dining scene leans hard into Chesapeake Bay seafood — blue crabs, oysters, and she-crab soup show up at oceanfront institutions that have been serving them for decades alongside a growing Town Center scene inland. We checked each restaurant directly against its own official site rather than a generic aggregator list.
9 Restaurants
Waterman’s Surfside Grille
Oceanfront institution since 1981, family-owned for three generations, known for fresh seafood, steaks, and its iconic Orange Crush cocktail.
Chix on the Beach
Casual seafood and American fare with indoor-outdoor oceanfront dining.
Orion’s Roof
Modern Asian-fusion rooftop dining 183 feet above the Atlantic, atop the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront, with cocktails and sake.
Tulu Seaside Bar & Grill
Chef-driven oceanfront cuisine with sunset views and craft cocktails, inside the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Catch 31
Farm-to-table and sea-to-table dining with Neptune Park views and live music, inside the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront.
Mahi’s Seafood and Sushi
Fresh fish, oysters, and sushi with boardwalk views, inside the DoubleTree Virginia Beach Oceanfront South.
CP Shuckers – Oceanfront
Raw bar and seafood spot known for oysters, clams, and snow crab.
Croc’s 19th Street Bistro
Mediterranean-leaning American bistro near the Oceanfront, known for weekly entertainment and brunch.
9 Restaurants
The Atlantic on Pacific
Chic upscale raw bar with fresh oysters and an extensive wine list, near the Oceanfront.
Lucky Oyster Seafood Grill
Nautical-themed raw bar with award-winning oysters and a lively happy hour.
Blue Seafood & Spirits
French-bistro-inspired 60-seat seafood spot.
Chick’s Oyster Bar
Waterfront oyster and seafood spot near Rudee Inlet.
Coastal Grill
Fresh seafood and soft-shell crabs, operating since 1989.
Steinhilber’s
Virginia Beach’s oldest family-owned restaurant, open since 1939, with an outdoor patio and fire pits.
Blue Pete’s
Marina fish house on Muddy Creek since 1972, known for award-winning she-crab soup.
Bubba’s Seafood Restaurant & Crab House
Waterfront marina crab house with dockside daily catch and steamed Chesapeake blue crabs.
10 Restaurants
Terrapin Restaurant
Contemporary American fine dining credited with launching Virginia Beach’s farm-to-table movement, with a daily-changing seasonal menu.
Becca
Garden-to-table dining at the historic Cavalier Hotel, with an on-site garden and ocean views.
The Hunt Room
Sophisticated lounge at the Cavalier Hotel with craft cocktails and a historic fireplace.
Heirloom
Elevated, creative farm-to-table cuisine with modern decor and craft cocktails.
Esoteric
European-influenced fare with an on-site garden, in a 1920s building in the ViBe Creative District.
Commune
The region’s first farmer-owned restaurant, about 90% locally-sourced, in a rustic-chic ViBe District space.
Aldo’s Ristorante
Italian fine dining and wine bar since 1988, with handmade pasta and an award-winning wine list.
Il Giardino Ristorante
Authentic Italian dining on Atlantic Ave since the late 1980s.
Mermaid Winery
Virginia’s first urban winery on Shore Drive, with tastings plus seasonal food and local oysters.
Zoe’s Steak & Seafood
Steakhouse and seafood restaurant, a five-time Wine Spectator Award of Excellence winner.
1 Restaurants
Aberdeen Barn
Old-school steakhouse and prime rib institution on Northampton Blvd.
9 Restaurants
Tupelo Honey
Southern-inspired comfort food known for its biscuits and shrimp & grits.
The Cheesecake Factory
Large-menu American chain restaurant, known for its cheesecake.
California Pizza Kitchen
Casual pizza and American chain dining.
Twist Martini & Associate’s
Trendy cocktail and martini bar with New American small plates.
3 Restaurants
Doc Taylor’s
Southern comfort food in a converted beach cottage, known for grits, biscuits, and cheap Bloody Marys.
Hair of the Dog Eatery
Comfort-food-meets-breakfast brunch spot with quirky cocktails.
Bay Local Eatery
Southern and seafood brunch spot ranging from wagyu to fresh oysters, with all-day brunch and craft cocktails.
3 Restaurants
1608 Crafthouse
Farm-to-table gastropub with regional craft beer and fine-dining pub fare.
Kelly’s Tavern
Local sports-bar and tavern chain with multiple Virginia Beach locations, known for wings and bar food.
7 Restaurants
Young Veterans Brewing Company
Veteran-owned craft brewery.
Smartmouth Brewing Co. – Pilot House
Virginia Beach Oceanfront outpost of the Norfolk-founded brewery.
Pleasure House Brewing
Craft brewery near the Lynnhaven/Pleasure House Rd area.
Wasserhund Brewing Company
German-style craft brewery on Laskin Rd.
Chesapeake Bay Distillery
Local craft distillery with a tasting room.
Beach Vodka Distillery & Tasting Room
Local vodka distillery with a tasting room.
1 Restaurants
Masala Bites (Kempsville)
Northern Indian cuisine with home-ground spices, with multiple Virginia Beach-area locations.
Planning Tips for This Area
- Reserve ahead for oceanfront tables in summer. The Boardwalk-facing spots book up fast on peak summer weekends.
- Look for she-crab soup and steamed blue crabs. They’re the local specialty, especially at the long-running seafood houses like Steinhilber’s and Blue Pete’s.
- Town Center is worth a dedicated dinner trip. It’s about 15 minutes inland from the beach but has a genuinely different, more upscale dining scene.
- Some smaller spots scale back hours off-season. Call ahead outside the June-August peak.
Where’s the best seafood in Virginia Beach?
Steinhilber’s and Blue Pete’s are the area’s longest-running seafood houses, both known for she-crab soup; Coastal Grill and The Atlantic on Pacific are strong picks for a more contemporary raw-bar take.
Is there good dining away from the Oceanfront?
Yes — Town Center has a genuinely different, more upscale restaurant scene about 15 minutes inland, and the ViBe Creative District near the Oceanfront has several locally-owned farm-to-table spots.
How does NME choose which restaurants to feature?
We verify each restaurant directly against its own official site and current operating status rather than relying on aggregator lists, and we exclude anything we can’t confirm is still open. Read more on our methodology page.
Know a Restaurant We Missed?
If you know a great restaurant in Virginia Beach we’re missing, email us and we’ll take a look.
Heading to Virginia Beach?
See the full trip guide — where to stay and what to do, organized the same way, by category.
