Last updated: 2025-05-06
Norfolk’s culinary landscape shines with exceptional dining destinations that blend coastal charm and sophisticated flavors. From waterfront views to intimate settings, these restaurants showcase the region’s remarkable gastronomic talent and commitment to extraordinary dining experiences.
Distinguished establishments like Blanca, Luce, and Glass Light elevate Norfolk’s restaurant scene with innovative menus that celebrate local ingredients and creative techniques. Each venue offers a unique atmosphere reflecting the city’s vibrant and eclectic culinary spirit.
Discover Norfolk’s most exquisite dining destinations now!
Featured Fine Dining Spots in Norfolk
- Heirloom
- Blanca
- Glass Light
- Luce
- LeGrand Kitchen
- Saltine
- The Porch on Long Creek
- Varia
- Steinhilber's Restaurant (Virginia Beach)
Blanca
What to Expect
Rustic Mediterranean-inspired cuisine with thoughtful wine pairings
Description
This intimate Norfolk fancy restaurant offers a convivial dining experience showcasing rustic French, Spanish, and Italian-inspired cuisine. Blanca features an old-world wine list and seasonally changing plates highlighting local ingredients like Pungo strawberries and soft shell crabs, served in a sophisticated yet approachable setting.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: Blanca
Glass Light
What to Expect
Perry Glass Art Collection integrated throughout hotel spaces
Description
An art-infused boutique hotel featuring 113 rooms nestled in downtown Norfolk's NEON District. The Glass Light Hotel blends historical Royster Building restoration with contemporary glass art collections, offering an immersive gallery-like dining and hospitality experience with Southeast-inspired cuisine and artful design touches.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: Glass Light
Heirloom
What to Expect
Seasonal farm-to-table cuisine with locally sourced ingredients
Description
Set in Norfolk, this farm-to-table restaurant delivers seasonally inspired cuisine crafted from locally-sourced ingredients. The dining room offers an intimate, sophisticated atmosphere where creative dishes showcase Virginia's agricultural bounty through carefully curated, forward-thinking culinary techniques.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: Heirloom
LeGrand Kitchen
What to Expect
Seasonally rotating small plates with hyperlocal ingredient sourcing
Description
LeGrand Kitchen offers an intimate Norfolk dining experience featuring seasonally-driven small plates crafted with local ingredients. The compact, chef-driven restaurant provides an artisan-focused menu with inventive dishes prepared in a close-quarters kitchen that allows direct interaction between chefs and diners.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: LeGrand Kitchen
Luce
What to Expect
Contemporary Italian cuisine highlighting regional ingredient diversity
Description
An intimate downtown Norfolk Italian restaurant offering a contemporary twist on classical cuisine. The space features an eclectic wine list, local and imported beer selections, and hand-crafted cocktails. Luce explores Italy's regional culinary diversity, presenting dishes that blend traditional techniques with modern interpretations across northern and southern Italian cooking styles.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: Luce
Saltine
What to Expect
Locally-sourced raw bar with regional seafood specialties
Description
A sophisticated downtown Norfolk seafood restaurant featuring a chic, airy space with exposed brick and mosaic tile floors. Saltine offers a locally-sourced raw bar highlighting regional oysters, clams, and shrimp, complemented by craft cocktails from an artisan Apothecary Bar. The restaurant blends historical authenticity with modern elegance, creating an upscale dining environment with ambient globe lighting and carefully curated seasonal menus.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: Saltine
Steinhilber's Restaurant (Virginia Beach)
What to Expect
Family-owned waterfront restaurant with on-site seasonal garden
Description
Nestled in Virginia Beach, this family-owned waterfront restaurant offers an elegant dining experience featuring fresh seafood, prime steaks, and seasonal dishes. The restaurant's garden provides seasonal vegetables, while an extensive wine list and full bar complement the carefully crafted menu. Candlelit dining rooms and water views create an intimate atmosphere that has sustained a legacy of fine dining since 1939.
Where: Virginia Beach | More Info: Steinhilber's Restaurant
The Porch on Long Creek
What to Expect
Waterfront dining with panoramic Lynnhaven River views
Description
An elegant waterfront dining destination nestled along the Lynnhaven River, The Porch on Long Creek offers panoramic river views and southern-coastal cuisine. Guests can savor award-winning cocktails on an open-air porch or enjoy an extensive wine selection in a spacious dining room with wrap-around deck seating that allows direct waterway views.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: The Porch on Long Creek
Varia
What to Expect
200+ bottle wine list with 24-bottle cruvinet wine studio
Description
Varia offers a modern Italian trattoria experience in downtown Norfolk, featuring an extensive 200+ bottle wine list and a sophisticated 24-bottle cruvinet wine studio. The restaurant provides an elegant dining atmosphere with a curated selection of Italian fare, inviting guests to explore carefully selected vintages through multiple pour tastings.
Where: Norfolk | More Info: Varia
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