Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Virginia

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in Virginia? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Farmhouse at Veritas

4.8

4.8 (1017)

$50 and over

Farm-to-table

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Please inform us of any dietary restrictions at least 48 hours prior to reservation time.
No children or pets allowed for any reservations

DINNER: Plan to arrive at 6:15 pm for a glass of bubbly and be seated for dinner at 6:30 pm. Dinner is four courses, each one paired with wine. The cost is $120.00 per person prix fixe

Top review

Nate

Dined on Dec 26, 2024

Our Lil family went the day after xmas. It was wonderful and the staff and chefs were amazing. Would definitely do it again 10 out of 10!

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Experience

The Farmhouse Wine Paired Dinner

Leatherflower

4.9

4.9 (29)

$50 and over

American

Martinsville

About the restaurant

The views of Primland’s rolling fairways and verdant forest landscapes could easily distract if the cuisine and generous interiors at Leatherflower did not command your full attention. Savor refined seasonal dishes that highlight native ingredients from Primland’s own farm and greenhouse, as well as the local mills, farms and suppliers. Floral grasscloth wallpaper, wooden beams, an ever-glowing fireplace and intimate seating arrangements with custom upholstered banquettes and chairs capture the spirit of a whimsical Virginia inn while diners partake in an exceptional culinary journey through the tastes of Appalachia.

Top review

Paris

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Memorable dinner. Wonderful service. Delicious meal. The wonderful folks at Leatherflower (Mariccar & Heather) took care of us and made us feel like special. Must visit.

Merroir

4.8

4.8 (146)

$30 and under

Seafood

Topping

About the restaurant

This is where it all started – on the banks of the Rappahannock River overlooking where we grow our oysters. We like to call Merroir a “tasting room,” just so people know to expect something different. Everything is either served raw or cooked on an outdoor grill, small-plate-style, and beautifully paired with craft brews and world-famous wines. Each menu item is singularly-focused, seasonal, and ever-changing, so there’s always a surprise in store.

Top review

megan

Dined 4 days ago

Delicious seafood, and excellent, attentive and warm service from Miles.

Zoes Steak & Seafood

4.9

4.9 (1623)

$31 to $50

Steakhouse

Virginia Beach

About the restaurant

AAA Four Diamond restaurant located at the Virginia Beach oceanfront, Zoës originally opened in 2003, and re-opened under new ownership on March 16, 2009. Renowned sommelier Marc Sauter, as well as devoted restaurant goers Bill and Joni Greene, to continue the Zoës legacy with the same great location, friendly staff, soothing ambience, and award-winning food and spirits.

Together, their hope is to offer their guests a wonderful dining experience that has a comfortable, familiar atmosphere, yet that special touch of class that makes Zoës “the place to go when you absolutely must impress your guests.”

Reservations are recommended but walk-ins are always welcome.

Zoës is a completely non-smoking establishment.

Top review

Kelly

Dined 4 days ago

Excellent restaurant. Ribeye was delicious and cooked perfectly. Sommelier Marc Sauter is the best and will help you pair the perfect wine. Ask for him specifically. My go-to steak restaurant in Hampton Roads!

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4.9

4.9 (3203)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Richmond

About the restaurant

L'Opossum offers dinner Tuesday-Saturday for parties of one to a maximum of six guests. Multiple reservations booked on the same night to form a group larger than six guests are not permitted and will be canceled. Reservations for parties of one to four guests are allotted 2 hours. Parties of five to six guests are allotted 2.5 hours. Please be courteous to your fellow diners by arriving and leaving on time. L'Opossum patrons paying with cash, enjoy a 4% savings off menu prices. To view a sample menu, visit www.lopossum.com - Thank you!

Top review

Norma

Dined 1 day ago

Food was fabulous. Service excellent. Music swell. Can't wit to go again!

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Popular dish

French Onion Dip Florentine

Popular dish

Lavender-limoncello

The Wine Whisperer

4.9

4.9 (213)

$31 to $50

Wine Bar

Henrico

About the restaurant

The Wine Whisperer is a wine shop and bistro located in Richmond's Short Pump neighborhood. We speak wine and are passionate about sharing your new favorite bottle or glass with you!

Our wine bar is designed to offer an immersive experience to our guests. Let our knowledgeable staff help you learn about your palate and curate a flight of wine just for you! Look for a rotating by the glass list, craft beers, more whiskey than you imagined, and an expansive food menu built for wine pairing. The intimate dining room is a perfect spot for a casual glass with friends or that special occasion date. Look for weekly wine tastings, monthly classes, and other special events that are uniquely Whisperer!

No reservations available? Give us a call or stop by; we save a number of tables each night for walk-in guests. For questions or to make a reservation for a larger party, please call or send a message.

Top review

Jay

Dined 1 day ago

One of our favorite spots in the west-end. Always great food, wine and service.

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Experience

Stump the Somm Dinner: The Rematch

Alexander's - Roanoke

4.9

4.9 (1498)

$31 to $50

American

Roanoke

About the restaurant

Alexander's is an oasis for award winning cuisine, wine, and craft cocktails. Over the years we've twice been awarded the Open Table Top 100 in the US restaurant designation and in 2018, Southern Living Magazine named us one of the Ten Most Romantic Restaurants in the South. Focusing on superb ingredients; fish, seafood, prime quality Virginia aged meats, and locally sourced organic produce, our cuisine showcases years of collaboration among some of the most talented chefs of our region. You'll be served in an atmosphere filled with romance, sophistication, modern & vintage jazz. It's old world charm with new world flavors!
Built in the 1880s as Roanoke's first office supply company, our vintage building has been transformed into a retro chic rendition of the classic urban restaurants of our great culinary cities. The art, furnishings, lighting, and mirrors are all found pieces of Roanoke's rich architectural history. So relax and let's start making your memories at Alexanders!

Top review

Michael

Dined 6 days ago

We eat at Alexander’s on special occasions (2-3 times a year) & it’s always exceptional !

Chateau Morrisette

4.9

4.9 (3163)

$50 and over

Farm-to-table

Floyd

About the restaurant

Family owned and operated in our 45th year of service. Chef Oshie is the third generation of the Morrisette family and trained at the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, where he explored his passion for food and wine. Today Chef Oshie and his team masterfully create beautiful and delicious dishes that bring back the elegance and delight of fine dining in a comfortable atmosphere. Food pairings complement our award-winning wines in a fine dining experience. Sit fireside in winter or take in the view from the patio in warmer months, chosen by OpenTable diners as among the best in America. More than a dining experience, we invite guests to linger, enjoying the wine, views, and service long after dinner is over. Come be our guests....
** If you can not get a reservation through Open Table it means that we are fully booked. Please call 540-593-2865 to speak to reservation specialist or be put on the waitlist. Melissa Morrisette

Top review

Paul

Dined 4 days ago

Best dining experience we have had since we Had dinner in Paris Wonderful atmosphere, gracious hosts, and Superb and innovative cuisine

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Popular dish

Filet Mignon

Popular dish

Fried Brussels Sprouts

Popular dish

Ribeye Steak

Salt and Meadow

4.8

4.8 (110)

$31 to $50

American

Irvington

About the restaurant

Salt & Meadow is a dining experience that unites and balances the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay estuary with the farms of Virginia’s Northern Neck. The waterways here enjoy an abundance of seafood, and a vast array of herbs, vegetables and fruit thrive year-round in the region’s rich soil.
Leading the kitchen is Chef de Cuisine Kyle Perkins, who brings a wealth of experience to the shores of Irvington, has forged partnerships with local farms, purveyors to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint on a local level, demonstrating a commitment to environmental stewardship.
Please note:

“Service charge of 20% will be added to parties of 6 or more.”

“A split check fee of $5 per check will be added to parties split more than 3 ways.”

Top review

IleneVIP

Dined on Dec 28, 2024

The duck breast was excellent as was the squash salad. We had poached pear for dessert which was also excellent. Great selection of wines by the glass and the rum punch was very potent.

Quemar

4.8

4.8 (586)

$30 and under

Latin American

Virginia Beach

About the restaurant

Please Call if No Online Reservations Are Available !! - 757-965-2066 -Walkins Welcome!!!!

Scratch Kitchen with Latin American inspired cuisine.

Come enjoy a cocktail in our Tranquilo Lounge on one of our comfy velvet couches with your friends, or grab dinner in our dining room for a date night while watching our chefs create our beautiful dishes in our open concept kitchen. With over 90 Tequila and Mezcals to choose from, you'll have the option to sip on our patio, at one of the two full-service bars, in the Tranquilo Lounge or in the dining room while enjoying scratch-made tacos or ethically raised bone-in ribeye.

Open Friday and Saturday nights with late night snacks from 10-11pm and good vibes till 12am.

Top review

DebraVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Fantastic. Will be back even though it's a 30-minute drive.

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