Holiday meals are about more than turkey and eggnog. Where you enjoy your holiday feast is almost as important as what you eat, so it pays off to find a spot that looks as magical as a Christmas TV special. While you could settle for garlands and a bit of holiday music, you deserve the special seasonal feelings at these restaurants in the Norfolk area.
Victoria's Restaurant
You'll be in good company at this homey Williamsburg mainstay with over 200 nutcrackers in attendance. You'll find the holiday icons in large displays, tucked into corners, high up near the ceiling, and dotting every table. The restaurant has even offered a large-scale nutcracker for photo opportunities. Grabbing a table is like walking through a real life version of the seasonal ballet.
Victoria's Restaurant
5269 John Tyler Hwy, Williamsburg, VA 23185
The Swan Terrace
The Founders Inn and Spa in Virginia Beach, home to the Swan Terrace, decorates every year with a massive, blinged out tree, garlands, and the works, so it's no surprise the restaurant turns into the coziest place to enjoy a holiday meal. It's worth booking a room to be a short stroll away from bed after enjoying the restaurant's lump crab cakes and short ribs, especially since the hotel offers room service deliveries of Christmas cookies with milk. But the real highlight is breakfast with Santa, a recurring event on December weekends leading up to the 24th.
The Swan Terrace
Founders Inn and Spa
5641 Indian River Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23464
Freemason Abbey Restaurant
Even if your Christmas celebrations don't usually include religious ceremonies it's worth heading to Freemason Abbey, a restaurant set inside a 140-year-old church, to enjoy a meal beneath stunning stained glass windows and red brick walls. The dining room feels historic all year round, but the staff upgrade around Christmas time with a tree and lights. The menu of comforting classic dishes runs from onion soup to three-cheese ravioli to stuffed pork chop.
Freemason Abbey Restaurant
209 W Freemason St, Norfolk, VA 23510
Monastery Restaurant
After immigrating from Czechoslovakia in the 1960s, a couple opened this monastic-themed restaurant on Granby Street. The throw-back European old country vibes make for a comfy, soul-warming meal pretty much anytime of year, but there's something special about digging into goulash and schnitzel around the holidays, especially with hard-to-find dishes like Montbéliard sausage to enjoy as well.
Monastery Restaurant
443 Granby Street, Norfolk, Virginia 23510
The English Rose Tea Room
Warm up with a nice cup of tea in classic British style. The English Rose Tea Room offers tables full of delicate, floral china, along with holiday decorations during the winter season. Even Santa stops by during select events to have a cup with some of the tea room's younger visitors.
The English Rose Tea Room
3101 Virginia Beach Blvd #111, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
Varia
There are few better ways to celebrate dropping temperatures than with a big bowl of pasta, and Varia is just the kind of upscale Italian joint to make a heap of carbs feel like a special night out. Order from a number of Italian classics like gnocchi or bucatini carbonara and take advantage of the restaurant's extensive wine selection. This is the perfect spot to dress up and celebrate the winter season with someone special.
Varia
100 E Main St, Norfolk, VA 23510
