I just read Caroline T's review (2/13/2025) and I commiserate. My wife and I were there at the same time and for the same reason. Our meal may have been a bit better (meh calamari, but very good NY Strip), but we had problems with the mixed drink order and our final bill (we were overcharged), several of the dishes were chipped, and service was lacking. We've decided not to return. read more

My experience at the Amber Lantern was quite lovely and picturesque. I have lived in Hampton Roads for approximately 10 years and was unaware of the gem. Upon arriving I was a bit worried for the route to the restaurant looked like we were on way to an abandoned building or a landfill . Our reservations were at 6:30 pm so there was still daylight. I can only imagine how dark it is around that area in the evening. I am not sure if there is lighting prior to arriving to the restaurant once you get off the main road. Prior reservations were made strategically at 6:30 pm in order to enjoy a breathtaking sunset overlooking a docking pier. Our outside seating was the perfect ambience to accompany our fine dining experience. We were greeted immediately upon arrival. The restaurant was quite empty on a Friday evening. We were seated and our lovely server was Rachel. She greeted us with a smile and was more than helpful in recommending her persona favorites and advising of the evenings specials. When it came to us selecting a bottle of wine she was very knowledgeable and allowed us to sample. Please note some bottles are not available to sample . We selected a beautiful Pinot Noir Warm bread and butter is served. We ordered the calamari for appetizer. I thought it was ok. No bells and whistles for me here but my plus one enjoyed it I couldn't resist ordering my favorite fish in the whole wide world. Chilean Sea Bass with a chili Fig sauce. Risotto and broccolini. I enjoyed the fish and the sauce very much. It was delicate and cooked to perfection. The risotto was ok could have been creamier but still tasty and accompanied the fish well. We also ordered the rack of lamb. It was exceptional. Cooked to perfection is truly an understatement. This dish was seasoned well and the over execution was second to none. Definitely recommend. Will not disappoint! For dessert I ordered the Lemon Marcapone Cake. It was not overly sweet. It is a bit of dense cake but not overly heavy. The hi light of the plate believe it or not was the piña colada whipped cream. I had to ask the kitchen what it was. That's how yummy it was. The flavor changes daily from what I was told. Overall we had a very pleasant evening. The service was excellent. The food was spectacular and the views were breathtakingly beautiful. read more

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My husband and I have eaten at Amber Lantern numerous times. Tonight was the worst dinner we've had. We decided to do an early Valentines. To start we had calamari and the first bite we both spit into our napkins. It tasted like strong fish. We replaced it with the oyster appetizer which was good. For our meals I got grilled salmon and it was dry and no flavor the orzo was cooked to a mush. Way over cooked! My husband got a $65 filet and scallops and took a few bites of both. The filet had no flavor and the scallops had a strange taste. He did not eat 25% of his meal. Very disappointed with our food. Will not be returning. For $200 including the tip we expected a good meal at all. Thanks for ruining our Valentines read more

We reserved this place for Valentine's Day. It was somewhere we have never been and wanted a nice place to go for the special day. It was in the middle of nowhere. It's on a marina. But man, it shocked us when we walked inside. So fancy. So beautiful. Everyone was so kind and great at their jobs. Service was fast. Food was phenomenal. I had the crab stuffed shrimp and they had sooo much crab. The shrimp were huge. I wanted to try so much more. We did also have the crab bisque and it was delicious as well. My husband enjoyed his duck. He said we really need to come back again. I've recommended this place to all of my friends for a good date night. Just make sure to make a reservation. read more

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The service was spectacular and most of all the food was amazing! Specially the Canadian duck breast! It was the best tasting duck I have had my entire adult life! It's thick and perfectly cooked! I would definitely come back just god the duck! read more

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The food is very good. Highly recommend making a reservation for a sunset dinner. The service is a average but the ambiance is classy for a date night. read more

Absolutely charming establishment, we love coming here for dinner on Fridays. Lovely environment and always excellent service

Waitstaff good. Drinks decent. Food subpar. Ambiance needs updating. Asked for medium rare meat and got medium-med well. Over sauced food "swimming in sauce". No flavor on the meat. Salad was basic. Bread and butter was bland. Views of the water were okay. Spent almost $200, it was not impressive. read more

Great food , service was not white glove nor was the server capable of such a level but the food was great and the sunset amazing. I got the fried shrimp, Caesar , crab bisque, lobster arancini, kids buttered noodles, the lava cake and tiramisu'. The lava cake was too dense that's my only note. I don't get main courses there bc the sides haven't changed in years im not interested in the choices anymore. read more

I consider this Gourmet Dinner Restaurant to be Chesapeake's best kept secret! The service is fantastic and the ambiance is beautiful. It's a great place to take your significant other for a romantic or special occasion dinner. read more

The best way that I can describe this place is a super romantic hidden gem that you would never find unless you truly went searching. I arrived here via uber and because its located on a winding rode in the middle of nowhere girrrrl... I'm talking Texas chainsaw massacre scary AF nowhere. I lowkey almost jumped the fuq out of my uber thinking he was tying to kidnap me. Fortunately, I arrived safe and at the right place. In order to get in you must follow the signs that tell you to go into the building which looks like a hotel, then take the elevator to the 2nd floor and only then will you reach the actual entrance to the restaurant. I went around 8pm so it was pretty dark outside but the view of the Elizabeth River was excellent if you get a window seat. The prices were kind of steep, but to be expected since its a fancy place. I paid 14$ for one glass of chardonnay but it was well worth it! read more

Amber Lantern Restaurant - Beautiful menu - Seafood Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

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Never heard of this place but we were trying to find dinner and my boyfriend came across this place through Yelp. We eat out a lot so finding new places to explore is hard to find but we love seafood and the menu caught my eye. First we tried the Cheese Platter. It says it serves 4 to 6 people but we were able to eat majority of it. I am a big fan of items having the same ratio so there wasn't enough bread to go with the cheese so we didn't finish it. It was all delicious though. Our main entrees was the seared ahi tuna and the crab stuffed shrimp. We opted for the risotto than the mashed potatoes. Unfortunately the risotto wasn't cooked properly/all the way. We finished the meals with Creme brûlée. I always get this if I see it on the menu. Delicious, great size, even used some of the raspberry drizzle on the plate. He got the chocolate spoon cake. He wanted something dense and it definitely was. Very rich and decadent. We also tried a few cocktails, all were pretty good. I got the pomegranate margarita and he got the Long Island ice tea and margarita. Overall, the food was good and delicious. Unfortunately there wasn't anything exciting over this place. We might go again but there wasn't anything to rave about this place. read more

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We live nearby and have seen the signs off dominion for this place many times. We decided to come here for date night. The ambiance is typical for the tidewater area. Nothing special, there are prettier locations in Virginia Beach. I find the building they're in to be weird. Food: we had the tower of mozzarella to start. This was yummy, you can't go wrong with this. I had the filet mignon, and I was very underwhelmed by it. It lacked flavor, and the cut wasn't the greatest for a $35 steak. Plus our sides were almost cold when it came out. Service was eh. We came, we tried, we probably wouldn't come here again unless we didn't have any other choices. read more

I really really enjoyed dinner here last night. Service, ambiance, food, location, all of it. We arrived at 7:45 for dinner and there were only about another 2 or 3 tables so it was quiet and the kitchen was quick. We were seated at a quiet booth with a water view (but it was dark) and our sweet waitress promptly greeted us and brought drinks. She was awesome, I ask a lot of specific questions about the menu and she told us the daily specials, there were three, and answered questions and made suggestions on appetizers and entrees throughout the meal. We chose to get the Mozzarella stack (a caprese style stack with tomato, mozzarella and house-made pesto) as well as the baked brie app with fig. Both were out within 5-10 minutes, fresh, and delicious. Really good and nicely presented as well. Plated very well. She recommended a few entrees and we chose the crab-stuffed shrimp as well as the lightly breaded and baked mahi mahi. Both were served with the risotto of the day and sautéed veggies (squash, peppers and carrots). My mahi mahi was SO good. I loved it. The light breading was delicious - and it had a light crust on top of chopped macadamia nuts. It was surrounded with a fresh citrus sauce you could dip each bite in if you chose. Perfect combo with a bite of the daily risotto - which was a garlic parmesan last night. Nom! The crab stuffed shrimp plate consisted of about 6 large shrimp STUFFED with a ton of crab meat and the same sides. I didn't taste it but it seemed like a hit. They have a large dessert selection with tiramisu, lemon berry cake, creme brûlée, chocolate cake, chocolate bomb cake, a coconut cake and key lime pie. At our waitress' suggestion I went with the lemon berry cake and it was fresh and light and delicious. When we left it was absolutely dead - no one else around - and the parking lot was empty. It was a Friday night. The inside was clean, the bathrooms were clean, there was a nice large bar area and plenty of seating for parties and other groups inside or (on a warmer day) outside on the patio. The food was all fresh and delicious, the service was phenomenal and the prices were fair to mid-range. Great date-night place for sure. I enjoyed that it was quiet - but worry it's not sustainable for a place with such high-end fish options to stay open much longer if the amount of folks inside last night were an indication of their volume. I would absolutely come back based upon this first visit. No hesitation. I'd like to come back at sunset during the summer and sit outside watching the traffic cross the Elizabeth bridge. read more

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Have gone 2x and both times the service & food was top notch. My favorite was the berry whip cream that came with dessert. lol

Excellent food and i love how the chef came out to a large birthday party and everyone's food came out together hot. My friend and i weren't with that party and the waiting staff apologized that our food may be a little longer due to the large party, our food still came out in reasonable time and it was delicious. The restaurant lighting was lovely, very cozy. This is the last restaurant my friend and I ate at per his recommendation, he's gone on to heaven now but this place will ALWAYS have a special place in my heart thanks to him. read more

Amber Lantern Restaurant - Pic of Alpha (Michael) - My Friend Forever - Seafood Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

Ambience and service were commendable. Food was pleasing. We'd return. I'd give it a five but the evening that we went we sat outside and they should have had some type of patio heaters. read more

I love this hidden gem. The food is delicious and the service is always excellent. I will be back.

I decided to try this place because I have it bookmarked. Went here to celebrate my bf's birthday and hr enjoyed it. The food was good and although the location is odd, there are signs thar help you get to the restaurant. The reason I am giving 4 stars is because of the whisky list. The server has it on a little laminated card instead with the menu. Why is that? It was weird. Other than that, I reccomend this place if you want to have a nice evening out. read more

Amber Lantern Restaurant - Tiramisu - Seafood Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

What a wonderful find! It is like you go through a time warp driving to the restaurant...going from a bustling interstate to a quiet rural road. Just keep driving and you will find this shining jewel. The dining room was pretty full of patrons and I could easily hear my people talk in a normal voice! So nice not to pretend to hear or keep saying "what?". Quick service, tasty martinis, good wine selection, the calamari was perfect (a rare find :). Everyone in at The table enjoyed their meal. Price point is similar to other local high end restaurants in Hampton Roads. I highly recommend Amber Lantern! read more

We had our anniversary dinner here. The food and service was amazing we will definitely return. read more

Amber Lantern Restaurant - Stuffed shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

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Came here for a celebratory dinner (I just got married) with my new husband and the family. This place has always been a favorite of mine. I really love the ambiance this place has to offer. We always try to sit outside, and we make sure to set our reservations for when the sun is setting. its simply beautiful. Every time I have been here (about 3 times now) the food has been spectacular. Never over cooked, and the flavors are always outstanding. The service is always excellent. This place is severely overlooked. Probably because its really off the beaten path. It's a hidden gem that I HIGHLY suggest everyone check out. Its wonderful. read more

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Above average experience. First time here was a huge disappointment, this time everyone at the table was pleased and to be fair the disappoint was the week they reopened. I had an excellent filet mignon steak, cooked perfectly. Someone at the table had seared ahi tuna, he loved it. Was cool to come here on a boat, it is right at a marina. Other person at table had pan seared mahi mahi, said it was really good. We loved the presentation. I posted pics. We will be back. read more

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Alright the wife has mentioned this place a few times so I thought what better occasion than her birthday. We started off with appetizers the super crab cake was delicious the lobster bisque was just ok nothing special. Then on to the entrees praying these would be life changing but once again average and ok my love ordered the rack of lamb chops mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables which finally came to the table 45-55 minutes after our 6:15 reservation, and I ordered the lobster tortellini I figured don't venture too far off the grid. What took the entrees so long to arrive was the" we are short on kitchen help" I guess we understood but for the prices I would think you find someone to ensure that the service is the equivalent to the prices but anyhow considering all the rave reviews I viewed in my reconnaissance I would have thought this place would be epic but at best it's ok redeeming value the atmosphere inside and there is outside seating overlooking the east Elizabeth river yet it's diminished by the view of the rock quarry, commercial barges and Random construction equipment. For some this establishment would be phenomenal but for us just middle of the road OK! read more

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This place has a lot going for it like great views and a secluded area. I wasn't really excited about the food but it wasn't horrible. I had the duck and it was kinda cold on delivery. They have a good bar. The service was ok. read more

We enjoyed our meal here. It's a little fancy. Folks were dressed up. A nice change from the Walmart mentality of too many restaurants.

This was my first time here,a friends birthday get together for the evening.The employees greeted us when we walked in and showed us where the dinner party was seated,the waitress immediately came over to us and asked if we would like a drink and/or appetizer. The food was good and well seasoned, the drinks were ok as well as the complimentary bread and butter that was brought out as well. I would return and dine again!. read more

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The crème brûlée was so good!!! The scenery was so beautiful. I didn't get to sit outside because it was raining but I caught a glimpse of the waterside. The service was spectacular. read more

Amber Lantern Restaurant - Crème Big Brulee Cheese Cake with Raspberry Coulis - Seafood Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

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The food is just OK. The bread and butter is the best! The service is horrible and haphazard, or at least it was the afternoon we were there. My card was inadvertently given to my Sister, but just imagine if it were a stranger, and they had no sense of urgency in trying to find out who they gave it to! The ambiance was good and that's about all I can say for this establishment. read more

They make it way too complicated to book a large party for dinner. Please loosen the requirements.

My favorite restaurant in Chesapeake. Love the ambiance. Great for 2 ppl or large party. Sunset views are beautiful. Have been several times and never disappointed in food or service. read more

We had dinner there last night. Everyone ordered and I ordered Tale of the Sea. I do like capers, but there must have been a whole jar of capers in my pasta dish. It was so very very salty, I could not eat it. I try to watch my salt intake, but even my husband said it was way to salty. Maybe the Chef could let up on the salt and let people put their own salt on the dish. We enjoy dining there, I hope this helps.. May I add, the service was wonderful and the atmosphere was also very nice! read more

The view at Amber Lantern was STUPENDOUS! Do not sit inside! (if weather permits of course). I celebrated my birthday here and we had reservations for 2 on a Tuesday. It is a bit of a maze coming in but once you get to your seats you forget about that. I cannot tell you what the inside of the restaurant is like because we sat outside, which was like sitting on a balcony. The reservation time was for 7:45 so we got to watch the sunset and it was gorgeous! Its very romantic perfect for a date night or special occasion. Our waitress Hannah was super pleasant. She gave us the perfect amount of space and attention. The food was on point! For an appetizer I went with the mussels and they were just they way I like them full of flavor. The Essence bottle of wine was a great pairing. For an entree, I went with the New York Strip, (steak had been on my mind for weeks)! I paired it with the mashed potatoes because steak and potatoes are just perfect together. The steak was everything I needed it to be, juicy, perfectly cooked, delicious flavor, I wish I would have save some to eat at home. My experience here is one for the books. I will tell everyone about this place! read more

Lovely experience and beautiful setting. It was very pricey though, so I'd recommend it for special occasions.

Awesome food beautiful presentations cheerful service. We have eaten there many times never a bad meal read more

Hands down this place is beautiful and to be honest I'd go here again tomorrow. The ambience was amazing, the food was great and to share it with and amazing person is even better. Try and catch the sun set on the patio I'm sure it will be priceless. read more

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My family and I love this restaurant . It has a gorgeous view and delicious food. We have always been treated well and served promptly. Recently we had my grandmother's 90th birthday here. They didn't have a private room - which was kind of a let down- but they did serve us all well and we were able to select a shortened menu for all the guests (24 total). Some favorites of ours are: Baked Brie, Lobster Tortellini, and the Beef Tips. read more

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We were very impressed with the service, our server was always close to assist, The chef put together such a good menu we were already planning what we would order on our next visit which will be very soon this is truly my now favorite place to eat read more

We happened to be in Chesapeake and hungry, so I looked on Yelp and saw the Amber Lantern. It had good ratings, the menu looked like there's was enough variety for us and the prices weren't outrageous. To say it's off the beaten path would be an understatement, but once you find it, everything will work itself out! Highly recommend the shrimp stuffed with crabmeat! read more

Amber Lantern Restaurant - French Cut Pork Chop - Seafood Near Me - Chesapeake, Virginia

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It wasn't great. The filet came with gravy on it which wasn't expected. The lobster tortellini was filled with cheese and only a couple small pieces of lobster on top. The service was also pretty slow and the decor was really outdated. Lastly the views that looked so promising in pictures ended up being a great view of the grain silio's. We won't likely be back. read more