The best hamburgers in the state, hands down! Add to that the incredible atmosphere and fantastic service. It always exceeds our expectations! read more

Great atmosphere, even better food and service. My wife and I both sat at the bar. Bartender was very nice, knowledgeable and made good conversation. Love the open kitchen and they're very efficient. Food came out in no time. read more

I would avoid this place. Unless you like paying for other people's meals because the servers cant even pay attention to the 2 tables they have. They also "don't communicate" via phone, and the managers are so pretentious they'll even blame sh*tty service on you. Food isn't even that good for the service to be lacking. read more

Stopped in this bar because it was conveniently close to the parking deck I parked in. I was surprised to see how small it was inside. We had a wait a little to get seated at the bar, but wasn't that long of a wait considering it was Saturday night. The drink menu had a good selection of beer, wines and cocktails--from seasonal cocktails to classic ones. I tried the "FIGGIN NUTS" which was very strong for my taste, but the flavors were on point! I could really taste the walnut flavor and the fig syrup. Overall, it was a unexpected bar that we stumbled upon, but not too bad. I think I've had better drinks though. read more

Small bar area and seating overall is pretty limited. Food and service is great. Somewhat pricey

Walked in and it had a very nice atmosphere and cool decor. The ceiling is decorated with silver plates. The menu cocktails were really good. The known reason I'm giving a 4 rather than a 5 was that the bartender was a little unenthusiastic and did not offer an alternative when my drink was not able to be made. The other bartenders however seemed much more outgoing! Good drinks despite. read more

Bar Virgile - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Restaurant was crazy busy on a Monday night, but the hostess, Rachel, was fabulous; friendly and pleasant while managing impatient people tryng to take bar seats. Her professionalism and positive attitude were inspiring. Excellent food (oysters & burger), and drinks, and our bartender Mikail was also pleasant and professional despite being slammed with customers and orders. It was inspiring to see all the staff pitching in to help out on a busy night (Rachel bussed tables and delivered food as well as managing the front door). Clearly great training of staff here. We appreciate the staff making this a pleasant and fun evening and will be back! read more

I love the feel of this restaurant and the bar area downstairs is amazing! Try their old fashioned

this was one of the WORST experiences I have ever had as a server myself I am astonished at the way me and my family were treated in this place. we sat down and our server came up to us and did not only greet us but let us know we have 5 minutes to order or we can't eat. brushing that off of our shoulder we had other problems involving drinks, I asked to speak to a manger, our server continued to go up to another worker and complain about us RIGHT in front of us . professionally I don't think this girl/girls should be at a place of work if they can't acknowledge their guests right in front of them. staff was overall rude and unprofessional read more

I have been here many times and tend to bring out of town visitors here. The bartenders are very knowledgeable and friendly. All of the drinks I have tried there have been amazing. I know they have food too but I have yet to check them out for dinner. The place is fairly popular and can have a wait for even the bar. read more

Burgers- best in Durham Cocktails- best in Durham Everything else competes for best in Durham. The oysters are top notch as well as the lobster pasta. Menu changes often though so neither of these may be available when you visit. The beet salad is one of my favorite dishes. Servers very pleasant. One of my favorites in town! read more

Meal for two- Deviled Eggs + Steak Frites and add in an Old Fashioned (or 4) and these out of towners were happy campers. Dark, cool vibe and even cooler staff- we'll definitely be back on our next visit! Lots of options on the menu and the awesome gal that was our server was knowledgeable about the food and helped us make the best decisions for our meal! Not cheap, but totally worth it. read more

Wonderful cocktails! I came in pretty late on a Saturday night with a fairly large group and had no trouble getting seated. We sampled a variety of drinks including the Martinez, Jack Rose, and First Word. All were fantastic. The atmosphere is also really cool, kind of typical for cocktails bars in Durham, but that is a good thing! I will definitely come back to try out the food read more

Been sitting at the bar for 15 mins for someone to greet me. No one checked on me no smiles maybe I wasn't presentable but I love my city and I hope it was just opening up and getting everything ready! But didn't feel welcome. absolute horrible bar service! read more

Absolutely fantastic experience. I almost don't want to post for the fear of attracting more people to this amazing place. Food: Wide range of menu items expertly cooked. Their burgers are FANTASTIC. Drinks: This is quite possibly the BEST cocktail bar in Durham. From the use of fresh herbs, to the use of local mixers (like juices from Happy + Hale), they knock it out of the park. Service: As if the food and drinks weren't enough, the staff here have been AMAZING. Bartenders Caleb and April are both ALWAYS friendly and willing to help you explore new drinks based on your tastes. read more

Great food- get the pork chop--Thank me later. Can get crowded... but great for business! Something usually opens up quickly. Staff are nice and efficient. Great cocktails! Love sitting at the bar. Will recommend and be back. read more

Fantastic food and great atmosphere! Pork chop was amazing, cooked perfect and flavorful!!

Bar Virgile is awesome - small, dark and intimate. Pleasantly different than all the other restaurants in Durham. Delicious, quality food. Menu that changes so hard to have favorites. Amazing craft cocktails. Great service. Perfect for a date night or drinks after work!! read more

This place is nothing short of amazing with everything they do, they do exceedingly well. The atmosphere, the staff, the food and drink is done to the nines. This is a joint where you order a mixed drink because bartenders like Danny know what they're doing. All seats in the dining room and bar area are first-come, first-served and they do not accept reservations. If you come on a Friday or Saturday come early, between 4-5:30 and the wait should be minimal. To the chef and partners of BV, don't change a thing. read more

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I came here for the drinks and will keep coming back for the burger! Bar Virgile has a cute ambiance both inside and outside, where they've turned their parking garage into a cute patio with twinkly lights and a black and white movie playing in the background. The cocktails are creative and fun and the burger is one of the best burgers I've had since moving to Durham! Make sure to make a reservation since the space is smaller and they're following all social distancing guidelines (they open for weekend reservations via phone on Thursday's at 3:30p). read more

First things first: don't make the mistake I made in thinking that Bar Virgile is primarily a bar. No, Bar Virgile is one of Durham's triple threats - terrific food, drinks, atmosphere (and bonus fourth item: great waitstaff). tl;dr: just go already. The bar is ridiculously well stocked; you'll notice that wall of bottles when you walk in. As such, the cocktail list was impressive (including, as standard, the bartender's shake-time nightmare: the Ramos Gin Fizz). I got the Ramos - it was very good, perhaps slightly underpowered, but it's a light drink. Round two of drinks was the seasonal (Fall/Winter) cocktail - it is on point. Food was well presented and truly delicious. You'll find none of the usual uninspired "standard bar fare" here. Neither is it just small-plates; the entrees are more than adequately sized. Also, talk about good timing: we were lucky enough to be entertained by the talented jazz duo of Ariel Pocock and James Suter. I hope they're booked regularly. We'll definitely be back. read more

I noticed Bar Virgile when I was heading to a DPAC event earlier this year and made a mental note to return. This week I was able to check it out, and am so glad I did. This is a new place in Durham, just between Main St. and DPAC, that opened in December 2014. It's intimate with an exquisite lineup of liquors behind the bar. The bartenders are friendly and created a great lineup of cocktail creations, but weren't too pushy for me to try something more exciting when I opted for a vodka soda. The folks next to us ordered fried oysters and the cheese plate, which looked delectable. My only complaint is that the restroom is up a small flight of stairs and down a long hallway, but the bar's fantastic location makes up for the restroom inconvenience. read more

Finally! Was wondering what was going behind this old bank building. Cozy space with a nice bar and seating in the back. Delicious cocktails and menu. Service was great, just enough interaction. Spicy italian sausage, yum. read more

BV is a nice new addition to the area--its adjacency to DPAC is especially appealing, and the urban feel fits well into the area. All my party got was beer and wine, so its hard to comment on their culinary work, but the service was very good. The bartenders were very conversational and friendly, and someone was there to greet us and get us up to speed on the seating situation as soon as we got in. You could definitely tell that the bartenders took pride in their work--I heard them having a conversation about perfecting one of their recipes. I didn't see any of the usual problems associated with brand new places. The bar area is very narrow, but there is a larger room with tables behind. Prices were about what one would expect-$5 drafts, $6 wine, more for cocktails. read more

Terrible service. Server forgot to bring me the beer I ordered. Water was never refilled until demanded when the check was asked for. Never going back. read more

My friends and I thoroughly our experience here tonight! The service was great and our server was extremely friendly. Every single small or large plate that came to our table was excellent. We got the Brussel sprouts, fried oysters, fried broccoli and deviled eggs as appetizers and the burger, bolgonese and beet risotto for our entrees. Tables are still socially distanced which we liked and the ambience was fantastic! Nice lighting and music for a warm Saturday night. I definitely recommend coming here. read more

I noticed this bar randomly as I was walking back to my car and decided to stop in for a drink. I wanted to write up some notes anyway, and had a couple of hours to kill before heading back to Raleigh. I'm glad I did, because this bar has yet again cemented the idea that downtown Durham has the night scene locked down for the triangle. If I could find more bars like this in Raleigh, I would probably go out drinking more. Let's start with the atmosphere. It's great to see a bar with the little details done well; just the right amount of lighting, clean, intimate but not overly crowded, and great for having conversations. Add on the well designed old world style integrated with industrial elements (check out the painted boiler pieces) and you've got a great atmosphere for sure. I stopped by on a Monday evening and cannot really speak about rush times, but the service was excellent. The staff were all very responsive, and I enjoyed chatting with the bartenders. The menu serves very well as snacks, while not going too deeply into full-on restaurant fare. The pretzel bites comes with a strong spicy mustard and are easy to share, and the servers were happy to split one of the bratwursts for my table. They also have a great selection of liquor, wine, and bottles. Only three beers on tap, but they seem more focused on the cocktails and reasonably priced liquor. I'll definitely be coming back on future visits to Durham. read more

Best mixology bar ever! It can get crowded, but the drinks are worth the wait. Quality ingredients and knowledgeable bartenders. The inside is like being in Europe. I love this place! read more

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This was a cool place. The bartender greeted us right as we entered. Indy pop music playing in the background. Cool cocktails which were around $11 a piece. read more

Bar Virgile - Piña colada with toasted coconut. Delish. - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Try the steak frites you WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. The environment is darker and more formal, but the atmosphere is super relaxed. The staff is really friendly and their cocktail list is a mix of house concoctions and classics you will love. read more

Great food and drinks. It's on the swankier side of a bar; the mixed drinks (False Hour is delicious) are to die for and the bar food is pretty great. I am such a fan of the spiced pecans and dried cherries appetizer. Also, the lobster roll entree with shoestring fries is quite nice as well. I also tried their frisee salad with apple (normally, it's pear, but they didn't have it then), which was probably my favorite thing that night - lovely combination of taste and texture (with hints of bacon and pecan). read more

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Awesome spot small and intimate. Menu small but food was awesome. The bar waa loaded with lots of choices , bartenders were the real.deal no stupid mixers. I recommend Coming i will return read more

Great place to fuel up before the game! Food and drinks have never been a disappointment. Service is friendly and fast.

great food, great service. perfect meal and drink spot ahead of a DPAC show. short walk from the theater

We absolutely love this place - especially the bar, it is a sexy, sophisticated, dimly lit, great bartenders and comfortable bar stools. My only issue is we ordered a dinner that was served at the bar which wasn't the best. I had their roasted chicken with fries and my husband had a sausage that was served on a bed of polenta. The chicken was not cooked all the way through and was very awkward to eat given it was a half a chicken, not cut up. The fries were delicious. My husband felt the polenta was overly creamy and rich and couldn't eat more than half of it, which for him, is a rare occurrence. We have had their charcuterie plate in the past which is delicious, abundant serving, beautifully sliced paper thin meats and just the right amount of cheese. Since we love the atmosphere, I will give them another try in the food department but a chicken is so easy to roast, I can't imagine how they messed that one up .... read more

Can't beat the $10 burger, fries, beer combo on Monday. Add that to the high quality string cocktails and you have a winner. read more

Bar Virgile - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Fantastic Bar! My wife and I spent the weekend in Durham on a stay-cation and biked all over eating and drinking along the way. We arrived late afternoon and were the first customers of the day/night. Great friendly service from the bartender and chef. The bartender did a great job explaining the cocktails and the chef talked through some of the menu items with us. We ordered a delicious caprese cocktail (tasted like summer) garnished with a caprese skewer and a peach cocktail. We created a Charcuterie plate with a couple cheeses and meats. sliced to order and delicious. The bar atmosphere is really cozy and relaxing. A place you could definitely make your neighborhood hot spot (even if you live 28 miles away). read more

Bar Virgile - Caprese cocktail - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Food: 3 Drinks: 4 Service: 3 Stopped by for dinner on our way out of town at the recommendation of a local. Sat at the bar, bartender was great -- attentive and friendly. Mr Beffrey had a PDT Ol'Fashioned and loved it. Amazing bacon-y aroma and taste. Mr Beffrey (unsurprisingly) ordered the burger (made it a double), sadly it came out definitely a near-gray-in-the-middle medium, instead of medium rare. Bartender was great though, took the burger right back and the kitchen whipped up another one that was the right temp. Fries were pretty good. The shakshuka was tasty -- a fragrant, peppery tomato sauce, a decently poached egg (though slightly too much un-cooked egg white for Ms Beffrey's liking), and a good amount of perfectly salty shaved ham. Would come back to try more on their menu, looks delicious! read more

Bar Virgile - Shakshuka (tasty) and the double burger (so-so) - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great small plates restaurant, particularly to grab a meal before a show at DPAC. The menu of small plates is well complemented by a great selection of cheeses and charcuterie. That atmosphere is great as well--built in an old bank, it has a dark, almost speakeasyish vibe to it. They do not take reservations and it is quite small--have to come pretty early or be willing to wait to make sure you get a spot. I also wish it had a better beer selection. read more

Had a great experience here on Friday. We got there around 5:30ish on a Friday. It was full, but we only had to wait about 15 mins. Perfect timing to get a cocktail while waiting. Cocktails are on point, and bartenders friendly. We sat for dinner and had two cheeses and a meat for starting, then the short rib burger, carbonara and the tomato/egg dish (whose name escapes me). Everything had great flavor. We got the creme brûlée and cookie for dessert and both were great as well. Service was mostly great. They came and suggested another round of drinks, but they were quick to remove plates when we weren't complete done with our starter. Atmosphere is great, but I wouldn't come for a dinner you want to linger at, there are very few tables and I would feel guilty staying after paying. read more