I seriously hate this place. I hope it burns down. Seriously. I went with a group of friends from work. Three of us arrived and asked for a table for six. They refused to seat us stating that we could not sit until 50% of party was present. Well, I'm no mathematician but I'm pretty sure that half of six is three so 50% of our party was present. Then once we did get to sit they refused to let me order. I asked the server if they could leave one ingredient out of my drink and she refused. She told me that leaving one ingredient out would ruin the drink so I couldn't order it. Seriously?? I did end up ordering a strawberry balsamic drink that was amazing but totally not worth all of the stress and drama of attempting to spend money in this God awful establishment. Had the staff not been so incredibly rude to all of us this review could have been different. To say that I'm never going back is an understatement. read more

Love loved loved the food. Awesome true tapas place. Drinks were all wonderfully crafted, much appreciate the effort gone into them. Friendly staff, restaurant was clean and beautifully decorated. read more

What a cute little place for drinks and snacks! Love the atmosphere and excellent service. Cocktails are strong and good. Stop by if you get a chance!! read more

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

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I gave Bar Virgile a second chance last night, and I'm tempted to give them another star. Drinks: still amazing. Menu updates: they've added veggie dishes! The kale salad with strawberries was delicious. Also, the octopus with fennel, avocado and chorizo was super tasty! Why they still only get two stars: the menu is not descriptive at all and the waiter a) didn't tell us about the items we ordered in full (after asking) and, then, b) didn't bring us what we ordered! I ordered the lamb burgers and told the waiter no cheese with the entire order. He brought the lamb burgers smothered in pimento cheese and when he took mine back to fix it, it took 30 seconds because they literally wiped it down a bit and gave me the same burger, lightly smudged with cheese. They also brought my friend the wrong sandwich (brought a Brat instead of her spicy Italian), and once the actual spicy Italian arrived, my friend was surprised to see that it was a sausage and not a classic cold cut spicy Italian sandwich. We ate it, and Bar Virgile comped us for the item, but still, we would have had far fewer problems overall if the waiter had explained the menu or if the menu explained itself. Lastly, the signage for the place is a giant "BV." Many ladies out there will understand why this is a truly gross nickname. Probably will only be back for the drinks. read more

Was looking for a place to get a good drink and food, found this place on Yelp. Very satisfied, came here on a Saturday night so it was a bit busy and we had to wait for a table which took about 15 minutes but it was worth it! Ordered the French fettuccini while date had the burger. Also got an old fashioned (fantastic!). Will be back read more

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WE LOVE BAR VIRGILE. This is the place that fiancé and I go for yummy cocktails and speakeasy type feel. Great specialty cocktails and the bartenders ROCK! Love coming in to see those guys. BUT they also have amazing dinner. Romantic setting which is nice we love getting dressed up " just because" to go to this bar! I bring all my friends and family here as a go to when they come to Durham to visit. See you guys soon! read more

Awesome cocktails and food at the bar. I had the best gin fizz I've ever tasted, and the fries and other bar snacks we ordered were equally fantastic. read more

What a great bar to grab a cocktail! The bar is not the biggest in the world, so don't roll in here with a large group, but for a date or meeting up with a friend, the bar is perfect! There is also a small restaurant area as well which can seat slightly larger groups, but all in all, this place is intimate, dimly lit, a little speakeasy/hipster in feeling, and most importantly--it makes great cocktails. I got a smoky tequila drink that had a nice amount of heat to it--I like spicy drinks personally! I would definitely get that drink again. I also got a glass of their season sangria which was pretty good, but nothing compared to my first drink. But both drinks and the overall ambiance here really made me happy, so i can't wait to come back and try out some more of their drinks soon! Plus, their food menu had some tasty sounding items on it too, including some charcuterie. So if you are looking for a nicer cocktail type spot, this definitely should be on your list in Durham, or anywhere really. read more

Stopped in for some work-related dinner and drinks with co-workers. Food is great. Portions seemed a bit small but you don't leave hungry, especially if you got an appetizer. Their food seems very fresh, and one of our local NY coworkers said the mussels were some of the best he'd had. The tomato salad appetizer is delicious - one of the few times I don't mind chunks of tomato. Not too much pesto or cheese. The lamb tagine was really well made but I do wish it came with some sort of bread -- it seemed to be mainly lamb and beans. Cocktails are delicious - especially the roman holiday read more

Its a little claustrophobic in here because the dining room is in the back away from the street windows. The service seemed friendly, if not slightly snoddy. In general the food seemed a bit overpriced, but the cocktails were very well made and had a good presentation. read more

Bar Virgile - Entry vestibule - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food here was excellent. We went for my birthday, and got to be one of the very few tables placed inside. Was really looking forward to diving into the extensive drink menu, but looks like COVID days had to meddle with that too. LOTS of gin based drinks. Had one w/ carrot juice and tequila that was def different from anything I've ever tried. I liked it, but my second gin and rosemary based martini drink was a miss. Tasted a lot like cherry NyQuil (hint, hint to the owners: you should try this and then decide if it belongs on a limited drink menu). After our take home boxes were thrown at us, my husband reminded the server it was my birthday. Think he just thought we wanted a free dessert, but my husband was really hinting more at, please don't rush us, and help make this more special for my wife. A random dessert was brought out (instead of being asked what I might like to order for my birthday dessert), and my favorite part of the meal was totally skipped...pairing a dessert with an appropriate cocktail. Don't get me wrong, the food was fabulous, but my special day ended up being quite poopy near the end. Now really regretting having my husband ever mention this meal was for my birthday, because the dismissing attitude we received afterwards was very off putting. Sigh read more

Oh my!.. what more can I say? Wonderful attentive bartenders who craft perfect drinks. Food is ALL so flavorful. Just do it. read more

Bar Virgile - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I went their with high expectations with my group to enjoy a Friday night and was bummed with the unfriendly behaviour !! They didn't let us in for drinks as we were not sure if we will eat dinner there or not ....really ??Even after clarifying that we will take appetisers for sure and might end up eating there but they didn't let us in ! What a shame !! Thankfully we had a fun night despite of a bad start! read more

The atmosphere is dope for a local explorer. Drinks are very creative. A cool environment if you want to take a date out on the city

Drinks were exceptional. I had the "Perry Mason" from their Fall 2016 menu. Amazing. Served in a mason jar with pellet ice, thyme infused vodka, St Germaine, lemon, pear and prosecco. My friend and I shared several plates. Bibb salad was simple and fresh, vinaigrette was really great. Crispy oysters are a MUST. Also tried the mascarpone polenta with almond and Stilton - creamy with a bite. Mussels were great - the broth was out of this world. I could have eaten a whole baguette dipped in that for dinner. Dessert - tried the Maple Pumpkin pot de creme. Lord - so good. We will be back. Only downside - place is so tiny and they don't take reservations. read more

Bar Virgile - Left - Aunt Ginny. Right- Perry Mason. - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place has a young trendy vibe. A little confusing when you walk in because if the bar is busy you can't see that there is seating in the back of the restaurant. There is also no one greeting at the front door. So, just walk on back and grab a table for someone at the stand because yummy. I started with a Gin Fizz that was incredible, it was whipped to perfection making it light and airy. It had the perfect amount of sweetness (I don't like super sweet drinks) and just a hint of tart. My husband had the seasonal Old Fashion it was made with walnut bitters and fig simple syrup. It was a really neat twist on the drink. Food was all really great as well. I will post descriptions in the photos. read more

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Amazing cocktails. Probably my favorite cocktail bar in town. It is small and intimate. Hopefully you can snag a seat at the bar and watch the magic happen. They have a drink infused with rosemary smoke that is burned right in front of you. Their manhattan is one of the best I've had. They also have good but it's super expensive and not great. Bottoms up! read more

Came on Saturday night with a few friends. Kitchen was closed so I can't comment on that, but the atmosphere was nice. It was intimate without feeling cramped. They only had 3 beers on tap, but one of them was unibroue's Ephemere, which is the first time I've seen it on tap in the triangle. Their cocktails were pretty solid too, their gin drinks were better than their other cocktails. read more

Among Durham's many charming little bars, Bar Virgile stands out for its service, its decor, and its cocktails. Our charming bartender gave us advice on where to go in Durham, filled in a little history, and narrated (upon request) the how-to's of constructing a Ramos Gin Fizz - looked delicious. We stopped by in the late afternoon during a busy action-packed weekend in Durham. Bar Virgile is cozy, Parisian-looking, and welcoming. Next trip, we'll go back to try the food, spend more time, and have a Gin Fizz. read more

Bar Virgile - From the front - intimate spot around that corner. - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Beautiful cocktails and people. The bar downstairs has an art deco feel, not really shown in the pictures here. The music was great and there's a disco ball. The lighting is a mix between light and airy and a little muted. Beautiful vibes and very lux. read more

Simply wonderful. Got in at six on a table turn: small place with no rezzos so come early or have plenty of time to wait. We came early before our concert at dpac across the street. Ordered two glasses of reasonably priced wine and the shrimp appetizer. Advertised with horseradish but really came with some slightly spicy cocktail sauce and only 5 shrimp. This was our only so so dish. I ordered a duck leg confit overly told and arugula, my wife ordered lobster spaghetti. Both were amazing! We finished with espresso and their take on German chocolate cake. My wife never touches dessert but couldn't stop eating this. We will be back, if we can find a table. read more

Absolutely awesome. The food has amazing flavor. Perfection in preparation. The people who work here are incredible, knowledgeable and friendly! We had the chicken wings, smoked salmon and the octopus. All were fantastic. Drinks were perfect. Can't wait to get back read more

The cocktails were excellent - try the sazerac! There is a nice vibe, low lighting and old fashioned feel. Our waitstaff were very friendly. Vegans: steer clear, because there are dead animals hanging on the walls. The only problem for our group was that the food tasted like it was seasoned by a pirate, who was longing to be back at sea... it was all SO SALTY! Except the fries, which is kind of ironic. I've never drank so much water in one sitting trying to get through the apps and my main course. I had the Hanger Steak Frittes... it was delicious, and came with a [very salty] salad and [not salty enough] fries. Probably won't go here again. read more

My husband and I have been here several times, often before a show at DPAC. They have fun seasonal cocktails and an extensive bar with lots of options. We often share a burger and a cheese/charcuterie plate and have always been pleased with both the entrees and the sides/apps. It has a very cool atmosphere and is a greta place for a night out. My only issue is that the cost is a little high, even for downtown. read more

A real gem. Small plates of great food to share. Service was friendly and they all seemed to really like their jobs. I had the waitress double check my bill..... I thought they had missed something it was so low! read more

Exceptional and great ambiance. The bartenders skills are great and they are fast to be making such craft cocktails. Gluten Free friendly...the charcuterie excellent and the preserves amazing. I had the skirt steak for my entree and the flavors melded beautifully...the mushrooms are to die for. Then I found out that one of the bartenders is the owner...he was working to give his guys a night off. I will definitely be back the next time I am in Durham. read more

Bar Virgile - Skirt Steak - Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Pretty good craft cocktails, but I found the staff a bit rude. Took a while of standing at the bar to be able to order, and even longer to wait while the bartender took his time to make some drinks while rolling his eyes at our order. The ambience and decor definitely makes up for what I hope was just a bad night for the staff. The exposed brick behind the super tall bar is gorgeous. read more

This was my second time visiting Bar Virgile & it only got better... From the incredible host, who got us seated inside 30 minutes on a very crowded Saturday night, to every delicious dish, this place is fabulous... Hint: order a few things to share, including the 3 vegetable sides option. & don't skimp on the drinks, they are superb as well! read more

Used to really like this place but the last time I visited was very disappointing. Made a reservation for only 2 people days in advance.. showed up and it appeared as if they forgot our reservation so we ended up waiting and being seated at the bar when we requested a table while making the reservation. We placed our orders and it took 45 mins to an hour for our food to arrive and when we got the receipt we found we were overcharged on two items (quite significantly). During these times, I love supporting small businesses but this experience left me a bit of weary of this place and the overcharging on two items even seemed a bit sketchy to me. For that reason, I don't think I'll be back. read more

Those fried oysters were the best I've ever had! So sweet. Just enough breading. Cooked perfectly. Creme Brûlée was great. The sparkling rosé we chose was excellent too. Otherwise, the rest of the food we tried was underwhelming. The warm caprese was somehow flavorless even with the onions and basil. Our service at the bar was a little disappointing. The cocky-bartender thing isn't really my style. Table service was much better. read more

Be ready for super strong pre- prohibition drinks with aweaome flavors Great small plates- flavorful food. Cool atmosphere read more

By far an amazing burger and the fries are even Better. 3rd time eating there and I will be back again!! read more

Very cute and sexy interior. Good cocktails, and surprisingly good food. Will be back.

Bar nuts, curry veggies, crawfish and shrimp beignet. All amazing. Exceeded expectations.

Had a blast with my friend here last night. We each had two cocktails and shared the Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, mac, cauliflower gratin, and fried oysters. It was our first time there so we wanted to taste all the things. Wow! The bartenders were super awesome and our service at table was amazing. This place came highly recommended and I'm so glad we got to check it out. If you're in Durham this is an absolute must. Thanks Bar Virgile! read more

Took Yelp's advice and came to this bar / restaurant as a great first date location. The Food and the Drinks were on POINT. read more

We came on a saturday night for dinner and drinks, we were 6 people and we waited for about 2 minutes for the table, which was perfect. The food was good. we took the oysters, eggplant and hummus for starters. The oysters were great (but pretty small) and the eggplant as well, the hummus was ok. For main course I ate the risotto (after reading the reviews here) and I was very pleased, it was very good. my friends took the burger which was good (plenty of fries) and the shakshuka (which wasn't that good). another friend took the tomato salad which was very small considering its price ($11!). For drinks we took cocktails which were good (the gin fizz is great but the one with the tequila is really spicy). The atmosphere felt like we are sitting at a bar in a big city which was nice. Overall it's a nice place and I will come again. read more

Innovative cocktails and definitely try their seasonal rotation. Food are bigger portions than expected. Crisp artichokes was amazing, and they came with some ranch sauce. Really enjoyed to mixed meat and cheese plate. The house pickles we're nicely seasoned. Shrimp cervivhe was flavorful and ample. The grilled mushroom was good but definitely a bit too salty. The succutash was plain. The cauliflower gratin was bit too runny. Finally, the cassoulet could do without the okra, which altered the traditional texture of the dish. Overall, the food was hit and miss. The drinks were great. The atmosphere was cozy and classy, but definitely very loud (hard to converse if you don't yell); still, would go back read more

I do like this place. Very hidden - good to take a date for a surprise. Limited seating. Good food and drinks.

The vibe here is very Durham--cool and sophisticated (when I went, there was live jazz that oozed around the bar and calmly enveloped us). The cocktails are fantastic, the food is good (though the portions are not sizable), the service is excellent. You'll leave the bar feeling a little bit more confident about how interesting you are. read more