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    Monastery Restaurant

    4.2 (184 reviews)
    ModerateModern European
    Open 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

    Monastery Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    MONASTERY RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Romantic
    Classy
    Quiet
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Monastery Restaurant

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    Special raspberry chicken entree (valentines 2025)
    Jessica L.

    I was surprised and brought here on Valentine's Day, 2025. I'm so glad we were on the reservations list, because it was busy and there were zero tables available all night. I was impressed by the decor and "old European-style" ambiance they have made for their guests. Our server was spectacular (brown hair, cute glasses, very open & knowledgable, but also very real with us) from start to finish. We got too full for dessert, but I plan to come back for dessert and maybe a glass of wine alone. Definitely give them a try if you never have and are open to trying new experiences.

    Dining are
    Cindy S.

    Hubby and I visited the Monastery Restaurant for our anniversary. It was fun to go to the area to this old restaurant. The entrance is a little weird because you walk n right into the dining area. The menu is not huge and the fare is mostly Eastern European. We received bread and cheese to start and then recommended dishes that our server kindly explained. Everything was delicious. The only thing I would not recommend was the dessert. We got the one thing that was unique and it was not great. The Black Forest cake was very good though.

    Hungarian Gypsy Pork Cutlet
    Olga B.

    Had reservations for restaurant week here...parking is tricky, but we made it work. They have quaint and cozy European decor, and I've always enjoyed having linens at the table. The server wasn't very talkative, but helpful enough. They had a huge selection of items for restaurant week, however they all sounded pretty much the same. My cutlets with mushrooms were pretty bland, but I did like my husband's Gypsy veal dish...much more flavorful. Goulash soup was hot and tasty, and we did enjoy their homemade bread and cheese. Apple strudel and apricot-filled crepes were nothing special.

    Escargot is buttery and garlicky. Try it!
    Michael G.

    This is the oldest restaurant on Granny Street! I didn't even know it was there until I was looking for a unique restaurant. The inside is dimly lit and has an old-world, European feel to it. It was quiet and intimate. Anna and her husband Adolf own and run the place. They escaped former communist Czechoslovakia in the '60s. Anna spoke with my girlfriend and I for quite a while. She was so kind and passionate about people and family. She even teared up talking to us. We were curious about her and the history of the restaurant. She graciously shared her story with us. Before we received our food, we heard Adolf pounding away on a schnitzel. They obviously put a lot of love into this place and the food. Anna's authenticity was so refreshing that even if the food wasn't good, I would come back. Luckily, the food was great! They serve you cheese, sliced apples, and homemade bread to start. It was very nice. We had never tried escargot. We are adventurous, so we gave it a whirl. I'm so glad we did! Unfortunately, I think I'd be disappointed eating it anywhere else. Apparently, it's rated the best in Norfolk. It was buttery and garlicky. I feared the texture would be off-putting, but it was nice. I had the roast duckling with sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is actually served hot, which is how it is served in Europe in some places. Who knew!? It also came with a unique type of dumpling/bread that I'd have trouble explaining.

    Veal Paprikash
    Lily H.

    Went out of our comfort zone and tried Hungarian cuisine - everything was super unique to me but tasty- from a bread basket with an apple to the complimentary cheese spread, including the La Raclette Valaisienne (don't let that get cold it takes on a different flavor profile). I really enjoyed their version of a dumpling - it was light but helped soak up the plate juices really well. Out of everything we ordered - we would do the roasted duck. To bad the chef only makes a limited number of them - so I felt a little guilty and three other tables ordered. Service was super attentive and even informative. Will be coming back to try some of the other entrees offered.

    Montebeliaro
    Young K.

    This is place to go to for a nice dinner date. I've never had this kind of food before, but I was intrigued, so we came here. Definitely a vibe for an older crowd. I told our waitress that it was our first time at the restaurant, and it seemed like she wanted us to ask questions, and she was ready to answer them. Instead, there was this other waitress, who was very informative in what everything was on the menu, and we wished that we heard her explanations before we places our order. So that was a little downer. In terms of food, homemade bread, green apple, and homemade cheese were given to us as a starter. The cheese mix did contain blue cheese, which my fiancé and I are not a fan of, but it was fairly good. The bread had a very nice crust on the outside and soft on the inside. My Stuffed Cabbage had ground beef inside. It tasted like a higher class meatloaf. The tomato sauce on the outside was fairly sweet than savory. It also came with two dumplings, and I was instructed to not eat it alone. It was very good with the rest of the dish. The Montebeliaro was also very delicious. The sausage was very juicy and savory, and I really enjoyed the cooked sauerkraut on the side. It wasn't too pickle-y or sour, so for those who don't usually enjoy sauerkraut, I think you'd enjoy this dish too. For parking, there is a parking garage a block away from the restaurant and a couple of street parking in front of the restaurant. I would like to come here again to try the goulash.

    Escargot
    Coreon L.

    Me and my wife wanted to to try escargot for the first time ever, so we looked up places that serve it and landed here. It's about 45mins from our place but ended up being well worth the trip. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. Their hospitality made it feel like we weren't even in a restaurant or just another customer to them and that was awesome. My wife had the Roasted Duckling and I had the Serbian Goulash, both were delicious. Most items on the menu were homemade as far as our server told us. They also have a nice selection of reds and whites as well. Cant wait to go back!

    Roasted Duckling
    Philip F.

    What a fantastic find in Norfolk. This quaint, European inspired restaurant is a perfect way to eat great food from all over Europe. The Czechoslovakian owner is very polite and the staff made accommodations for our big party. As for the food, it was amazing and very authentic! I got the roasted duckling, it was perfectly crisp and the sauerkraut and bread dumpling is a great pairing. The fruit dumpling was an outstanding way to end the meal.

    Menu

    Cute and intimate restaurant on Granby St. Service and food were excellent. I highly recommend.

    Port
    Ellen C.

    Tried this restaurant during Norfolk Restaurant Week. This restaurant has that European old world charm. Our server Andrijus was really engaging. We had some good conversation about traveling to Europe and Formula One racing. We started off with some cheese & bread,then for our first course I had the Potato & Leek Soup. My husband had the Holiday soup made with rice and homemade smoked sausage. Both so different, but both so good. I had the schniztel ala Holstein and my husband had the Escalope de Veau aux Champignons. Simple dishes that are made with great flavor. Portions were not gluttonous, as we also had a dessert course. I got a glass of Port to enjoy with the meal, not too sweet with a drier finish. For dessert I had the Palaçinky(crepe with apricot) and he had black forest cake. This night was special. We will definitely come back.

    Outrageously over priced goose

    Goose was overcooked and dry, and terribly over-priced (being a special the price charged did not appear on the menu and we were lied to at the time of ordering -quoted under $30).

    Escargot

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    2 months ago

    Loved the elderly couple who owns and works at this restaurant. It is a beautiful space and you can feel their love and enjoyment

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    I'm really disappointed because we wanted to try this place and it was not my style of food. Great service!

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Monastery Restaurant

    I came at 7:45 and they were closed. I was told the managers went home. Confused why they don't keep their operating hours?

    I know they're closed in Monday's. Also it seems to be a very family run place. Maybe they didn't have much business or had something to take care of. I know that the restaurant can get dead pretty early sometimes. We were the only ones left when we… Read more

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    Park Lane Tavern - Pickle Fries

    Park Lane Tavern

    4.3(385 reviews)
    7.3 mi
    $$

    Food was delicious! I love my french dip and the pretzel appetizer. Our server Trista was AMAZING!…read moreShe knew so much about the menu and she knew everything we needed before we even had the chance to ask! CLEANED THE PLATE

    One of my friends has told me many times about Park Lane Tavern. She and her husband go there at…read moreleast once a week. They love Fish & Chips 50% off night. Each time I drive south on Kempsville Road I have tried to locate it but failed. Today after visiting my favorite ice cream spot I decided on an early dinner and set my GPS for the restaurant's address. To my surprise it was extremely visible, sitting right at the entrance to Kemps River Crossing Shopping Center. Turn into the entrance from Kempsville Road and you'll see it sitting directly on the right. It was early. So we were able to immediately get a comfortable table and extremely prompt service. Our server remembered all my special needs. She answered my fiend's questions about her preferred wine choice. Our drinks were served very quickly. The menu was extremely interesting. There were different sections for differing tastes. The Lunch/Dinner Menu has sections for Sandwiches, Soups & Salads, Small Plates, Signature Burgers, Tavern Pizza & European Comfort Foods. The latter was where my interest lay. It was a really hard choice since I could easily have ordered many of the dishes on the menu. How could I choose between the British, German & Irish entrees? After much agonizing I finally chose German. My Jägerschnitzel, a German classic, consisted of hand-flattened pork loin fried and topped with traditional onion and mushroom gravy. It was served with kraut, warm potato salad, and green beans. The large portions were perfectly prepared. I was pleased with the choice. My friend ordered the other dish I had considered: Magners® Corned Beef & Beer Braised Cabbage which consisted of Magners® cider marinated USDA corned beef brisket, slow-cooked and thinly sliced in house, paired with braised cabbage and bacon, chive whipped potatoes, and whole carrots. This will be my choice the next time I visit. The food came very quickly. In fact, too quick. I like a little time to linger over my cocktail before the food arrives. I've now learned that next time I'll wait a little longer to give the server my order. Park Lane Tavern exuded the air of a happy place. I'm not quite sure how to describe it. It's a cross between a restaurant, tavern or very large comfortable diner. The closest restaurant I've found to this was a large cozy similar type establishment on the Jersey Shore, which was obviously a hangout for locals in the off season. The only thing missing at Park Lane was their roaring fire. But Park Lane has the better menu choices. There are distinctively different sections. We were in a section that consisted of regular tables and chairs, which is ideal for those of us with bad backs and titanium knees. :). But there were no televisions in the area. There were sections of high top tables, booths and large inviting looking bars. Televisions showing sports were visible in most sections. I'd like to try one of the different sections closer to the bar rather than to be immediately taken to the more comfortable section, obviously their section in which to seat people my age.:) After dinner I did a little research on the tavern. The establishment was designed to feature the elements of a European Tavern or Pub. It has succeeded well in replicating that feel. It offers the best of both American and European cuisine. The group, which also has Taverns in Hampton & Fredericksburg, features unique beverage offering with an extensive selection of draughts from around the world. In my opinion they have completely succeeded in their goal of providing atmosphere, design, cuisine and comfort. I can't wait to return and try the Corned Beef & Cabbage.

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    Park Lane Tavern
    Park Lane Tavern - Makers Mark Bourbon Chicken

    Makers Mark Bourbon Chicken

    Park Lane Tavern - Beef Wellington

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    Le Yaca - Lemon mousse bomb

    Le Yaca

    4.5(411 reviews)
    38.5 mi
    $$$

    I came here during brunch and got their prefixed brunch 3 course ($50). This came with a drink ,…read morepastries, and the three course meal. For starters I got the French onion soup which came out in about 20 minutes. Soup was very solid and had more of a purée taste which was surprisingly good. The pasties especially the chocolate croissants were also delicious. After another 25 minutes the main dishes came out. I got the fillet which came with a peppercorn glaze (amazing!) and crispy potato pie. Fillet was cooked to correct medium rare temperature and tasted delicious! For desert, I got the cheesecake with raspberry! It was really rich and delicious! The raspberry puree provided a nice tart taste to go alongside the sweetness! Staff were very friendly and the service for this entire meal was about an hour thru. A very delicious place restaurant that I'd gladly come back to if I'm in the area! Food(50%): 8.8 Staff/service(25%): 8.5 Value(25%): 8.0 Overall: 8.5/10

    A special treat for the birthday girl, my wife. We made a reservation for two but turns out we…read moredidnt need it, we sat at the bar. Plenty of bar stools. Wife started with a Cosmo and an old fashion for me. Great drinks and nice pour as well. My wife had the lobster and I had the shrimp dish. Both were absolutely amazeballs. Finished with the Apple desert...sorry no pics. It was very delish! Thank You Chef. Service was absolutely top notch and several friendly helpful staff members..Thank You Le Yaca!

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    Le Yaca - Bar

    Bar

    Le Yaca - Caesar salad

    Caesar salad

    Le Yaca - Cocktail was ok but perfect for indecisive drinkers

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    Cocktail was ok but perfect for indecisive drinkers

    Monastery Restaurant - modern_european - Updated May 2026

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