this place gets a star for customer service because their staff is excellent. The food however, is awful. I was literally embarrassed to have picked this place for date night. We walked by several other restaurants that were packed and happening and walked into this one. The decor is outdated and tacky and it was a ghost town in there. I kept my optimism hoping the food would shine but it was mostly mushy and flavorless. We won't be returning. read more

I was pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant that served an authentically different fare. It was easy to navigate the entrees with the help of a fantastic waitress and an impeccable chef. Everything was a delight- the atmosphere, the meal from beginning to end and the staff which I cannot place enough emphasis on. It is how I envision the perfect dining experience should go. Fantastic all around and I can't wait to see what this place does in the future. A simple must if you are looking for that well-rounded dining experience. read more

Great food and great service! We went during restaurant week and thoroughly enjoyed it all. However, they food is heavy (lots of starch and carbs) so be prepared to feel STUFFED at the end. read more

So we tried this place because we got a Groupon deal, and we were both impressed. It was our first time having Czechoslovakian style food, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. We started the meal with escargot.. It was the first time I ever had escargot and it was surprisingly good. That mixed with the bread and house made cheese spread mixed wonderfully together. I got the Sauerbraten which was made out of Venison. It was really tender and tasty and the gravy type sauce was delicious, too. It reminded me of a Thanksgiving dinner in the woods of Europe with the deer meat combined with the cranberry sauce, lemon slice and dumpling. My girlfriend was torn between the salmon and the stuffed cabbage... She ended up going with the stuffed cabbage. It was stuffed with grounded filet mignon and covered in a sweet tomato sauce served with dumpling on the side too. It was very tasty!! For dessert we got the raspberry dumpling which was surprisingly lite tasting despite how it was made. Overall, the experience was a good one; however, we had one complaint... The restaurant is owned by a husband and wife couple and the wife was at the table right behind us the whole time we were there dining, and did not once come over to our table to say hello or ask us how we were enjoying our experience. The husband also came out a few times and also never came over to our table. So I took a star off for that; however, our waitress was really good and had a great knowledge of the menu and had great suggestions, she was also very hospitable. read more

See all

Total secret in downtown Norfolk, must go! Ambiance makes you feel like you are in Czechoslovakia, definitely don't feel like you're in Norfolk. The food is savory and authentic. I had the Serbian goulash with dumplings and lentil soup...amazing! My husband had the Wiener schnitzel with mushroom gravy...not heavy like other Wiener schnitzel we've had. Initially served fresh house cheese and cheese spread along with an apple and house bread. If you are in downtown Norfolk, you must try this special gem! read more

This was a terrific experience from beginning to end. The atmosphere was rich and full of history. The house cheese spread was substantial and fabulous. The Escargot was classically prepared and very flavorful. The Wiener Snitzel, goulash and pork cutlets were beautifully prepared and tasted great. The Roasted Duck was plentiful, moist and beautifully seasoned! The Dumplings were tasty and they keep bringing them! The house SourKraut is a sweeter taste and very good! The strudel was very good and the service impeccable! The full bar and tremendous wine list make this a great place !! Enjoy read more

When here for Valentine's Day was surprised how empty it was especially because the food was so good!. My boyfriend and I are from Vegas and we were in Norfolk looking for a good restaurant to eat at. We were informed that the two cooks are from Europe and are both in their 70s. The restaurant is a bit strange especially walking in we thought we walked in the wrong door LOL. But the service staff was very kind and sat us right away. It is a bit quiet and the food is very traditional. We had a lot of questions about the menu and our server was extremely helpful. I ordered they filet mignon and the sauce that came with it was so amazing. Definitely thrilled with this find. read more

Excellent. The prime rib was exquisite. The liberated tail perfectly cooked. The bread service delicious. The staff is a little slow, but very friendly. Don't go there in a rush. Ambiance is very cool. read more

My wife and I came here after a company holiday party and it was delicious. The restaurant was very cozy and romantic. The server we had was new (she told us immediately) but she did a pretty good job anyways. We got the cheese plate to start and it was really good. It could have used some more bread or something, but it was good. I got the Serbian Goulash and it was very tasty. They said it was spicy but I didn't pick up any heat, but then again my pain tolerance for spice is pretty high. My wife got the venison special which she said was the best venison she's ever had. I don't even like venison but I tried hers and liked it. For dessert I got a slice of Black Forest cake and she got the strudel. Now, the black forest cake was good, but her strudel was amazing! I've had strudel in Europe and I thought that was good, but this was much better than what I had over there. I made an error and should have ordered that. Now to the negative. I'm taking away a star because the owners came out from the kitchen to hobnob with some regulars and reeked of cigarette smoke, which when you're trying to eat kind of takes away from the experience. They were also very loud which again detracted from the experience. Had it not been for those two things I would've given a 5th star but c'est la vie. read more

Chose this place to try during the restaurant week because we had never been before. And so glad we did. The food was delicious and the service persons very good and very knowledgeable. Two of us had the Wiener schnitzel and it was lightly breaded and cooked just right. The third person had the schnitzel ala Holstein and it was excellent. All of us sampled a different dessert and were not disappointed, although I personally favored my fruit dumpling stuffed with raspberry. Not to be forgotten, the bread and cheese put out and replenished could be a meal in itself. The bread was fresh-baked and the cheese selection delicious. All in all, so glad we chose this restaurant and will return. read more

This restaurant is nothing short of spectacular. It is a husband/wife team who originally immigrated to NYC and owned a restaurant there of the same name. The two of them do ALL the work. . .including dishwashing on the weeknights! It is amazing what they put out. They make their own sausage which is delicious. The Cassoulet Maison is the star of the menu. read more

My husband and I went here for the first time. We both found our meals to be tasty. If you are a vegetarian like I am, there are only two veg options on the menu (and one off the menu). The atmosphere was intimate and relaxed and we did not feel rushed to leave. The waiters are super friendly and go out of their way to talk and get to know you. If you want your food quick and your waiters less involved, don't go here. We had lots of time so we didn't mind. read more

This restaurant has a wonderful intimate atmosphere, perfect for a family group, or a date night. Everything we had was perfectly prepared and absolutely delicious. I had the Leak and Potato Soup, Stuffed Cabbage, and a Strawberry Dumpling dessert topped with BUTTER, cottage cheese, and powdered sugar - BEST DESSERT EVER IN MY LIFE!!!!! My husband had the Hungarian Goulash, the Hungarian Pork Cutlets with peppers and onions, and a traditional Hungarian Apple Strudel - yes he's Hungarian and tries to find authentic cuisine any chance he can get. This hit the mark for both of us!!! If in Norfolk you must give it a try :) read more

Went here after buying a groupon. Realized upon arriving I had seen the place a million times but always just considered it "that weird place with no windows" haha. Cause from the outside it does almost look like it's boarded up! Basically the food was ok but for the price I would expect more food. My goulash was basically 7 small cubes of meat in sauce. The bread and home made cheese was delicious though! Also do not go by the " dressy" attire category on yelp. I did and made my date wear button down long sleeved shirt with black pants... And there were people in there with shorts and t shirts. Oops! read more

Love the Roast Goose !!! Only available now through Christmas

Found a true treasure in downtown Norfolk, VA. Incredible high-end comfort food menu!! Started with the Escargot and then the Veal Cordon Bleu. The desserts sounded great. A must stop if you visit here. read more

Ugh! Disappointment sums up this review. We tried this restaurant during restaurant week, a time where I'd expect it to be relatively full. I'd hate to see it during a non-event time frame. There were 6 other customers besides us, so I'm not sure how this place stays in business. It very quickly became apparent why the volume of customers was so low. The food was extremely disappointing. I told the server that I was trying to be on a low carb diet, and I was happy they said that I could exchange the dessert portion of the prix fixe menu with an extra appetizer. That's where my happiness ended. I ordered the Hungarian Goulash, and I maybe had 3-4 tiny slivers of beef, and a large amount of potatoes in a watery flavorless soup. For my second appetizer, I got a shrimp cocktail, which was basically just 4 medium-sized (most likely frozen) shrimp with a weak cocktail sauce. My husband got a salad for his appetizer, and it was basically a tiny plate of greens, a quartered tomato and a watery dressing he said tasted like mayonnaise. His appetizer came several minutes after mine, and while we were still waiting for our bottle of wine that we had ordered as soon as we sat down. For my entree, I had the Escalope de Veau aux Champignons Garnie (veal cutlets in mushroom sauce). Again, I was disappointed. The veal was overcooked, and the mushroom sauce was extremely watery. I reiterated that I was trying to be low carb, and the waitress immediately responded if I'd like to see the dessert menu (??). My husband got the Black Forest Cake and said it was bland and not worth the calories. Also, I give the presentation of the plates one star. I've seen better looking plates in a cafeteria. I have no idea how this place has the 4 Yelp stars it has. I cannot imagine that our experience was just a fluke. We will not be back. read more

Wow! We were totally surprised by how much we enjoyed the food here. They start you with a bread and apple basket with cheese. They make a house cheese which is a blend of blue and other cheese and seasoning. Delicious!!!! And then havarti slices. I ordered the chicken Cardinal and it was amazing good. Simple and lightly breaded with a mushroom and scallion cream sauce. Presentation was simple. Served with potatoes and broccoli. The owners are the chefs. I had a slammin good espresso and Black Forest cake for desert. The espresso is high octane and smooth and so good. The inside of the espresso cup is wiped with a lemon and it gives the drink something very special. It is served with a spiral lemon rind on the side. The cake was my favorite. Homemade and REAL fresh cherries, not a canned fruit. I am at a loss for words with how impressed I was with the food and dessert. The ambiance is "eh". Just dreary. It feels like it caters to the culture and regular guests and patrons are assembly probably within the local German community. There are three dining rooms. We sat alone in a small three table dining area, by request. Our server was polite and good at her job and engaging. We spend $80 on two entrees two salads one dessert and espresso and a glass of wine. Will we be back? Idk. It's hard to walk away from good food but the place is not modern and it's dark and a little weird feel to it. read more

Monastery Restaurant - Small dining room. - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

See all

We visited the Monastery the other night before going to an event at the Chrysler Hall in downtown Norfolk. It was convenient to park near the venue, then just walk a couple of blocks to the restaurant. The European ambiance is quaint and comfortable. The prices were very reasonable for dinner and the service was friendly and attentive. It was nice that two of the servers in the room were from Europe. One from Germany and the other fairly recently from France. The bread, whole apple, slices of cheese and special butter spread were all a nice surprise as a complimentary starter. We ordered the special of the day - Venison Ragout and the Entrecote Sautee ala Poele (NY Strip Steak in a red wine reduction). Both entrees were very tender and flavorful with delicious sauces. The NY steak had some extra fat in a few spots that I didn't care for, but some folks enjoy that. The desserts that were described sounded unique and delicious, but we didn't have enough room or time to indulge. We also didn't realize that they carried European Beers. We'll check those out the next time we go! read more

See all

Absolutely fantastic! Went pretty early (6pm) on a Wednesday with my boyfriend..We were the only guests there for around an hour. Bread was freshly baked..piping hot. It was brought out with delicious slices of Muenster cheese and the best homemade cheese spread concoction I've ever had. We had the famous Hungarian "Bull's Blood" red wine. FANTASTIC! I had the duck, which was succulent and very well seasoned. I had never had sauerkraut warm like that before, and let me just say...it was heaven, especially with the dumplings that came with my plate. Finally..the raspberry dumpling for dessert was addicting. I was already planning on making a return visit before the dessert came out, but once I tasted it I realized I may be making mid-week visits just to get some more of that crazy-delicious dessert! Such a wonderful hidden gem!! read more

I'm happy to report that I now love goulash and its accompaniment of dumplings. We also had the gypsy cutlet and it was also fabulous! With some house red and the cheese and bread (with the apple too)...you're gonna become a believer. read more

I found this place in Yelp. A wonderful family owned restaurant. Exceptionally friendly wait staff and owners. The tomato and feta salad was great. The roast pork and sour kraut was also excellent. This place is a real gem. read more

Man this place was so great! Enter through the giant heavy wooden doors an you are greeted by an accommodating staff and a heavenly smell of fresh bread and other magical things. The pork cutlet was out of this world. My wife and I were blown away by there house made sour kraut. I've never liked sour kraut but this is a whole other animal. Perfect for a nice dinner and drinks before the ballet or an opera as both can be had nearby! read more

The server was very nice and did a great job. The food was very average though. I ordered the veal with a caper sauce and a fried egg and it literally tasted Iike nothing. I had to send it back and got the stuffed cabbage, which was much better. The menu definitely seemed over priced; a soup shouldn't be $9! Glad we went, but probably won't go back. read more

Love love love this place. The food is excellent, the service is great. They have a great eastern european menu. The portions are terrific. Their saurkraut is amazing. Have been here at least 6 times. I don't why anyone would complain about their plating. This is finer dining experience. I've had the chicken cordon bleu, duck, goulash and never left hungry. Their desserts are also very good. read more

We wanted to take our friends to someplace special, and The Monastery hit the mark on all counts. Warm enthusiast service from Ian and loving good from Adolph's kitchen made for a terrific evening. We'll be back often! read more

Excellent food and great service. Must make a reservation. Restaurant is very small. Perfect place for date night.

Beautiful European experience. Many foods from when I was a little girl!!! Lovely atmosphere. Delicious food!!! Can't wait to go back.

Delicious food! Staff was super friendly and didn't rush us AT ALL!! They let us take our time enjoying the meal and conversation. Such a great experience! A little pricey, but perfect for an intimate date night! read more

My first impression was wrong about this place... A buddy and I went there after a friend's recommendation. I was intimidated by the swinging doors and lack of hostess station, but I am very glad I stayed to eat! The bread, apple and cheese were delightful and I really enjoyed my goulash (I mean I almost licked the plate), but the dumplings! Oh the dumplings!! Save room for a dessert dumpling. It is fruit baked inside a potato/bread dough covered with powdered sugar and cottage cheese - unique and worth trying! read more

The place has lot of potential, but the food was ordinary, at best. Service was fine, but using cocktail napkins to keep tables from wobbling is pretty low rent. read more

Atmosphere and service was great. Loved the homemade cheeses and bread. Entrees were tasty, numerous, and authentic. A bit over priced for thr portions and lacked attractive plating. Overall enjoyable evening. read more

Fine European cuisine, great ambiance. I had Venison Goulash, one of the specials for the evening. The meat was very tender and the sauce and dumplings were delicious. Our server, Zuzana, provided top notch customer service. An overall great dining experiences. read more

What an amazing experience! We had the goulash, veal, and roasted duck. The roasted duck was the best duck I've had in the US and came with absolutely amazing sauerkraut. The dessert was incredible too; the best apple strudel I've ever had! Coming from the Northeast you're used to good eastern European food, but I didn't expect to have such an authentic experience in downtown Norfolk. If you like eastern European food or you're looking for something unique the Monastery won't let you down! read more

The Monastery delivers a great meal every time. The staff is extremely service-centric. We have been a handful of times and plan to be back often. The goose and duck dishes are our favorites. read more

Wow. all I can say is wow. The food was so authentic and the ambiance was great. the chef/owner was a riot.

My favorite restaurant in Downtown Norfolk. You walk through the wooden doors and are immediately in an Old World European establishment of dark ambiance and candlelight. A first rate place for that special romantic night together. Wonderful. She started with the tomato salad with feta cheese. She couldn't make out all the spices in the vinaigrette but enjoyed the salad immensely. I had the 1/2 dozen escargot swimming in chive, garlic, & onion butter. My only compliant was I thought the snails a little small in size. I'd recommend ordering a dozen if you really like escargot. Otherwise absolutely delicious, especially dipping the awesome home-made bread in that garlic sauce. My wife dined on the Szekely Goulash. Beef goulash in a sweet savory paprika sauce. Comfort food of the highest order. Very satisfying. I settled for my usual favorite, the Stuffed Cabbage. Two cabbage rolls stuffed with veal, rice & spices swimming in a sweet tomato sauce with a hint of cinnamon. The cabbage is so well cooked I didn't need a knife. The tomato sauce I'd buy by the gallon if they sold it. The server was impeccable as were his recommendations. The Chef came out to have a chat. A lovely mature woman. Strongly recommend you give this fine restaurant a try. read more

We have been coming here for almost 30 years. Food is always great. But service last night truly was not how it was in the past. My husband ordered a cup of coffee as a beverage and when it came server left it without asking if he wanted cream. Husband asked for it and server looking surprised went to get some. When my husband poured it into his coffee the cream curdled and was obviously bad. He then looked into the container and the entire container was sour creamer. Another server came by and my husband showed him what had happened. He asked if he wanted another cup of coffee and my husband being cautious asked to switch to soda instead, not wanting a repeat. Our server brought the soda but when bill came it included both a charge for coffee and soda. The server also brought two wrong meals to our table out of the three we ordered. Took quite a while for third meal to get to us correctly. Luckily we were sharing so we could eat the two without waiting and still have everything hot. Love the food but service has truly gone downhill. Food was 5star, but server only received 2. read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Norfolk!! The service is great and it is never to crowded.

I wanted to like this place...I really did. It's obviously a mom and pop joint, which I always appreciate. Unfortunately, the execution was just really poor. The food was mediocre, overcooked, and incredibly overpriced (think Applebees quality at Ruth's Chris prices). The waitress was amazingly rude (it was obvious she couldn't have cared less if customers ever came back). It is seriously incredible that this place has been in business as long as it has. Maybe it was a good restaurant at some point in time, but that time has definitely passed. With so many great options in Norfolk, make it easy on yourself and cross this one off your list. read more