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    Varia

    3.9 (319 reviews)
    Open 6:30 am - 9:30 AM

    Varia Photos

    Business Info

    VARIA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Live music
    Trendy
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Varia

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cindi W.

    While staying at the Main hotel, my husband and I decided to check out Varia's happy hour. Luckily it was early so we were able to get a table near the live music. We ordered drinks off the happy hour menu. My husband got old fashion and I got the champagne cocktail, we both enjoyed our drinks. The bread the servers bring out was warm and flavorful. My husband doesn't eat pork so we got the VERDURA E PRIMAVERILE pizza and added cheese. The pizza was cooked well. Defiantly a great spot for date night or ladies night.

    My favorite outfit
    Sharon W.

    The aesthetics of this place were beautifully done. The red piano and the entertainment was next level. The light coming in from the glass windows just lit up the whole restaurant. They also offer a private dining option in their back private bookcase. I didn't like my food here unfortunately, the pasta was too dry. The portions are perfect for light eaters. The wine however was amazing . The service was quick and reservations are a must if you want preference in seating. Overall a great experience for date night or birthday dinner.

    Whipped Honey Ricotta Brulee
    Candiss C.

    Went for dinner before our musical. Definitely a great date night spot. Looking to try the speakeasy next time. Tried a few dishes...I will definitely be back for more of the ricotta brulee. A good mix of sweet and salty, the oxtail ravioli is a no go for me. O think I was looking for a west Indian oxtail taste forgetting that's not this atmosphere.

    Radiatore
    Ray W.

    Thought I'd try something new for my birthday. Very good waitress, the food was just overall disappointing (meh taste and wayyy overpriced). Also a wine tasting event was going on so it was very loud and hard to hear the people at my table. More of a bar vibe than a restaurant.

    Kitchen in the background
    Stew G.

    Hi!! We staying at the Hilton for the weekend and Came here to say with Mrs Yelp for a belated birthday dinner. I really like the ambiance. Right lighting, the set up of the tables, the cozy bar- oh a piano and a live singer at the right volume. Service was spot on. Mrs Yelp had the rigatoni bolognese and it was very very good. I had the chicken parm. Good but not as good as her plate. Ate at the bar- had a perfect view of the kitchen and pizza oven- smelled great. Next time I plan on getting the chicken Marsala. Very nice spot. Good place for a celebration dinner. We'll be back..

    Tuscan wine
    Marilyn D.

    Attended a pharmaceutical dinner, and everything was absolutely delicious. We were seated in a private room at the back, which made for a nice, private setting. We started with the rice balls -- they were a great opener and tasted amazing. Next came the Caesar salad. I wish I had known it included sardines; I wasn't a fan of that addition. For the main course, I had the salmon, and it was cooked perfectly. However, the wine was seriously overpriced -- I ended up spending $65 on two glasses, only to find out later that the bottle retails for $17. Definitely a steep markup, but that one's on me for not checking the price beforehand. Overall, the staff was incredibly kind and attentive to our entire group.

    Ribeye

    Love varia and the beautiful scenery. We went for the NYE dinner, and it was truly amazing. The ribeye was one of the best I've ever had. The service was wonderful, and the sommelier selected the perfect red to go with our meal. Loved everything about our experience!!

    Grilled octopus
    Stephanie S.

    I had such a great experience here! The food, the service, and ambiance were all stellar. I tried the grilled octopus. It was actually good though I was thinking it wouldn't been more like calamari, just grilled. I also had the brussel sprouts, which were excellent!! The Parmesan cheese and honey was the perfect complement to the sprouts. I had the primavera as my meal, thought gluten-free so they made it with risotto. I added a chicken breast, which was very flavorful. It was yummy!! The veggies were sautéed, the risotto was velvety without cream. I also had a really good Pinot Noir, and a glass of a pink moscato. Audrey was our server; she was great and answered all of our questions about the menu. I can't wait to go back!!

    Caesar salad with chicken
    Sarena G.

    I love Varia!! If you haven't been then you've been sleeping on it!!! You can head to the bar at any time as long as there is an open seat. You'll be greeted by the bartender, Angel! And he is in fact a real angel! The ambiance is cool, upscale, relaxing. It's nice to dress up a little and go out. You'll find they have an awesome happy hour from 5-7pm and you'll also find they do live music most evenings. It's awesome piano music, saxophone, and singing. Very relaxing. The food is awesome!!! Not too expensive for the over all experience. You can come here and then head up to Grain if you like to stay out later, since Varia closes at 10pm. Check it out! Quit sleeping on it!

    Cioppino
    Edward S.

    Varia is a wonderful Italian restaurant in the heart of Norfolk. It is located in the Hilton--sometimes restaurants in hotels are suspect, but this is definitely worth a visit even if you are not staying in the hotel. It feels both luxurious and comfortable. Before getting into the food, one unique feature is that the have enomatic wine system. That is, they have 28 bottles that are sealed that you can do a variety of pour sizes. You purchase a wine card, then help yourself to wine. This was a lot of fun and we felt it was worth. The food was really great. We started with the half board of charcuterie. In particular, this had some very good cheeses, but a well-balanced mix. For the main course, I had the cioppino. This was outstanding. The base was this saffron risotto that soaked up the seafood flavor and was incredible. The portion size was a little small, so I just wished there was more of it. The seafood itself was flavorful and cooked perfectly, particularly the scallops. I tried some other dishes as well. The gnocchi was great, with really good flavor (and that portion was good). I also tried the chicken parm, which was also incredibly tasted, particularly the sauce. I was too full for dessert, but very pleased after a great meal

    Quawnishia M.

    Food Unfortunately this was just a wine night for us, so we didn't try any food. Service I booked a reservation on open table and was seated immediately when I arrived. Our sever was nice and attentive. Ambiance This is a beautiful wine bar with live music on the weekend. There was a singer and piano player the night we went. The wine selection wasn't over the top, it was just right for me. Oh, I must not forget the wine selection on tap upon entering the establishment. I will be back to enjoy more wine.

    Heirloom tomato bruschetta
    Julie P.

    I had really high expectations for Varia but sadly it did not meet them. My server, Shay, and the live music the night I went were really the saving graces. I really love Italian food but there were many moments here that confused me and left me feeling disappointed... I loved the taste of our appetizer. From the first looks of it, I thought it was rather small... because I was sharing it with a friend, we were curious to why it came in 3 rather than 4, especially if you want to share it. But nonetheless, it was a nice start to our meal. The heirloom tomatoes were soooo fresh! My friend ordered the chicken Marsala. I ordered the spaghetti carbonara but without the guanciale and with the herby grilled chicken as an enhancement. I did enjoy my pasta! It was creamy and a huge dish. My chicken didn't come out with it because the chef forgot it but eventually it came and it was paired nicely with the carbonara. My friend's chicken Marsala looked so questionable. The plating did not make it look appetizing. But also, the taste was not there. I tasted it to confirm that my friend wasn't going crazy... it really didn't taste like anything. Absolutely no flavors there. The woman sitting next to us felt the same way... both of them ending up asking for their dishes to be taken back. My friend didn't lose hope and ended up trying one of the specials that night, lobster risotto. He got lucky and the lobster risotto definitely saved the day! However, he didn't feel that it was priced fairly considering the amount you get. We ended the night with espresso martinis and tiramisu, kind of becoming a tradition to end dinner with... but we were sad to find that their tiramisu was not up to our standards. there was absolutely no cake in it? I would like there was like a teaspoon amount of cake and it was all the way at the bottom rather than layered between cream and espresso. Just not what you would expect when you say you want tiramisu... Anyways, vibes are immaculate here. I just wish the food matched the vibes. If it did, we would easily become regulars here.

    Mussels and garlic shrimp
    Sarena G.

    VARIA is an extremely beautiful restaurant! I love it here. I've never been in before because I thought I needed a reservation, and it turns out that I did not need a reservation. I walked up to the bar and sat down and met Angel, the bartender. I tried a couple different drinks, including the apeorl spritz. The ambience of this restaurant is very fancy and upscale. You don't have to dress formal, but I would recommend dressing at least business casual. They do a free wine tasting on Wednesdays during happy hour around 6 o'clock. Every day Tuesday through Friday is a happy hour between 5 PM to 7 PM which is really awesome. I headed there the other night and I got two appetizers that were only six dollars each on happy hour. I was full! They were delicious There is live music Thursday through Saturday in the evenings they play saxophone and piano and it's just a really wonderful peaceful vibe! I like to head there and then go upstairs to the fifth floor to go to Grain because Grain is open late

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    Good vegetarian pear pizza!! Cooked well and they provided napkins and such. Fast service at opening. Nice staff.

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    Ask the Community - Varia

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