This is a really nice spot within the Hilton on the Main located just off the lobby at check in, the menu was interesting with several offerings like stuffed figs and Sicilian dishes that I willhave to ask my grandmother about! (the stuffed figs were AWESOME) the wait staff started off promising but seemed to lose their enthusiasm when we did not take the $100+ bottle of wine and "settled" for a $60 bottle which was about 2x the price of a main dish. I find this to be the sweet spot on most menus. Vivino showed the bottle retailed about $28 so a very fair mark up The mains were really good, two of us swapped a different noodle versus the sauce / gravy that the chef offered on the menu. No problem and no upcharge The desert was a nuttella based chocolate offering that was really good, and glad that we shared it with the table apps, wine, mains, and one desert was just about $170 before the tip I would recommend read more

Varia - Stuffed figs are amazing - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

We rolled in here after the Wine Festival in the park on Sunday - after all that wine, we needed some more along with some tasty eats to help us soak it up. This restaurant is inside the Hilton -- apparently there are four or five places there. We almost went to Saltine (on the first floor), but it's more of an oyster/cocktail bar kind of place, and since we were already drinking wine, we wanted to stick with that route. So - first awesome thing - they were running a promotion where you could get a wine tasting card for half price. They have monitored machines that you insert the card in and then select your pour - 1 oz., 2.5 oz. or 5 oz. The only other place I've seen this style is at Whole Foods in Richmond. It's actually a fun way to sample a lot of different wines without committing to pre-set flights. And they had some heavy hitters (expensive!) wines you could try. I always appreciate that since rarely are you allowed to sample anything from the bottle that runs over a $50 price tag. I went about sampling wine and me and my other Yelp friends who rolled over with us ordered a few of the appetizers - crostini and pizza. The crostini is on really thick bread and comes in servings of three. I would have preferred to have them cut in half, serve six pieces with half the bread. The toppings were good though - I especially liked the olive one. And then the pizza - it's legit. That perfect balance with the crust and toppings. We had the pear one and the margarita. The pear was really something special - loved the greens on it - while the margarita was just sort of okay. I would have liked to see it kicked up a notch with fresh mozzarella slices and more fresh basil. Service was pretty solid throughout - the only thing that was annoying was when the wine you wanted to sample ran out. It didn't seem like there was a point person to keep track of the machines - so you had to grab someone and tell them if it malfunctioned (I watched one person wait for 15 minutes or so to rectify a purchase of 5 oz. that came out as a 1 oz.) or a bottle needed to be changed out. That might be a suggestion for the future - especially in happy hour - that someone on staff be assigned specifically to that area. Probably it was super busy because other folks from the wine festival had the same idea we did -- but it could have run smoother. Overall, I'd give the place a solid 4, leaning more toward that 4.5 for wine selection, service, and food tastiness. read more

In the past I felt that the food was just ok at Varia. We like the atmosphere and decided to try again. While my pizza did not come out correctly Reese our incredibly talented server was quick to make it right which we appreciated so much! Throughout our dinner Reese was attentive, engaging, funny and entertaining. We didn't want to leave. What will bring me back to Varia is the service. I'll be sure to request him and look forward to being lucky enough to be in his company again Service is so important to us and Reese exceeded our expectations read more

I had happy hour at the bar with the most friendly, professional and courteous bartender named Vaughn.the food was visually (as you can see below) appealing as well as fresh and delicious. Overall this was an amazing experience. From the open air kitchen concept to The pizza kitchen ovens to decor, it was a great time and I will certainly be back. Thanks again Vaughn for being so knowledgeable and making great food and drink recommendations! read more

Varia - The burrata appetizer - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

I was excited to use Restaurant week as an excuse to try a few new places. I tried Varia with a friend and as soon as I arrived, I realized it wasn't my first time visiting. I had previously had breakfast here when staying at the hotel. I don't remember bring wowed by the food during breakfast. I do remember feeling like we had over paid though. The restaurant has normal seating, but a good chunk of the available seating is more of a "living room" feel with a low table in the middle and comfortable chairs around it. This is perfect if you are visiting Varia for wine and lite bites, however it makes eating a meal a little more of a challenge. I remember being sat at one of these tables for breakfast, that definitely affected my almost-unmemorable experience. This was when the hotel and restaurants had just opened (within the first three months), so maybe breakfast has improved. Thankfully, for this visit they had one remaining booth table available before they started seating the low tables. Naturally, the booth sunk down so low that the table felt unnaturally high for my short self. I guess you can call me goldilocks- searching for the seat that is "just right" at Varia. During our recent lunch visit our service was really good, they were really busy with the restaurant week crowd, but they handled everything very efficiently. I was definitely pleased and impressed! I enjoyed the Italian meatball soup. It was a perfect portion for a lunch appetizer and really tasty. I would absolutely eat it again. My friend was less impressed with her caprese, however we both think that that was just an end-of-restaurant week minor issue. We both got the wagon wheel bolognese as our main dish and enjoyed it. It was good, nothing bad, but nothing really stand out about the meal. I see it being another meal at Varia that I'll ultimately forget about. That's my overall feeling towards Varia, it is a good place to visit and I am sure I will return. They haven't done anything negative, but they also haven't knocked it out of the park and given me something to remember. It just isn't a stand out for me. I haven't tried any of their wine experiences though, when I do, I'll be sure to update! read more

Food was amazing, service spectacular and happy hour drink prices during dinner until 7pm was great! We will be back

Varia is a gorgeous venue. Very upscale. You can't help but feel fancy if you dine here! I love the aesthetics of this place, it's as if your eyes are on a journey as well - just from looking around, you'll "feast" your eyes on beautiful settings, decor, and layouts. The menu is very classic - usually what's expected with French/Italian fare. I got the shrimp scampi and it was very lovely paired with my Vanderpump Rosè. The wine selection is superb. I couldn't help but to think the whole time that I was there that this would be a perfect, classy date night idea! I'd say if there were more options on the menu, that'd be great. Overall though, if you're looking for a fine dining restaurant- equipped with beautiful singers and performers most nights, then you should stop by! read more

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My first impression was great but as time went by that impression became false based on service. The ambiance of the restaurant was very classy and beautiful. Although, or server really sucked. We had a party of 6 and although the food was OK it was the service that sucked more. She was so soft spoken that we could barely hear her. She didn't go over the menu with us being this was our first time there. Someone came by asking how everything was, we responded everything was great and asked for our checks. She stated she would let our waiter know. Almost half an hour goes by and our waitress returns without our checks. The stars are based on the ambiance otherwise I would've given two stars. read more

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Happy hour is super cheap and drinks are solid. Don't waste your time on the pizza. Lot of flour underneath and almost like a cracker it was so hard. Sucks because I saw the dough before he rolled it into a cracker and had more potential. read more

I usually come mainly for appetizers and drinks. I truly love the ambiance and decor. Very Hollywood!

My favorite place to have a romantic date. The food is great. They also have great wine. It's beautiful inside. They have live music. Everyone should go at least once!!! read more

I joined a group of 12 here for a dinner party and was immediately dazzled by the atmosphere. Our waitress, Micah Ann was wonderful! She was able to handle our big table with patience and accuracy. I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and it was incredible. Our table also had a cheese platter that was delicious and calamari that was to die for. The only thing I was disappointed in was the Caesar salad. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys feeling fancy for sure. It was a nice break from a traditional family style restaurant we lean towards. read more

Took myself out to dinner while in town for a conference. Would definitely recommend this restaurant. The service was great and well-paced. There was a piano player creating a wonderful ambiance. I had the grilled octopus as an appetizer and the Cioppino for my main course and would recommend both. read more

Just okay! The ambiance was super cute, and the service was great - the food was just average.

Varia is big for ambiance food is pricey but not many choices . The service is good I never have issues making reservations or being served when I visit . This place is great for birthdays or any special occasion!! read more

My friend was kind and let me choose the restaurant for a belated birthday dinner. Thank you! This restaurant is pricey for dinner and is located in the Hilton on the Main in Norfolk on the second or third floor ( I can't remember). This was my first time coming here and my first impressions with the interior decorations were very appealing to the eyes and senses. I got a very hip, contemporary, artsy and bourgeois feel when I walked in. It's very eclectic as well , ranging from obscure art to a Sherlock Holmes pub feel with the secret book shelves passageway entrances to the private rooms in the back. It's quite a grand feeling that over comes you. I think the old chandeliers acquired from the Old Cavalier add to that feel with a toss of eyes wide shut with the majestic overtures of the drapes partitioning the seating. It's an exciting feeling for a dining experience! Are we in some super exquisite, exclusive boys' club where it's forbidden but we somehow got invited to this adventurous dining experience?! I wasn't sure what to think, but it does make the dining experience exciting and mysterious! The menu is not very extensive but it does offer a range of vegetarian dishes to seafood, poultry and beef. The grilled swordfish was a generous portion served with Ratatouille and was very tasty. Their asparagus are humongous but once again very flavorful. It had to be the best asparagus I've ever had! The dessert menu ranged from almond cake, crepe brûlée, chocolate cake and Nutella crack pie. With all due respect- my friend mentioned that my husband's almond cake looked like a "tasty cake" in which we had a good laugh because it indeed did, but unfortunately the last laugh was on us because it did taste like a tasty cake and not the good ones and not at the "Tasty Cake" price either. To add insult to injury it was topped with mango chutney? Or just plain mango. My husband hates fruit on his desserts. I don't think it was in the dessert description I could be wrong. Because had it been my husband would have never ordered it, but it might have be a slight oversight on his part. I don't know. I had the Nutella crack pie which was good. Our waiter was friendly and he put a candle on my dessert but I felt he could've been more attentive to our table than he was. We had empty dishes on the table for a while that was taking up table space. There was another younger gentleman that came around that cleared our plates and filled our glasses more frequently. Over all a good experience. Other rooms for improvement could be catering to their restaurant patrons with the Valet parking. The valet guy wasn't rude but he told us that they were only taking hotel guests for valet due to limited parking spaces. This could have been due to the wine fest. So we ended up parking in the lot down the street. Otherwise, I will probably come back when I want to celebrate a special occasion. read more

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We went for a romantic dinner during Norfolk downtown restaurant week. The appetizers, entrees, and (especially) dessert were generously portioned and delicious. Service was attentive and very accommodating. Good wine list, too. There's an attached wine bar that we'd like to come back and explore further. Overall a great dining experience + read more

Best food ever in such a beautifully appointed dining room! We celebrated my sister's birthday here and it was nothing short of phenomenal. The chef is spot on with preparation of the Frutti Di Mari! The pasta was perfectly al dente! The flavors just played on your taste buds! The crème brûlée was absolutely delicious!! The lighting was subdued with light music in the background. The bar and brick oven sits central within the restaurant. There are two private dining rooms nestled behind a library of bookcases. It's a cozy atmosphere for small or large groups hosting special events. They have an extensive wine list and array of beer. They serve a wide-range of fare, from steaks to pasta, to vegetarian dishes, to seafood! So they have something for everyone! The service is quintessential. Our waiter was very cordial and accommodating! Will definitely return!!! read more

The food and drinks there were amazing. Our waitress Kaylee did one of the best jobs I've ever experienced. She was on top of everything and constantly taking care of my sister and I. Such a great time and restaurant. read more

Loved it! Went to dinner with some family here and we were all very impressed. The food and drinks were delicious, the live music was a plus! Our waitress, Jordy, was such a pleasure to have serving us. My fiancé is a picky eater and his mom is even more picky about her drinks- She made perfect recommendations for both. Made us feel very welcome and helped us from the start through the end. Tips WELL deserved - We will be back! read more

Wine Bar! Live entertainment!!! Food is Amazing!!! Atmosphere is amazing! Best place in Norfolk!! read more

Varia - Awesome Atmosphere!! - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Had a lovely dinner with friends at Varia. Our server, Jordie T. was excellent - friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, offering good wine selections for our meal and attentive. She made our dinner extra enjoyable. read more

I have been here twice and it's one of my favorites now. Its in a good location where they have two parking garages. Also, the hotel has valet. The restaurant is located on the second floor. It's really a cute place and they normally have live entertainment at night. They have a winery machine as soon as you walk in that you can use on your own with a variety. The waiters are nice and well put together. We could see the chefs and a part of the kitchen as we ate. They have a room towards the back that has what looks like a secret door behind a wall of books where they seat more guest. Their furniture is nice too and of course the restrooms are clean. It looks like most plp dress up and/or wear their work clothes. It's a lot of business over that way so I assume most of their customers are coming from work to happy hour. I dressed casually. I personally enjoyed all of my visits here because they have treated me so nicely. read more

Varia - Gnoci and chicken pasta - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Sooo first visit, made a reservation--not needed. I came 30 min early, the place was empty. I sat at the bar. The design is lovely from the geometric honey comb ceiling to the glorious chandeliers and all the way to the vibrantly red piano. However, lunch may not be their forte. While I arrived at 115 pm , their offering of a $15 buffet was tired. The pasta was all over cooked. The tomatoes were anemic and grainy. There was not even a spec of fresh basil in the caprese salad. And there was a plate of sad toasted baguette w a bruschetta that had been sitting on its now soggy platform for many hours. The pot roast was the highlight, tender and infused w a lovely grilled pepper flavor. A cocktail menu was missing. I was told to accentuate the wine bar atmosphere. My server was sloppily dressed in a less than white, wrinkled shirt and barely a tied tie. I was told the wine selection by the glass was standard. The tomato bisque looked pretty but was gloppy w melted cheese not properly incorporated. Dessert menu looks interesting I'm about to have the olive oil cake and gelato. We shall see. read more

Varia - Tomato bisque - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Nothing exciting, but nothing terrible. I've had much better service and pasta in other restaurants throughout Hampton Roads. My small party of 4 had multiple issues with their orders, and I believe the food to be overpriced for the quality. It's a decent restaurant if you are staying at the attached hotel, but I will not be going out of my way to visit Varia again. read more

Holy Happy HOUR!!! They have select sommelier wines for $4. Tapas plates for $5 and beers on special. They are only offered in the bar area from 5-7pm Monday-Friday. The fresh made pizzas are wonderful, they have a chef from Sicily making them so you know they are official! They have a wines by the glass tap system driven by nitrogen. A selection of 25 different wines give you a great selection from a high to low price point depending on your budget. So, here's the deal with that, if you buy a $100 wine card you get a $100 credit on your card. Yielding you $200 on the card. What a phenomenal deal, right?! I enjoy coming here, especially when Pete and Sean are working. read more

Varia - $5 Tapas for Happy Hour 5-7 - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Dave and I had dinner reservations for New Year's Eve. Their New Year's dinner menu was $75 and if you're an avid wine drinker they also provided wine pairing for an additional $35. The restaurant has a great romantic ambiance. Seating was spaced out enough so there was 'privacy' from others who are wining and dining at other tables. I think if we were seated in the front of the restaurant we wouldn't have had the same experience... just saying. Its too close to the front by escalators/elevators. Oh and they do have a secluded private section for private parties. Overall, very nice restaurant, great service and memorable experience to end the year and ring in a new year! read more

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They get one star because of the great decor and one for good waiter. Went on first night of restaurant week. Ordered bruschetta and the meatball apetizers and both were disappointing. Had chicken marsala and rigatoni vodka sauce for main courses. Chicken ok but not a good marsala sauce. The vodka sauce was miserable. Hed the chocolate cake with vanilla gelato for desert. Came with whipped cream instead of gelato and cake was cold and dry. Waiter said they were out of the gelato. Really out of key ingrediant of desert on opening night of restaurant week? Very disappointing experience especially for such a pricey place. read more

Soooooo good!!!! Pretty much tried everything on the menu! You have to try the crème brûlée and they also have ladies night specials which is every Thursday. read more

Our charcuterie tray was amazing. Our meals tasting great. Syria provided attentive service and took care of us. I was a little disappointed with the individual carrot cake dessert, it was slightly dry and dull. read more

Really fancy restaurant and amazing decor. All the tables are different. They even have a room behind the bookcase. On the second level of the hilton. It's a must stop in location if you are in be area. I had the swordfish it was excellent and someone had fried lasagna read more

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Logan was amazing. He recommended the Ciopinno and it was perfect. The drinks were great and our server acted with great urgency. 10/10, will definitely be back! read more

The good was phenomenal and the service was superb! My boyfriend and I came to celebrate our anniversary and we had a great time. The jazz band played soft tunes in the background as we dined. Absolutely get a bottle of wine- it's worth it! He had the veal and I had the seafood pasta. The seating was great. We sat near the library area. I almost preferred to sit nearer to the music because of how pretty the velvet seating was, but I was actually happier to be closer to the bookshelves as it helped buffer the sound a bit for our intimate evening. I strongly suggest the pistachio creme brûlée for dessert! read more

Varia - King crab pasta - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Stumbled across this place on a Thursday night with my lady after we decided that Grain was too packed. The wait time was about an hour but we were in no rush so I was fine with waiting. The hostess added us to the list and took down my phone number and assured me that I would receive a text when the table was ready. We roamed around different areas to kill time and arrived back about 5 minutes before the table was supposed to be ready and I arrived right on time because I was able to be seated immediately. I fell in love with this place as soon as I walked in, the atmosphere was so relaxing and the live music was the icing on the cake. When I saw the gentleman on the piano and the woman singing some soothing Jazz and R&B it made me feel like I was in a movie. After being seated under the beautiful chandelier our waiter came and took our drink orders and provided us with menus. There was a tablet on the table that had a bunch of wine options to choose from. We started off with Muscles as an appetizer, they were sitting on top of a marinara/spaghetti type sauce and was very delicious. The waiter was awesome by the way, he was very knowledgeable and able to answer every question I had about the menu and came back to check on us periodically. After reviewing the menu I chose the Salmon Saltimbocca because I love salmon. I had to force myself to eat it slow because it was so damn good and I didn't want it to be gone so fast. Everything about this place was perfect to me. I'll be back again for another lovely date night. read more

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Up front - I can't speak to the food. It smelled great, but we didn't stay. The hostess and waiter were warm and welcoming, but the piano player's mic was so loud it was insufferable. The piano itself was fine background music, but when he started in on "Killing Me Softly," oh, dear. "Killing Me Loudly," more like. The mic was so distorted it was like the PA system in a bus terminal set to music. Torture. Too bad. We left hungry and disappointed. read more

Visited Varia for the first time last night for their ladies night. Our server was Samantha and she was incredibly warm and knowledgeable about the menu and the variety of wines Varia serves. She helped us to choose food that complimented nicely with what we were noshing on. We loved all of her recommendations! Will definitely be back for another ladies night. read more

Very nice place! Located inside the Hilton hotel. Service was great food was delicious and for a nice added touch they had music which was nice. read more

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This place is beautiful!! I feel intensely in love with how the restaurant was laid out!! The atmosphere was excellent with an amazing singer named Clarissa providing the entertainment. She had a wonderful voice and her pianist was fantastic as well!!!! The food was delicious!! We had Momma's Meatball and so you know it's a softball on a plate! It was tender moist and delicious! The accompanying tomato sauce was to die for and we almost did attempting to eat it all! So glad we shared. The service was a five out of ten sadly but the manager was wonderful. The tiramisu cheesecake was incredible!! We can't wait to go back because this place located inside The Hilton in Downtown Norfolk Virginia is worth it! Sorry about the meatball not being whole but you get the idea!!! read more

Varia - Momma's Meatball at Varina!!! - Italian Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Great food, great atmosphere and even better service! Took my wife here for date night and was not disappointed! Outstanding place I'm sure we will visit again! read more

Ambiance was beautiful so I'm expecting the same in food. It was a let down. My partner returned their meal. My meal was bland and it took a long time to get to the table. However, service was polite. read more