Holy smokes! Best food on our trip! Literally just driving by hwy and needed food and found this scrumptious place. I had the watermelon salad and hubs had the sweet potato hash with wild boar sausage. We could have licked the plates. The people working there were obviously foodies and gave us tips for places on our route. What a gem! read more

Vault & Cellar - Sat in the padded high Queen seats at the bar! - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

This little gem is well worth the visit. Housed in an old bank, it is loaded with charm - and an excellent whiskey selection. Had the shrimp and grits and it is literally the best I've ever had (and I've had a lot in a lot of different big and small cities). The country ham is a flavorful substitute for bacon and the grits were creamy with just the right hint of chew. Do yourself a favor and get a soft poached egg on top for an amazing brunch dish read more

Let me first say that this is probably the best restaurant in the Middleburg/Woodstock/Strasburg area. This is the only place to go if you want a nice date night and a fancy cocktail. Overall I wish this restaurant would just simplify the menu. Some flavor pairings were just odd; like the duck and corn cake dish. The corn cakes just didn't add anything to the dish. That being said, the boar sausage was really good. We were frankly confused by the panna cotta. It came out with an enormous potion of curd and only a dollop of the cream. The cheesecake tasted like it had been in the fridge a long time and had very little custard. The crust was so hard you couldn't break it with a fork. Finally, portions are small for the price you are paying. read more

Driving down 81 passing through and found this place on Yelp. Not a bad drive off the highway at all and wow... so worth it! Cocktails were amazing. Food was amazing. I ordered things I normally would not have an was so pleased. Very friendly and efficient staff. I was lost on some of the menu items and they talked me through options and it was a hit. Cute atmosphere and amazing cocktail/bourbon selection. I ate the pesto spaghetti squash and I so wish I could make this at home. For a gluten free vegetarian dish it was filling! Looking forward to having the leftovers later :) read more

OMG. This food. These drinks. This amazing building. I want to curl up and die in this restaurant. Lock me in the vault. Ok. I'll slow it down. We get there, right? Quaint little place, very unsuspecting. Check in and greeted warmly by everybody. There's an awesome patio with herbs and flowers and we get a cocktail while the kiddo is enjoying the weather. Cocktails- I didn't know that I didn't know how something could kick me in the mouth that hard. Just waive a hand in any general direction of this cocktail menu and wait for it...you can't miss. The whiskey and bourbon menu alone will make any connoisseur weep. Food- if it sounds strange, that's what you want. These wondrous culinary magicians do unworldly things with food that fever dreams can't touch and you'll be like "why peanuts? pickled what?" - shut up and eat it and let it slap you like your mama shoulda right in the mouth. Don't save room for desert- that goes in an extra compartment, and you go for it like Bruce Bogtrotter because this is now a competition to have as much dumb-founding amazing food as you can. We got one of everything. Judge me. I have no regrets. I will be back. I will be there all night (again). I love Vault and Cellar. read more

This place was so good! My family of 6 went for dinner. The appetizer was delicious(Scotch Eggs), every entree was very good(we had catfish, wild boar sausage, pork chops), cocktails were great(I had the devil went down to Georgia), and desserts were amazing(chai ginger crème brûlée and s'mores mousse).Everyone was happy with their choices. I highly recommend this place!! read more

We enjoyed Sunday brunch here. So glad we made the 45 minute drive to Middletown. The host and server were friendly and attentive. We had a hard time deciding what to choose for our entrees, there were so many good choices! Husband had the eggs benny with salmon and I had the venison steak and eggs. Everything was amazing! The bearnaise sauce was so perfect with the medium rare venison. He had a couple pours of whiskey, their list is as advertised - extensive and terrific. The Bloody Mary I had was delicious too as well as the gin cocktail special. We will definitely be back. The food was so good and I can't wait to try more menu options. read more

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What a gem! The decor and atmosphere is nice but laid back, the service is great, and the food was fantastic. We shared the chicken liver pate and the pork belly bites for starters which were both great. I had an old fashioned from the House Cocktails which was perfect. Tried the duck for my main course and it was perfectly cooked and the flavors of the whole dish were amazing. I live in the Northwest US and would go to JuneBaby in Seattle when it was there, which was a Southern/soul food restaurant that won a James Beard award for best new restaurant in the NW one year, and my meal at Vault & Cellar was just as fantastic as any meal I had there. If this was located where I live I'd be here all the time. read more

Just found this place!!!! Wow!!! Unbelievable! Gourmet, well balanced meals with amazing taste. We had shrimp and grits, peanut soup, quail scotch eggs !!! I'm coming back again and again!!! This Chef is awesome!!! Cool small restaurant feel, with an out of this world bourbon list!!! New favorite restaurant in Virginia! read more

Fantastic! Beautiful location has a charm that you don't get in most places. This place really makes you feel special with immediate service and hot and delicious food. 100% best bourbon selection anywhere! I didn't count how many they had but I went straight for the E.H. Taylor! The onion fritters and pork cubes were great! We ordered the verde sauce and it tasted almost like Hispanic chicharones. I ordered the burger and I loved the combination of fresh onions and apples with a sweet bbq sauce on top. I would defiantly recommend you drive here now and try! read more

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Amazing spot! Lovely old building with exposed brick and the vault now literally used as a cellar. The menu was a nice blend of familiar & adventurous. We had the pork chop & duck. Our dinner companions had the goat. We started the meal with boiled peanuts (we had never tried them before and loved them!) and the egg roll (excellent mustard sauce) and finished with their homemade biscuits & shaved Brussel sprout salad (our order got a little mixed up, but glad we saved room). Everything was delicious. We capped off the evening by sharing a bourbon flight (a rare find of antique bourbon) and their pecan pie. An exquisite evening! We will be back when we're in the area and we will recommend this place to family & friends! read more

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Disappointed in food and drinks. Expected fine dining but got basic overcooked food, with pricey drinks. read more

This is such a cute place! Definitely recommend. My husband enjoyed the old fashioned and the pork chop for dinner. We had the burrata appetizer and loved it! It comes with toasted bread on the side. I had the duck for my meal and it was amazing! Loved the corn cakes and asparagus that came with it. I had the paper plane and steel magnolias cocktails and enjoyed both. Overall good atmosphere, we ate well and will be back soon!! read more

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INCREDIBLE food. A little on the pricey side but well worth it. The cocktails and bourbon menu are insane as well!

We used to frequent this place often when it was Nana's Irish Pub. We were sad to see Nana's close, but the new restaurant dare I say is even better. I had the duck. My wife had the wild boar sausage. Both cooked to perfection and complimented beautifully with simple but unique and flavorful recipes. We also enjoyed the scotch Irish eggs and Appalachian spring rolls for appetizers. Clever presentations and fresh tasting ingredients for both. But the bourbon list The bourbon list Oh sweet heaven the bourbon list Best I've seen in Virginia - with many hard to find bottles and very fair prices Staff very friendly and perfect service This place would get 5 stars in NYC. But we have it now in our own backyard read more

Just wow. Who would expect this place in little ol' Middletown?! Drink- sangria special, great. App- black walnut pesto mozzarella. Did not expect to like it as much as I did. I would have loved to have just had the pesto by the spoon fulls. Meal- savory waffles. You can taste the homemade fresh in the béarnaise. Desert- apple crisp. No "crisp" but warm and apples were baked perfect. Can't wait to go back. read more

10/10! The food is absolutely delicious and the service is great. If you want more of a quiet setting, request the downstairs seating. read more

Vault & Cellar - Rabbit - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

This place is a culinary adventure - in an awesome way! I love this restaurant. The drinks are amazing too, especially if you like bourbon.

Amazing dinner with friends! Great food and awesome bourbon list at reasonable prices. read more

Vault & Cellar - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

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Omg this place is WONDERFUL. It is so special and the staff is so friendly you feel like you are at a dinner party. Oh! The food and drinks were spectacular. My husband had the Appalaskan cocktail that was delicious and I loved the Pretty Boy Floyd. The food was incredible. This is truly a special place with a welcoming staff who work hard and love what they do. read more

This place has it all, a great vibe, a unique set of food options to highlight the Appalachian region and a more than grateful staff. Would recommend to all coming to area. read more

Excellent brunch. Our server was personable and knowledgeable about the menu. We really enjoyed the atmosphere in the restaurant. The old bank vault next to our seats added to our enjoyment of the brunch as we took a break from touring Civil War historical sites. I wish we lived closer to visit more frequently. read more

My husband and I had an EXCELLENT meal Saturday night. We had the Appalachian egg rolls, watermelon salad, shrimp and grits, and duck. We also had the pecan pie. Everything we ate was delicious, the space is beautifully decorated and the staff is incredible. We plan to be back soon and have recommended it to all our friends. read more

I usually don't write reviews for a business unless I can write a five star review; however, because this restaurant was so highly recommended to us, and because we were so utterly disappointed despite the recommendation and great reviews from other customers, I felt I had to submit a review. Let me preface my review by saying that the chef/owner comped our entire dinner because she recognized that her establishment had failed to meet even the minimum expectations, so I give her credit for that. We had reservations for four on a Saturday evening at 7:30, which included my husband, our two adult daughters and me. The restaurant was extremely noisy, so much so that our usually exceedingly tolerant 24 year old daughter complained about the volume of noise. After our order was taken, the waiter returned to our table to tell us that they were sold out of both the appetizer and the entree that my husband had ordered. My husband decided to forego an appetizer and ordered another entree. We then waited...and waited...and waited for 1 1/2 hours for our dinners to arrive. When they finally did arrive, my entree was nowhere to be seen. Our server then asked me what I had ordered and told me it would arrive in three minutes. Needless to say, my order had never been submitted with the others, so it was not ready in three minutes. In fact, my family finished their meals, and mine never arrived. My husband actually had to go back into the kitchen to speak with the chef who told him that all our meals were being comped, and mine was packaged for me to take home. I wish I could say that the quality of the food made up for the complete lack of service, but unfortunately, that was not the case. We all felt the small portions, combined with the lack of quality and expense of each meal, was extremely disappointing. In fact, I actually threw my meal in the garbage when we got home. There was one highlight of the evening, and that was my drink, the Steel Magnolia. It was absolutely delicious, and I would highly recommend it. read more

After being spoiled with the culinary delights of Charleston, SC dining out in the surrounding areas of my birthplace of Front Royal, VA seems to always fall flat. To say that I was blown away by this small restaurant in Middletown, VA would be a gross understatement. The menu is innovative with surprising twists that pay homage to the local Appalachian roots without sacrificing extraordinary culinary genius. The watermelon salad's combinations of fresh flavors danced around my palate leaving me excited to experience the next course. The Appalachian Egg Rolls elevated all that is wonderful about down home country cooking with an outstanding presentation packed with flavor in every bite. The Arancini was an unexpected magical combination of both flavor and texture and should not be overlooked. For my main course I had the Venison. It was perfection! It was hard for me to imagine that there could be any dessert that could hold it's own with such an extraordinary meal. The featured special dessert was a fennel honey peach with ginger ice cream. All I can tell you is that I am still dreaming about it! Vault and Cellar is one of the best kept secrets in the Shenandoah. I visited this restaurant twice while I was in the area and I can't wait to go back! read more

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Best "fancy" restaurant outside (around, in, near) DC. The flavor combinations are so complex and delicious. Things you wouldn't think you'd put together, the chef turns into the best tasting meal you've ever eaten. I've paid 3-4x the money at so-called high end restaurants and the food didn't even come close to this place in taste. read more

Vault & Cellar - That's a peach cobbler on the left and an apple crumble on the right. So. Friggin. Good. - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

Drinks were made well but over priced, food was average only and service was bad. Wait time was confusingly long. On parr with an Applebees

Love this place and will continue to go back. Food is amazing and service is great. Make your reservation in advance because they fill up fast. read more

Food was good, the service was terrible. Our waitress literally left before our appetizer was served. With all the wonderful restaurants in the area you'd think they would bring their 'A' game. It just wasn't so. They seem to cater to friends and locals. Dine here at your own risk. read more

I've never had food like this before. So delicious and creative. I was amazed how big the drink list is. read more

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I had brunch at this newer restaurant in Middletown and was looking forward to being wowed based on the reviews. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with both the service and the food. My companion and I ordered brunch (eggs benedict and omelette) and could hardly eat the food it was so salty. I had eggs benedict with country ham which had enough sodium on its own and no extra salt was needed. The eggs were runny and the potatoes were cold, salty and limp. My partner had the omelette which was also over salted and he couldn't finish it. When the food was delivered, we didn't have utensils and had to wait for them to be delivered to our table. Overall a very unsatisfactory meal. read more

Really nice experience. The venison tenderloin the best deer meat I ever ate and I am a redneck. The special wagyu steak which 3 of the 4 of us got was awesome. The one negative I had heard before going was portion size but that was not an issue. We did get appetizers and they were all really good. What a great and unique restaurant we have here in our area with this place. If you are hoing to get "your panties in a wad" from a cold air draft you may ask for a table away from the door. We noticed that air but it did not bother us. Maybe the good whiskey helped. read more

Vault & Cellar - 3 Waygu steak specials - Diners Near Me - Middletown, Virginia

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Creative and delectable. I can't decide on the leading word to describe the cuisine of this fabulous new restaurant, and you won't be able to either after you have to decide between the boiled peanuts and the Appalachian egg rolls for teaser alone. Their menu is mysterious and for good reason; it is ever changing and offers different featured meals weekly. I had the duck entree tonight and it was incredible! I highly recommend stopping in for a meal and bourbon pairing. What an enchanting new spot in the Shenandoah valley. read more

We had a lovely meal at this new restaurant. Had a delicious Rabbit dish, my kids even loved it. Seems like they are getting their legs under them, service was solid, food was quick and tasty. Great atmosphere, family friendly, and super cool space. A great addition to the area. read more

This restaurant has, at the very least, Bib Gourmand written all over it! Mind blowing food and drinks paired with a fantastic team makes this a must try. Really, I would live here if I could! read more

The previous review say it all. My husband and I took a road trip just to eat here. The bourbon and food did not disappoint. It was refreshing to sit and have a good bourbon and good conversation with the staff. Save room for dessert the bourbon apple crisp is a winner. After our amazing dinner we walked it off on all the amazing hiking they have near by. A true gem of the area. read more

We went for brunch on Easter Sunday and the atmosphere, service and food were great. Would definitely go back.

Fabulous place! The food is fresh and well prepared. The menu is constantly changing so there's always something new and inventive to try.

I am sorry to say I am posting this review extremely late. This place deserves better than I can do it justice. My wife and I went here for our anniversary and it was an unforgettable experience. The staff went out of their way to accommodate us and make our dining experience truly memorable. Everything about the restaurant is amazing, the food, the unique and charming atmosphere and of course the unparalleled whiskey selection. I mean for a place far and removed from a major metro area there is nothing close to the quality of food and selection of spirits. This is absolutely a destination to add to your list. I wish we lived closer as we would make this our weekly go to spot. You will assuredly not be disappointed. Simply amazing people, wonderfully thought of menu and incredibly well prepared dishes. I would say a hidden gem but this place is just to good not to share. Do yourself a favor and don't think twice, stop if for an amazing experience. Get here before it becomes super famous and the waiting list grows to a year or more. Honestly it's that good. read more

What a fantastic establishment. Having moved from the culinary panacea of San Francisco to Knoxville and just now traveling back from a New England summer I can honestly say this is the best food I have had in ten months. The menu read like a love sonnet, an ode to seasons and thoughtful pairings. The bar is mind blowing. The cocktails curious and delightful without the usual sugary highjacking. This is what happens when an experienced person with a vision, great space and supportive people meld together. I can not recommend this place enough. We over ordered to not miss out on dishes we will likely never encounter again. Turn off the 81, come visit this place. And I have not even told you about the downstairs speakeasy like bar or the outdoors. A rare gem not to be missed. read more