Virginia’s

A lovely place to dine in the east village. The service was most pleasant, atmosphere conducive for socializing with friends and the food was very tasty. Really enjoyed our dinner!

4.25 stars for their burger.
Cute place hidden on Avenue C. We were welcomed by a professional service from Eric… truly a nice guy.
We pretty much came here for their famous burger ($ 18), and were not disappointed. It’s only available if you’re sitting at the bar, so please don’t be a jerk trying to get it from a table. Good quality of beef, great bun, very good cheese, and delicious caramelized onions. Definitely top-​5 burgers I’ve had in the city. It doesn’t come with anything other than a few pickles, so the price tag is kinda high. However, it’s a very sizable bun that will fill you up if you’re not starving.
I can’t wait to go back and try more dishes.

Very good meal from the small plates to the main course. Service was very good, our server was knowledgeable and helpful.
Will have to go back and sit at the bar to try their burger.

I was really excited about trying this place after reading all the great reviews, and it did not disappoint. I had the virginia spritz cocktail, which was an amazingly refreshing citrusy and not-​too-​sweet spruced up version of a wine spritzer. The meat and cheese appetizer was delicious, as well as the scallops and steak. The portions are fairly small so it’s nice to order multiple menu items between a table and sample. Something was a little off about the ambiance that I couldn’t really put my finger on — maybe the lights were too bright or the rap music? — but with food that good it’s fully worth the trip.

Had a reservation here for my birthday with friends, but we were late… and missed our table…
We were quickly offered an apology — which was completely unnecessary as it was our fault completely — and offered seats at the bar… now…I had read up the restaurant before coming and jumped at this offer! I knew there were good things only available at the bar!
And I would just like to quickly mention here that you should completely ignore the reviews by the spoiled NY reviewers that were upset that they couldn’t get the burger at the tables — the restaurant is very clear about this policy. And I can just imagine the obnoxious behavior of these pompous brats and Virginia’s staff has my sympathy… how dare they tell other people how they should run their businesses… gross presumptuousness.
Our dinner was fantastic. We tried so many different things and loved them all. The beer and wine selection with educated suggestions was a treat. And yes… that burger you’ve been hearing about is that good — BUT ONLY AT THE BAR. Don’t be an ass — if you want the burger, sit at the bar.
Service was attentive and fun. The staff obviously has a great respect and joy for Virginia’s and it shows.
I can’t wait to go back… and I’m torn about where to sit… but I keep thinking about that burger!
Thank you Virginia’s for making my birthday dinner and extra special treat in every possible way!

Sat at a table of 6. Only 1 who wanted a burger. They refused. They offered I sat at the bar myself. Will never come back again. Time to get off your high horse Virginias.

I still don’t understand why they don’t just serve the burger at the tables. It’s the best thing about this place. Without the burger this place is just an average restaurant. The burger lived up to the hype though. Service is slightly pretentious for caliber of food.

Virginia’s was good, but there’s an emphasis on sugar, salt, and fat to make the dish taste complete. The fish in particular was very salty.
Overall, I felt this place was a bit overrated, and more expensive than it should have been.
Perhaps the burger (only available at the bar) makes for a better meal.

GawDAMN! Just had one of the best burgers I’ve eaten in the past year.
The bartender was great and the beer was tasty. You did it Virginia’s!

Review for burger and bar only.
I’m so happy this burger exists. Can’t stop thinking about it. The ingredients are thoughtful (the jam ratio to cheddar cheese with pickled cucumber on the side), it is cooked perfectly (you can tell when meat rests to avoid a lot of juice spilling onto your board while still being juicy medium rare) and it’s definitely the best burger bun I’ve had in forever. Could be my new NYC fave. Can’t wait to go back for it. Bar only, back of restaurant, approx 10 seats. Talking about food and drink with the Eric the bartender was an added bonus. Well curated beer/​wine list. It’s on avenue C. So what. get there.

The food here was good with some interesting dishes and other standard staples. The crab chowder is not to be missed. Eggplant toast was ok. Mushroom risotto pretty yummy. Brussel sprouts were standard and the scallops were also just ok. Nothing too unique honestly. The byrrh cocktail was very good.
What I noticed was how they kept trying to rush us out. We were four girls catching up on a Friday and I saw no reason for them to keep pulling our semi-​full plates away. I find that such a huge difference vs dining in Europe. There you’re expected to linger. Here it’s like a big revolving door. Granted, sometimes I’m in a NY rush and I’m in and out. But when I can take the time to enjoy my meal, I’d rather not be pushed out the door. Feel me?

First things first, did I feel out of place for not ordering a glass of wine? Of course I do. Let’s be real, this place is theoretically not for anyone under 21. I had a hard time to settle with tap water and continue drinking my Starbucks latte without being stared at, which trust me, wasn’t a pleasant experience (they came to me three times trying to get rid of my coffee!) I don’t know if it is this place’s fault or maybe just because I’m in East Village and nobody adores Starbucks. Or maybe it’s just me being picky.
Otherwise, things are pretty solid. Our über ride came a tiny bit late but we had no problem settling for a nice table. My burger was nice, just as nice as everyone else cited, and my buddy’s sandwich turned out quite nice. Very juicy, very satisfying, and stimulated my taste bud just enough for me to not grab a dessert at the end.
I’d love to say this place is casual, but even without the wine, it went a tidbit above my budget. Saw a table of wealthy, presumably Jewish gentleman, who seems to be having the time of their lives. That’s how I will show up here the next time.

If you’re an alphabet city local, this place may remind you of a fancier Gigi’s! Yes, I mean there is old school hip hop, great service & DELICIOUS food.
There is no other place like this in the neighborhood~
DESSERT FIRST: get the toffee cake w nuts and vanilla bean
Appetizer:
Celery soup w foie gras: much thicker and richer than I was expecting — there were some seasonal berries. All around beautiful plating (see pic)
Grilled shrimp: cooked perfectly in a light butter sauce w strips of charred mushroom
Main:
Steak w chorizo & bok choy: steak is cooked perfectly in a sauce thats sweet enough to pair perfectly with the bok choy
Sea bass: charred perfectly in a creamy sauce

My girlfriends and I stumbled into this restaurant after trying another place out but was too crowded.
We ordered:
Charred eggplant toast: this was good but a little salty
Butternut squash risotto: super rich but good
Atlantic striped bass: this was really good and the skin was crispy
Diver scallops
Dark chocolate cake: a perfect portion to share
We sat at the bar and it was a pleasant experience, the bartender was really cool and friendly.

Put on your brooks running shoes and sprint over to avenue C and 11^th street to Virginias! The space is cute and the service is great and the burger is out of this world! I would argue that it is one of the best burgers in NYC right now. The jam, cheese and juicy burger are perfectly blended and not to mention the perfectly toasted tasty bun! I haven’t been so pleased with a burger in a really long time and this one knocks it out of the park! I got the crushed potatoes on side which were great but totally overshadowed by the star! My burger came out a little to rare for me at medium so if you like it cooked a normal medium I would suggest medium well. They threw mine back to cook with no complaints and it came back perfectly cooked after a few more mins!
Monday’s the burger is on the bistro menu and sit anywhere… every other night the burger is at the bar only.
Seriously, go NOW!

I like the space of the restaurant, and the service was quite phenomenal. They were very prompt with the service which is always a huge plus. I went on a Wednesday night for dinner and it wasn’t packed or anything, so it was a great place to socialize and bring a date.
I came here with my cousin and we started off with Grilled White Shrimp which was absolutely delicious, and the waiter was kind enough to bring extra bread so we could use the sauce leftover. For my large plate order, I got the Five-​Spice Chicken Breast, which was nicely flavored and matched perfectly with the Crushed Potatoes. My cousin got the duck special which was super flavorful and tasty.
Overall, the experience was nice, the food was good, it hit the spot!

One of the best meals I’ve had in New York in recent times. I enjoyed every aspect of the meal, from the creativity of the dishes to their wonderful flavors, the excellent service and the lovely ambiance. This is on my short list of restaurants in the city that I’d consider dining at multiple times.
Of the five dishes we ordered, I thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them. Not only were they each delicious, but they were all something out of the ordinary. I never felt like I was having a dish that I had also had somewhere else once. I’m nothing close to resembling a vegetarian, but surprisingly some of the my favorite dishes of the evening were vegetarian.
For appetizers we had the caramelized romanesco, the shrimp, and the cuttlefish. The flavors in the romanesco and the shrimp were absolutely fantastic. Entrees consisted of the butternut squash risotto and the scallops. The risotto’s texture and taste were extremely well done. The scallops were delicate and had a wonderfully buttery taste. Every dish was also wonderfully presented. Some reviews have complained about the portions being small. However, they were just the right size to enjoy what they had to offer without becoming overbearing by having too much of it. With three appetizers and two entrees we were sufficiently full by the end of the meal. Considering the entrees were all priced below $ 30 I feel five dishes for two people isn’t unreasonable at all.
The staff were all very friendly and helpful. We were able to find several glasses of wine on the menu that looked interesting, and they were served in Riedel glasses. Décor was classy, but the tables were quite closely arranged. A couple was seated next to us about three quarters of the way through our meal and ended up having a small argument a few minutes into their dinner. Luckily we were finishing up and got to the dodge the bullet of hearing the entire ordeal.
The restroom was very clean and smelled quite nice.

Everything was ON point!
The argentine lomo is a must! I enjoyed the fish entrée as well.
They have byob on Mondays (what more can you ask for)
The heirloom tomato salad app and the shrimps were mouth watering
Overall I am impressed, I am glad it has found its home in my beloved LES and I hope to return soon.

The only minor issue I had was looking for this restaurant. It’s pretty much hidden considering that there is no sign outside. But you’ll figure it out when you see a menu next to the door.
Anyways, onto the food… We started off with a shrimp appetizer which I thought was perfectly cooked just like the scallops I had for main. The shrimp were crispy on the outside and very moist and tender when you take a bite. The scallops were nicely seared and bursting with flavor. I loved it! To balance my palettes I had the panna cotta which was delightful. It was not overly sweet, very smooth and creamy.
Overall, the service was A+ which completed the meal!

Virginia’s c’est le restaurant qui fait parler de lui dans tout NYC depuis quelques semaines. On en entend que du bien avec un score quasi parfait sur Unilocal et dans de nombreux magazines.
Je me suis dit qu’avec un buzz pareille, il serait impossible d’avoir une table. Surprise! Même pas besoin de réserver alors que le restaurant n’est pas très grand.
On s’assoit et là encore, on entend les gens se régaler autour de nous, les commentaires sont dithyrambiques. On doit absolument gouter à ces merveilles!!!
On commence avec le bar «Atlantic Striped Bass, Saffron, Cockles, New Crop Potatoes» avec un side de carottes «Grilled Young Carrots, Pickled Ramps, Tokyo Turnips». C’est beau mais ça baigne dans l’huile. On né comprend pas, comment on-t’il pu rater un plat aussi simple?
On goute le vin, un Syrah. Trop jeune avec beaucoup d’acidité. Pas à la hauteur du lieu et du prix.
Enfin, on tente un dernier coup avec la panna cotta «Raw Honey Panna Cotta, Blueberry Compote, Rye Biscotti» joliment présentée, le hit de la soirée puisqu’on décroche la dernière. Là encore, c’est trop gras et trop acide, vraiment pas bon.
Pour le buzz et le prix de ce lieu, on a du mal à comprendre comment tout peut être à ce point raté. Dommage!

I came here with my parents and their friend last Friday night. It was an early dinner, at 6, so the place wasn’t too crowded when we got there. The place isn’t huge, but there’s two rooms and a bar. The window in the front was wide open, which is nice to have when the weather is nice. The tables are a bit close together, but while we were there no one sat directly next to us, so it didn’t bother me at all.
We weren’t too familiar with the wine list, and weren’t looking for something too expensive, so the wine guy (sommelier just doesn’t sound right when I say it) helped us to pick out something we liked. He found us a bottle of Riesling that wasn’t too sweet, and all of us enjoyed.
On to the food! We all got our own appetizers and entrees and split desserts. I got the sweetbreads! When I found what sweetbreads were I never thought I’d like them, but I tried it for the first time at WD-​50 and have been hooked ever since. I hate when people say this, but it really does taste like fried chicken. It was really good here too. It was accompanied by peas and apricots at the bottom. For my main course I got the Atlantic striped bass. It was really good. The skin was nice and crispy and the fish was cooked well. It was in a broth and had clams and potatoes underneath the fish. For dessert I shared the Austrian (I think, it was a special) layer cake. It was good, it kind of tasted like marzipan. I would have liked a chocolate dessert, but they only had a chocolate beet cake and my dad despises beets. I’m not a fan either really, so we went with the special.
Overall, food was great! It was a nice little spot. It’s kind of out of the way, being close to the corner of Ave C, but I’d like to go back sometime. The menu is not huge, but I feel like everyone should find something they like.