If you’re looking for restaurants near Granby Street in Norfolk, VA, then you’re in luck! Because you have literally dozens of great restaurants to choose from!
Whether you’re in the mood for French, Italian, American, Japanese, Thai, or just about anything you can imagine, you’ll find it on Granby Street.
Granby Street is one of the main streets in downtown Norfolk, which is why it’s home to so many eclectic restaurants. Below are some of my top recommendations for the best restaurants near Granby Street in Norfolk, VA.
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10 Best Restaurants Near Granby Street in Norfolk, VA
1. Glass Light Restaurant
Glass Light Restaurant is one of the best downtown Norfolk restaurants. It’s the perfect destination for a special occasion.
The restaurant is part of the Glass Light Hotel, which is also one of my top hotel picks in Norfolk.
Glass Light features French-inspired cuisine with a creative and decadent twist.
Some of their dishes include Cavatelli with Blue Crab, Pancetta, and Sourdough Breadcrumbs; locally sourced Duck Breast; and Chicken Breast.
For dessert, chocolate lovers will want to indulge in the Chocolate Royale, with both dark and milk chocolate mousse, Feuilletine, and vanilla ice cream.
For an extra special experience, call ahead to book The Chef’s Tasting, which features a five-course tasting menu of seasonal dishes, specially prepared.
When you visit, make sure you leave time to check out the glass-inspired art gallery, which is also part of the hotel.
2. Codex
Codex is a farm-to-table gem on Granby Street.
They serve a good assortment of creative dishes, including Oysters, Prosciutto and Spring Onion Tart, and the intriguing Savory Funnel Cake, with baba ganoush, garlic yogurt, tahini, honey, and herbs.
Their main entrees highlight a good mix of surf and turf, such as Flounder, Burgers. Rib Eye, and Shrimp Radiatori.
Codex also focuses on hard-to-find wine and beers, as well as unique, specialty cocktails, like the Grizzlet with gin or tequila, grapefruit, lime, sage simple, bubbles, and bitters.
Codex is open for dinner from Tuesday to Saturday. They are also open for lunch on Tuesday to Thursday, as well as Brunch on the first Sunday of the month.
3. The Grilled Cheese Bistro
If you’re a fan of grilled cheese, then The Grilled Cheese Bistro is definitely worth checking out!
As you can imagine, they have a ton of creative variations on the classic grilled cheese.
Some of the delicious versions you can choose from include We’re Jammin’ (with Lemon Thyme Berry Compote, Applewood Bacon, Caramelized Onion, Brie & Swiss on Sourdough); El Ranchero (with Pork Carnitas, Sunny Egg, Caramelized Onions, Sea Salt Fries, Fresh Cilantro, Chimichurri & Havarti on 9 Grain); and Sunday Morning (with Applewood Bacon, Sunny Egg, Fried Apples, Brie & Havarti on Sourdough).
For cheese lovers out there, check out the Gooey (with Cheddar, Fontina, and Mozzarella cheese.)
You can also order different side dishes, such as hand-cut fries (which come in multiple unique flavors such as Cinnamon Cayenne Pepper with Chipotle Aioli and Parmesan & Chimichurri with Chipotle Aioli).
Tomato Bisque soup is also available as a perfect complement to your favorite Grilled Cheese Sandwich!
The Grilled Cheese Bistro also offers local beers on tap, sangria, and specialty cocktails.
4. Luce
Luce is another one of the best restaurants in downtown Norfolk. It’s a great option if you’re in the mood for Italian.
They specialize in dishes from all over Italy, including northern Italian cuisine, southern cuisine, and Sicilian dishes.
Some of their unique twists on Italian favorites include Avocado Bruschetta (with Citrus marinated avocado over mascarpone and roasted garlic spread on grilled crostini), Gemelli con Verdure Grigliate (with Roasted eggplant, carrot, zucchini, squash, tomato, Ricotta Salata, basil oil, and Gemelli pasta), and Smoke Salmon Arrabbiata (with Shallots, cognac, shaved smoked salmon, smoked provolone, Calabreses pepper, and penne pasta.)
Luce has plenty of pasta, seafood, meat, and chicken dishes to satisfy any taste, including Veal Saltimbocca, Lobster and Prosecco Gnocchi, and Pollo Al Limone.
Luce also makes innovative and unique cocktails to pair with your dinner. You can get an Andromeda (Chamomile infused Bulleit bourbon, dry vermouth, and benedictine), Silver Sun (Vida mezcal, yellow chartreuse, agave, maraschino, and lime); or Persephone (with Three olives pomegranate vodka, pomegranate juice, gernadine, and prosecco.)
There is also, of course, an extensive wine list to choose from.
5. Pokey
Pokey is a cute cafe that specializes in poke bowls and ramen. It’s a great option for lunch downtown.
They feature excellent service and delicious food.
You can create your own poke bowl with a large selection of ingredients to choose from, including ahi tuna, octopus, salmon, scallop, shrimp, yum yum sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey wasabi, pineapple, cantaloupe, jalapeños, cucumber, strawberry, ginger, garlic crisps, and much more.
You can also order ramen, with a lot of option to choose from, such as miso, tofu, pork, shrimp, marinated egg, and more.
Pokey is also your place to find an assortment of bubble teas, like Thai Milk Tea, Matcha Milk Tea, and Chocolate Milk Tea.
6. Monastery Restaurant
Monastery Restaurant is one of the oldest restaurants in Downtown Norfolk.
The restaurant evokes the look and feel of a European monastery. It is decorated with stained glass, brick, and statues.
The menu focuses on an eclectic mix of European dishes from France, Germany, Italy, Hungary, and more. Some of the entrees you can find are Goulash, Pasta Florentine, Steak Tartare, Quiche Lorraine, and Wiener Schnitzel.
And leave room for dessert! They feature Black Forrest Cake, Crepe Suzette, and Hot Apple Strudel with ice cream.
7. Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint Norfolk
Jack Brown’s is a chain restaurant with multiple locations nationwide, including Nashville; Memphis; and Columbia, SC. It features a fun and funky colorful interior design and limited outdoor seating.
As you can guess, this is your place for beer and burgers! They serve up plain, no-frills hamburgers and cheeseburgers.
If you’re in the mood for something more, you can find a number of specialty burgers, like the spicy Shocker (with Jalapeños, Habaneros, house-made Shocker sauce, and 2 slices of Pepper Jack cheese), or the Cowboy (with BBQ sauce, Applewood Smoked Bacon and American cheese.)
If you’re feeling extra adventurous, try the Elvis Burger (with Peanut Butter, Mayo, Applewood Smoked Bacon and American cheese.) I personally love peanut butter, but I have mixed feelings about peanut butter and mayo!
Each day, they also feature daily specials, which you can check out ahead of time online.
You can pair your burger with fries, sweet potato fries, or cheese fries. For something extra, go for the Fried Oreo!
8. Hokkaido Sushi Bar
If you love sushi, then be sure to check out Hokkaido Sushi Bar, which is another top restaurant on Granby Street.
You can find all of your sushi favorites, including signature rolls like the Angry Dragon (with shrimp tempura, spicy tuna, avocado, spicy crab, and eel sauce), Surf Turf Roll (with lobster, cucumber, cream cheese, and steak), and the Alaska King Crab Special Roll (with shrimp tempura, avocado, and Alaska King Crab).
You can also find a huge selection of special rolls, plus poke rice bowls, and much more.
Hokkaido is also a great lunch spot. You can grab a bento box, which is an easy and delicious lunch option.
9. Granby Street Pizza
If you’re in the mood for pizza, then Granby Street Pizza has you covered in downtown Norfolk! The checker-floored restaurant immediately transports you back to old-fashioned pizza places.
You can find all of your pizza and Italian favorites at Granby Street Pizza. They serve “Bianca” Pizza (Tomato, Spinach, Ricotta, Romano, Mozzarella & Garlic), Hawaiian Pizza, Meat Lovers Pizza, and Veggie Lovers Pizza.
They also serve strombolis, calzones, subs, gyros, burgers and salads. If you’re looking for pasta favorites, you also find baked ziti, meat lasagna, manicotti, chicken marsala, cheese ravioli, chicken parmesan, and much more.
They have a nice patio for outdoor eating.
10. Leone’s Italian
Leone’s Italian is another great option for Italian food on Granby Street.
As a bonus, they also have a gorgeous outside patio with comfy chairs and couches and multiple fire pits. This makes it a great place for special occasions and hanging out with friends and family.
Leone’s serves all of your Italian favorites, including calamari, bruschetta, Caprese salad, and caesar salad.
For the main course, they offer pasta dishes like Lobster Fettucini, Shrimp Pesto, Lasagna alla Bolognese; and meat dishes like Chicken Marsala, Veal Chop Saltimbocca, Grilled Ribeye, and Pan Seared Duck Breast.
For dessert, you can choose from Italian favorites like Cannoli and Tiramisu.
Conclusion: 10 Best Restaurants Near Granby Street in Norfolk, VA
No matter what you’re in the mood for, you’ll find plenty of amazing restaurants right in the heart of downtown Norfolk on Granby Street.
For a casual lunch, I recommend Pokey or Granby Street Pizza. For a special occasion, you can’t go wrong with Glass House! I hope you enjoy!
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