1. Catch 31
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 213-3474
Address: 3001 Atlantic Ave.
Description: This restaurant in the Hilton features live music and a DJ throughout the summer, but the biggest draw here is the outdoor fire pits right off the Boardwalk. Locals love to head here in the winter to cozy up to the fire and take in the beauty of the frigid Atlantic surf. Check out the breakfast buffet as well.
2. The Jewish Mother
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 422-5430
Address: 3108 Pacific Ave.
Description: The Jewish Mother is far more than a great deli. It’s the area’s premier blues venue; with a stage that is so cozy it feels like the acts are playing in your living room. The musicians must love the intimacy, because national acts like Tab Benoit keep coming back. The restaurant has been open since 1975 but faces an uncertain future. Urban Renewal plans are underway to raze the entire block where the Mother is located, although the timing is uncertain. The owners are looking to relocate somewhere nearby, though, so keep your eyes open. Still, the current venue, run down as it is, will be hard to top. And on Sunday you can enjoy classical guitarist Robin Welch with your brunch.
3. Ocean Eddie’S
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 425-7742
Address: 1506 Atlantic Ave.
Description: The address may say Atlantic Avenue, but this place is actually right on the beach at the 15th Street fishing pier. Ocean Eddie’s has been going strong since 1949, growing from fishermen’s snack bar to the place to eat and dance over the surf. In fact, in the early years, the dance floor was just planks, spaced like a boardwalk, and you could look down to see that ocean eddying around you. Patrons were upset when building codes required a real floor be installed. Still, there’s plenty of potential ocean view.
4. Rockafeller’S Restaurant
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 422-5654
Address: 308 Mediterranean Ave.
Description: This little gem on Rudee Inlet matches its fun, casual atmosphere with excellent local seafood. It’s a little off the track, but worth the trip. It’s one of the rare Oceanfront places that locals will visit at the height of the summer season. There’s a small, free parking lot here too.
5. Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 490-2739
Address: 4561 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Description: This modern craft brewery and restaurant is as good a place as any to start. It’s right on the western boundary of the area. It’s part of a chain that began in California that serves up freshly brewed lagers and a full-food menu. Get your evening going with a glass boot full of one of the highlighted beers.
6. Keagan’S Irish Pub And Restaurant
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 961-4432
Address: 244 Market St.
Description: This authentic Irish pub is right next door to the brewery, and the short walk takes you from Germany to Ireland. It’s part of a small local chain of these pubs. The interior is all wood, handcrafted in County Kildare, and the wait staff dresses in Irish outfits.
7. Red Star Tavern
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 473-3295
Address: 201 Town Center Dr.
Description: Another local hangout, this All-American-style tavern has a homey feel and gets pretty crowded on weekends as folks swing through for a drink and to meet up with old friends.
8. Hot Tuna Bar & Grill
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 481-2888
Address: 2817 Shore Dr.
Description: Fabulous seafood combined with Top 40, high-energy dance music makes this a place that hops. There’s no cover charge and plenty of free parking nearby as well. The live entertainment and DJs begin at 10 p.m. every Wed, Fri, and Sat night. Hot Tuna has been open since 1992, so it has a loyal following. And there’s an open-air deck as well for when the weather is great.
9. Smokehouse & Cooler
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 481-9737
Address: 2957 Shore Dr.
Description: This is another top-notch restaurant that morphs into a local watering hole. The owner calls it a “gastropub.” You’ll call it a great place to linger after some great ribs.
10. The Funny Bone Comedy Club
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 213-5555
Address: 217 Central Park Ave.
Description: This venue is on the national touring schedule for headline acts like Jon Lovitz, Damon Wayans, and Tom Green as well as offering a venue for up and comers and local comedy kings. It’s located in Town Center and there isn’t a dress code, but the owners take no responsibility if your outfit catches the attention—and the ridicule—of the act on stage. On most nights you have to be 21 to get in, so this isn’t a place to take the kids. It’s first-come seating, so keep that in mind if you’re coming with a group. Arrive together or you’ll likely sit separately. If you want to try your comic chops, they hold Clash of the Comics open mic nights where you get to perform a five-minute routine if you bring in enough guests.
11. A.J. Gators
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 340-3722
Address: 3908 Holland Rd.
Description: This is a local chain of sports bars with five restaurants in Virginia Beach, two in Norfolk, and three in Chesapeake. The recipe for success has been the same: good locations, an extensive menu, plenty of TVs tuned to sports, pool tables, trivia games, and a local ownership that makes sure it all works whether it’s on a city corner or at the end of a suburban shopping strip. Visit the website for a directory of locations.
12. Eurasia Cafe And Wine Bar
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 422-0184
Address: 960 Laskin Rd.
Description: This intimate establishment has been voted one of the region’s top five restaurants. Along with a fusion menu that pairs regional foods with Asian influences, the cafe features two dozen wines by the glass and a wine shop that offers one of the largest selections in all of Hampton Roads.
13. Sonoma Wine Bar & Bistro
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Address: 189 Central Park Ave.
Description: Prefer your libations to be delivered by a sommelier? Then Sonoma is a great place to visit. There are 325 different wine varieties in stock here, including 70 you can sample by the glass. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s cheap, though. Prices range from $4.50 to $100 for that glass. But imagine if you’d bought an entire bottle of that $100 vintage. Plus it’s a fine dining establishment where they can help you match the food to the wine you like to drink.
14. Regal Pembroke Mall Cinema 8
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 671-7469
Address: 4554 Virginia Beach Blvd.
Description: A movie house inside Pembroke Mall, this one also shows first run films for $10, $7.50 before 3 p.m.
15. Sandler Center For The Performing Arts
City: Virginia Beach, VA
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (757) 385-2787
Address: 201 Market St.
Description: The newest venue in Hampton Roads is a jewel, specially designed so its acoustics can be adjusted from spoken word to rock concert, and all performances in between. Located in Virginia Beach’s new core, Town Center, it hosts a full gamut of performances, from Broadway shows like Menopause: The Musical and The Sound of Music to music ranging from the Virginia Symphony Orchestra to Randy Travis. The center is also home to Symphonicity, the region’s premier community orchestra, and the Virginia Beach Chorale. Another bonus:There’s plenty of free parking nearby and a wide variety of eateries to make it a night. The Sandler also hosts lectures, comedians, ballets, and jazz.