Virginia’s
“This sweet little restaurant is tucked into the east village off of avenue C, but it's well worth the venture east.”
“We had the duck and cuttle appetizers and the scallops and hanger steak as the main.”
“Came here by recommendation of The Infatuation and I must say they have definitely found a gem in East Village.”
Virginia’s
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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My trip to Virginia's last night was far worth the walk to Avenue C! Alphabet City has so many great hidden gems that are far enough off the beaten path that make them so worth the trip over there from time to time.
Virginia's is seriously not to be missed. Let me be clear, we came here for the burger, and OMG we were not disappointed. The bar is small, fits about 10 people at best, and is where you need to be if you want the burger since it's on the bar menu only. The rest of the menu can also be ordered at the bar. The restaurant itself is small, but not tiny, and very minimalistic and classic. Nothing too fancy about the vibe. The staff were all very friendly and outgoing.
The bartender, Eric was super friendly and totally fit in to the east village relaxed vibe. We were going to order 2 burgers to split between the 3 of us and 2 smaller plates, but Eric talked us out of it, and basically said he'd like to watch us fight over 2 burgers because they are that good. We cancelled one of the smaller plates and went for the gusto – 3 burgers, all medium rare. SO glad we changed our minds! We also started with the caramelized cauliflower which was awesome and definitely unique. I'm sure the regular dinner menu is great too, and according to Eric, everything on it is amazing.
The burger was pretty simple with no fancy toppings, no sauces; just Cabot white cheddar and a Vidalia onion marmalade. It needed NOTHING more. The meat was flavorful and the onion marmalade added a touch of sweetness. I ate every. last. bite. It came with nothing but a little side of pickles which was really all it needed. It comes with a price tag of $18, which isn't something to just blink at, especially since it comes sans fries or a side, but it was absolutely worth it.
This truly is now on my top list of favorite burgers in the city. Don't take that statement lightly.
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.
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?
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.
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.
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. Decor 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.
Put on your brooks running shoes and sprint over to avenue C and 11th 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!!
You definitely must get the seasonal risotto entree to split as an appetizer–it is unbelievably good. Their wine selection is also interesting; cocktails are a bit on the weaker side. I am withholding a star because despite the expense, the portions are definitely smaller than I would have liked.