Virgola
“It's not a large place, but Joseph has spaced the tables out so everyone feels comfortable.”
“You would never believe this cool little oyster bar could be crammed into a narrow "alleyway" in the West Village.”
“The raw tray came out and had a dozen oysters, half dozen shrimp cocktail, and tartar two ways.”
Virgola
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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This place is super small. It is like an alley way that was turned into a restaurant. The food here was all so good. My friends and I got the grande platter. I shared this amongst 4 people and was not super full after but was just right. Every dish was so delish. Virgola also has an extensive wine menu the perfect pairing with oysters and the seafood.
The highlight is a nice selection of east and west coast oysters for quite reasonable prices. And the great thing is the prices are reasonable all night long (they don't have happy hour prices but always have one type that is $1 and the rest range between $1 and $2.50).
I would only come here for the oysters though. The selection of three tapas (can choose between cheese, cured meats, and vegetables) for $21 was overpriced for what you get. For example, we received five small and thin pieces of salami for $7.
The space was pretty cramped – it is long and narrow with small round tables – only come here in pairs / small groups. Not sure if this is what they were going for with the dark walls and wood planks in the ceiling, but it feels like you're in the underbelly of a ship at Virgola West Village.
Cute little wine bar with great happy hour. $1 oysters and a glass of sparkling rose sounds great right about now. (Oysters weren't the fattest of oysters per se but pretty good. Flex Mussels had better oysters). Service was great.
It's a small space (was actually an alley that was converted into a bar) so not sure if it's good for a large crowd. But perfect for small intimate group.
Likely the last review of 2015 from this particular writer. As a sucker for poetic nostalgia (as well as cleverly crafted cocktails & raw bivalves), I feel that a review of this place would be appropriate, as it may have been the tastiest year to date for yours truly; This was a year that truly was salty, bitter, & sweet… and the tastes and memories associated with this dark narrow corridor that served as a candlelit staging ground (in retrospect) can be attributed those very same descriptors.
It was September 29th, and though it was well past summer's twilight, the seasonal shift was barely noticeable; the same could be said for fall and winter this year, as autumn looked to make December its own. In any event, I had arrived a few minutes early, just a splash past a quarter of the sixth hour in the afternoon; much to my relief, a quick peak inside revealed that there was not a seat taken despite it being so late in the day. Word on the street was that this place was tiny, so seating, of course, came at a premium. Luckily, my brisk walk didn't go to waste, she arrived right behind me shortly thereafter. Yelp red was the color of the dress, and she was wearing an infinitely more comfortable amount of material than I was, especially when considering the heat (by virtue of wearing less on her part equates to "more comfortable"… I felt the need to clarify, apologies for the confusing wordplay).
We were quickly seated upon exchange of pleasantries, and a cozy little booth in the middle of the hall was where we'd ultimately spend the next few hours in each other's company. Oysters were the agreed upon fare of choice for the night. This was established well before the occurrence of whatever kind of rendezvous this was (maybe subjective differences as between the parties, depending on which side of the booth one sat in; to my credit though, I gave advanced expressed notice as to my intent/expectations). Either way, while bivalves were sampled, the diet of the night was more of the liquid variety, and between the two of us, by night's end we sampled a healthy amount of the cocktails available. Was it mutual alcoholism? A means to cut certain tension and "hydrate" chemistry? Or was it legitimately interesting banter between two intellectual contemporaries, which, in turn, fueled our need for a little refreshment? As a wellspring of answers, I'm at a loss for one at the moment.
A couple of the standouts were the Balsamic Bloody Mary and the Virgola Cocktail. Both novel in their own right, and the menu description does far more justice in breaking down what's in them (and with more efficiency, I would imagine). I'm sure I had a gin and tonic (or two) as well. A more detailed recollection eludes me, though this speaks volumes as to the stiffness of the cocktails consumed.
We paired our cocktails with 3 dozen oysters through the course of the night. I'm not an oyster novice by any stretch, but her knowledge rendered me an amateur. No problems on my end giving deference to more knowledgeable minds. High preemptive marks were attributed to the west coast selection prior to our chance to taste them, so our 36 bivalves were primarily of the "best" coast variety. The Kumamotos stood out for their umami aftertaste, but I recall that all the oysters that were sampled that night were pleasant and briny.
After some deliberate oyster consumption and serious cocktail guzzling, it was past midnight, and we were the only ones left in the place. Was it the sheer magnetism of the joint, and our mutual appreciation for booze and raw seafood that kept our asses glued to the cushions of our booth? Or was it something more mushy, the kind of sh*t you'd read in some awkward "friend fiction???" Although there are many lingering questions (the "how abouts" and the "what ifs") that stir in the brain pan, although less frequently with every minute that passes, it's good to know that there's no question about Virgola. The answer is a resounding "Hell yes!"
I took my husband here for dinner because he loves seafood and has been craving for oysters. I did my search and narrowed my options down to 2 – Virgola or La Pulperia. Virgola stood out more to me because of the raving reviews on not only the food and service, but also the decor and ambiance.
To me, there was not really much to brag about this place. It was tiny and tight, indeed – with very little room to move. I can't recall dining in another space that was as tight as Virgola. I thought the drinks were weak and the food was subpar considering the price. We had the Virgola platter (we had much better ceviche elsewhere. Something about it didn't taste fresh). They ran out of the shrimp cocktail (I was not happy about this at all) so they substituted it with swordfish crudo (which costs a few dollars less than the cocktail). They still charged us the full price of the platter, of course.
I had high hopes coming here but sadly..I walked away a bit disappointed.
Always on the lookout for oyster deals, we checked out Virgola on Saturday night. Although I like the idea of an oyster wine bar, the restaurant was too narrow and the furniture/decor was too dark for the oyster concept. I always prefer to eat oysters in a light and airy setting. We each ordered a dozen of the $1.00 east coast oysters in addition to a caprese salad. The oysters were on the smaller side and were just okay – didn't have much aquatic flavor as I'd like. The caprese salad was a rip-off.. $9.00 for two slices of tomato, two slices of mozzarella, and four slices of bread. If you're looking for an oyster deal, check out the Mermaid Inn or Fish instead!
If you are looking for super duper cozy joint where you can enjoy $1 oysters to caviar, you want to be here! They have great east & west coast selection of fresh oysters. Seating is very limited and place is literally a hole in the wall. But, do not undermine this place for the size of its location. They have some selection of wine and cocktails. Limited beer selection. Ordered bloody mary which was not bad but not the best I've had. Service is great and nice ambience!
My husband and I stopped in here on our last night in New York and had a most excellent time. It was a little odd because we were the only people in there until shortly before we left, but the server, Jolaine, was top-notch. It was kind of dinner pt. 2 and I was in the mood for oysters, so a quick search of the best happy hour oysters in the city led us here. I asked for a wine recommendation and she pointed me to the gavi on their list, which was good, and even better with oysters. We got a dozen of the Montauks that were their daily oyster–hard to resist $1 oysters! They were lovely and clean and not too big, just the way I like them. Excellent shucking job too. We indulged in another dozen after that. My husband liked their negronis, and Jolaine insisted that we try their black cocktail, which contains squid ink. I was a little trepidatious, but it turns out that it's very well-balanced and doesn't taste fishy at all. Wish we hadn't been too full to try some of the raw fish on the menu, but after a dozen oysters, I was pretty full. I would happily come back here again–love the feeling of being hidden in an alley.