This was a perfect meal start to finish! Incredibly kind and attentive service without ever interrupting our romantic night. Food was absolutely amazing. So fresh, so flavorful, so authentic! We celebrated our 25th Anniversary here and can't wait to come back again for another special night. read more

Monastery Restaurant - Lamb - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I was surprised and brought here on Valentine's Day, 2025. I'm so glad we were on the reservations list, because it was busy and there were zero tables available all night. I was impressed by the decor and "old European-style" ambiance they have made for their guests. Our server was spectacular (brown hair, cute glasses, very open & knowledgable, but also very real with us) from start to finish. We got too full for dessert, but I plan to come back for dessert and maybe a glass of wine alone. Definitely give them a try if you never have and are open to trying new experiences. read more

Monastery Restaurant - Special raspberry chicken entree (valentines 2025) - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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We had some delicious food and fantastic service at Monastery! The food came out piping hot. read more

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Hubby and I visited the Monastery Restaurant for our anniversary. It was fun to go to the area to this old restaurant. The entrance is a little weird because you walk n right into the dining area. The menu is not huge and the fare is mostly Eastern European. We received bread and cheese to start and then recommended dishes that our server kindly explained. Everything was delicious. The only thing I would not recommend was the dessert. We got the one thing that was unique and it was not great. The Black Forest cake was very good though. read more

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Great service, food and ambiance. Not our first trip to this restaurant. I thought I took pictures but I did not! German food is outstanding!! read more

Loved the elderly couple who owns and works at this restaurant. It is a beautiful space and you can feel their love and enjoyment

When I came I had an amazing server really nice guy, The food was amazing I ordered a steak with Onions. I really like this place with the nice space Feeling like I'm in a Monastery and with the amazing glasses that brings me back to the old times! read more

Had reservations for restaurant week here...parking is tricky, but we made it work. They have quaint and cozy European decor, and I've always enjoyed having linens at the table. The server wasn't very talkative, but helpful enough. They had a huge selection of items for restaurant week, however they all sounded pretty much the same. My cutlets with mushrooms were pretty bland, but I did like my husband's Gypsy veal dish...much more flavorful. Goulash soup was hot and tasty, and we did enjoy their homemade bread and cheese. Apple strudel and apricot-filled crepes were nothing special. read more

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We celebrated a birthday here in February because my son wanted a restaurant which served steak tartare and The Monastery is one of the few restaurants in Hampton Roads that does. Service by Michael was gracious and efficient. The ambience is elegant yet comfortable. All of us enjoyed the unique Eastern European selections on the menu. I especially appreciate that you can get details of each menu item on the website by clicking on the individual item. read more

This is the oldest restaurant on Granny Street! I didn't even know it was there until I was looking for a unique restaurant. The inside is dimly lit and has an old-world, European feel to it. It was quiet and intimate. Anna and her husband Adolf own and run the place. They escaped former communist Czechoslovakia in the '60s. Anna spoke with my girlfriend and I for quite a while. She was so kind and passionate about people and family. She even teared up talking to us. We were curious about her and the history of the restaurant. She graciously shared her story with us. Before we received our food, we heard Adolf pounding away on a schnitzel. They obviously put a lot of love into this place and the food. Anna's authenticity was so refreshing that even if the food wasn't good, I would come back. Luckily, the food was great! They serve you cheese, sliced apples, and homemade bread to start. It was very nice. We had never tried escargot. We are adventurous, so we gave it a whirl. I'm so glad we did! Unfortunately, I think I'd be disappointed eating it anywhere else. Apparently, it's rated the best in Norfolk. It was buttery and garlicky. I feared the texture would be off-putting, but it was nice. I had the roast duckling with sauerkraut. The sauerkraut is actually served hot, which is how it is served in Europe in some places. Who knew!? It also came with a unique type of dumpling/bread that I'd have trouble explaining. read more

Monastery Restaurant - Escargot is buttery and garlicky. Try it! - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Went out of our comfort zone and tried Hungarian cuisine - everything was super unique to me but tasty- from a bread basket with an apple to the complimentary cheese spread, including the La Raclette Valaisienne (don't let that get cold it takes on a different flavor profile). I really enjoyed their version of a dumpling - it was light but helped soak up the plate juices really well. Out of everything we ordered - we would do the roasted duck. To bad the chef only makes a limited number of them - so I felt a little guilty and three other tables ordered. Service was super attentive and even informative. Will be coming back to try some of the other entrees offered. read more

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This is place to go to for a nice dinner date. I've never had this kind of food before, but I was intrigued, so we came here. Definitely a vibe for an older crowd. I told our waitress that it was our first time at the restaurant, and it seemed like she wanted us to ask questions, and she was ready to answer them. Instead, there was this other waitress, who was very informative in what everything was on the menu, and we wished that we heard her explanations before we places our order. So that was a little downer. In terms of food, homemade bread, green apple, and homemade cheese were given to us as a starter. The cheese mix did contain blue cheese, which my fiancé and I are not a fan of, but it was fairly good. The bread had a very nice crust on the outside and soft on the inside. My Stuffed Cabbage had ground beef inside. It tasted like a higher class meatloaf. The tomato sauce on the outside was fairly sweet than savory. It also came with two dumplings, and I was instructed to not eat it alone. It was very good with the rest of the dish. The Montebeliaro was also very delicious. The sausage was very juicy and savory, and I really enjoyed the cooked sauerkraut on the side. It wasn't too pickle-y or sour, so for those who don't usually enjoy sauerkraut, I think you'd enjoy this dish too. For parking, there is a parking garage a block away from the restaurant and a couple of street parking in front of the restaurant. I would like to come here again to try the goulash. read more

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Me and my wife wanted to to try escargot for the first time ever, so we looked up places that serve it and landed here. It's about 45mins from our place but ended up being well worth the trip. The staff was super friendly and welcoming. Their hospitality made it feel like we weren't even in a restaurant or just another customer to them and that was awesome. My wife had the Roasted Duckling and I had the Serbian Goulash, both were delicious. Most items on the menu were homemade as far as our server told us. They also have a nice selection of reds and whites as well. Cant wait to go back! read more

Monastery Restaurant - Escargot - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

What a fantastic find in Norfolk. This quaint, European inspired restaurant is a perfect way to eat great food from all over Europe. The Czechoslovakian owner is very polite and the staff made accommodations for our big party. As for the food, it was amazing and very authentic! I got the roasted duckling, it was perfectly crisp and the sauerkraut and bread dumpling is a great pairing. The fruit dumpling was an outstanding way to end the meal. read more

Monastery Restaurant - Roasted Duckling - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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I went here on a first date this past weekend & it so happened to also be my first time at Monastery. From the moment I walked in I was treated like a member of their family. I got there before my date & was seated at the "best table in the house", the Angel table. Service was wonderful & the food was truly incredible. I got the Serbian goulash & could easily eat that every day if I had the chance. Towards the end of the date, one of the owners Anna came out & spoke to us. It's important to note that Anna is 83 years old & is 1 of 2 people in the kitchen cooking, which I think is so impressive. Anyway, she told us she would like to serve us an after dinner drink on the house to celebrate our first date. We went with cognac-it was a nice little touch to the whole experience. 10/10 would recommend & I cannot wait to go back! read more

Tried this restaurant during Norfolk Restaurant Week. This restaurant has that European old world charm. Our server Andrijus was really engaging. We had some good conversation about traveling to Europe and Formula One racing. We started off with some cheese & bread,then for our first course I had the Potato & Leek Soup. My husband had the Holiday soup made with rice and homemade smoked sausage. Both so different, but both so good. I had the schniztel ala Holstein and my husband had the Escalope de Veau aux Champignons. Simple dishes that are made with great flavor. Portions were not gluttonous, as we also had a dessert course. I got a glass of Port to enjoy with the meal, not too sweet with a drier finish. For dessert I had the Palaçinky(crepe with apricot) and he had black forest cake. This night was special. We will definitely come back. read more

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Cute and intimate restaurant on Granby St. Service and food were excellent. I highly recommend. read more

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What a disappointment. We had read the wonderful reviews and so looked forward to a delicious meal at this unique restaurant. We knew we were in for a less than stellar experience when our waiter came back to us after we had been waiting forty minutes to confirm what we had ordered, which was their special for the evening. There was no offer to compensate us by complimentary wine or a discounted entree. We finally received our meal after waiting an hour and only then after indicating we were leaving if we weren't served in time to leave for a concert we were attending. The ambiance was pleasant and one of the other wait staff tried to apologize but we were not pleased with the lack of service nor of the meal when we received it. The Chicken Paprikash was bland and tough. Such a disappointment. We could not recommend this restaurant. We drove six hours for the concert and looked forward to a delicious lovely meal prior to the concert. read more

For all the stomping around I do Downtown I am BAFFLED that I didn't know this place existed until now. They popped on my radar thanks to Downtown Norfolk's restaurant week and I was so surprised to realize I walk by this shop on Granby street often and have never taken notice. Monastery is exactly the type of restaurant and business that I want to support and frequent. They offer a cuisine that isn't typical to this foodie scene and have a history with Downtown that should be honored. They offer Czechoslovakia cuisine and have been on Granby street for over 30 years. I felt like I was stepping into another world when we entered the dark, narrow restaurant. With mirrors on the wall for a moment, the illusion made me think I was in a bigger space. I'm still not sure if there is another room around a corner. I'll have to go back to find out. We had no problems with service or our food. Everything came out in a timely manner and our waitress was attentive. I love a menu with things I have never experienced before so I'm excited to go back and try more. I hope they continue to participate in restaurant week because they are a bit pricey and the fixed price menus are what bring me out to try new places. read more

Goose was overcooked and dry, and terribly over-priced (being a special the price charged did not appear on the menu and we were lied to at the time of ordering -quoted under $30). read more

Monastery Restaurant - Outrageously over priced goose - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Very classy but down to earth restaurant. Small business locally owned by a Czech Republic couple. All dishes are made authentically with love behind them. My first time visiting this restaurant referred to by a friend. I will definitely return and bring more friends. The restaurant is decorated appropriately themed. Food was absolutely delicious! read more

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Is restaurant open ? We thought it closed? It was an amazing restaurant. Owners really cared about making sure each family had a great experience. Food was amazing! We were very sad to read they had closed read more

The Service was very welcoming. The food delicious. Our waitress explained the dishes , even with pictures. We had the Serbian Goulash and Weiner Schnitzel. Very good, there was nothing left on our plates. read more

I'm really disappointed because we wanted to try this place and it was not my style of food. Great service!

Food was fine but the temperature in the restaurant was so cold that it distracted from everything else and I basically wanted to leave asap. read more

Happened to choose this spot for dinner with a friend because neither of us had been there. I have to say, I wasn't sure what I was ordering but it was all so incredibly delicious I didn't need to ask any questions. I had the goulash soup as an appetizer and it was probably the best soup I've ever had in my life. Then I ordered the stuffed cabbage and my friend had one of the goulash dishes, and they were both mouth watering. The "dumplings" that come with the dish are slices of soft bread that soaks up the sauce, which tasted like someone had been stirring it all day long. Just unbelievable flavor. read more

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Good food, good service, good portions and quality. We've been return customers more often here than any other Norfolk restaurants. read more

My husband and I ate here before going to the theatre for a show since it is close by. It was fun to try some new and unique foods. It was the first time I tried Escargot and it was DELICIOUS! We also tried the roasted duckling and Hungarian goulash. It is very apparent that the owners put in a lot of work to create a wonderful dining experience! The server we had was also very nice which added to the excellent and unique dining experience! read more

Found this restaurant by chance and what a treasure! The food was incredible and authentic. I felt like I was eating in my Hungarian Grandmother's home. We had the Hungarian Gulas, Stuffed Cabbage, Pasta florentine, Serbian Gulas, Chicken Cordon Blue, Palacinki, and Apple Strudel. It was like a tour through Eastern Europe. Food was exceptional, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. If you are in the area, this place is a MUST. Anna came out of the kitchen to chat with my Hungarian mother and they traded stories of Hungary and Slovakia. What a wonderful dining experience. Thank you! read more

We were with a group. Most the group liked it. We didn't. Food was just okay. Goulash was not very tasty. Cassoulet was too salty and didn't have many beans. Waiters got our order wrong. The dessert was better but was not what we ordered. We will not go back. We went there when it first opened about 40 years ago. The waiters wore cassocks. It was hot and they smelled bad. That's been corrected. But everything else was still awful. They are good people who are trying. There are many great reviews. But there are many great restaurants a block or two away. read more

Adolf and Anna were wonderful hosts. We had such a great time with them, we didn't want to leave. We were very fortunate to have found them! Their food is wonderful, the atmosphere is magical. I would highly recommend going to this restaurant. You will not be disappointed with anything that you were to order. Don't shy away from getting a good bottle of the German Reisling. It was a treat and you would have a hard time to find it elsewhere. This place will return you to Europe for an evening. read more

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Overall there were a lot of things done wrong that made our time unpleasant, but what really upsets me was the seeming indifference to those mistakes. To start, we made reservations for 6pm but they gave our table away to someone who said they had a reservation but didn't. I understand mistakes happen, but was a bit confused at why they hadn't checked the name on the reservation? This meant we got seated almost 20 min late with a show that we needed to make on time. No worries, we're seated, show's not until 8. Appetizer took a bit but nothing unreasonable. Wine had to be swapped due to supply chain issues, that's no ones fault. But then it took over an hour to bring us our food to the point where we had to have it brought out boxed up and weren't able to eat before our show. Again, delays happen. We were a party of six in a very small space and a lot of places are understaffed these days. But even when the restaurant was emptied out and there were only two other tables, our waiter couldn't be bothered to apologize for the delay, refill our water, or offer us more bread or *something* since food was taking so long. We had to flag down the waiter every time and when we finally have our food packed to go they forget my friend's even though she'd already paid so we have to get their attention AGAIN to get it. I still might not have been so angry if they had been apologetic, but the waiter sorta just shrugged and said "these things happen." Yes delays and mistakes happen, but the whole attitude was disrespectful. read more

The food is fabulous. Very old style "fancy" restaurant with reasonable prices. The wait staff is very personable, and the chefs are wonderful. An amazing place for a special "night out" with your loved one or family. read more

First of all this is the oldest restaurant on Granby St. chefs are a couple in their 80s. This is a cute little mom and pops restaurant that serves European style food. First the service is excellent. The food is not presented like a fine dinning, but it feels like home and taste amazing. The food we got all taste great and reminds me of eating cooking from grandma. Price is fair. Coming back for sure read more

love the Raclette, love the desserts, love all the food at this place, it is very quaint and original inside, the staff are pleasant and accommodating,The break basket and homemade cheese , with apple is beyond delicious ! I asked for something they used to make which was not on the menu and it was not a problem, I also do not eat veal and they were more than happy to make the dish with chicken. This place has been around for a very long time, and this is one of the reasons why!! read more

There's no other place like this in Norfolk. Classic European restaurant, with Hungarian cuisine. It's beek run by the same sweet old couple for almost 40 years, long before downtown Norfolk became fashionable again. Wonderfully old-school. Has to be the only place in town still serving Steak tartar and escargot. The raclette appetizer is unbeleivable, flaorful melted swiss cheese with capers, potatoes, and dill pickles. Trust me, just order it. If they have roast goose on special, that can't be missed. If not, roast duckling is a good second option. The goulash is also fantastic. This is the spot for my annual birthday dinner, its a special place for a truly special meal. It's sublime, try it while it's still there. It's a timeless classic, in the full sense of the word! read more

Monastery Restaurant - Bulls blood Hungarian wine - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Tasty and unique food, kind and attentive staff, interesting location and ambiance, and a phenomenal backstory. What more could you want? This place is definitely underrated, give it a shot and be adventurous! We got the stuffed cabbage and Serbian goulash based on recommendations from our super sweet waitress and they were both delicious. Highly highly recommend read more

My husband and I wanted to bring in the New Years with bratwurst and sauerkraut. As soon as we entered Monastery, we were immediately greeted and seated. Our server was very attentive, kind, and knowledgeable. We enjoyed the ambiance which was cozy, comfortable, and romantic. For our main courses, we had the 1/2 duck and the Serbian goulash. We then finished with a fresh fruit raspberry dumpling. The food was delectable! It was rich and full of flavor. We'll definitely be returning. read more

This is in covaid times. Start at the top. Service is excellent. The place very clean and friendly. The decor it perfect for the food. The chief is the owner so he goes over the top. Yes it's family owned. I hope it survives the pandemic. The food is fantastic. Served very hot. The taste is magnificent. This has been kept as a secret as it was not busy. Prices are what they should be for the food you get. If you are in the city check it out. read more

Monastery is a true hidden gem in downtown Norfolk! You can feel the authenticity upon walking into the quaint brick and stained-glass dining room. The restaurant is a long-running passion project for a lovely couple that emigrated from Czechoslovakia over 30 years ago. We were honored to meet Anna, who along with her husband were still diligently at work in the kitchen. Not to be outdone by the ambiance, our menu selections at Monastery were all delectable and perfectly prepared. To start, we enjoyed raclette, a toasted cheese paired with an airy and crusty house-made bread. My date and I shared the steak tartare and the roast duckling. The duckling was moist and fork-tender inside, and the skin was delicious and perfectly crisp, paired with dumplings and sauerkraut, which accented the duck impeccably. The wine list has a fantastic selection of reasonably priced wines. We enjoyed a Bordeaux that would likely cost twice as much at some downtown establishments. We couldn't resist Anna's recommendation of a dessert dumpling, which was filled with blackberries and topped with cottage cheese. It sounds like an odd combination, but the cheese gives a nice tart bite to offset the sweetness of the fruit filling. I highly recommend Monastery as a great date night, family dinner, or opportunity to treat yourself to a delicious meal! read more

Monastery Restaurant - Steak tartare. Roast duckling with sauerkraut and dumplings. All delicious! - Modern European Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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