I went into Pacifica Last night for the winter menu debut!!! It was amazing!!!! I tried lots of items and can't pick just one!!! The staff was amazing and friendly and it was a great night filled with laughs and friendship along with delicious food! The Brussels were out of this world! The Shepard's Pie and Gravy was so warm and tasty and flavorful! Nashville Hot Chicken didn't disappoint either! The Butternut Mac and Cheese was so creamy!! I even tried baby octopus for the first time!!! I would recommend this place to everyone!!!! The plates are small tapas which I enjoy because you can share at the table and try many options from the menu!!! read more

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Beautiful restaurant, food excellent, service impeccable, great foodie experience. Will be back

We had our office Christmas party @ Pacifica and the service and food was absolutely amazing. Anyone looking for a Tapas style restaurant this is the best in town. Thank you read more

The food and drinks were fantastic! Hubby had the Fruitti di mare and loved it! Good size portion. I had the crab fritters and they were delicious! Again perfect portion size to allow room for dessert. We shared the make your own s'mores! What a fun way to end the meal! Only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because the service wasn't fantastic. Probably understaffed for a busy Friday evening. read more

Pacifica - Make your own s'mores! - New American Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Fabulous food and excellent service! We also eat a late dinner and was thrilled that they were open late! Tapas are one of my favorites.

This place was alright. The food was decent but it took a very long time for the servers to get us our food. The enviorment is decent with there usually being a good crowd of people and the setting feels really unique from its various settings and also how you can even see the chef prepare your food. I recommend your try this place if you feel like finding somewhere where you like to be around other people. Positives +enviorment +very friendly and social Negatives - Food is decent -Took a very long time for the server to get our food. Opinion: I would go here if you like tacos and want to meet other people. read more

Love the new location. Food and drinks are still exciting and delicious! Can't wait to bring friends here to celebrate in their amazing private dining space. Best of the beach for a fun casual night out. Zero prevention!! read more

I find this place so underrated. It seems to be one of those places you never think of going right away, but every time you do, you're glad you did. Located a few street out of the full blown tourist section of the oceanfront, this place has plenty of tapas to choose from and even more cocktails. Their drink menu is seriously humongous! Their tapas menu is split into two sections: hot and cold. We always order a few tapas plates for the entire group and both their cheeses and charcuterie are of great quality. I wish they'd bring more bread out as we always seem to end up the bread and have lots of other small bites to go. If you can, always sit in their couches by the fireplace. Winter, spring, summer, or fall - it feels so cozy and comfy and never the wrong choice. The price ranges from about $5 to well.. that'll depend on whether you're planning on having a full on meal and a bunch of drinks there or not. This is not the place for the traditional definition of dinner. Oh, and you cannot leave without trying their smores fondue! read more

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Great place! Friendly and knowledgeable bartenders. Good mix of bar and restaurant. Not loud, but enough energy to make it fun.

Perfect place to unwind after a long day whether at the beach or the office. Food is inventive and well executed. Staff make it seem like you are family and the atmosphere is relaxed and energetic at the same time. My favorite place for a night out. read more

Great small bar for atmosphere and meeting up, good "tapa" type food and great pours on their drinks, and my favorite on date is the smore entre. read more

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Nice atmosphere. Service was good and food was great. I recommend the pot stickers and crab cakes. Will return soon.

Ask anyone local or tourist in the Virginia Beach area where the heart of the action for restaurants and entertainment is at the Oceanfront and they may tell you between 16th and 31st Street. If you're looking for a great dining experience composed of seasonal tapas style treats you may wanna head further past 31st Street... No further... Just a little bit furth... yeah hang a right at 40th and pull into the little parking lot and head into Pacifica! This was my first time here at this restaurant but not the first time I have enjoyed tapas from the collection of restaurants it is under. Pacifica is part of a chain of tapas style restaurants including "Six" (in Hampton), "Empire" (in Norfolk), and "Crackers" (also in Norfolk) under the name "Little Bar Bistro." I have been to "Six" previously. I went with my girlfriend and two other great friends last night to try their offerings. I started with the Southern Mule which was a cocktail made of Southern Comfort, Lime juice, and Ginger Beer, while my GF had the Pink Paradise. I will say that both of these drinks are quite the contrast in that mine was enjoyable with a good balance of flavors and could be had throughout the meal. Her's was one of heavy alcohol flavor with tropical and coconut flavors that probably having 2 to 3 would put you in a good mood the rest of the night. The meal itself was great. Looking back on our selections they turned out to be a good variety of land and sea, taste and textures. We started with the Fried Calamari with Pickled Peppers and Smoked Remoulade. We've had Calamari from more than 2 handfuls of places in the Hampton Roads area and beyond and this one had great flavor and crunch and was sans the traditional "marinara" sauce. I then ordered the Sweet Potato and Pork Belly Pie with Crispy Edward's Ham and Rosemary Oil. For $9 it could have very well been an entree dish for it's size. I think they did a great job with the flavors as the sweet potato was smooth and pork belly could be found throughout the pie, the ham added a nice crunch and saltiness to the dish to balance out the sweetness in the dish. I then had the Sea Scallops with Butternut Squash Puree and Gala Apples. Such a well composed dish as you can see from my picture. My only critique of it was that I wish the puree were a little bit thicker and not so much watery like baby food puree but the flavors all worked very well. The scallops (3 of them) were all well seared and seasoned. The natural buttery flavor from them went well with the squash puree and the matchstick Gala apple garnish provided nice crunch and acidity to cut through the richness of the scallops. The last savory item I had was the Oyster "Chowder" with Bacon & Cornmeal Scone. I put "Chowder" in quotes because it's not the typical consistency of a chowder which is very thick. This dish eats more like a soup and a damn good one at that. With great flavor and a generous helping of whole oysters in the soup it was delicious and satisfying. The Bacon & Cornmeal scone was a nice alternative to the packaged oyster crackers you may be used to getting. The four of us ended the night with S'mores which was great in the sense that after a night of eating composed plates you can still indulge in an interactive, messy ordeal that never loses it's luster. One order makes enough for 6 S'mores and the presentation was well done (Just like at "Six"). Pacifica has a great cocktail and martini menu as well and some great beers to wind down with or get rowdy with in a small but inviting atmosphere. There is bench style seating toward the back of the restaurant as well as a center lounge area with modern style couches and tables. The lighting is a bit dim during night time but nothing to complain about. The only thing we did have a comment with is that they don't split checks (as noted on the menu in a rather humorous, smart ass manner). So if you're looking to split the bill be sure to break out your phone calculator :) Definitely looking forward to making a return trip to this place as well as the others in the area as it's a good place for all to enjoy, have a good meal, good laughs and is away from the hustle and bustle of the Oceanfront strip. read more

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Overall cool spot to hang with friends or on a date, where I had my first tapas experience. I've been here quite a few times and I have nothing bad to say about it. This is one of the only good places that open late and serve GOOD food, the serve a variety of libations (which changes seasonly) so coming here is a treat. Their menu is split up into a "cold" and "hot" section. Prices ranges from $3-$16. It can get pretty pricey if you plan on eating a lot. Not the best place for dinner on a budget however trying out their selection of foods are fun. There's an open kitchen where you can watch the chefs yourself. Try the smores!!! read more

The food here is very good. This is Tapas so the dishes are smaller and meant to be shared. Five dishes and a bottle of Prosecco (tasted like Brut) cost about $105 before tip. Three people went away sated. It gets loud when it gets busy. Staff told me that staff from other restaurants in town go there after work. Good mix of tourist and local. Specials board has food and drink specials Plan to take your time. It takes time between dishes and there was only one server. We enjoyed the company so that was not an issue. The food itself is quite good. All of the dishes we had tasted as good as or better than the pictures I posted. read more

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My friends and I came here just to grab some drinks. It wasn't very crowded and had a more relaxing atmosphere. If you're mainly a beer drinker, I wouldn't suggest you go here. They have a few selections but nothing too great. I ordered the dark and stormy (dark rum and ginger beer) and actually enjoyed it. They describe it as if "crown and ginger had a baby with rum and coke" which is what it tasted like. Not too sure how their other drinks are, but from what I hear they make them pretty strong. As for food, I don't think I've ever tried them. But from the menu, it looks like they're a tapas restaurant. We did get an order of s'mores. For $6, it's not bad. I really liked it. But I don't think you can ever go wrong with s'mores. Overall, this wouldn't be my first choice to go to, but I would come back. read more

Pacifica - New American Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

What a great find in North Virginia Beach. This place has fabulous cocktails, wonderful tapas, and specials that amaze. With different specials every night, you can never go wrong and can come back often. We very much enjoyed the FRIES, wings, and the honey cranberry butter with fresh bread. It was delicious. My husband and I had the filet and shrimp and it did not disappoint. They are open every day at 5, but get there early because it is a small place and it was packed! Can't wait to come back next time we are in Va Beach. read more

Great apps. Sat at the chef's table. Chef Michael was very gracious and talked to us about the food. Very enjoyable overall.

Discovered Pacifica today! Martinis and tapas...YUM! Had the Vesper martini...felt like I was in a Daniel Craig Bond movie...it was outstanding! Loved the tapas...going to work our way through the menu! read more

Came to the place on the rainiest day imaginable in VA beach. Never been to VA beach b4 cuz always head out to ocean city but came here the day what felt like a tropical storm outside (Irene was visiting VA then) Outside; crazy stormy so it was a nice surprise to see this place being warm and welcoming. Really liked the ambience and took the seat nearest to the fireplace. Now i know tapa style is small portions but this was really lil portions for the amount we paid and unfortunately they were not serving their best dishes. Had the wings, Thai noodles and the bread/butter. Heard their butters change every time but wht we had was definitely vv salty and had a v mozerallish-taste to it All in all I would recommend this place for snacking, drinks are top-notch and will def try the desserts nxt time! S-mores!! read more

Great place. You can get small plates or regular size entrees. Everything has so much flavor. It was very busy so we were seated on the couch with a coffee table. The wine SETI's great and so are the cocktails! Our series's awesome. I wish I could remember her name! It is noisy but I like the electric vibe! read more

Imagine you had the ability to visit one of the greatest local bistros at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. If you are gifted with that privilege please take advantage. The Ambiance is one of a kind. The food will take your taste buds to levels they have never been too before. Locally owned and operated, it's a must for anyone looking for some crazy good eats and drinks. read more

I dealt with Chris at the bar and boy was I impressed. Everyone there was courteous and friendly but Chris stole the show. His suggestion of the salmon and grouper were welcomed and boy did they NOT disappoint, the food was amazing but Chris' customer service was even more so. I highly recommend visiting Pacifica for great food and great atmosphere. Signed a Cleveland Ohio vacationer. read more

This was our first visit, but won't be our last. Hubby had the Zesty Shrimp Tacos and the flavor popped hard, but not super spicy. I enjoyed the Lemon Butter Garlic Scallops with just the right combination of the sea and the earth. The Israeli Couscous came alive with flavors of rosemary and chive. Our server was friendly and quick and the atmosphere was somewhat romantic and cozy with a hint of funk! read more

Solid small plates. The cocktails were good, the food came out in good time, and the service was really good. We had a bunch of different things like wings, potstickers, seafood pasta, etc. The flavors were all on point, the only reason I docked a star was the execution of the food. The potstickers were weirdly crunchy and hard, like it was fried from frozen or something. The wings were yummy but super greasy like it was double fried. Other than that enjoyed the other stuff like pork belly tacos etc. They had table side s'mores for dessert which was really fun! All in all a solid restaurant, nothing to blow your mind but certainly an option for date night. read more

Overall was decent. Service was nice and tried hard, but never mentioned the specials. Would've loved to try the fish special if I was told. Also, the chef forgot the avocado in the Avocado Caprese Salad (it's in the name of the item, man!). Homemade oreo tiramisu was amazing. Shrimp tacos, cheese board and fish charcuterie were all excellent. Veggie dumplings were underwhelming. Would've been four stars, but I'm deducting a star for the highly unusual move of charging $6 for bread and butter. To me, that's like charging for water. And the bread and butter were very basic. read more

I hate this place. It made no sense. I was so confused I had to leave. There is no actual dinner food and the menu is weird and random and confusing and I hate it. read more

These folks have nailed the tapas experience. Everything we had from the duck wings to the special peach goat cheese salad was FANTASTIC. The wine list isn't extensive but perfect nonetheless. They had a huge beer selection, but we chose a bottle of cab. I love how thoughtful everything is on the menu. Please, please, please frequent these guys so they will be around for years to come! PS we visited 2 weeks after they had reopened after COVID 19 and times are tough. Their food was fresh, tables were spaced and masks were worn. We absolutely loved every minute! read more

Pacifica is one of my all time favorite restaurants at the beach! The atmosphere is perfect for long dinner conversations (I like to order different options throughout the night and try multiple dishes) over delicious food and drinks (although if you only order a few items you could be in and out fairly quickly). They have an excellent selection of both hot and cold tapas (small plates) that changes fairly regularly (in addition to their daily specials), keeping things new and interesting. But their cocktail menu definitely steals the show - I've tried something new every time and have never been disappointed! The staff is always friendly but laid back, which makes for an even better dining experience. If you want a filling meal plus drinks, Pacifica is on the more expensive side. If you just want to try a couple of small dishes you could get away with an averagely priced meal. I highly recommend giving Pacifica a try! read more

Food is fresh and made to order. Everything we ordered was outstanding. We sat at the bar overlooking the chef as he prepared our food. Fun environment. Service was excellent too. Staff was very friendly. read more

What a great find!! After not having a server come to serve us at another restaurant, we happened upon Pacifica. Talk about happy accidents! The service was amazing and the food was terrific. It was a great night!! read more

***They do not have Highchairs****. Luckily our friends had one but otherwise we would have left. Most restaurants have these so it was strange that this restaurant did not. We came at 6pm. Very tasty meal. Good service. Really liked the Brussels sprouts. Nothing on the menu for specifically for kids, but the chef made something for my 17 month old. Would leave her at home next time most likely. read more

Pacifica is my favorite place to visit while in town for work. I always have the cheese plate and wine, but everything else I've eaten has been delicious. Last time in town, I had some pork belly stuffed prawns which exceeded expectations. read more

This was my first time at Pacifica but it won't be my last. Service was great, Christin explained the seasonal menu and that tonight was the first night they were running the winter menu. I was a little nervous about that but I shouldn't have been, it was well composed and thoughtful, with plenty of options for everyone. We shared several dishes, but the Nashville Hot Chicken was a stand out! The sage butternut mac & cheese was the definition of comfort food. There was a roasted cauliflower special and the most amazing brussel sprouts. We really enjoyed everything and the drinks were the perfect complement. Pacifica will definitely be on our must visit list when in VA Beach. read more

Incredible food at a cozy and charming tapas spot. Very homy feeling with couches by the fireplace. The food is on another level with great deinks as well. Cool artsy ambiance and hip vibey music. Def get the smores for desert! Staff is laid back and casual and friendly. Pacífica is a must! read more

In the dark, the outside of Pacifica looks uninviting. It looks like you're going to walk into an old abandoned liquor store. Inside though, you'll see a gorgeous bar, generous seating, couches by the fireplace, and a side bar by the kitchen. It's seat your self, and it's a pretty place for a date or to hang out with friends. You just wouldn't know it from the outside. The rowdiest group of girls was celebrating a birthday, shouting and being obnoxious, but they didn't manage to destroy the atmosphere entirely. Someone did go over and ask them to keep it down, which was great because they were exceptionally loud. Noise builds in this space, but they play these soft singer-songwriter tunes in a slightly darker light, perhaps in hopes Pacifica will feel more romantic and less like a bachelorette party stop. 4 dishes was enough for my boyfriend and I. We were pleasantly full. We could have gone with just 3, but we loved everything and really enjoyed our meal. Everything was reasonably adventurous and there weren't any plates that were obscenely small. Here's what we had: Truffle mac and cheese. I feel like when truffle mac is good, it's perfect and kind of hard to find anything bad to say. Smoked chicken and date salad. The chicken was very smoky and delicious, not at all dry. There was a strip of warm, limp lettuce on the plate that just tasted like pure smoke; it was the only thing that was bad about this dish. Sweet and sour lamb meatballs. The lamp was moist and gamey. We would have liked if the outside was a little crispy instead of all soft, but the Asian style slaw was delicious with the meatballs. My boyfriend bit into a jalapeño, which wasn't great, but next time we'll just remove them. We had a special of the night: crispy skin duck breast with pork belly, potato turnip, and sweet potato hash. The skin was very burnt tasting and kind of ruined the taste of the dish, but when you cut the skin off, it was actually really delicious. I loved the little garnish of cubed sweet potato, potato turnip, and pork belly. Pacifica was really a nice place to try. We really enjoyed ourselves and will be sure to come back next time we're in Virginia Beach! read more

I hadn't been in Virginia Beach in over 10 years. What I do recall from my past experiences is that it's a decent foodie town but not so much on the oceanfront, which really isn't surprising given that it's where all the tourists are. What surprised me on my latest return visit is the plethora of "tapas bars" - I decided to sample a few of these while on vacation. The first of these was Pacifica, thanks to you Yelpers. As we walked in at around 6 p.m. on a Monday night, it was pretty vacant, but that changed within a half an hour. We were greeted with a refreshing and friendly "Hi - please take a seat wherever you'd like" -- and chose a table by the window. Our server was a very amiable, CA-type guy, very laid-back and helpful. He smiled when I told him I'd need a few minutes to peruse their IMMENSE cocktail menu and separate wine list. They listed the 25+ martinis on one side, and "traditional cocktails" on the other. He also told us that Monday was 50% off any bottle of wine. Holy cow. I decided why choose? and went with a strategy of "have a couple of cocktails then order a bottle of wine." First I went for the "LBM"--basically a humongous glass of iced Finlandia vodka with a lemon twist. I detected no vermouth in it, which meant I'd be in trouble if I kept it up, so I cried uncle. My dining companion was undeterred and proceeded to work his way down the list of gin and vodka offerings. Since I did want to keep it classy, I thought we ought to order a few "tapas"--I liked the innumerable options between cold and hot small plates, offering something for everyone, carnivores or not. As was my custom, I looked to our server for his recommendations: seared scallops (oh-my-god-yummy), NC crab hush puppies (light, flavorful pop of cornmeal with HUGE pieces of crab), filet beef with potato salad, pork pot stickers, and a couple of the daily specials (grilled shrimp, catch of the day). I ordered a bottle of sauvignon blanc because, why not? It was a wise call indeed. I was both pleasantly surprised and impressed by the entire experience. Yes, it has a feel much like a party/bar hang out, but not skeezy or grimy; it reminded me a bit of a tiki bar. If you come early (before 9), you can have a nice, romantic date or lively dinner with friends. It's so tempting and easy to get plastered given the homage to high-quality, generous pours of alcoholic beverages at decent prices, but the I personally held back because I wanted to actually enjoy the excellent food. Pacifica was the best out of the four "tapas" places we tried and if I were a local, I'd no doubt be a regular. read more

Pacifica - Seared scallop special with fresh corn salsa with flecks of Edwards country ham. - New American Near Me - Virginia Beach, Virginia

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Last spring the better half and I ate at a small tapas joint in downtown Norfolk called Empire and had an amazing experience. One dish that really stood out was a braised lamb belly that both of us devoured like a pack of ravenous wolves. It was so unique and delicious that we discarded our civilized temperaments to get at the last morsel before the other could fork it. I raved about Empire on Yelp and posted a picture of said lamb dish. I still occasionally daydream about it. I did not know that the folks who own Empire also own Pacifica, another tapas place, down at the beach. Not only that, the chef who created that beautiful braised lamb belly works full time at Pacifica and had been guest chef at Empire on the night we were there. He sent me a note a few weeks back thanking me for the write up and inviting us to dine at Pacifica. He teased us with a list of ingredients that hit us right in our sweet spot. Rabbit...oysters..venison...duck. All those delicious yet elusive things that never end up in your refrigerator at home. We went last night and enjoyed one cascading delight after another. Charcuterie plate with house made duck prosciutto of all things. Perfectly fried oysters and pickled vegetables wrapped in Bibb lettuce. As sophisticated as finger food gets. The Chef, Kevin, surprises us and personally delivers our next dish (gratis I might add). An incredibly flavorful medium-rare filet mignon served over a cassoulet of white beans and braised greens with a touch of rosemary oil. Filet isn't something I ever order because I normally find it lacking flavor but Kevin had managed to elevate this one beyond imagination. Megajoules of flavor in every bite. And any bistro in Paris would be proud to have that cassoulet on their menu. What a great pairing. Genius. Braised rabbit and dumplings. Oyster stew with bacon scones. Pork belly stewed with lentils. Ravioli with venison ragu. This is why we love tapas style dining. The small plates allow you try dish after dish. We ended the night by attempting to split an order of dulce le leche gelato which showed up with a complimentary order of raspberry sorbet along side. We did our best but could not finish. Digestive overload had been achieved. Thank goodness I didn't eat lunch yesterday or I would have exploded. We ended the night by buying Kevin a beverage of his choice to thank him for his generosity (Chimay Ale...great choice!). When he came to thank us and wish us a good evening he teased us once again by letting us know they are getting ready to roll out their winter menu which will have a sweetbread dish on it. That might gross out most Hampton Roads gastronauts but that is a bucket list item for me. I can't wait to try it. read more

You would never know what a little gem this place is by walking by, but it is a wonderful surprise inside. My husband and I arrived rather late for dinner (10:30), so it was a little empty, but that was perfect for us. Great background music and ambiance for a date night or drinks out with friends. We ordered the dumplings/gyozas, artichoke hearts and sausage plate. Everything was awesome! Everything from the main dish down to the accompanying sauces were perfect for each other. I was a little apprehensive of elk sausage, but it did taste good. The chicken sausage was my favorite and so were the dumplings. We weren't in the mood for dessert, but would love to try it next time. read more

The ambiance of Pacifica is nice, they have a really laid back vibe... And the outdoor bar is cool, unfortunately, the food didn't live up to my expectations. Especially considering the rating this place has. I order the tuna tartare and it was the first time that I'd ever had that dish prepared with basmati rice, chunks of cucumbers and dressed with vinegar. Aside from it being subpar at best, tuna was the least present in the the dish!!! I felt like I was eating a vegan dish. My second entree was a cheese plate, and once again these guys failed to deliver. You would think there's no way to screw up a cheese plate but I assure you that ways were found. My "CHEESE" plate, labeled on the menu as "an assortment of cheeses" consisted of two types of cheese, five different fruits (none of which were ripe) a baguette and grilled peaches. Technically making it the sixth fruit on my plate. How in the hell do you have a cheese plate where cheese is the least present. It was basically a fruit plate with cheese! Needless to say, I don't recommend them, and I certainly won't be frequenting this establishment again. read more