ViNoVA Mediterranean Bistro

My daughter and I went twice and had the absolutely best design your own bowls. She had the best falafel ever and I had chicken. both of us had a combination of grains greens and sauces with our proteins. Absolutely the best bowls either of us have ever had. Came back two more times for lunch but no longer open before 3. came back today at 3 o’clock knowing that was the time they now open we were both craving those wonderful bowls of grains greens and proteins. They are no longer on the menu. There was nothing left on the menu that would even make us want to sit down and have a meal and a glass of wine or even a soda lol. So away we went to blue wing frog.

We had a wonderful dinner Friday night, January 14Service and food were great, one of the best cheese trays we have ever had as a starterOur waiter was very good, recommended a re blend italian wine and it was spot onNice place!

SynopsisI recognized muddled service immediately upon being seated at the bar causing me to abbreviate my order. I had 2 Chambord & champagne drinks, páté appetizer, baguette, black coffee, shot of kahlúa and carrot cake. The páté was highly emulsified and delicious. The carrot was flavorful and fresh. The bartended told me the bakery next door makes their baguettes and deserts. I think that is a wise and mutually beneficial business relationship.The DetailI arrived in Front Royal early for an activity later in the evening on Friday, October 22. Unfamiliar with FR restaurants I happened upon ViNoVa Tapas & Wine Bar as I was scoping out restaurants on the other side of the street from standing on the sidewalk in front of VT&WB. Turning around I noticed the restaurant. It was 6:00 PM, VT&BW had good curb appeal and I noticed it was not crowded.Seated at the small bar directly across from the kitchen I ordered a Kir Royal. I knew I was in trouble when the bartended/server confessed that he was unfamiliar with the drink. Appreciating his candor, while at the same time lowering my expectations, I walked him through the simple recipe. Turns out the bar did not have crème de cassis but I spotted Chambord and opted for Chambord and Prosecco instead. Close enough. The staff in general seemed overwhelmed and not well choreographed.The drink order exercise set the pace for food ordering. I asked for hummus and was promptly told that hummus is only available on the lunch menu and restricted to lunch time. Next I discovered they were out of scallops. I ended up simply getting pâté appetizer that was delicious. It was highly emulsified and flavorful. I asked for baguette that came as a side that was very good. I was surprised that pita bread was on the plate with the pâté. I had no indication that pita was part of the dish when I ordered and the reason I ordered the baguette. The appetizer also came with cornichon pickles and Mustard Pommery. Overwhelmed with bread in front of me I only ate the baguette. I enjoy MP but the pâté and baguette were terrific on their own. In my mind I associate pita bread accompanying humus and it is intrinsic to a falafel sandwich. In my mind rustic bread, toast or crackers are best with pâté.Despite the muddled service my sparse selections were enough to get me off to my destination. I liked that the restaurant lighting was low. While I was there the restaurant began to fill up. It was clear to me that VT&BW is popular local spot. My sense was the customers coming in were all regulars who enjoy this restaurant and all seemed to be friendly and in good spirits that evening.

Chris is an amazing chef, and very clearly a master of his craft. The rilettes were out of this world and moving on an emotional level. I cannot recommend this place enough. If you are in town, go. Just go, there is no better place. The rilettes were just on point. The sauce for the scallops was amazing and the heat in it was balanced perfectly, and they were cooked properly and not rubbery in the slightest. The duck was phenomenal and juicy and tasty and the mustard/soy sauce mix was fun and new for me and paired really well with the duck. There is nothing to nitpick about here, it's just amazing food. If you get the chance, go.

We came for lunch and were not disappointed. Everything was well flavored and the variety was great. Absolutely recommend, it is so worth it. The service is the most amazing compliment to the food and environment.

The place was very unique and the food and wine outstanding ! Our waiter not only explain the different options in the menu he even brought us a sample of the wines before we order to make sure it was to our taste. Very good taste of Mediterranean food. The chef need to be congratulated. We loved the atmosphere, the service and the food.

As always the food is delicious and surprising! The wine selection changes frequently and is a joy to explore.

The food here was phenomenal! The wine was fantastic. Service was impeccable. We recommend anyone foodies to eat here. If we are ever in Front Royal again, we will definitely be back.

Walking in it felt small, but after we were situated it felt just right. They have seating that is comfy and not crowded. Nicely decorated with both eclectic and original art. The washroom should make any diner feel like they are being treated special. Spotlessly clean and well appointed. The food was exceptional, we sampled a wide assortment of dishes and only found two that were on the weak side. Still good, but could have been better. Not going to single them out as there could be multiple reasons for the less than perfect showing. The staff were energetic, professional, and friendly. Almost too friendly as we had to remind them we wanted to order food. This review is about my first visit. I usually like to eat at a place multiple times before posting a review. I did go back for a second visit with my partner and had a similar experience. My first time we sat at the bar, the second we sat outside. They do have two small outdoor tables on the main street side. I will be back

My boyfriend and I stopped for dinner, I was told by several people that the food was amazing, so we decided to give it a shot. We walked in and it smelled great, we were seated immediately. Took almost 3 minutes to receive our menu’s and another 5 to 10 minutes before our drink orders were taken. When our waiter came to take our order we asked about some items on the menu. He told us that the scallops were great and that you get between 3 & 4. My boyfriend ordered that. I ordered the steak frites thinking it was fries with strip steak which was how it was described. The scallops came out and there was only 2 on the plate. We asked for more sweet tea and was told they had to make more. So we waited. 30 minutes went by and my steak frites came out as steak fries and a very small steak strip. The fries tasted freezer burnt, and we still had no tea. My boyfriend ordered another entree the shrimp burger. That came out 15 minutes later and finally our tea came out which was made with tea bags in Chinese to go container. We were told that simple syrup was used to sweeten the tea and it wasn’t, when my tea was delivered I stirred my sugar which was sitting at the bottom of the glass. His shrimp burger was a ton of breading with a hint of seafood taste, lots of lettuce and mayonnaise. The only thing fresh about it was the bun. Everything was overpriced. $23 for the steak frites that probably should’ve cost $13 for the amount of food given, $14 for 2 medium sized scallops, $12 for a frozen patty with a faint shrimp taste was the shrimp burger. The tea was $5 a piece, and it was so loud that wait staff was yelling at customers to get their orders. Definitely wouldn’t go back or recommend this place to anyone

I highly recommend this restaurant. First, and foremost of course is the food. The menu has excellent variety. The scallops and the duck were highlights, but all the plates were well-prepared and flavorful. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable.If you are in Front Royal, I think you will find this a pleasant surprise. Ignore the reviews about plates being too small, and prices too high. Those folks need to find an Applebee's.

This place was unexpected! Every dish that came out, we cleaned our plates!Its comfortable, clean, and smells great when you walk in.We met one of the owners, and he was incredibly pleasant.Bartender is attentive. I definitely recommend if passing through, or even for a stay.

Trying to be fancy with high prices and small plates. You lost me when almost everything came in small bowls. We tried almost everything and the winner was..... the bread @ $4 for two small baguettes pieces probably 3 inches long. The hot nuts were way to spicy, yuca fries dipping sauce was like water and needed more flavor, salmon was just covered in teriyaki sauce with calantro mixed in, trout with cracker was alright when combined with the bread. You get the idea with the foods and now the staff. Our waitress was more focused on chatting then service. We kept having to ask for drinks and yet she still forgot. Yes I know you need to be friendly, but she was not focused.

My wife and I found this little gem on our way to Shenandoah National Park. It felt like eating at a friend’s house. The food was spectacular, the atmosphere was incredible, and the owners/staff felt like old friends. I felt like I was eating in a 21st century Mayberry (from the Andy Griffith Show). If you’re in the area then this place is a must. A little pricey but well worth it. This isn’t some chain restaurant serving microwaveable meals that are disguised to look homemade and fresh. This is the real deal!

My partner and I were staying near Front Royale and thought to try one of the popular spots in town. It wasn't too loud for most of the front room tables being filled. The place was clean, restroom included, lighting well balanced, and service very attentive. However, I had to rate 3 stars because of the six small plates / tapas that we tried, we only really liked two.The salad was maybe a tad heavy of the dressing but I appreciated that the produce was good quality and vinaigrette more acidic than sweet. Of the two dishes that we really liked, the cod cake and fried chicken were hands down the best along with the seasoning being well balanced and having nice plating. The "lumpia" was anything but, but it was perfectly fried (spring roll like) and affordable, just very off-putting to have a maple breakfast sausage for the filling.Maybe it was just our dishes or palettes but the seasoning was unbalanced for the tuna poke and (bay) scallops. The scallops were cooked just about perfect but the Scoville was a bit too high (cayenne?) to enjoy, as well as being overly salted. The tuna poke was incredibly salty but had potential; it consisted of something like brined tuna steak, soy sauce, and seaweed salad (+ sesame oil) in a small soup bowl. I think with less soy/salt, draining the excess liquid, using a plate, and serving with fried wonton would be a step towards improving both taste and plating.