Service was terrible the waitress was very slow. It took more than a hour to bring us our food. The hamburgers were dry and the fries were cold and not fresh. Had to ask to get refills on tea. The water bottle was empty and never was refilled. We spent more than two hundred dollars on dinner. I had better burgers at Wendy’s !! I would not recommend this restaurant!!! Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else !!!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
kevin Bauer
Birthday dinner for close friends this past weekends the drinks and food are fantastic, highly recommend to dine in, great atmosphere and the appetizers are outstanding, all items made in house. The charcuterie board is my favorite with pickled figs, green beans and cauliflower served with local honey, chorizo pate and a variety of cheese. I would opt for the pimento cheese dip as well. Outstanding service. Very attentive.
It's not great. There's so many things done wrong. We took a group of 4, and I think most of us were fairly disappointed by everything. The whole place has the feel of an amateur restauranteur trying to run a high end restaurant, but everything falls flat.Duck tacos - these were good. We ordered 4 for the table so that everyone could try. Very tasty.They bring a large bottle of water to the table, but you get tiny glasses, and no ice or lemon. You have to request these things.They had specials, we requested these, then we were informed that they were all out.They had some special burgers, we were then informed that, while on the menu, that particular sandwich was only available on Tuesdays. ???They don't offer you drinks to start, they took our food orders and left. Later we tracked down our waitress and informed her that we wanted drinks beyond just water. We ordered those, and then one of our party ordered a coke. This came in a can. I'm paying $55 for Prime Rib, and we have to drink soda from a can?One person at our table, that ordered the burger and fries, never received ketchup, this had to be asked for separately. We also received a salad, without dressing. Later we found our waitress again, and requested dressing.Aside form the duck tacos, everything else was very flavorless. Fish was incredibly oily. You don't receive anything like bread on the table. Orders took a LONG time to arrive, and several of our dishes arrived separately, half of our table ate for 5-10 minutes before the other half received their food.There are many options in the area that are better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Joseph Welsh
Esoteric is a great place to take friends and try some great food. The burgers are nice and the buffalo wings (or buffalo oyster mushrooms) are amazing! I like their small wine selection too.One thing that may keep me from taking a date here is the space does not dampen noise well. Maybe it’s the cement floor, but it is hard to have a detailed conversation over the noise of the other guests in the indoor seating area when it’s cold outside.Overall, I think you should check this place out!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buffalo Mushroom Bites
André Suman
Best truffle fries I ever had! ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Van Wade
This was our second eating there, and it was just as awesome. Great vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kelly tonkin
I’m from Philly and my best friends live here and we go every time I’m in town. Chicken sandwich and the donuts are bomb. So good. All the servers are great. Never had a bad experience. And @roxyhallart is on the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
gordys geminis
The service was very good, the charred octopus is too delicious, octopus empanadas too...... Great restaurant... Duck tacos great flavor but little bit salty for us!!!!!! But honestly the octopus was awesome ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Craft Beer, Charred Octopus
Anna Martin
Duck tacos and a beet salad were delicious! Perfect amount of food. Paired with a lovely red wine and a bartender that knows her stuff. Chatted with others sitting at the bar. Esoteric is a favorite of locals. Didn’t occur to me to take photos until I was done eating. By then, the plates were clean.
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Esoteric , and I must commend our waitress for delivering an outstanding dining experience. Her attentive and friendly demeanor truly elevated our evening. From prompt service to insightful menu recommendations, she went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction. I look forward to returning and enjoying the impeccable service once again.Thank you Lilly5 Stars all the way
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Logan Cooley
Food was delicious and the restaurant was very cozy. The Duck Tacos had a really unique flavor. They were sort of like an Asian Birria type dish. The Ribeye was cooked to perfection and the mushrooms complimented the sauce marvelously. They also have incredible fries which is always a nice surprise. The drink menu was extensive and had many brilliant combinations along with a substantial beer selection. Definitely worth visiting.
Recommended dishes: Duck Tacos
Peter Scarpa
One of the most incredible culinary experiences you could possibly have! The chefs at Esoteric restaurant are not only imaginative and well-trained and educated and disciplined but they strive to introduce extraordinary new dishes...The pastry chef constantly outpaces the industry with new and Innovative desserts..I recommend this restaurant highly!The Sunday brunch, which is done the last Sunday of every month only, has the most delicious food on the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jen s.
Coming from 8 years in San Diego with access to incredible food, this is one of two places in Va beach I’ve found in the last year that is up to par. Staff were amazing and knowledgeable and the food was some of the best I’ve had. The octopus and salmon stir fry special had my husband raving! Cocktails were crisp, creative and not too sweet.Dietary restrictions: I was able to accommodate my gf and df allergies
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Pretzel, Buffalo Mushrooms
Charles J. Haley
Best place on earth. I’m here multiple times per week. Best staff, best food, best time ever. 10/10 highly recommended.
Great live, music love the art work and whole
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Service was terrible the waitress was very slow. It took more than a hour to bring us our food. The hamburgers were dry and the fries were cold and not fresh. Had to ask to get refills on tea. The water bottle was empty and never was refilled. We spent more than two hundred dollars on dinner. I had better burgers at Wendy’s !! I would not recommend this restaurant!!! Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else !!!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Birthday dinner for close friends this past weekends the drinks and food are fantastic, highly recommend to dine in, great atmosphere and the appetizers are outstanding, all items made in house. The charcuterie board is my favorite with pickled figs, green beans and cauliflower served with local honey, chorizo pate and a variety of cheese. I would opt for the pimento cheese dip as well. Outstanding service. Very attentive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Craft Beer, Charcuterie Board, Buffalo Wings, House Pretzel, Pickled Veggies
It's not great. There's so many things done wrong. We took a group of 4, and I think most of us were fairly disappointed by everything. The whole place has the feel of an amateur restauranteur trying to run a high end restaurant, but everything falls flat.Duck tacos - these were good. We ordered 4 for the table so that everyone could try. Very tasty.They bring a large bottle of water to the table, but you get tiny glasses, and no ice or lemon. You have to request these things.They had specials, we requested these, then we were informed that they were all out.They had some special burgers, we were then informed that, while on the menu, that particular sandwich was only available on Tuesdays. ???They don't offer you drinks to start, they took our food orders and left. Later we tracked down our waitress and informed her that we wanted drinks beyond just water. We ordered those, and then one of our party ordered a coke. This came in a can. I'm paying $55 for Prime Rib, and we have to drink soda from a can?One person at our table, that ordered the burger and fries, never received ketchup, this had to be asked for separately. We also received a salad, without dressing. Later we found our waitress again, and requested dressing.Aside form the duck tacos, everything else was very flavorless. Fish was incredibly oily. You don't receive anything like bread on the table. Orders took a LONG time to arrive, and several of our dishes arrived separately, half of our table ate for 5-10 minutes before the other half received their food.There are many options in the area that are better.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 2
Esoteric is a great place to take friends and try some great food. The burgers are nice and the buffalo wings (or buffalo oyster mushrooms) are amazing! I like their small wine selection too.One thing that may keep me from taking a date here is the space does not dampen noise well. Maybe it’s the cement floor, but it is hard to have a detailed conversation over the noise of the other guests in the indoor seating area when it’s cold outside.Overall, I think you should check this place out!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Buffalo Mushroom Bites
Best truffle fries I ever had! ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our second eating there, and it was just as awesome. Great vegan
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’m from Philly and my best friends live here and we go every time I’m in town. Chicken sandwich and the donuts are bomb. So good. All the servers are great. Never had a bad experience. And @roxyhallart is on the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service was very good, the charred octopus is too delicious, octopus empanadas too...... Great restaurant... Duck tacos great flavor but little bit salty for us!!!!!! But honestly the octopus was awesome ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Craft Beer, Charred Octopus
Duck tacos and a beet salad were delicious! Perfect amount of food. Paired with a lovely red wine and a bartender that knows her stuff. Chatted with others sitting at the bar. Esoteric is a favorite of locals. Didn’t occur to me to take photos until I was done eating. By then, the plates were clean.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I recently had the pleasure of dining at Esoteric , and I must commend our waitress for delivering an outstanding dining experience. Her attentive and friendly demeanor truly elevated our evening. From prompt service to insightful menu recommendations, she went above and beyond to ensure our satisfaction. I look forward to returning and enjoying the impeccable service once again.Thank you Lilly5 Stars all the way
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was delicious and the restaurant was very cozy. The Duck Tacos had a really unique flavor. They were sort of like an Asian Birria type dish. The Ribeye was cooked to perfection and the mushrooms complimented the sauce marvelously. They also have incredible fries which is always a nice surprise. The drink menu was extensive and had many brilliant combinations along with a substantial beer selection. Definitely worth visiting.
Recommended dishes: Duck Tacos
One of the most incredible culinary experiences you could possibly have! The chefs at Esoteric restaurant are not only imaginative and well-trained and educated and disciplined but they strive to introduce extraordinary new dishes...The pastry chef constantly outpaces the industry with new and Innovative desserts..I recommend this restaurant highly!The Sunday brunch, which is done the last Sunday of every month only, has the most delicious food on the menu!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Coming from 8 years in San Diego with access to incredible food, this is one of two places in Va beach I’ve found in the last year that is up to par. Staff were amazing and knowledgeable and the food was some of the best I’ve had. The octopus and salmon stir fry special had my husband raving! Cocktails were crisp, creative and not too sweet.Dietary restrictions: I was able to accommodate my gf and df allergies
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: House Pretzel, Buffalo Mushrooms
Best place on earth. I’m here multiple times per week. Best staff, best food, best time ever. 10/10 highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5