Chartreuse Bistro

Wow, what a fantastic experience! Visiting Norfolk on business, I decided to give this place a try. The food, cocktails, and service blew me away! The menu changes daily, but during my visit I ordered the salmon with gnocchi, beets, and flash fried spinach. It was divine. I had the pleasure of sitting at the bar and watching the chef work his magic. He paid so much attention to detail. The cocktails and dessert were equally delicious. The servers were attentive. If I could give this place six stars, I would! Will definitely be back next time I am in town.

One word: amazing. I took my wife here for a date night and it was one of the best experiences we’ve had in a long time. Located in downtown Norfolk, the restaurant itself is small, cozy, crisp, and nondescript. The menu changes every day, as their whole thing is farm to table. The staff was very helpful and friendly and they were more than eager to offer recommendations, both on the food and on the impressive wine and beer list. All three courses were absolutely amazing and they were fresh, inventive, modern, and completely satisfying. I can’t wait to come back here again, maybe I’ll drop by for lunch some day.
Of note, they haven’t updated their website since 2015. They use Facebook:

Best restaurant in Norfolk, hands down. True farm to table with great food and service. Highly recommend for any special occasion or spontaneous desire for great food!

If you love a farm to table place to eat. This is the place to be! I liked that it was in the historic district part of Norfolk. It’s beautiful at night to walk along the streets. To get a little feel of a city and but get the quietness you’d get from a little town.
I like that u get a classy dining experience and high quality organic produce and poultry that is freshmy selected for each course on the menu. They change their menu often and showcase what’s in season.
My friend invited me here and I was so in love with the atmosphere. It was opened late. Business professionals all enjoying their drinks at the bar. More for the grown up crowd. I loved that it’s good place to be and converse on a Friday night. Have a couple drinks making it very relaxing.
I started of with a martini with fresh strawberries from our Virginia beach local farm. It came with lime and sparking, vodka for my martini.
Had to dive into the second course and order me the duck! It was cooked perfectly and the creamed puréed sauce married the duck so perfectly.
I tried my friend’s entrée which was a potato gnocchi with oyster mushrooms and Brussels sprouts. That was amazing. The gnocchi was made with just the right amount of dough and potato melted like a custard. The quality of food was AMAZING.
Dessert was my favorite of all. It was the BEST crème brûlée I’ve had in my life! It was light and smooth, they browned the sugAr so perfectly that there was no chat taste. I loved that they had a good layer of crystallized sugar to break into. OMG I was in love.
I tried my friends strawberry shortcake. It looked nothing like a typical short cake. It was decorated beautifully And they did a good job of making the strawberries the highlight.
I ended my night with French pressed coffee with a shot of baileys! I love the difference in taste that the French press gives. Super quality and smooth coffee with my Baileys mixed it! I love this place!
Too bad I can’t make this place somewhere that I would go often due to the price but definitely a place for a date or with friends who love superior quality of food and go for this type of atmosphere.

Went out here on a whim to try a «fancy» dinner. It has been so long that we’d been out on a more pricey date that I was slightly nervous. However, this is one of the many reasons I’m glad Unilocal exists. I made our reservation and hoped for the best. I’m sure glad I did!
First off, if you’re going to decide to go here, make your reservation early. I decided I wanted to go eat Saturday on that same week Wednesday and I was put on a wait list. Fortunately, someone cancelled and I was able to get the time I wanted (big deal when you have a child, sitter, and everything all lined up).
First off, the location is on the «in between» of MacArthur and Granby. The main window front faces a stop light near the mall and for some odd reason, seemed delightfully relaxing to watch. When you walk in, be prepared as it’s nothing that you might’ve expected from a high end restaurant. As a matter of fact, there isn’t much of anything at all. The walls are white with little to no artwork, the chairs seemed almost outdoor patio-​ish and it was very, very small. So small, that there are only about 6 tables total, if I remember correctly, 2 are two-​seaters, 1 is a six-​top and the others are four-​tops. There also is a little bar area that allows people to sit down but I didn’t see anyone go there. So yeah, this place is tiny (explains the reservation). At first, I was taken back and thought the ambiance was almost industrial/​under construction feeling. But, nonetheless, I refused to let it ruin our evening.
Before sitting down, they took our coats and sat us at a table already prepped for the two of us. The menu was paper and almost seemed cheap. However, one thing that you have to realize is that the menu changes daily and that they only use local, sustainable and all organic ingredients. Once you realize that, it makes sense why they have to print their menu’s out — daily.
From the very beginning it almost seemed library silent and awkward with the waitresses tending to nearly everything and anything you needed while being really close. But again, just rolled with it. After browsing the food menu, we browsed the drink menu. I honestly think that the drink menu is a big part of what makes this place shine. The selection was out of this world. My wife had a wine that was just fantastic and being the beer geek I am, I tried a stout I hadn’t seen before. Both of these were fantastic!
The service is top notch. As mentioned above, it first seemed like they kind of hovered but in reality, they’re just being very thorough to make sure they don’t miss a beat. When I first sat down they filled up a glass with water that was no bigger than 4″ tall. I chuckled inside because I thought I was going to be filling this sucker up relentlessly (I’m brutal for drinking a ton of water). However, never once did that little cup reach the bottom and never once was our table messy (they kept all clean). If you’ve ever eaten a fancy dinner on a cruise ship, it’s the same feeling (getting spoiled). Overall, the service was top notch. As such, we tipped very generously (as you should too!)
As time pressed on, we soon received our food. Since the menu is continually revolving all I can say is that it was all fantastic. The chef did a fantastic job with everything. The meals weren’t stupid huge to the point you never make it to dessert and the quality combined with presentation were both tasty and fun.
As we went through our meals and night started to come, the ambiance of the facility all came together. The barren white walls give just enough light from the candles they set on your table to create a very, very relaxing and romantic atmosphere. As more people entered the restaurant, the odd library feeling went away since there was just a low murmur of conversation going on around us. This place definitely knocks it out of the park for that romantic date deal. Here’s the kicker though: you have to be able to converse and enjoy the company of the person you’re with. Crazy eh? But seriously, my wife and I had a very enjoyable evening with great conversation to the point we felt like it was a true «date date» (married couples will understand). We were in the restaurant for a little over an hour and a half and it barely seemed like thirty minutes. All in all, that’s a complete win in my books.
I’d highly recommend this place in a heartbeat and I know I’ll be back.
Food Taste: 4.5
Overall Service: 5
Value of food to cost: 4.5
Facility: 4. then 5 (see review)
Repeat customer: yes
Dog Friendly: no

This place is small but amazing! We happened to catch their brunch which they only do a couple times a year apparently. It was so good we came back the next week and dinner was just as good. They remembered us and what we had (and I don’t think we’re terribly memorable people…). First and second course with a desert for each of us was a perfect amount of food in my opinion. And its a slow dinner so this was over 2 hours or so. I’m a pretty picky person and I don’t think I will ever ask to change a dish here because they’re just perfectly planned out. Coming back whenever possible without breaking the bank!

Excellent farm to table creation in d/​t Norfolk. A well run friendly place with an urban vibe and an interior set in a stylized interpretation of mid-​century modern. Clean, sleek and lacquered with a soft artistic edge. The service was smooth and attentive without being intrusive. The server knew the food, the wine and the beer menu and how to be helpful when faced with several tempting choices. The dishes we had were fresh, well rounded and expertly presented oral fixations. The place was a welcomed surprise while away from home. A visual and gastronomic bright spot in today’s food scene. I’ve already started telling my friends about this place back home in San Francisco. And as a bonus, the other owner is an artist also and her visual art is a pleasure to experience around the interior.

If Unilocal allowed 4.5 stars that would be a much better fit for my review.
The following regarding my experience were well over 5 stars:
Service — Pretty incredible from the moment we walked in. Drinks were always full, plates and silverware cleared promptly, servers noticeably attentive.
Oysters, salmon, almond torte, hibiscus ice cream, wine — All incredible and cooked/​prepared to perfection. Recommendations for the wine were spot on.
And the 4 stars:
Ambience — This place is really small so tables are close together plus the servers linger so conversation is a little uncomfortable to have at first.
Rutabaga bisque, polenta, lamb shank — These menu items were cooked perfectly, although each were well under seasoned. I expect my soups/​bisques/​stews and what have you to have complexity in flavor; theirs was very one dimensional/​each bite tasted the same due to lack of seasoning in the dish. My husband’s lamb shank fell off the bone but was unfortunately bland excluding maybe 2 – 3 bites. The polenta had perfect texture and tasted amazing, although a little more salt would have gone a long way to push it over the edge of knocking my socks off.
Even 5 stars wouldn’t have done this place justice had the chefs been a little more heavy handed with the seasoning.
All in all, this place is highly recommended if you’re looking for a fine dining experience in Norfolk.

My wife and I ate here last night on a last minute date night. I have wanted to try it based on reviews. It lived up to all the expectations! It’s small and has no flash but the people and food are awesome! We shared a couple of apps to get started and they were both great. My wife had wine and I tried a couple of mixed drinks which were also tasty. The chef heard us talking about our dinner selections and a couple questions my wife had and he came out to the table and offered to modify some I teams for her! She ended up with the Kale salad and a mushroom risotto while I had the poached salmon 1^st course and Pork Chop 2^nd. Everything was great and the Pork Chop dish was the best pork chop I have ever had! Based on our meal you can’t go wrong with anything you get here. We will be back!

There is a reason this place has almost a perfect Unilocal review score. It’s simply amazing! Fresh food that is honestly made with care and love. BELIEVE THE HYPE! It’s worth the cost (which honestly was not bad — for lunch my boyfriend and I only spent $ 40 with 18% tip included) and it was worth every penny.
My boyfriend tried the squid ink risotto with salmon. That day I learned I like squid ink! So delicious! Compliments to the chef!
The staff was gracious, hard-​working, and friendly. Highly recommend.

Why haven’t you gone yet? If you are reading the reviews, including this one, BELIEVE THE HYPE! Yes I know that all too often, Norfolk restaurants get 4 or close to 5 star reviews, and when you actually go and try the food you leave disappointed, become cynical and feel betrayed by your fellow Unilocalers for leading you astray. I’ve been there. I feel your pain. I mean let’s be real here, Norfolk isn’t really known for its vibrant trendy food scene. (CA pizza kitchen was featured in Norfolk’s Restaurant Week. Need I say more.) I am here to tell you that this one is a gem.
When you walk in, it almost has like a «pop-​up shop» feel to it. Very minimal furniture, with handpicked wild flowers in tiny glass vessels illuminated by the soft glow of votive candles on each table. It’s intimate and sexy and smells heavenly. The menu changes daily with usually 4 entrees and around the same number of appetizers and desserts. They used to post their menu on their FB, but if the reservation list is full for that night (which it usually is these days) they will not post it. They do, however, post their menu for lunch on their FB. I think the drink and cocktail menu changes daily too. The prices are not cheap but they are also not outrageous. And it is totally worth every penny.
I have been here on two occasions with the boyfriend and each time our food and drinks were outstanding. The only item that was a little unusual (I still am on the fence about it) was the spring onion martini. It was so different that I had to get it, and that was exactly my reaction after I took my first sip…“it’s…different…”. The first time I had some cucumber martini with gin and it was absolute perfection. The gnocchi is incredible and so is every fish entrée. The gazpacho is excellent too. Presentation of each dish was on point!
They do brunch once a month and usually announce when it will be on their FB. I only wish they would do brunch every weekend as it seems like the natural progression of this establishment.
Bring a date or bring your girlfriends, but whatever you do call ahead and make a reservation! You will be glad you did!

I visited this quaint small bistro last week, with my fellow food critic, whom has such a discerning tongue, I can’t wait to see her critique. This small restaurant is an ecletic nouveau american restaurant, with a lot to offer. The first impression I had when visiting was the cozy ambience with dark shaded lights. I was fortunate enough to be seated at the bar/​kitchen to be able to analyze the food I was served.
First started with the cheese platter, and this was an interesting assortMent of European products, with a range of stinky to light cheese for the palate. The waitress gave a quick tour of the cheese platter with hard-​to-​understand naming of the French cheese, but I understood that they were French in origin for nasal speech. What concerned me was the event where I had inquired about the coutry of origin of Idiazabal (which was compounded into the fettuccini dish), and the staff mentioned it was Italian. The extremely accurate resource of Wikipedia clearly states that it is from Spain.
Back to the cheese plate. Lots of pairing, fruits and spreads, with something could have been yellow mustard. Alas, enough variety to allow for multiple combinations. The service here is attentive, and we were eventually moved to a table for further examination of platters.
The Fettucini was delectable with light sauce and other included fibers. No usage of generic asparagus, nor any unnecessary vegetables, but use of soft ripened tomatoes, which reminded of my favorite Budget Gourmet dish as a child, which has unfortunately been disconitnued. You may think this is an impolite «jab» at this establishment’s dish, but in fact, the conjuring of memories of childhood dining added another element to this balanced dish. On the side, the salmon was perfectly grilled, and rentained its moistness along with good flavor. Overall, the dishes included good quality ingredients, with a degree of sophistication in the menu to portray a unique differentiation from other restaurants. The service was attentive, and friendly (even with my geographical corrections), and the ambience allowed for a romantic evening that I truly enjoyed.
My tip to you, reader: get a reservation.

Local, sustainable, and organic ingredients… Their menu changes daily but what you can be sure to find are some very fresh eats.
I’m not going to go into all the fancy terms they used but just about everything we (farewell lunch with Julia A) ordered was delicious. I had the grilled salmon. Julia had the grilled cheese sandwich. Lucky me, she shared some of her sandwich with me, the ultimate star of the meal.
Our waitress talked us into a blue cheese cheesecake for dessert. More savory than sweet. It’s a different taste. Not one that I would recommend if you’re really into just plain sweet cheesecake flavor like me but worth trying if you like different varieties.
Great location in the heart of our small Downtown Norfolk. A definite must try.

This place is small and delicious! It has an amazing wait staff and the food is very good. This is farm to table and every bite is worth the calories. I also recommend order tomorrow’s lunch after you finish the dinner because it is that good!

This is a restaurant that you walk by and wished you stopped in because it’s probably better than anything around.
I stepped in this restaurant on accident totally Unilocal unseen. The place is small yet intimate and exactly what a urban European could feel like with pops of color and rustic charm.
The lunch menu seemed well. Fitting. Small. A soup. A few salads. Two protein entrees. Som vegetarian dishes. It was nice that I read every description instead of reading the title. I wanted to be sure I got the best thing on the menu.
I settled for the Salmon and vegetable risotto. The salmon was Pam seared and perfectly cooked and seasoned. The risotto was pleasant but needed an extra min of cook time. The taste was spot on.
Dessert wasn’t my favorite. The dinner desserts looked better but we’re not being served. All is well.
I would come back. I like that the menu changes. Items are fresh. The prices were near high but seemingly ok because of the product they serve. I’d like to try their dinner but wonder if they do reservations. I would hate to show up to the place and wait terribly long. It’s way small!
Go and enjoy. :)

This place is small and has the feel of a quaint European restaurant or something you would find on the Lower East Side in Manhattan.
Had the cheese board and tuna tartare to start, both were great and not over portioned. The cheese comes with various nuts and spreads to enhance the flavor. The tuna was perfect!
For my meal I had the confit duck which was absolutely tasty! They know how to cook it right, it was tender and full of flavor.
Had a crème brûlée for dessert, need I say more? Very good!

Definitely one of my favorite places to eat in Downtown Norfolk. Their service is amazing, and the atmosphere is very cozy and has a bit of an urban feel. I recommend making a reservation rather than just walking in because it is a very small space.
The food is spectacular. Definitely try the ginger soda. Pretty much, just eat everything you can. The menu changes all the time, so it’s a completely different experience with each visit. Go to celebrate a special occasion or just go to Chartreuse Bistro to eat, you really won’t be disappointed. The staff is very friendly and they’re absolutely great.
My favorite part was the postcard that comes with the bill. It definitely gives you a little more to wrap up the whole experience (or I’m just crazy for postcards).

This restaurant serves very delicious food.
Well put together, the presentation is wonderful. Have lived everything I have ever had, yummy sounds came forth. Staff is great as well. Atmosphere is a little cramped, seating not the most comfortable. But other than that, simply amazing.

I dined at this restaurant a few months ago, and it still leaves an impressionable dining experience in my mind. This place is THAT good.
Of note, unless you are an extrovert or have no shame, I suggest you avoid coming here on a first date. And guess what I ended up doing a few months ago? …yyeeeaappp, came here on a first date. The place is a cute French restaurant that is located between the MacArthur Center and Waterside. There probably isn’t more than 10 tables or so total in the restaurant, so it easily gets packed. We were quite lucky to get a table at 8:30pmish on a Thursday night. The interior is dimly lit, and you almost get the feeling of closeness and intimacy with the kitchen itself. The tables are quite small– probably to create that similar tone on your what-​should-​be-​anniversary-​and-​not-​first-​date-​date. Most of the tables are two-​tops with some four-​tops, making it pretty difficult to come here as a large group.
The service is great, and our hostess was gracious. Our server had just the right touch of respect, speed, friendliness, timing and professionalism. The patrons in the restaurant fit more of the well-​to-​do, older demographic. So the volume level seemed pretty quiet in general; I think everyone got annoyed with my date and my rambunctious banter and laughter throughout our meal.
The menu is fairly simple with a short selection of menu items, as everything fits on just one sheet of paper. For example, the main course options totals 4 – 5 entrees. For those who like to choose from a variety of items, this may not be the restaurant for you. But I do prefer this type of restaurant sometimes, because often these places only offer a small variety of offerings– but their limited offerings are all extremely delicious. So what they lack in quantity they graciously make up for in quality. They do change their menus regularly; but they also seem to have a few staple items as well (e.g. the rockfish I had a few months ago is also on tonight’s menu). Their items are on the pricier side, but you can tell that the ingredients behind their dishes are top-​notch. And it is a price fitting for more of a refined dining establishment that they want to be recognized as.
I had the Rockfish entrée, and it was delish. It was cooked to perfection without a dry piece in any of my bites. The reheat value of the fish was actually great the following day when I had my leftovers the next day. My date also enjoyed his dish (unfortunately I forget what he had). We ended up sharing a chocolate cake slice– a massive chunk of chocolate bliss interspersed with rich layers of heavenly icing. It was one of the most bountiful slices of cake I have received from a restaurant in a long while. It was a wonderful way to end our meal with.
This is truly a solid dining establishment. If you want a nice night out with your significant other, make this place one of your top priorities to check out. I am definitely returning to try out their other offerings.

Pricey, but delicious. I feel like such a hippy admitting that it’s worth the price.
I wasn’t crazy about the aloe-​grapefruit martini. The service was okay. Not warm, but not bad. But, the food… It was manna from heaven! Seriously, that good. Easily 8 stars out of 5!
My entrée was, basically, fancy grilled cheese! Why in the world does it haunt me, months after the fact? It was so good! The bread was crusty. They used the perfect type and amount of cheese. *smh* Shame on them for making a glorified grilled cheese sandwich so unforgettable!
I’ve had to accept the fact that I can’t replicate their grilled cheese sandwich at home. Reread that once more! It’s a cheese sandwich… that is so good… so spectacular… that I cannot replicate it. I cannot replicate this cheese sandwich.
*sigh* Okay, I’m done now. Resigned to the fact that I just may go to a restaurant and order a «Cheese Sandwich»… AGAIN.