Coastal Virginia Magazine’s second annual formal restaurant awards program features our critics’ selections for the Top 50 restaurants in the region this year
By Leona Baker, Marisa Marsey & Hannah Serrano
What defines a great dining experience? What makes a restaurant meal memorable? Good food and great service go without saying. The people you share it with are paramount, to be sure—even if those “people” are just you and your tastebuds (a table for one is its own kind of poetry in our book).
Then there is the all-important sense of place. What does the food on your plate and the vibe of the restaurant tell you about where you are in the world and the people who live there? What do they care about? What flavors or ingredients do they crave? What stories do they have to tell?
These are just some of the things our Coastal Virginia Culinary AwardsTasting Panel and Selection Committee took to heart as they were considering their recent experiences dining at restaurants around the region and giving us their thoughts on which places rise above the rest to offer memorable and unique dining experiences of the sort that linger on the palate like a fond memory.
In this, our second annual CoVa Virginia Culinary Awards, presented by Coastal Virginia Magazine, we feature our editorial selections for the Top 50 restaurants in the region for 2025. Distinct from our People’s Choice “Best Of” contests, these awards are based on an editorially curated list and input from a panel of experts and frequent diners hand-picked by our editorial staff and contributors.
Yes, there are many local restaurants we know and love that are not on this list. But, taken as a whole, this list represents a distinctive and diverse portrait of our Coastal Virginia culinary landscape that we are proud to share.
In addition to our Top 50, we have put together some “Fan Favorites”—lists of restaurants we recommend for cravings such as seafood, Italian, steaks, wine dinners, and more. See those on page 79.
Congratulations and thank you to all of our 2025 honorees, owners, chefs, and front- and back-of-house staff for all you do to feed us, inspire us, and delight us every day.
—Leona Baker
How Our Top 50 Restaurants Are Selected
Some of the basic qualifications for restaurants to be considered for the CoVa Culinary Awards include offering a
full table service, sit-down dinner and having been open to the public for a minimum of approximately three years.
Restaurant evaluations and insight are gathered from our invitation-only CoVa Culinary Awards Tasting Panel as well as our CoVa Culinary Awards Selection Committee, media, and foodservice industry professionals.
In making our final selections from many qualifying restaurants, we consider the quality of the food along with innovation and creativity, use of local and seasonal ingredients, consistency of service, presentation, atmosphere, and the restaurant’s beverage program.
But consideration is also given to the uniqueness of the dining experience overall in the Coastal Virginia region. We ask ourselves, what does this establishment add to the culinary conversation in our corner of the world? Does dining there feel truly special or memorable—either in general or within a particular cuisine type or menu style? If the restaurant serves something classic or traditional, do they stand out in a crowded field of other restaurants of the same genre? If they are challenging diners with more contemporary menus, unusual ingredients or preparations, is it cohesive, purposeful and well executed on a regular basis?
See the full parameters and more about the selection process for the Coastal Virginia Culinary Awards on page 79.
Leona Baker
Leona Baker is the former Editor-in-Chief of Coastal Virginia Magazine. She is a writer, creative, communications professional, food freak, news junkie, nature and travel lover and mom. She holds a degree in English from James Madison University and a degree in Dance & Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University. She previously served as Senior Copywriter for Spark 451, Director of Marketing & Communications at Virginia Wesleyan University, and Senior Editor of Port Folio Weekly.
