Top Restaurants in Williamsburg, Virginia

Trellis Restaurant

Cuisine: American
Price: $$$

Set in the heart of a town built on history, Trellis Restaurant proves a small pocket of modernity. While the historic emphasis on everything in Colonial Williamsburg from cobblestone streets to Colonial era meals is fascinating and enjoyable, the Trellis Restaurant takes a new look at American cuisine in a way these other restaurants simply cannot. The meat-based dishes are prepared with fresh vegetables, flavorful spices and indulgent sauces to create a truly top-notch meal. Lunch is a bit more casual, featuring a variety of gourmet sandwiches and burgers, and is an excellent quick stop when you're exploring the historic village.

Buon Amici

Cuisine: Italian
Price: $$$

Buon Amici has two sides to meet any kind of dining need: the upscale fine dining restaurant and the less formal pizzeria. If you're looking for a delicious but affordable meal, try the cafe side. The pizza you get in this section is far more gourmet than one you'd get at a chain delivery joint and the prices are very fair for what you get. On the nice restaurant side, the entrees are more expensive but the atmosphere and dishes are excellent. Here, plates like risotto di pesce and rigatoni pugliese truly demonstrate the best of fine Italian cuisine. Set just a few blocks away from the university, the restaurant sees a lot of traffic from college students and visiting parents alike, but even with this popularity it remains a great place for any event, from a romantic date to a quick lunch detour.

The Cheese Shop

Cuisine: Sandwiches
Price: $

A favorite restaurant with locals and College of William and Mary students, The Cheese Shop serves up amazing meat and cheese sandwiches. It's the house dressing that makes all the difference: a special mixture of flavors that is great on any of the sandwiches. One of the secret local tricks is to buy a dollar bag of bread ends along with a serving of the dressing and eat that as a light meal or afternoon snack. During the lunch hour there's always a line and a wait to get your sandwich, but each one is expertly prepared and well worth the delay if you can spare it. Cheese, wine and other specialty foods are also for sale, though these are definitely take away items.

Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que

Cuisine: Barbecue
Price: $

The South is known for its barbecue, and Williamsburg's best joint to explore this cuisine is Pierce's Pitt Bar-B-Que. For a real Southern experience, get a pulled pork sandwich made with hot sauce and coleslaw: it's a very messy but very delicious treat. If you're a barbecue connoisseur, the BBQ sauce is a sweeter and more vinegary sauce than some other restaurants favor. The restaurant itself is very informal: order at the counter and then wait for your number to be called to pick up your food. Every meal is made as if to take out, though you can just eat in and throw out the trash as you depart. No matter whether you're new to barbecue or a seasoned veteran, Pierce's serves up a great version of this hearty Southern cuisine.

Berret's Seafood Restaurant and Taphouse Grill

Cuisine: Seafood
Price: $$

Another restaurant with two distinct parts, Berret's Seafood Restaurant and Taphouse Grill is both drinking establishment and seafood restaurant. The restaurant has an old-world feel in line with its Merchants Square location. Recipes here emphasize the best aspects of different types of seafood, from lobster tail to crab cakes. Across the way, the grill has a lively atmosphere with drinks and simple dishes: perfect for a night out on the town. Open only during summer, the grill is a wonderful way to enjoy the warm weather and some wholesome American seafood.