4 Best Restaurants in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, Virginia

Across the street from the Capitol, this tavern serves traditional seafood from the rest of the British colonies of North America. Mrs. Campbell's favorite dishes are sherried shrimp, scallops, and lobster, as well as the Waterman's Supper and lump crab cakes—the tavern's signature dish. An evening's entertainment might include storytelling or traditional music. George Washington often met with local residents at Mrs. Campbell's tavern. Dinner reservations are required.

This 18th-century-style chophouse is where the gentry dined, and is still the finest of the historic area's four Colonial taverns. Colonial delicacies include roast prime rib of beef, pork chops, Cornish hen, game pie, and favorites such as peanut soup. Mrs. Vobe's Tavern Dinner, named after the tavern's 18th-century proprietress, Jane Vobe, is a fixed-price three-course meal.

A mall of small boutiques is the unlikely location for this French-country restaurant. The dining room has soft pastel colors, hardwood floors, candlelight, and a central open fireplace. The menu is arranged in the French manner, with prix-fixe menus and additional entrées, including whole duck breast with peach-and-pepper sauce, leg of lamb with rosemary-garlic sauce, bouillabaisse, and fresh scallops and shrimp with Champagne sauce. Consider making reservations for weekend dining.

This hotel restaurant is known for its elegance, attentive service, and quality cuisine. Among crystal chandeliers, Asian silk-screen prints, and full silver service, you can sample chateaubriand carved table-side, as well as rack of lamb, Dover sole, lobster bisque, and house-smoked and -cured salmon. A jacket and tie are required at dinner, but optional at Sunday brunch. Breakfast or brunch may be good value, but dinner could be budget breaking for a family.