ViBe Creative District

Deliberately un-touristy despite sitting beside the Resort Strip: local makers, galleries, farm-to-table spots. The single best concentration of independent coffee and craft beer in the city. Geographically inside the greater Oceanfront area — hub cross-links tightly with Oceanfront.

• Barrel 17Hidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$$

  ViBe District burger bar known for wagyu patties, house-made bacon jam, and a full plant-based menu, a short walk from the Oceanfront.

  • Vegan & Vegetarian Options
  • Hidden Gem

• Beach Bully BBQ

  ViBe Creative District$

  ViBe District BBQ joint since 1986, known for the smoked-beef Beach Bully Sandwich and a covered outdoor deck.

  • Outdoor Seating
  • Family Friendly

• CommuneHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Farm-to-table ViBe District bakery-cafe sourcing over 90% of its ingredients from local sustainable farms, with everything made from scratch.

  • Vegan & Vegetarian Options
  • Hidden Gem
  • Brunch

• Croc's 19th Street Bistro

  ViBe Creative District$$$

  ViBe District bistro since 1993 blending Lebanese-influenced seasonal cooking with a deep wine list and Thursday hours to 2am.

  • Outdoor Seating
  • Open Late
  • Brunch

• Mary's KitchenHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$

  Seventy-plus-year-old ViBe District breakfast institution making scratch buttermilk biscuits and country cooking since 1951, open daily 7am-2pm.

  • Family Friendly
  • Hidden Gem
  • Free Parking

• Taqueria Jessy's

  ViBe Creative District$

  Traditional taqueria near the ViBe District serving chilaquiles at breakfast through mole, birria burritos, and pozole at dinner, daily 9am-9pm.

  • Family Friendly
  • Vegan & Vegetarian Options

• The Pink DinghyHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$$

  ViBe District restaurant, bar, and market built around small plates, natural wines, and tropical cocktails — 'a habitat for the soul.'

  • Date Night
  • Hidden Gem

• The StockpotHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$

  Early ViBe District cafe serving made-to-order soups, bone-broth stocks, and brunch classics in a European-cafe setting.

  • Hidden Gem
  • Brunch

• Zoë's Steak and Seafood

  ViBe Creative District$$$

  ViBe District dinner-only steak-and-seafood restaurant on 19th Street, open Tuesday-Saturday evenings.

  • Date Night

• Esoteric

  ViBe Creative District$$

  ViBe District craft beer bar in a 1940s Historical Registry building, pouring rare beer and curated wine and cocktails alongside a garden-to-table kitchen.

• Rose's

  ViBe Creative District$$

  ViBe District hi-fi listening bar built around one of Virginia's most advanced sound systems, with nightly DJ and record-selector sessions.

  • Live Music
  • Date Night

• South Beach Grill

  ViBe Creative District$

  ViBe District dive bar and live-music venue on Norfolk Avenue with a rotating lineup of local and regional bands.

  • Live Music

• Aslin Beer Co.

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Aslin's ground-up ViBe District compound: taproom, IZZI kitchen, café, ice cream, and a big outdoor beer garden pouring Orange Starfish and Swell Maneuvers.

  • Outdoor Seating

• Back Bay Brewing Co. — Beach HouseHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Duck-blind-born Virginia Beach original pouring Steel Pier Bohemian Lager and Witch of Pungo Pumpkin Ale in a rustic taproom next to Gringo's Taqueria.

  • Hidden Gem

• Chesapeake Bay Distillery

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Virginia Beach's 2005-founded craft distillery in the ViBe District — 96-point Blue Ridge Vodka, an on-site ABC store, and free Saturday tours.

• Vibrant Shore Brewing Company

  ViBe Creative District$$

  ViBe District taproom with a hidden rooftop beer garden, rotating art shows, food trucks, and flagships like Scarlet Future IPA and Rising Bun rice lager.

  • Dog Friendly
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Live Music

• Bad Ass Coffee Company

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Locally owned ViBe District outpost of the Hawaii-founded chain, pouring 100% Kona coffee and Hawaiian blends near the Convention Center.

• Fathom CoffeeHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Veteran-owned nano-roastery on Baltic Avenue roasting single-origin, small-batch coffee in the shop almost daily since opening in the ViBe in 2019.

  • Hidden Gem

• Java Surf Cafe & Espresso Bar

  ViBe Creative District$$

  Surf-styled ViBe corner cafe with specialty espresso, a locally-sourced breakfast and lunch menu, vegan options, and a pet-friendly patio.

  • Dog Friendly
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Vegan & Vegetarian Options

• Three Ships Coffee Roasters

  ViBe Creative District$$

  The ViBe District's flagship third-wave roaster, importing and roasting top-lot beans in-house with a Norwegian-influenced light-roast style.

• Zeke's Beans & Bowls

  ViBe Creative District$$

  ViBe District original pouring made-to-order pour-over coffee alongside açai bowls and poke — open to 8pm, long after the espresso bars close.

• Tidewater Veterans Memorial

  ViBe Creative District

  Dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1988, this small contemporary memorial park honors Tidewater-area veterans from the Revolutionary War through the Iraq War.…

  • Free

• ViBe Creative District Mural WalkHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District

  A free, self-guided open-air gallery spread across the ViBe Creative District's streets, fences, and sidewalks: large-scale wall murals, the rotating community…

  • Free
  • Family Friendly
  • Hidden Gem

• Virginia Beach Art Center — Home of the Artists GalleryHidden Gem

  ViBe Creative District

  Housed in the landmark 'Purple Building' at 17th Street inside the ViBe Creative District, the Virginia Beach Art Center combines a public gallery, working…

  • Free
  • Hidden Gem

• Virginia Beach Sports Center

  ViBe Creative District

  A 285,000-square-foot city-owned indoor sports complex less than a mile from the Oceanfront, built around a 200-meter hydraulically banked indoor track — one…

• Wave Riding Vehicles

  ViBe Creative District$$Military Discount

  Virginia Beach's own surfboard manufacturer since 1967 — board, SUP, and bodyboard rentals from its ViBe District shop, plus WRV's 5th Street summer surf camps.

  • Military Discount
  • Surfing

• The Virginia Beach Craft Beverage Trail: Breweries & Distilleries
• Budget Virginia Beach: Free & Nearly Free Things to Do
• A Local's Guide to the ViBe Creative District
• Best Coffee Shops for Remote Work in Virginia Beach
• Where to Eat Near the Virginia Beach Convention Center

• Oceanfront
• Croatan

• 17th Street Surf Shop

  Oceanfront$$

  Virginia Beach's original surf shop since 1970 — a Pacific Avenue retail store plus Seth Broudy School of Surf camp sessions from 1 to 4 days.

  • Surfing

• Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant

  Oceanfront$$Military Discount

  Beatles-themed pub a block off the beach at 22nd Street — 42 taps, live music, a dog-friendly patio, and a Monday military discount.

  • Dog Friendly
  • Live Music
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Military Discount

• Adventure Parasail & Rudee Inlet Jet Ski

  Oceanfront$$$

  Virginia Beach's original watersports operator since 1985 — parasailing, jet ski and kayak/SUP rentals, and banana boat rides at Rudee Inlet.

  • Fishing

• Afishinado Fishing Charters

  Oceanfront$$$

  Capt. Kevin Perry's 31-foot Ocean Master out of Inlet Station Marina — inshore speckled trout and cobia trips, offshore game-fish runs, and seasonal dolphin/whale watching.

  • Family Friendly
  • Fishing

• Angie's Guest Cottage Bed & BreakfastHidden Gem

  Oceanfront$$

  An early-1900s former Coast Guard surfmen's boarding house two blocks from the Boardwalk, run under the same family lore that gave it its name.

  • Hidden Gem

• AquaMan Sportfishing Charters

  Oceanfront$$$

  Two-boat Rudee Inlet charter operation — The Flat Line and The Game On — running inshore, nearshore, and offshore deep-sea trips around the clock.