ViBe Creative District
The arts district a few blocks inland from the Oceanfront — murals, indie coffee, craft breweries, and a monthly First Friday night market.
What It's Like
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.
Restaurants in ViBe Creative District
All restaurants in ViBe Creative DistrictBarrel 17
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
Commune
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
Croc's 19th Street Bistro
ViBe District bistro since 1993 blending Lebanese-influenced seasonal cooking with a deep wine list and Thursday hours to 2am.
- Outdoor Seating
- Open Late
Mary's Kitchen
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
Taqueria Jessy's
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 Dinghy
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 Stockpot
Early ViBe District cafe serving made-to-order soups, bone-broth stocks, and brunch classics in a European-cafe setting.
- Hidden Gem
Zoë's Steak and Seafood
ViBe District dinner-only steak-and-seafood restaurant on 19th Street, open Tuesday-Saturday evenings.
- Date Night
Bars in ViBe Creative District
All barsRose's
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
Breweries in ViBe Creative District
All breweriesAslin Beer Co.
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 House
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
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 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
Coffee Shops in ViBe Creative District
All coffee shopsFathom Coffee
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
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
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 District original pouring made-to-order pour-over coffee alongside açai bowls and poke — open to 8pm, long after the espresso bars close.
Attractions in ViBe Creative District
All attractionsViBe Creative District Mural Walk
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 Gallery
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
Outdoor Recreation & Watersports in ViBe Creative District
All outdoor recreation & watersportsWave Riding Vehicles
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
Guides Featuring ViBe Creative District
Nearby Neighborhoods
Near ViBe Creative District
Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant
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
Virginia Beach's original watersports operator since 1985 — parasailing, jet ski and kayak/SUP rentals, and banana boat rides at Rudee Inlet.
AquaMan Sportfishing Charters
Two-boat Rudee Inlet charter operation — The Flat Line and The Game On — running inshore, nearshore, and offshore deep-sea trips around the clock.
Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum at the de Witt Cottage
Built in 1895 as a wedding gift from Bernard Peabody Holland — Virginia Beach's first mayor — to his bride, the de Witt Cottage is the oldest remaining private…
- Hidden Gem
- Family Friendly
Barclay Cottage Inn
The oldest lodging in Virginia Beach still open to guests — an 1895 cottage with five rooms and wrap-around porches two blocks from the boardwalk.
- Hidden Gem
Barclay Towers Resort Hotel
All-suite Boardwalk tower at 9th Street — 138 two-room suites, every one with a full kitchen and ocean-view balcony, plus a heated indoor pool.
- Family Friendly
- Waterfront