Virginia Beach is well known as a tourist destination and having a great seafood restaurant scene. For those that love seafood, it will definitely be easy to find a wonderful restaurant to eat at but it might be a different story for the pickier eaters or those that are looking for something different.
One very underrated establishment that is found around Virginia Beach is Le Yaca, a French restaurant that provides delicious tasting menus and a la carte dining options. Le Yaca provides an amazing fine dining experience with a very robust French menu. In addition to some very traditional and authentic French dishes, the menu also rounds itself out with many classic bistro items as well. One of the main selling points of this establishment is actually the two or three course tasting menu which comes at an extremely affordable price point.
Some of the most popular dishes on the menu include French classics like le foie gras and les escargots and bistro classics like their Steak au Poivre which is a five ounce beef tenderloin that is served over a peppercorn demi-glace which is then deglazed with cognac. In addition to these exceptional a la carte options, the bistro menu's course options are amazing value for the price. Due to the pandemic, the prices have increased slightly over the past few years but are still at an extremely affordable range.
For lunch, Le Yaca offers a lunch menu that highlights a three course menu for only twenty three dollars. There is an alternative choice for just a first and main course option for those that want to skip dessert for cheaper as well. The dinner bistro menu at Le Yaca is just as well priced with a three course option running only thirty dollars with the smaller first and main course option only being twenty five dollars.
Despite the low price point of the majority of the menu at Le Yaca, the service is always exceptional and serving sizes are much larger than at any other French restaurant or any other fine dining establishment. The complimentary bread at the start of each meal is also very high quality but is quick to fill you up so it might be difficult to make sure to leave some space for the meal itself.
The restaurant itself is split into two separate seating areas based off which type of eating atmosphere patrons are looking to enjoy. On one half of Le Yaca there is a very traditional fine dining setup with very well spaced tables. As the tourist season is starting and with the rollback of many of the pandemic safety measures, it can be reassuring and comfortable to many to know that each table has a wide berth of space from the next providing both an extra layer of safety and privacy to each meal. For those looking to sit on this half of Le Yaca, it will be preferred to slightly dress up for the meal.
On the other half of the restaurant, there is a more casual seating area for the bistro seating. This side of the establishment is very well lit and there is no need to dress up at all. This half of the restaurant is great for families with kids that do not want to be in a stuffy atmosphere and want the freedom of a casual meal. No matter which half of the restaurant patrons choose to be seated at, the menu is the same on both sides and is full of delicious and modern French dishes with many classic bistro menu items as well.
Le Yaca French Restaurant can be found located at 741 First Colonial Rd, Virginia Beach.