Hook @ Harvey a Cape Charles Bistro — Restaurant in Cape Charles

This is definitely the BEST restaurant on the ESVA! It's so pretty. The food is modern and fresh, and mostly very well conceived and well executed. The restaurant is generally well organized and run with professionalism - which is not always the norm on the ESVA. That being said, there are a few glitches, which, considering the cost, do rankle a bit.

The last time we came was on Valentine's Day which is, of course, a busy and challenging day for all restaurants. We were seated promptly and enjoyed the wonderful martinis with their lovely little slick of ice on top. We both ordered the Artichoke Bottom for our first course, and it was scrumptious.The bread seems to have changed though, unfortunately, and was some sort of overly dense, pretty flavorless pretzel bun like thing.

The quality of our entrees was mixed. My husband had the pumpkin fettuccine with seafood and it was so silky and flavorful. The pan seared fish du jour, though, was a little disappointing. Most of the individual components were tasty but it didn't really cohere as a dish. The butternut squash puree on the bottom of the plate was bland. This dish would be much improved by replacing that bland puree with a sauce to unite all of the elements.

For dessert I was pleased to see that the formerly overly sludgy and dense pot d' creme torte has been much improved. It's now lighter and the mousse layer is just fantastic! The espresso souffle is less successful, though. Very sweet without being very flavorful and sort of sad and deflated looking in its little ramekin.

The most negative aspect of our evening was that our desserts were plunked down on our table before we'd even finished our entrees! While our server was quite apologetic about this, the host (who, I believe, is co-owner with her husband, the chef) was not. I thought we should have been at least comped our cocktails or something to make up for this, but she didn't really seem to care much. In general, the restaurant could offer a warmer, more welcoming vibe. I'm so glad we have Hook @ Harvey as a dining option here on the ESVA but would like to see some of the wrinkles described...

We had a reservation for our anniversary dinner during our visit to Cape Charles. We’d heard good things about the restaurant and, specifically, that they will accommodate dietary restrictions. I have a very common dietary restriction that has never been an issue in other restaurants, even those who don’t claim to have the high standards of Hook @ Harvey. We noted this in our reservation that was made 2 months ago. We also contacted the restaurant a week prior to our reservation and the chef himself responded and assured us that I would have an entree available.

When we arrived, the server even confirmed my dietary restriction before we even said anything and we thought that was a good sign. However, she then indicates that the only options that would be available to me would be a basic salad on the appetizer menu, which is NOT a meal. When asked if they would have an entree available for me, she went to ask the chef and was told that none of the entrees could be altered. So I would essentially not have an entree to eat, despite us doing our due diligence to allow the restaurant ample time to prepare something.

So we left and will not be returning. I have NEVER had to leave a restaurant because they were not willing to accommodate. How can a chef who claims that their restaurant is "fine dining" and everything is made from scratch be unable to accommodate a simple dietary restriction? I’ve been to many restaurants where the chef was highly competent, flexible and easily prepared a beautiful meal that suited my needs.

This is obviously a case where a chef/owner knows there are limited fine dining options in Cape Charles and simply doesn’t care enough to accommodate...

We’ve been regular diners at this restaurant during our visits to our vacation home in Cape Charles and have consistently enjoyed our experiences—until this most recent visit, which was unfortunately quite disappointing.

Despite the relatively normalcy of the dining room, it took over 20 minutes for our non-alcoholic drinks to arrive. The fettuccine, which was described as having “lemongrass undertones,” arrived as a green, clumped-together portion of noodles with minimal flavor. The fish of the day—halibut—was equally underwhelming. Rather than the firm, steak-like cut we expected, it was flaky, watery, and lacked both freshness and flavor, suggesting it may have been previously frozen.

Adding to the frustration, one member of our party fell ill earlier in the day and was unable to attend. While we understand reservation policies, we were still charged $20 for the individual who could not make it—despite the remaining five of us being present.

On the flip side, the rolls were excellent—fresh, warm, and one of the few highlights of the meal.

We also noted that the menu has remained unchanged for the past 2–3 years. While this might be ideal for tourists, it’s becoming increasingly stale for returning guests like us.

We truly hope this was just an off night, as this restaurant has long been a favorite. But unfortunately, this visit fell short of expectations in both food...