The Pink Dinghy — Restaurant in Virginia Beach

Food was VERY tasty, albeit a little pricey. The empanadas were delicious and the lamb gnocchi was perfectly seasoned and beautifully prepared. The smash burger was juicy and satiating!

I'd love to give 5 stars overall but the kitchen staff/chef seem to be a little too proud, a little too stuck in their own world, to bother with a very reasonable accommodation.

Don't ask me how I knew something odd might be in store for us... but when we walked in with about an hour before closing time, and the chef looked at the time, then gave a little side/rolling eye, I figured something special may come our way.

Odd behavior, maybe, but it was quickly noted and we carried on.

When we gave the waitress our order, I asked if I could hold the lettuce on my burger (having added an egg and bacon, I just wasn't feeling the lettuce had any room on my meat-laden burger). Absolutely, she said, though I had a sneaking suspicion that the chef will have the final word on what the customer gets in this restaurant.

Only 2 or 3 mins later, I heard the waitress tell/correct someone in the kitchen that there's no lettuce on the burger. I'm assuming this was said as they were prepping the bun. About 20mins later, our main dishes arrive and my burger has, you guessed it, plenty of lettuce!

I get it; it's your world and we're just the customers. But come on. I didn't want lettuce on this otherwise perfectly crafted temple de meats. You couldn't compromise the integrity of your dish even a teeny weenie bit for that small request, even after we heard the waitress make sure you knew to hold the lettuce?

Maybe we weren't edgy or cool enough to get such special treatment. Maybe we were your last paying customers for the night and it really ground your gears. But we're paying (nearly 100 bucks for two diners) customers, here.

What did the lettuce ever do...

This is a cute little pink hole in the wall. It has a nice vibe. A little west coast, 50s/60s, beachy, modern, pops of color, I don’t know to explain it but it’s adorable.

I’ve been here twice. My first time, all the food was to die for. I ate almost everything off the menu. It’s tapas style. They also keep the menu small and change it up. The second time my food wasn’t like the first time. I even ordered some of the same dishes.

During my first visit I loved the Housemade Focaccia with the butter of the day, which is like bread and their in-house butter. It was so good I kept ordering it. I think I got like 3 plates and everyone I was with were obsessed. The second visit the bread was burnt or reheated I couldn’t even finish it.

The Fall Salad (HERBY CAESAR, SEASONAL VEG, CANDIED PEPITAS) was delicious on both visits. Definitely recommend it. The Grilled Broccolini is really good too! The Claims and Scallops dishes were alright, nothing memorable.

They have delicious cute drinks. I recommend coming during their happy hour which is, I think, before 6pm on weekdays to get discounted drinks and food. I got the Pomegranate Margarita. So good.

Service was good. We received our food timely. Our waitress was very attentive.

It’s small but they do have seating inside and outside. It’s a perfect place to rent out for private dining. It’s perfectly located right in the Vibe District. You can make reservations through the Reesy app.

Overall, I do recommend this restaurant. I hope to come here again and hopefully have a better experience than my last.

Updated review on 1/15/24. This past weekend I hosted a private birthday dinner at Pink Dinghy. Coordinating with the owner on every detail and she delivered. The food was the BEST. Every dish hit the spot. I definitely will be back. I'm still craving the...

Excellent experience tonight at the Dinghy! This was actually my wife and I's first dining out experience since March so it was a real treat and we are super impressed with the food, service, and drinks at the Pink Dinghy.

We had quite a few treats between the two of us: Food the half chicken, brined and roasted, alongside plantains, rice and beans. Very tender and tasty meat, great fermented hot sauce as a tag-a-long. You can tell they use great sources for all of their ingredients...top notch. La Alma sandwich: this really blew me away. Kind of a like a torta with slow cooked pulled pork and sweet and spicy toppings. It was HUGE and a steal at $12. I'll be back for that. We also tried one each of the empanadas...while maybe not "traditional" it was nonetheless delicious. For dessert we enjoyed the tres leches. Not something I normally am in to, but this was downright tasty...very creamy and light, yet rich and it went extremely fast between my wife and me, despite that we were so full from the savory food prior.

Drinks Excited to see they are carrying a wide selection of natural wine. We enjoyed a bottle of a skin contact pet nat from Chile alongside a fun and juicy red from France. Both were delicious and very tasty with the food. Also tried a few cocktails. Very pure, nothing too fancy and generous pours. Exactly what I wanted.

By the way, very disappointed in the Chris Hayes' review about the place lacking authenticity. I don't understand the negativity and the place is utterly unique and delicious. And last time I checked they aren't claiming to be a certain style, cuisine, or country origin.

It's a great fit for the neighborhood and we will be regulars. Thank you...