Seafood is the obvious strength of the Virginia Beach dining scene, and the proximity to the Chesapeake Bay makes it particularly good. Blue crabs, oysters, clams, and flounder are the local staples; soft-shell crab, in season from late spring through early summer, is a regional specialty worth seeking out. The boardwalk restaurants are mostly serviceable rather than exceptional, catering to a heavy tourist flow. The more interesting options are in the Hilltop area (near the intersection of First Colonial Road and Virginia Beach Boulevard), the Laskin Road corridor, and the emerging Town Center district, where the dining scene skews more local.
The waterway around Rudee Inlet, just south of the main resort strip, concentrates several good seafood restaurants within easy reach of the beach. The Chesapeake Bay side of the city has a quieter cluster of seafood houses that draw more locals than visitors.