Craft Beer in Norfolk, VA: A Local's Guide

Norfolk has gone from a one-brewery town to one of the best beer cities in Virginia in about a decade. Here's how to make the most of it, from the people who've been pouring it since 2011.

Start in Chelsea

The Chelsea neighborhood, just west of downtown along W Olney Road and the Elizabeth River, is where Norfolk's craft beer scene took root. It's walkable, it's five minutes from downtown and Ghent, and The Birch and Benchtop Brewing are a few blocks apart.

The Birch (that's us) opened here on January 1, 2011 as Norfolk's first craft beer bar. 26 rotating taps, mostly from Virginia and the Mid-Atlantic plus a few things you won't find anywhere else in the state, cider and mead on draft, a curated wine list, and a bottle list that goes deep. USA Today's 10Best readers voted us the #4 beer bar in the country. See tonight's draft list.

Benchtop Brewing is also on Olney Road: mixed-fermentation and hop-forward beers in a small taproom.

Breweries around Norfolk

Beyond Chelsea, the breweries we pour most often and send people to:

  • Afterglow Brewing — Railyard District, on Bowdens Ferry Road. Lagers and easy-drinking styles.

  • COVA Brewing Company — Ocean View, on Shore Drive. Brewery and coffeehouse in one: coffee in the morning, beer in the evening.

One bar, many breweries

If you've only got one night, a beer bar beats a single brewery: you taste across six or seven breweries instead of one. That's the whole idea behind The Birch. Flights let you compare, the staff will steer you, and there's food — gourmet grilled cheese, cheese and charcuterie boards — so you can settle in.

Downtown and Ghent

Downtown Norfolk (Granby Street) is where the cocktail bars and restaurants cluster; it's a 5-minute drive or a 20-minute walk from Chelsea. Ghent, just north, has the wine bars and the Naro theater. The Birch sits between the two, which is why it works as a first stop or a last one.

Practical stuff

  • Where: 1231 W Olney Rd, Norfolk, VA 23507. Directions and contact.

  • Hours: Wed–Thu 5–9pm, Fri–Sat 4–10pm, Sun 3–8pm.

  • To go: bottles and cans from the shelf.

What's on tap tonight

The draft list updates automatically whenever a keg changes. Check it before you come.