If you already live in Williamsburg, you have spent the last few years watching Merchants Square lose almost as many restaurants as it gained. The Hound's Tale left Prince George Street for Settlers Market. Culture Cafe closed near the college. The good news, and the reason to actually plan your summer around downtown this year: three chef-driven independents are opening within a five-block walk of each other, the first-Friday concert series has quietly booked its strongest lineup in years, and the July 4 program on Market Square is being broadcast live on PBS. The tourists are coming for the 250th. The payoff is that you get to live inside it.
Three Doors Opening Within Five Blocks
The pattern worth noticing is location. All three new restaurants sit inside the historic downtown grid, not out by Lightfoot or in a strip center off Route 199. That is a shift from the last decade of Williamsburg dining, which mostly grew outward.
| Restaurant | Where | What it is | What was there before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mil Amores Cantina & Taqueria | Scotland Street, next to Brickhouse Tavern | Taqueria and cantina | Culture Cafe |
| Don Chido | Prince George Street, near Amber Ox | First brick-and-mortar for the popular food truck | New buildout |
| Ricky's Wine Bar | Prince George Street | Italian aperitivo with European and Virginia wines | The Hound's Tale |
