Eating & Sleeping
Staunton 1
5 AVA Restaurant
& Wine Bar American $$
(%540-886-2851; 103 W Beverley St; mains $10-
30; h4-9:30pm Wed-Thu, noon-10pm Fri & Sat,
10:30am-2:30pm Sun; v) AVA offers fine dining
in the heart of historic Staunton. Creole-style
catfish and roasted duck breast share space
with the best vegetarian food in town – the
vegetarian ‘Beef’ Wellington uses beets in place
of beef. There’s plenty of vegan options as well,
and a long wine menu adds a nice buzz to your
meal.5 Beverly Restaurant Diner^ $
(12 E Beverley St; mains under $10; c The
Beverly is a tried-and-true diner and a
cornerstone of downtown Staunton. It may not
possess the most imaginative menu – we’re
talking meat and potatoes, and the potatoes are
usually baked – but the food is both tasty and
damn good value.5 Downtown 27
at the Clocktower American $$
(%540-213-0665; 27 W Beverly St; mains
$13-23; h11am-10pm Mon-Thu, til 11:30pm
Fri & Sat; c) More often just known as the
Clocktower, this spot is as central to Staunton
as the Blackfriars Playhouse. The menu swings
between Italian specialties (pasta and lasagna)
and pub grub fare (roast beef and burgers). Live
music usually livens up this spot on weekends.5 Mugshots Cafe^ $
(%540-887-0005; 32 S New St; pastries under
$5; h7am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Sat, 8am-
4pm Sun; W) This simple cafe is a prime spot to
sit down, catch up on your emails, sip a coffee
and enjoy a bagel or a muffin.5 Pompeii Lounge Italian $
(%540-885-5553; 23 East Beverley St; snacks
$4-9; h5pm-1am Tue-Thu, til 2am Fri & Sat; v)
The Pompeii is a three-story Italian restaurant
that doubles as the nicest spot in Staunton
to grab a drink. The jewel in the crown is the
top-floor deck, from where you can stare out
over the Staunton skyline and enjoy live music,
antipasto-style small plates and some fine
locally crafted cocktails.5 Zynodoa Southern^ $$$
(%540-885-7775; 115 E Beverley St; mains
$21-28; h5-9:30pm Sun-Tue, til 10pm Wed-Sat;
v) Local farms and wineries are the backbone
of Zynodoa’s larder (and, of course, your table).
This place puts together fine dishes in the vein
of Shenandoah-sourced chicken cassoulet
(crunchy, warm, inviting) and Chesapeake-
caught Rockfish.4 Anne Hathaway’s Cottage B&B $$
(%540-885-8885; http://www.anne-hathaways-
cottage.com; 950 West Beverley St; r $150-170;
paW) We showed up hoping to meet
Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises, but as
you may guess in Staunton, this inn’s namesake
is Shakespeare’s wife. And we imagine the
Elizabethan Anne Hathaway would have
thoroughly enjoyed a night in one of the three
rooms in this ridiculously romantic Tudor-style,
thatched-roof cottage. Rates drop on weekdays
and for last-minute bookings.4 Frederick House B&B $$
(%540-885-4220; http://www.frederickhouse.com; 28
N New St; r incl breakfast $130-240; paW)
Right downtown, the thoroughly mauve and
immensely welcoming Frederick House consists
of five historical residences with a combination
of rooms and suites, all with private bathrooms
and some with fireplaces and decks.VIRGINIA.TRIPS25
(^) BLUE RIDGE P
ARKWAY