Business & Tech

For Having a Bite Outdoors, It's Va de Vi

Celebrated Walnut Creek restaurant wins Patch Readers poll for al fresco dining.

Update: 1:30 p.m. Friday, more current link for Bauer ratings.

The winner of the best spot for outdoor dining in the Readers Choice Patch poll was the celebrated Va de Vi Bistro on Mount Diablo Boulevard.

Va de Vi means "It's all about wine" in the Catalan language of Spain.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

"We are really pleased to be selected for best outdoor spot in your poll," wrote managing partner John Walz in an email.

A couple of months ago, Va de Vi carried the banner for the area as the only Contra Costa County restaurant cited in the rating of the Bay Area's top 100 restaurants in the San Francisco Chronicle by Michael Bauer.  Some readers (and restaurateurs) have complained that Bauer's Top 100 list is too San Fran-centric. Va de Vi is the farthest eastern outpost of the 2012 list, with a handful each in Berkeley and Oakland.

The Chronicle's listing in the top 100 list stated: "In its eight years, this impressive wine bar and small-plate restaurant has been the must-visit destination in Contra Costa County. In downtown Walnut Creek, the restaurant features 16 wine flights and a small-plate menu. Chef Shane McAnelly came over from Zero Zero last spring, and he's moved the menu to a more Italian bent, though you'll still find the rock shrimp lumpia, little pork tacos and Moroccan-inspired lamb skewers. However, now there is more pasta and such dishes like braised chicken thigh with aji amarillo cream. The interior of the restaurant has a ceiling that looks like a wine barrel running the length of the narrow space. There's also prime seating outdoors."

In the Patch Readers Choice poll, Il Fornaio on Mount Diablo Boulevard ran second.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here