King's Arms Tavern

Super interesting. Hot on a hot day even in the air conditioned eating space. A bit crowded, but fine. The wait staff will give you little bits of history during the meal. The prices are expensive, for two adults and one kid, with a free kid meal from the hotel, it was still almost 200 dollars. But, the food was super good. I just spent not much less at the outer banks and got food that was nowhere near as good, so you definitely get what you pay for. My kid also loved the macaroni, and the bread. I'd say it won't be your usual meal but it'll be worth it.

FANTASTIC service, and fantastic food!! They really do a great job to preserve the feeling of eating in the 1700s. The food and ambience were amazing — they were also very accommodating for my vegan diet. However the service was just outstanding. Steven and Miranda had a great sketch between the two of them with their jokes and giving history. They were very demure, very cutesy, very mindful. The musicisian was also great. We visited from Philadelphia and would gladly come again!

I am glad we tried this restaurant. The setting is very nice and quaint, set inside an old tavern with only candlelight. The peanut soup is a must try. I had the Game Pie, very tasty filling with just the right amount of sauce. My wife had the salmon with crab, which was also very tasty. Our server was friendly and also provided a nice historical perspective to our dinner. Try this restaurant and you will not be disappointed.

When in Williamsburg, one should eat as the colonials did and while I have no idea what colonial cuisine is like, I imagine it's like what they serve here. This place fit the bill! I had a peanut soup and a chicken pot pie like dish, both were fantastic. There was also a live musician playing an instrument I've never seen, the experience at this place made me feel like I was on set of The Patriot.

We had Christmas dinner at the King’s Arms Tavern. The menu was a pre-fixed but with at least four choices for each course. The food was very good and the portions were more than ample. Our server was friendly and enthusiastic. The building is lovely, appearing much the same as in the eighteenth century. This was a very pleasant experience and a great meal.

Our dinner at King’s Arms was among the highlights of our visit to Colonial Williamsburg. For an additional $14/person, we upgraded our entrees to a 3-course experience. Peanut soup is a must-try; the salad was fresh and perfectly dressed. Both the game pie and pork shank were delicious. Snow Eggs was underwhelming in terms of flavor but gets a pass for its unique presentation/texture. The chocolate tart is the richest one I’ve ever tried, so make sure to enjoy it with ice cream. Perhaps the best part of the dinner was our server–she enriched our experience with historical tidbits and fantastic food recommendations.

We had such a great time! This tavern brings you and your family back to the past with excellent food. They started us out with some bread and "relish", the relish was some spiced corn, pork hash, and of course butter. I got the prime rib with the salad, and it was worth every penny! Wifey got the Cornish Hens for her main entrees with the bread pudding and snow eggs for dessert. The musical bard had many old instruments which he played very well, giving inspiration to us all! Reservations are highly suggested. This place fills up fast!

This place was awesome. The service/staff was super friendly. They had a in character mandalin player during lunch service. We had lunch during winter season (Jan) The dining room is warm, but the bathrooms are not heated, so be prepared. The lunch food, all of it... was sooo good. We had the non-alcoholic punch bowl (pitcher). The drinks were refeshing. Only critic... Bread pudding was more soggy than desired bht prepared in period fashion.

Tavern with food offerings like those from 1700s, right in the heart of colonial Williamsburg. We visited for lunch on a very cold December day and were seated immediately without any wait. We tried the peanut soup, onion pye and black eyed peas - of those, I HIGHLY recommend the peanut soup! We had the hot apple cider to warm us up. Lady seated on the table next to us had a hot toddy (hot apple cider + rum) that she really liked. They DO have a kids menu with hot dogs, tenders and ice cream. Overall, the ambiance is really good and food is OK. I do recommend you visit while walking around the colonial Williamsburg grounds.

Steven was a great server and so was Miranda, the food was amazing and so was the entertainment and history! Thank you for an unforgettable evening!!!

If you are interested in good food, interesting historic information, and brief Colonial music interlude and a very helpful staff, I’d make reservations. The meal started with bread and condiments. The ham spread was awesome. The peanut soup was interesting. If you at all like peanut, I’d order it. Overall, it was an awesome experience. As they say, it’s a colonial menu made to accommodate 21st century tastes. I’d go back again.

We just had the absolute best experience for our 20th anniversary!!! Our waitress was phenomenal and the food was such a treat. So savory and delicious. Absolutely worth every penny. So glad we decided on this location for our wedding anniversary dinner.

This is a MUST DO if you're visiting Colonial Williamsburg! The ambiance, the experience, and the food make this an unforgettable meal. The tavern has been rebuilt to give visitors an idea of what it might have felt like inside back in colonial days. The staff and servers all wear colonial-era costumes which adds to the illusion that you're dining in the 18th century. They tell you the history of the tavern and give you some insight into the experience you would have had there in the past, and explain how the current menu ties into that. During the meal, a musician comes and sings a few songs. This is interactive as they encourage all of the diners to join in for a line or two. It's a lot of fun! The food itself is amazing. I started with the peanut soup as it is one of their more famous dishes, so I wanted to have the experience of trying it. It's a very unique dish. I won't lie and say I loved it, but it was interesting and I'm glad I tried it (and I encourage everyone to do so as it's the dish others will ask you if you've tried when you tell them you ate there). For dinner, I had the Onion Pye. It was delicious, a huge portion, and a unique dish unlike anything I've tried before. The pearl onions on top were such a great addition to the pie, and the vegetables on the side of the dish were also super yummy (and not just there for garnish). For dessert I had the bread pudding and WOW, I cannot say enough about it. I've eaten a lot of bread pudding in my life, and this was hands down the best I've ever eaten. I will dream about this bread pudding for a while And to drink, I had the draught root beer. It was great, and it's always fun when root beer is available on draught/draft. I recommend making reservations. There is a tavern parking lot not far away for easy access. And pro tip: they do have takeout boxes if you can't eat all the food in one sitting (I sure couldn't!). This was easily one of the best things I did while exploring the area, and such a memorable experience and meal.

King’s Arms Tavern offers a charming journey to colonial times with its delightful ambiance and unique menu featuring 1700s colonial dishes. I went with my family and we were all blown away by the delicious Chicken Hash and Stewed Beef, both bursting with flavor. The service was impeccable, reflecting the hospitality of yesteryears. Don’t miss out on the Tavern Brown Ale beer, a perfect complement to the hearty fare. A truly memorable dining experience for the whole family!

FOOD -ordered beef, chicken dish, black eyed peas, crab coquette and peanut soup. #1 food - beef dish and peanut soup. Drinks - rootbeer, kings arm punch. #1 drink - my daughter and I really liked the punch. Husband didn't because he says it was a little too citrus tasting for him. Rootbeer is phenomenal! Dessert- bread pudding and snow eggs. #1 dessert- snow eggs. This was my favorite dish and a must try!!!! Service- excellent Atmosphere- loved it especially the roaming flute player. My grandson loved this!

There were four of us for dinner we started with appetizer of Butternut squash soup started with some bread and relishes three of us had the pork shank and grits with carrots and broccoli and my wife had the whole trout with carrots and broccoli along with rice. The food was excellent. We had a picture of and orange punch with dinner access for the handicap is not easy, but the people are so friendly and willing to help little pricey for what you pay for the ambience was fantastic. The people were in colonial attire and they played music of the time. Very very historical building was like going back to the 17th century.

Absolutely delightful. The service was top notch... so good. Staff was all so friendly from the moment we entered. There was surprise entertainment of old Period tunes on guitar & recorder (flute). The food was delicious, and I loved the champagne vinegarette on the salad... made it light & refreshing. The Colonial Period atmosphere was cozy and felt like stepping back in time.

We loved the onion pie and the duck both were amazing. The sparkling cider was also very good. I wish we had tried the punch but didn’t see it till we were leaving

A must when in Williamsburg. You need reservations for dinner but walk ins are welcome for lunch. This place is a gem. Our waiter John was very entertaining. We enjoyed everything. I would recommend the peanut soup and anything that has virginia ham. I ordered the special that was salmon with crab, asparagus, carrots and rice. The salmon was cooked to my liking. We also had the King Ribeye. We saw the pork shanks and it looked amazing. Next time we will get that. Our dessert, snow eggs was a hit! It was devoured once it hit the table. A wonderful experience!

What an incredible place to dine if you are visiting Colonial Williamsburg. The whole atmosphere, as well as the menu, is all period correct. Our waitress was amazing and the food......oh my goodness, delicious! A visit to The King's Arms Tavern is a MUST!

Had a wonderful evening enjoying dinner at the King's Arms Tavern here in Colonial Williamsburg. Stephen and Miranda made it unforgettable as they served us with stories and lore from olden days. We loved our dinners and the descriptions and origins of each dish really added to the experience. I can't recommend this tavern or our service staff Stephen and Miranda enough. You won't regret it!!

Our family of 4 had one of the best meals of our lives here. We had reservations for 5 and were seated early at 4:40. They gave our girls, 2 and 3, one of the largest coloring sheets wrapped with string and a feather. The girls stayed distracted for 30 minutes or so coloring on the sheet. My wife had two of the current seasonal drinks said they were great. They started us off with corn bread muffins and bread. They had 3 sauces to put on them. All of them were fantastic. I had peanut soup for our starter, followed by game pye, and then bread pudding. All of which were fantastic. My wife had the steak and our girls had both short ribs and chocolate ice cream off of the kids menu. The performers did an excellent job and our server was one of the most caring and attentive people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. We will certainly be back one day.

The food and atmosphere were fantastic. We both had the peanut soup for a starter and snow eggs for dessert. For our main courses, I had the game pye and my husband had the cornish hens. All of the food was delicious! If you are looking to step back into Colonial times with your dining experience, this a must do.

Had reservations and treated my husband’s parents to dinner. Recommend making reservations through open table. Our server Kathy was lovely and very informative. We ordered the Onion pie, the Ham, the steak and salmon. All very delicious. For dessert we got the 2 snow eggs and pecan pie. 2 snow eggs is very light and sweet. A perfect way to end a lovely evening.

My husband and I had Christmas Dinner at King's Arms. We had the duck and the prime rib, both of which were fabulous. We had the onion and parsnip soup and the peanut soup and the bread pudding, our favorite dessert last time we ate there. Both soups were wonderful, but I think we both preferred the onion and parsnip just because of our personal tastes. The atmosphere was on point and we had a wonderful time celebrating Christmas. We had a performance from a musician who played the mandolin, which was delightful. We enjoy every meal we have at King's Arms and would recommend it to anyone wanting a cozy, delicious place to eat in Williamsburg.

Incredible experience all around last Monday night. The food was authentic and on the menu, there was an interesting write-up about the historical context of each dish. The staff was incredibly cordial. I loved the music performances and the in-character speeches. The seasonal drink for fall was super tasteful and potent ;). I had the salmon and crab dish for the entree and it was as tasty as our waitress said it would be. Their complimentary bread was also super yummy. I really recommend anyone going to Colonial Williamsburg to try this round out your experience!

As appealing and authentic as you can imagine with a reasonably diverse menu, plenty of adult beverage options, root beer, and both period and contemporary dessert choices. Our lovely in-costume waitress, Jennifer, was genuine, knowledgeable and very attentive (unobtrusively so). The menu cleverly explains each dish’s preparation as described from 1700’s recipe books. Lastly, a roaming guitarist/flautist was charming and added an extra dash of authentic acoustic flavor. Not cheap but NOT a Disney reproduction, or a run of the mill experience.

I brought my daughter to The Kings Arm the night before her big volleyball tournament, because nothing says athletic preparedness like eating half a cow in a themed fine dining establishment . We walked in and were immediately greeted by a vibe that said “Welcome traveler, prepare for something unique.” The menu is fully committed to the theme, which is great until you realize you need a decoder ring to figure out what some of the items actually are. Most of the dishes were things we don’t normally see in our everyday lives, but we did discover a glorious prime rib that arrived perfectly cooked and tasting like victory. The bread was so good but the real star was the ham plate with cheese and chutney. Honestly, that thing alone could have fed me for the night, but somehow I still ended up eating half of my daughter’s steak like a shameless food thief. No regrets. Service was solid, but my beer remained sadly un-refilled. Those tiny cups vanish faster than my self control. Overall, a great experience. If you like good food, fun atmosphere, and don’t mind rationing your beer like it’s a precious resource. 🤣

Seating is unique. There are a few tables in each room, and they seem to pace a room together. The waiters and waitresses are very knowledgeable and it's a fun history lesson. They have good suggestions as well. The food was portioned well, we all left stuffed. The kings tavern meal (a 3 course expirence) is totally worth the extra charge. In addition to my game pie, I had onion, soup and meringue. I also tried the chocolate tart/cake and it was delicious. There is a musician who visited each room, playing multiple different instruments.

Bread with 3 dips (butter, ham salad, and corn/pepper relish), crab croquettes, bread pudding, mashed potatoes, and veggies were all delicious! The roast duck was dry and a little bland. Service and atmosphere was fantastic. I recommend sharing because of the prices.

A very unique experience to have while you are visiting Williamsburg. We started out a couple of cocktails, but really you should go for one of the punch bowls - it ended up being so much better and you didn't have to wait on the staff to serve you. Then we moved on to the iconic peanut soup, a potato chowder and stewed black eye peas, which came with different breads and relishes. The black eye peas were absolutely amazing and I would recommend passing on the peanut soup. For mains, we got the prime rib, the game pye, and To Stew a Shoat in the French Way. They were all excellent! We also were entertained by a fife and a fiddler, which added to the ambiance of the dinner. Aside from the food and atmosphere, the service was really lacking. We felt like we had to flag our server down multiple times for refills, questions, and ordering. Also when ordering she was very short and sometimes walked away before we were finished. In the end it was an experience that we enjoyed and would recommend to others visiting the area. Definitely get reservations. There was a line when we showed up and the restaurant was full the entire time we were there as there are not many food options within Colonial Williamsburg for dinner.

We tried their famous peanut soup which in our opinion was ok not phenomenal definitely like eating peanuts in hot soup version but still edible. Also we tried “to serve good ham” in other words charcuterie and it was good can’t say much about it was 2 type of meat 1 type of cheese and 3 sliced baguette. The drink was local root beer and apple jack old fashion. Dessert we tried snowy eggs lots of people in reviews said a lot about this item. Was pretty interesting and taste good, I said more like whipped. Amy was our waitress today and she was helpful with explaining us the menu because we had a hard time to understand the historic description on each one lol. True the price is pricey but hey you won’t find something like this anywhere else so if you’re an adventurous also foodie person like us and don’t mind to spend a little bit more for the experience, atmosphere and short show on the middle of lunch this great to explore. We would order the main dishes if they had salmon or grilled chicken but sadly this time menu pretty much not what we liking to have. Overall was adding up our experience for the day with the vibes around.

A really great experience that I would highly recommend if you are visiting colonial Williamsburg. Here you can get the chance to try food based on historic recipes of the time, as well as eating in a really unique environment decorated like an old tavern. The food was interesting and pretty tasty, particularly the peanut soup. The servers were very friendly and knowledgeable about the dishes, and there was also a live music performance.

We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch but have a few suggestions. While there was a man that came around playing the fiddle and it was purely enjoyable when he's not there you should have. Music playing softly for more ambiance. In a cold months it would be nice to have fires in the fireplaces. And unfortunately the prices are way too high. But overall enjoyable.

Arrived at 1:30 pm. The lunch menu was over at 2:00 pm. No reservations for lunch were required. Only a few tables were being used when we arrived. The restaurant was clean. Atmosphere was good. Our waitress was attentive. However, she was rather loud. It’s was an expensive lunch considering the portions of food. For example a cup of peanut soup was $9. The food was presented well as the pictures show in this review.

Food was mostly good. Portions were on the small side for the price. We enjoyed the atmosphere. Took over an hour from being seated to when our food was served. Do not recommend coming here if you wish to eat anytime soon after arrival. We were at the restaurant for almost 2 hours, with only the last 20-30 minutes being spent eating.

This will be an evolving review * If I was reviewing Kings Arms one year ago I would have told you the food is absolutely superb. However we came the beginning of Jan 2026 and they were either having a bad day or there's a new chef who isn't paying attention. Stewed beef was full of fat and the string beans were not cooked. The Ham app changed, meats were super thick and the baguette was completely stale. I'm hesitant to go back since a meal here is $200 for 4 people but my review stands right now for what we paid we did not receive the value expected.

Hubs and I used to frequent CW back in the 90s and Aughts, and Kings Arms was a must-do every time we went. We loved the atmosphere, the food, everything. Our 2025 experience was not at that level. The hostesses were not welcoming. When we walked in, they didn't even greet us - just said "do you have a reservation?" They both seemed like they hate their job! Our server was fine, but overall, the service felt rushed and chaotic like they were understaffed. But the worst change was the food. I had the pork shank, and my husband had the salmon. Both dishes would have been excellent if they had been served to us even remotely warm. Everything seemed to have been plated in advance and just "kept" under dish covers. The polenta that came with my entree was completely congealed because it was cold. Even the peanut soup we ordered was room temp. Sorry, but there is NO excuse to serve every last thing to your guests cold. Doubt we will be back - too many other excellent restaurants in town now that ARE worth the $$$

⭐️ “The King’s Arms: Come for the History, Stay Because You Can’t Escape the Noise” ⭐️ If you’ve ever wondered what it might be like to dine inside a colonial megaphone, allow me to recommend King’s Arms Tavern. We were seated in what I believe was the attic—or possibly just a poorly disguised sound-testing chamber—where every clink, cough, and marital argument from the surrounding five tables was broadcast directly into my soul. By the end of the night, I’m fairly certain I could open a credit card in at least three strangers’ names based on the personal information I unwillingly absorbed. The acoustics weren’t just bad—they were an auditory assault, like eating dinner inside a vaulted gymnasium designed by someone who hates human ears. Now, the food. Let’s just say my shoes have more flavor. And better texture. And are significantly more affordable. The dishes were so aggressively bland I began to wonder if seasoning was outlawed sometime around 1776 and no one told the kitchen. Every bite tasted like a reenactment of “The Era Before Spices Existed.” As for the price—truly spectacular. I’ve never paid so much for so little in my life. For what I shelled out for dinner, I fully expected at least one of the following: • Flavor • Edible texture • A server who could hear us without shouting • A dining room not shaped like an inverted acoustic deathtrap The service itself was okay—our server seemed pleasant enough—but between the echoing voices and the auditory chaos, I can’t be entirely sure we were even speaking the same language. In summary: If you’re looking for a place where you can spend a lot of money to enjoy the full personal histories of five unrelated families while eating food that tastes like colonial ration packs, King’s Arms Tavern is absolutely perfect.

When my husband and I arrived, we were asked for our name and reservation time. We were checked in (or so we thought). We stood there while everyone else kept being seated. Finally, we asked why we weren't seated. Another older hostess, who didn't check us in, rudely said " you didn't check in with me". I replied "that's because the other hostess working did so." She abruptly said "come on", took us into the dining room, slapped down menus on a table right beside the kitchen and left, while there was other much nicer table locations open. About 5 minutes later, the waitress plunked two glasses of water on the table and walked away with no greeting. As my husband and I both clearly realized this experience was already a huge disappointment and not worth the money our meal was going to cost, we walked out...enjoyed a wonderful meal elsewhere. Train your hostesses better. While they are only hostesses, they are representing Colonial Williamsburg...not a great first impression to say the least. Thankfully, the remainder of our historic Williamsburg experiences were great with courteous, knowledgeable staff.