After 30 years, does Murphy's in Virginia-Highland stand the test of time?

The cluster of shops and restaurants near the intersection of Virginia and Highland avenues is enough to make an urbanite salivate. There’s an Italian market with a fine cheese selection, a hardware store where you can catch sports games while shopping for nuts and bolts, a bike shop that sells used toe clips. And then there’s the anchor for it all: Murphy’s. I want to move in.

Murphy’s is truly a neighborhood bar and restaurant. Perhaps it’s like what Applebee’s was before it set eyes on nearly 2,000 “neighborhoods” to which it wanted to serve the same menu.

Murphy’s has existed for more than 30 years, and it has breathed life in its current location in Virginia-Highland since 1992. Time can take a toll at some neighborhood restaurants and bars, making them feel worn and dated. But, here, the food, beverages, service and décor are fresh, vibrant and full of character, very much like Va-Hi itself.