Vira Bistro is open on Rogers Branch Road in Wake Forest

A European bistro with Ukrainian roots is open at 3604 Rogers Branch Road, Suite 101, in Wake Forest. As of October 1, 2026, the website for Vira Bistro posts breakfast and dinner hours six days a week, along with a priced menu and a number to call for a table.

The bistro is in the former Cha House space, according to a July 16, 2026 report by What Now that credited the Triangle Business Journal. That report put the opening target at August 2026 and said the bistro would serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Cha House was a bubble tea shop owned by David Freedman that opened in Wake Forest in May 2024, according to a December 2025 profile by the Wake Forest Business and Industry Partnership.

Who is behind Vira Bistro

The restaurant’s website names two founders, Vasyl and Artem. What Now identified the chef as Artem Blauta. The website describes Artem as “a celebrated chef and restaurateur in Ukraine” who wanted to bring his cooking to the United States. Vasyl, according to the website, had wanted to open a bistro since he was a child.

The name comes from the Ukrainian word for faith, the website says, and the founders tie it to the idea that anything worthwhile starts at a table with people you love. The site also points to the kalyna, or viburnum berry, which it describes as the sign of home in Ukrainian songs, embroidery and kitchens.

The website says Artem was drawn to North Carolina’s climate and the long growing seasons of its farms and orchards. The menu notes that a dish or two changes with what the farms bring in, and it asks diners to call for current specials.

What is on the menu

Breakfast runs until 1 p.m. and includes these dishes, according to the menu posted on the restaurant’s website:

• Syrnyki, farmer’s cheese pancakes with vanilla or strawberry sauce, are $15.50.
• Classic shakshuka is $18 to $20, made with tahini, harissa and zhug, or with shrimp or feta.
• A croissant with poached egg, hollandaise and avocado mousse is $16.50.
• Avocado toast with salmon is $17.
• Savory oatmeal with a poached egg, bacon and parmesan is $13.50.
• Chia pudding, granola and a lighter oatmeal are $10 each.

The dinner side of the menu lists appetizers, salads and main courses:

• Beet carpaccio with goat cheese, arugula and lemon marmalade is $16.
• Chicken pâté with onion confit and pani puri is $17.
• Tongue in tuna sauce with capers, sun-dried tomatoes and green pepper is $19.
• Salads run from $15 for a Caesar with anchovies and bacon to $18 for raw tuna with avocado and mango.
• Beef cheeks in red wine sauce with banosh, which the menu describes as polenta, are $29.
• Pork ribs with beet glaze, potatoes and horseradish sauce are $26.
• Cod fillet with fumet sauce, fermented green pepper, carrot cream and broccolini is $27.
• Asian-style chicken wings with ginger are $22.

Desserts are lemon curd with meringue for $11, chocolate fondant with cardamom and chili pepper for $12, and prunes in port wine with walnuts and white chocolate sauce for $12. House-made teas in sea buckthorn, berry, citrus and strawberry mint flavors are $5.50, espresso is $4 and a latte or flat white is $4.99. The drink list also has Italian wines by the glass and bottle and a rotating local beer for $5.50.

The July What Now report described tahini and harissa shakshuka, tuna carpaccio and duck leg with berry sauce. The menu posted on October 1 lists the shakshuka and the raw tuna salad. It does not list a duck dish.

Hours, reservations and phone

The restaurant’s website lists these hours:

• Breakfast and coffee run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
• Dinner runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.
• The restaurant is closed on Mondays.

Tables are booked by phone at (919) 426-1204 or by email at info@virabistro.com, according to the website, which says online booking is not available yet.

Neighbors on Rogers Branch Road

Rogers Branch Road runs along the south side of Wake Forest just off Capital Boulevard. Pilates Addiction Wake Forest, a reformer Pilates studio, is in Suite 104 of the same building at 3604 Rogers Branch Road, according to the studio’s website.

Visit Raleigh lists Blackbird Brewery at 3608 Rogers Branch Road, Suite 101, with a 1,000-square-foot taproom and a 5,000-square-foot patio. The brewery’s cocktail lounge, Bird’s Nest at Blackbird Brewery, is in the same complex.

Across the road at 3605 Rogers Branch Road, Anstead’s Cigar Barn opened in Suite 106 in September 2026. The barre fitness studio barre3 Wake Forest is in Suite 104 of that building.

Road widening tied to the Wheat Field II shopping center has narrowed Rogers Branch Road to one lane of two-way traffic between Forestville Road and Rogers Road. The closures began September 21, 2026, and run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily through mid-October.