Eat in Downtown, Richmond

Lemaire ★ 4.7

Lemaire inside the Jefferson Hotel is named for Etienne Lemaire, Thomas Jefferson's maitre d'. Chef Patrick Willis since 2009; grande dame of RVA.

Signature: Virginia ham, She-crab soup, Tasting menu

Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen ★ 4.5

Perly's on Grace Street is Richmond's daytime Jewish deli. House-cured pastrami and matzo ball soup; breakfast and lunch only, daily until 3 pm downtown.

Signature: Pastrami sandwich, Matzo ball soup, Latkes

Tarrant's Downtown Cafe ★ 4.2

Tarrant's at 1 West Broad has run all-day food in a former pharmacy since 1996. Pizza-and-pasta menu is the Richmond downtown standard, kitchen open late.

Signature: Pizza, Pasta, Diner breakfast

Sally Bell's Kitchen ★ 4.4

Sally Bell's Kitchen has sold box lunches since 1924, founded by Sarah Cabell Jones and Elizabeth Lee Milton. House-made cupcakes and deviled eggs daily.

Signature: Box lunch, Deviled eggs, Cupcakes

Lemaire ★ 4.7

Lemaire inside the Jefferson Hotel is named for Etienne Lemaire, Thomas Jefferson's maitre d'. Patrick Willis runs the kitchen, the city's grande dame.

Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen ★ 4.5

Perly's on Grace Street is Richmond's Jewish deli, with house-cured pastrami and matzo ball soup. Breakfast and lunch only, daily until 3 pm.

Signature: Pastrami sandwich, Matzo ball soup

Tarrant's Downtown Cafe ★ 4.2

Tarrant's at 1 West Broad has run all-day food in a former pharmacy since 1996. The pizza-and-pasta menu is the Richmond downtown standard, open late.

Signature: Pizza, Pasta

Sally Bell's Kitchen ★ 4.4

Sally Bell's Kitchen has sold box lunches since 1924, founded by Sarah Cabell Jones and Elizabeth Lee Milton. House-made cupcakes daily on Broad Street.

Signature: Box lunch, Deviled eggs

Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Co ★ 4.4

Blanchard's flagship on West Broad runs pour-overs, espresso and whole-bean retail. Founded 2005; Richmond's longest-running third-wave roaster.

Signature drink: Single-origin pour over

Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen ★ 4.4

Perly's on Grace Street is Richmond's daytime Jewish deli. Counter service, pastrami sandwiches and matzo ball soup, daily until 3 pm in the downtown core.

Signature drink: Cream soda or egg cream

Perly's Bakery ★ 4.3

Perly's house bakery runs alongside the deli with rye, challah and bagels. Take-home loaves available at the counter, breakfast through 3 pm.

Worth the queue: House rye loaf

Sally Bell's Kitchen ★ 4.4

Sally Bell's Kitchen has baked cupcakes, cheese wafers and pastries since 1924. Founded by Sarah Cabell Jones and Elizabeth Lee Milton; a century of Richmond.

Worth the queue: Iced cupcake

Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Co ★ 4.4

Blanchard's started roasting in 2005 and anchors Richmond's third-wave coffee. The Broad Street flagship pours pour-overs and whole-bean retail.

Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru

How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail

Lift Coffee Shop and Cafe ★ 4.3

Lift roasts locally and pours in the Arts District on West Broad. Coffee shop and cafe with a sit-down counter and Friday-morning foot traffic.

Sources from: Ethiopia, Colombia, Guatemala

How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail

Bar Solita ★ 4.4

Bar Solita on West Broad pours Italian and Mediterranean wines next to a wood-fired pizza program. Small plates run into late evening downtown.

Signature pour: By-the-glass Italian natural wines

Wine focus: Italian wines, natural pours, Mediterranean focus

Food: Wood-fired pizza, antipasti, small plates

Lemaire Bar ★ 4.5

Lemaire's bar inside the Jefferson Hotel pours an Old World leaning list under a vaulted lobby ceiling, with Virginia sparkling and Bordeaux.

Signature pour: Virginia sparkling and Bordeaux by the glass

Wine focus: Old World, Virginia and California bottles

Food: Bar snacks from the Lemaire kitchen

Penny Lane Pub ★ 4.3

Penny Lane Pub on East Franklin is downtown Richmond's British pub. Boddingtons on tap, fish-and-chips, English Premier League broadcasts on weekends.

Signature drink: Boddingtons pint and English pub fare

Food: Fish and chips, shepherd's pie, English pub menu

Lemaire Bar ★ 4.4

Lemaire's hotel bar inside the Jefferson is the city's grand-lobby cocktail room. Classic stirred drinks, Virginia sparkling, polished service.

Signature drink: Classic cocktails in the Jefferson Hotel lobby

Food: Bar snacks from Lemaire kitchen

Perly's Counter ★ 4.4

Perly's downtown deli runs a counter-service Jewish sandwich shop alongside its dining room. Pastrami sandwiches, latkes and matzo ball soup, daytime only.

Try: Pastrami sandwich, matzo ball soup

Triple Crossing Beer Downtown ★ 4.5

Triple Crossing was founded April 2014 by Adam Worcester, Scott Jones and Jeremy Wirtes. Downtown taproom on Foushee opened first; Neapolitan pizzas.

Sally Bell's Kitchen ★ 4.4

Sally Bell's Kitchen has sold box lunches since 1924 for less than fifteen dollars. House-made sandwiches, cupcakes and deviled eggs daily on West Broad.

Order: Box lunch for under fifteen dollars.

Tip: Order ahead by phone for pick-up; the line snaps to the corner at lunch hour.

Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen ★ 4.3

Perly's pastrami sandwich at the counter sits at the city's classic Jewish deli line. House-cured meats, latkes and matzo ball soup, daily until 3 pm.

Order: Pastrami sandwich for under fifteen dollars at the counter.

Tip: Order at the counter for cheaper-than-table pricing.

Tarrant's Downtown Cafe ★ 4.2

Tarrant's Downtown at 1 West Broad has run all-day food in a former pharmacy since 1996. Diner-energy with pasta and pizza, breakfast through midnight.

Order: All-day breakfast.

Why locals love it: Hidden inside a former pharmacy at 1 West Broad. Locals stay loyal to the long-running diner energy without crowding the front room.

Tip: Skip the dinner queue at 7 pm and arrive after 9 for the late-pizza-and-beer mode.

Sally Bell's Kitchen ★ 4.4

Sally Bell's Kitchen has sold box lunches since 1924, founded by Sarah Cabell Jones and Elizabeth Lee Milton. Broad Street counter is easy to miss.

Order: Box lunch.

Why locals love it: Sally Bell's has sold the same box lunch since 1924, and most visitors miss the unmarked side counter near West Broad. A century of Richmond box-lunch history.

Tip: Call ahead; the deviled-egg-and-cheese-wafer box is the local-Saturday standard.

Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen ★ 4.4

Perly's daytime menu carries brunch energy daily until 3 pm. Pastrami Benedicts, latkes and matzo ball soup; the Sunday queue snakes around the corner.

Order: Pastrami benedict with latkes.

Tip: Weekend brunch books quickly; weekday morning is the easier seat.

Penny Lane Pub ★ 4.3

Penny Lane Pub on East Franklin keeps the kitchen running through last call. Boddingtons on tap, fish-and-chips, downtown football crowd weekends.

Order: Fish and chips with a pint.

Tip: Saturday Premier League mornings start early; the bar runs through to 2 am.

Tarrant's Downtown Cafe ★ 4.2

Tarrant's Downtown at 1 West Broad keeps the kitchen running through 10 pm and the bar later. Pizza, pasta and burgers in a former-pharmacy room downtown.

Order: Late pizza and beer.

Tip: Kitchen runs to 10 pm; the bar holds the late seat.

The National ★ 4.5

The National on East Broad is the historic 1923 theater turned 1,500-capacity concert hall. Touring indie, rock and hip-hop acts; operated by The Broadberry's events team.

Tip: Tickets via the venue or AXS; the balcony seats run quietest, floor for the show.

Richmond Music Hall at Capital Ale House ★ 4.3

Richmond Music Hall sits inside Capital Ale House on East Main with a 300-capacity room. Brand-new sound system and an expanded stage; metal to folk to hyperpop on rotation.

Tip: Capital Ale House downstairs is the pre-show pour; combine for one ticket and one tab.