Sub Rosa Bakery ★ 4.8
Sub Rosa cafe in Church Hill pours drip coffee with the city's leading naturally-leavened breads. Multi-time James Beard semifinalist bakery.
10 cafe places in Richmond we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Richmond | Cafe across every city.
Richmond has a serious coffee-roasting culture, and many of its cafes roast their own beans or buy from neighbors who do. The Fan and Carytown are thick with them. Lamplighter Coffee Roasters and Rostov's Coffee and Tea anchor The Fan, Black Hand Coffee Co holds Carytown, and Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Co works the Downtown stretch of West Broad Street.
Blanchard's Coffee Roasting Co ★ 4.5
Blanchard's flagship on West Broad runs pour-overs, espresso and whole-bean retail. Founded 2005; Richmond's longest-running third-wave roaster.
Lamplighter Coffee Roasters ★ 4.7
Lamplighter's Addison Street cafe pours espresso and single-origin pour-overs in the Fan. Plant-friendly menu of breakfast sandwiches and pastries, daily.
Black Hand Coffee Co ★ 4.3
Black Hand Coffee on Patterson in Carytown pours house-roasted coffee in a corner room. Quiet seating, board games, and a strong subscription program.
Rostov's Coffee and Tea ★ 4.6
Rostov's on West Main has roasted coffee since 1979 on a 1930s Jabez Burns. Tammy Rostov runs the family shop; one of Virginia's oldest roasters.
Sugar and Twine ★ 4.0
Sugar and Twine in Carytown opened 2015 as a bakery cafe. Jam biscuits, hand pies, croissants and Danishes daily; indoor seating returned in late 2024.
Perly's Restaurant and Delicatessen ★ 4.2
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.
Garnett's Cafe ★ 4.1
Garnett's Cafe on Park Avenue is the Fan's long-running sandwich shop. Made-to-order sandwiches, salads and morning coffee, Tuesday to Sunday.
Riverbend Roastery ★ 4.2
Riverbend Roastery on East Broad opened in the former Captain Buzzy's space in 2019. Roasting on-site, full pastry case, eastern Church Hill.
OrderPour over and a pastry.
TipVisit Sub Rosa first then walk east twenty minutes for the second cup.
Sub Rosa Bakery ★ 4.7
Sub Rosa Bakery in Church Hill opens at 8 am weekends with breads and pastries. Multi-year James Beard semifinalist; reopened December 2025 after fire.
OrderCountry sourdough loaf with morning bun.
TipGet there by 9 am Saturday; the loaves go fast through the lunch hour.
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