Sub Rosa's country sourdough loaf is the Richmond bread standard. Naturally-leavened, formerly wood-fired (now electric), with stone-milled local grain in every batch.
Evrim and Evin Dogu opened Sub Rosa Bakery on North 25th Street in Church Hill in 2012, baking naturally-leavened country breads in a wood-fired oven. Multiple James Beard Outstanding Baker semifinalist nominations followed across 2017 to 2020. A fire in November 2024 closed the bakery for over a year; Sub Rosa reopened December 16, 2025 with an electric oven (the wood-fired oven did not survive) and a renewed commitment to stone-ground flour in every loaf.
3 editor picks for Naturally-leavened country bread in Richmond, ranked by editorial score. All Richmond signature dishes · Naturally-leavened country bread across every city.
Sub Rosa Bakery ★ 4.7
church-hill · 620 N 25th Street, Richmond, VA 23223
Sub Rosa cafe in Church Hill pours drip coffee with the city's leading naturally-leavened breads. Multi-time James Beard semifinalist bakery.
Lemaire ★ 4.7
downtown · 101 W Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23220
Lemaire inside the Jefferson Hotel is named for Etienne Lemaire, Thomas Jefferson's maitre d'. Chef Patrick Willis since 2009; grande dame of RVA.
Adarra ★ 4.5
oregon-hill · 501 S Pine Street, Richmond, VA 23220
Adarra moved to the former Mamma Zu building on South Pine in Oregon Hill in December 2024. Randall and Lyne Doetzer's Basque and northern Spanish room with wood-fired txuleta and a natural-wine bar.