L'Opossum ★ 4.8
L'Opossum in Oregon Hill is David Shannon's quirky French-Southern fine-dining room. James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic semifinalist (2016) and Southern.
Signature: Snapper en croute, Foie gras, Tasting menu
The restaurants worth the trip in Richmond. bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
Our picks in 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
Mama J's Kitchen ★ 4.6
Velma Johnson's soul food kitchen on 1st Street in Jackson Ward, opened 2009 by her son. Sunday-dinner Southern cooking in the Harlem of the South.
Signature: Fried catfish, Collard greens, Mac and cheese
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
Stella's ★ 4.5
Stella's on Lafayette has cooked the Dikos family Greek menu since the Lafayette opening in 2011 (the original Stella's debuted in 1983). Mid-week meze.
Signature: Lamb shank, Spanakopita, Greek meze
Bar Buoy ★ 4.4
Brittanny Anderson's Scott's Addition seafood room, opened September 2025 in the former Brenner Pass space. Casual Chesapeake fish-shack menu.
Signature: Crab cakes, Oyster stew, Fried fish plate
Metzger Bar and Butchery ★ 4.5
Brittanny Anderson's German-Austrian sister to Bar Buoy in Church Hill. House charcuterie, schnitzel and a German beer list, Tuesday to Sunday.
Signature: Schnitzel, Sausage plate, House charcuterie
The Roosevelt ★ 4.6
The Roosevelt in Church Hill cooks Southern food under Leah Branch, a 2026 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic. Country ham biscuits, gravy.
Signature: Fried chicken, Country ham biscuit, Spoonbread
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
Edo's Squid ★ 4.4
Edo's Squid runs Italian-seafood plates above a Fan corner store on Harrison. Ed Vasaio of the long-gone Mamma Zu opened it in 2013; no reservations, cash.
Signature: Grilled calamari, Hand-cut pasta, Whole fish
Can Can Brasserie ★ 4.3
Can Can in Carytown is the Left-Bank-style brasserie Richmond crosses town for. Mussels, frites, marble bar, with a deep Sunday brunch service.
Signature: Steak frites, Mussels, Sunday brunch
Rappahannock ★ 4.5
Rappahannock on Grace pours oysters from the Croxton family farm in Topping, Virginia. The Richmond outpost of the Virginia oyster-farming revival.
Signature: Olde Salt oysters, Rappahannock oysters, Crab cake
Acacia Midtown ★ 4.5
Dale Reitzer's Acacia Midtown at Libbie Mill is the third location of the modern-coastal room that began in Carytown in 1998. James Beard nominee.
Signature: Seared scallops, Coastal fish, Tasting menu
Joe's Inn ★ 4.2
Joe's Inn on Shields has been a Fan standard since 1952. Italian-Greek-American plates, oversized spaghetti and a regulars-heavy bar, daily until midnight.
Signature: Spaghetti a la Joe, Greek salad, Souvlaki
Sticky Rice ★ 4.2
Sticky Rice on Main has run Asian-fusion sushi and a bucket-of-tots tradition since 1999. Open until 2 am daily, the late-night sit-down in the Fan.
Signature: Bucket of tots, Sushi rolls, Vegan rolls
ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque ★ 4.6
ZZQ in Scott's Addition runs central Texas brisket and ribs from a counter. Wednesday to Sunday until sold out, with mezcal cocktails alongside the meat.
Signature: Brisket, Pork ribs, Smoked sausage
The Continental Westhampton ★ 4.3
The Continental on Grove Avenue is a Westhampton neighborhood spot for American food re-imagined. Sunday brunch is a fixture; the bar runs late.
Signature: Burger, Brunch plates, Cocktails
Lehja ★ 4.5
Sunny Baweja's Lehja runs upscale modern Indian at Short Pump. Two-time James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic; tandoor-driven menu.
Signature: Tandoori dishes, Lamb biryani, Chef's tasting
Adarra ★ 4.5
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.
Signature: Pintxos, Wood-fired txuleta, Spanish wine
Croaker's Spot ★ 4.3
Croaker's Spot on Hull Street runs Black-owned soul-food and seafood since the 1990s. Generous Southern plates and fried-fish platters daily.
Signature: Fried whiting, Catfish, Mac and cheese
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