If you haven’t been paying attention, you may be surprised to find that Richmond, Virginia has become a gastronomic paradise in the past 10 years. Richmond, called RVA, has an outstanding food (and drink) culture with a wide range of eateries that should be on your culinary bucket list.
We’ve developed a list of our favorite Richmond eateries that are dependable, delicious, and worth every mouthful.
Not in the mood to dine out tonight? Click here to have Grubhub deliver right to your door from the greatest restaurants in town.
When in Richmond, don’t miss out on the following activities that will let you immerse yourself in the city (get them while they’re hot!):
- Richmond: Church Hill Food Tour
- Richmond: Trendy Carytown Food Tour
- Richmond: Arts District Walking Food Tour
- Amazing Scavenger Hunt Adventure in Richmond
With all of this amazing cuisine, how about a drink?
Check out our list of the Top 7 Richmond Breweries!
Visiting other places in Virginia? Check out our other tasty guides:
- 10 Fun Things To Do In Williamsburg VA
- 7 Best Must Try Stafford Restaurants
- 10 Awesome Things To Do In Fredericksburg VA
- 7 Must-Try Richmond Breweries
- 20 Fun Things To Do In Richmond VA
- 6 Best Mexican Restaurants In Fredericksburg, VA
- 11 Must-Try Pizza Places In Fredericksburg
- 5 Must-Try Fredericksburg Chinese Restaurants
- The 8 Best Downtown Fredericksburg Restaurants
- 7 Must-Try Chesapeake Restaurants
Richmond’s 14 Finest Restaurants
ZZQ
804-528-56483201 W Moore St.
This is a relatively new BBQ restaurant in Richmond that may be the best barbeque spot in the city, if not the nation.
ZZQ has received several praises from magazines such as Food & Wine, Lonely Planet, and Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives (to mention a few), and has discovered a way to marry Texas artisan BBQ with exquisite southern tastes that will make any mouth swim.
If you don’t order online, expect to wait 30 minutes to an hour for your luscious brisket sandwich with a side of jalapeño mac & cheese or collard greens, which are slow-cooked with red onion, garlic, house bacon, spicy sauce, and blackstrap molasses.
The good news is that everything you order will be wonderful.
Main and 23rd Kitchen & Taproom
(804) 788-7077E Main St.
23rd and Main, located on Main Street in the downtown area (on the intersection of 23rd and Main), offers an enormous menu and is arguably our favorite restaurant in Richmond.
Its broad menu will suit almost every pallet, from their famed Parmesan Honey Truffle fries to their hand-crafted burgers and fire-roasted pizzas.
Meal favorites include the Freebird Chicken Sandwich, Brisket Tacos, and their delectable Porky Fig Pie. This is a must-try Richmond restaurant for comfort cuisine.
The Grotta
E Broad St. (804) 644-2466529 E Broad St.
Don’t be fooled by the location; this is perhaps one of Richmond’s top fine-dining Italian restaurants.
La Grotta is a quality dining experience located at the Hilton Hotel in the downtown area.
The owner and chef is an Italian native who has been spreading his passion for cuisine since the 1980s. He and his wife relocated to Richmond in 1994 and have been delighting your taste senses ever since.
Can’t settle on a single meal or wine for the evening? Get the wine dinner, which includes an appetizer, entrée, and dessert beautifully matched with a bottle of quality Italian wine.
La Grotta is the place to go in Richmond if you want genuine Italian cuisine.
The Joes Inn
(804) 355-2282205 North Shields Ave.
Joes Inn, located in the center of the Fan district, has long been an RVA staple for diner fare among Richmond eateries!
For those who are not from Richmond, Joes has two sides, a bar and a dining room, both with the same menu.
Joes Inn is family-friendly and has something for everyone on the menu, including all-day breakfast and an extensive menu. Joes’ servings are large, and you will not leave hungry.
They are also open every day of the week (Monday-Thursday 8 AM-12 AM, Friday 8 AM-2 AM). They also feature one of the greatest happy hours for craft beer in town, which runs from 3-6 PM every day. Prepare to stand and drink if you arrive to the pub early.
This famous Richmond restaurant combines fine cocktails and cuisine.
The MacArthur Mill
804-716-119-64023 MacArthur Ave.
The Mill at McArthur, located in Richmond’s historic Bellevue neighborhood, may be the city’s best-kept culinary secret.
The Mill at McArthur is a family-friendly restaurant that specializes on home-style cuisine and locally grown food.
Expect to wait for a table at the modest and cozy restaurant, since they only have fifteen in their dining room. We guarantee it will be worthwhile!
Enjoy the Ultimate Grilled Cheese, which consists of pulled short rib, melted Havarti cheese, caramelized onions, and arugula on toasted sourdough. Chris’s best lunch in Richmond!
Finish with some delectable sweet potato fries or the to-die-for creamy mac & cheese.
Stellas
1012 Lafayette St.
If you ask a Richmonder what their favorite restaurants in Richmond are, we’d wager Stellas is in the top five.
Stellas, which serves contemporary Greek cuisine, has risen to the top of the list of Richmond’s finest Greek restaurants. Chef Stella is a Greek native who has instilled the exquisite Mediterranean flavor in every meal.
The sleek and minimalistic ambience only contributes to the huge and robust tastes of each meal. The Saganaki, a flaming cheese appetizer, is a must-order.
If you don’t want to wait hours to dine, make a reservation at any of the Richmond restaurants on our list.
If you want to dine with new people, there is a huge communal table available!
LOpossum
China St #626 (804) 918-6028626
Do you want to wait two months for a reservation? If so, you should try LOpossum.
LOpossum, which has the longest waitlist of any Richmond restaurant, provides a delightfully cosmopolitan take on French food and handmade drinks in a wonderfully diverse, art-filled setting.
Every meals here are bursting with flavor, and the wait staff is trained to assist you choose the ideal wine or cocktail pairing for your meal.
The menu varies dependent on fresh ingredients available, and the surprise meals are not only excellent but also elegantly presented.
Are you ready to dine here? As previously said, their pre-COVID backlog was almost two months long, so book an appointment as soon as possible and prepare to take your taste senses on a beautiful sensory voyage.
Reservations are available by clicking here.
Hot Female
(804) 596-99887 North 17th St.
Hot Chick, a tribute to all things fried and southern, is the place to go for breaded and fried, juicy chicken.
Hot Chick, located in downtown Richmond’s 17th Street Market, serves the greatest fried chicken sandwiches in the city.
Choose from Bacon Fat Fries and Pimento Cheese balls for your appetizers, followed by a trademark fried chicken sandwich ranging from sweet to spicy that will have you clucking for more!
Are you starving? Get their Bad Mutha Clucka for $20, which includes two Nashville hot chicken breasts, a slab of bacon, ranch slaw, spicy ranch, smoky honey mustard, pickles, and muenster cheese. Don’t be afraid to sample one of Richmond’s top restaurants.
Nickel the Small
Forest Hill Ave. (804) 230-87434702 Forest Hill Ave.
Little Nickel offers fusion food with Filipino, Hawaiian, and Mediterranean influences, as well as creative tropical beverages.
Hawaiian nachos, lamb shank tacos, and crab spaghetti are just a few of the unique gourmet meals available to enjoy with their beverages.
Remember to save space for dessert. With a salted caramel rum taste, their Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a must-try! Try this Richmond eatery for a taste of the islands.
The Roosevelt Administration
(804) 658-1935623 N 25th St.
The Roosevelt, located in Richmond’s oldest neighborhood on Church Hill, takes an unconventional approach to classic southern food. Thrillist, Condé Nast Traveler, Southern Living, and Esquire have all given them national attention for its culinary and artisan cocktail culture.
From Fried Green Tomatoes and Honeynut Squash and Ricotta to Southern Carbonara and Pan Seared Scallops, you’ll go on a culinary adventure with specially made southern cuisine and a killer craft drink.
They open everyday at 5 p.m., and we strongly advise you to make a reservation.
Sabai
W Broad St. (804) 367-49922727 W Broad St.
Sabai, in our view, is Richmond’s greatest option for genuine Thai cuisine. We realize that’s a strong statement, but let us back it up by saying we’ve gone to Thailand and this is the closest thing to true Thai cuisine we’ve tasted since returning home.
Sabai, located in the Scotts Addition area, is an excellent lunch or supper option while brewery hopping.
Although their menu isn’t wide, each meal is so well-prepared that you don’t need much more than what’s on it.
Our favorites are the Koa Pad Sapparot, which is pineapple fried rice that is out of this world luscious, and the Koa Soi Gai, a northern Thai meal.
Curry chicken leg and sliced chicken with egg noodles served with pickled mustard greens, red onions, and chili oil. Their rendition is as wonderful as any we tasted in Chiang Mai eateries!
Don’t forget to buy a drink! They are also recognized for their one-of-a-kind artisan drinks that complement each meal.
Even with all of Richmond’s amazing eateries, you may want to Thai yourself up with this one.
Rappahannock Oyster Company, Inc.
E Grace St. (804) 545-0565320 E Grace St.
Rappahannock Oyster Co. is the place to go in Richmond for local and fresh oysters.
With a farm-to-table focus, you’ll enjoy an innovative meal that highlights their oyster farm.
Although they have additional locations, their Richmond restaurant provides a unique take on gourmet dining by mixing their own oysters with tasty side dishes and drinks.
Mr. Peter Chang
Several Places
Although not unique to Richmond, Peter Chang’s outstanding Chinese cuisine has a cult-like following across Virginia. Peter Chang is a skilled chef who is widely considered as America’s best Chinese chef.
With two locations in Richmond (Short Pump and Scotts Addition), you’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of genuine Chinese cuisine at moderate costs.
Local favorites include crispy pig belly and stone pot duck. Changs is the place to go in Richmond for delicious Asian cuisine.
BRUNCHLunch | Dinner!
Summit Ave.
Lunch. and Dinner! are two entirely independent restaurants located exactly next to one another in Scotts Addition (but related). Throughout the week, their menus and hours vary somewhat, so it’s crucial to understand the distinction.
Depending on your brunch date, you may have one of the greatest brunches given by Richmond restaurants from any location, since the menu remains the same.
Dinner! is more bigger and features outside dining, whilst Lunch. is more private and charming. Don’t forget to get a Fizzy Izzy (mango vodka, pineapple juice, and Prosecco) for yourself (or your brunch partner)!
The team behind Lunch. and Dinner! debuted a new restaurant in the Fan area in 2019. Any ideas what they named it? Of course, BRUNCH. Brunch favorites are available seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Top Restaurants in Richmond Overall
If we’re being honest, there are definitely another ten or twenty Richmond eateries that should be on our list, since the Richmond culinary scene is wonderful.
RVA has quietly become a major east coast dining destination, with everything from genuine Thai cuisine to local seafood to All-American cuisines.
Since there are so many delicious locations, it is difficult for a restaurant to stand out, and you must be the finest of the best to make it on our list. Enjoy your meal!
Check out our Locals Guide if you’re seeking for fun things to do in Richmond!