Top Restaurants in Richmond
Ipanema CaféLocation:The Fan
Cuisine:Vegetarian
Price: $$
Hidden beneath a tattoo shop, Ipanema Café looks like a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, and in some ways it still is. The menu changes frequently and without warning, though some favorite recipes are more or less always on the menu. The first sight upon entering the restaurant is the bar, along with the chalkboard menu that requires you to pick and memorize your order before sitting down. But the more you go, the more you realize that these quirks are part of the endearing personality that the café imparts, a welcoming place where you can bring your significant other for a romantic date or your whole family for a fun, unusual dinner. For avid meat eaters, there are usually one or two seafood-based meals on the menu, but for the most part it's vegetarian treats that are the highlights of this delicious no-frills, no-fuss restaurant.
Location:Shockoe Bottom
Cuisine:American
Price:$$$$
Widely regarded as one of the city's best traditional upscale restaurants, Bookbinder's combines an intimate, dressy interior with excellent service and superb food. Seafood dishes and steak plates are the restaurant's specialties, with the crab cakes being an exceptionally delicious choice. This is a place to go when you want to truly indulge, so expect the high prices but don't miss out on a glass or two of wine and the indulgent desserts that make the dining experience truly exceptional.
Location: The Fan
Cuisine:Cuban
Price:$$
Brightly colored and painted with a variety of faces and images, the Cuban-inspired décor is a shock to the eye accustomed to Southern design. Even the Cuban food that Kuba Kuba serves is a bit of an anomaly in the region, where hearty Southern comfort food and traditional seafood dishes are the norm. It is widely popular with college students, partly due to its location near VCU and partly because you get a lot of food for your dollar. All of these differences come together to make a dining experience unique in Richmond: a tiny, packed restaurant that serves up great Cuban food with no illusions of pomp or pretension.
Location:Jackson Ward
Cuisine:Soul Food
Price:$$
For a taste of the food for which the south is famous, there's no better place to head in Richmond than Croaker's Spot Restaurant. Occupying a tiny space in this near-downtown location, Croaker's Spot is incredibly popular, especially during dinnertime. Wait in line, show up early or even order a take out meal, but don't miss out on the restaurant's amazing seafood and chicken soul food.
Location: The Fan
Cuisine:Mediterranean
Price: $$
A chic little restaurant and bar, Cous Cous has some truly unique dishes and flavors that are both appealing and affordable. Thanks to its extensive menu, great drink selections and welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant is a big hit with small groups. If you're in one of these, try sharing around your dishes to get a taste of many things. This group-friendly atmosphere also means that the restaurant can get a bit loud, especially on weekend nights when the bar is nearly as popular as the tables.
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