Rustic and modern oyster halls, vibe-heavy cocktail lounges, homey South American cuisine, skilled Cantonese cooking, and everything in between: Richmond is riding a wave of new and noteworthy dining additions. To identify them, our team of food writers scoured the local scene, considering establishments that opened between August 2023 and August 2024. These spots stood out from the pack, boasting intuitive service, serving dishes made with love and offering third-space refuges we didn’t know we needed. Consider these 22 picks the hottest tables in town.
La Doña Cocina Mexicana
6404 Horsepen Road
Everything about La Doña Cocina Mexicana is bold and vibrant, from the festive decorations by co-owner Daniel Gutierrez to the from-scratch menu of southern Mexican favorites by his mother, Patricia Bahena. Picaditas present a filling plate of thick fried corn tortillas topped with a selection of meats and salsas — my favorite is the zesty and bright salsa roja. Notable vegetarian options include the unmissable chile rellenos, which nail the crispy-gone-soggy combination of batter-fried poblanos swimming in a perfectly spiced salsa. Plan to visit early on the weekends — the only time you can snag their crave-worthy chicken or pork tamales. —Stephanie Ganz
Marylou’s
1323 W. Main St.
Vibes are high at Marylou’s, where elevated touches to soul food dishes are delivered to your choice of gorgeous environment: the lively, artfully appointed main dining space, the stunning Bordeaux wine bar or the tropical, sultry rooftop. Marylou’s is really a whole social plan, because in addition to crushing ultra-tender short ribs, you can go dancing, throw a private event or watch a big game there. No one should leave without eating the skillet-baked cornbread. It’s worth noting that Richmond beverage guru Chauncey Jenkins played a pivotal role in the development of the wine program. —Bird Cox
Farm & Oak
3601 Cox Road
After establishing a heavy presence downtown with five different ventures, Mike Lindsey and Kimberly Love-Lindsey headed west. In December 2023, the couple introduced Farm & Oak, the local touch Short Pump needed. Lovingly dubbed “Lillie Pearl 2.0,” it bears a resemblance to its Southern-influenced sister restaurant while standing on its own. Decadent shrimp and grits, obe ata-braised lamb shank with pickled collard stems, buttermilk-battered fried chicken, and blackened catfish — take your pick, order and weep. Bonus: An all-star brunch and cocktail menu devised by Salt & Acid’s Beth Dixon. —Eileen Mellon
Kathy Mohammed of Trini Roti (Photo by Jay Paul)
Trini Roti
10811 Hull Street Road, Midlothian, 804-447-3985
The spice! This is your new source, people. The flavors — and the heat — masterfully developed by chef-owner Kathy Mohammed reflect the vibrant food traditions of Trinidad. Here, you’ll find menu items that you cannot secure elsewhere (certainly none made with such homespun care). Doubles, a pair of fried flatbreads with curried chickpeas and garnishes, both spicy and cooling, are a must. See that “buss up shut” roti on the list? Try it — it’s fat-griddled bread beaten with a rolling pin to form layers that look like a busted-up shirt, served with your choice of stew. —BC
Trouvaille
203 N. Lombardy St.
Eating a dish at Trouvaille is like applying that one crazy filter to your headshot; it’s familiar and recognizable, but it’s suddenly gorgeous in a new way, too. Take the roasted cauliflower with its delicate smear of coconutty bean puree, green curry and pickled mustard seeds. It’s a roasted veg stunner, for sure, but as the flavors mingle, it eats like a lively stew. Someone at the table must order the chicken roulade and be prepared to share. Maybe order one for the table as an appetizer and pretend it’s Christmas, because that’s what it tastes like — juicy, stuffed holiday perfection, with grits. —BC
Photo courtesy Pink Room
Pink Room
803 N. 23rd St.
Oops, she did it again. Restaurateur Brittanny Anderson has bestowed her magic touch on the compact cocktail bar Pink Room. Connected to sister space Metzger Bar & Butchery, the 18-seat dining room is a retro-meets-postmodern dreamworld in Union Hill. The menu changes weekly at the Thursday-through-Saturday venture, but items such as the signature pink martini, petite Birthday Girl bivalves from women-owned Matheson Oyster Co., and Momma’s Cheeseball with housemade Triscuits are regulars. Snacks like buttery crab crescent rolls and zippy meatballs with arrabiata remind us that food can be fun. —EM
Oyster Society
309 N. Sycamore St., Petersburg
Oyster Society has announced it will cease operations; its last day of service is Dec. 29.
Prepare to enter a Gothic Revival world bedecked in velvet and peculiarity — think Rest in Pieces meets L’Opossum — and have your dining curiosity piqued. Yes, in Petersburg. Helmed by Andy LaBrecque and Bar Director Eli Dwyer, the latter formerly of The Roosevelt, Oyster Society is an intriguing ride from start to finish. Meals begin with tableside bread service, followed by the reveal of the restaurant’s daily seasonally influenced musings — red meat, poultry, fish and a vegan option. Tongue-in-cheek playfulness is balanced by finesse in the kitchen and easygoing yet attentive service. Order the Seaboard, a snacky spread of smoked oysters, ahi bacon lox, blue crab Boursin, house saltines and pickles. —EM
Beaucoup (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Beaucoup
111 N. Robinson St.
“Convivial” is the word that comes to mind when perched at Beaucoup’s cozy bar or tucked into a corner of the dining room-spanning banquette. Usually packed and always fun, the French-leaning neighborhood bar from the Grisette team is for people who enjoy nice things, like the simple pleasure of exquisitely crispy frites with garlic aioli. Look to the chalkboard menu for the daily selection of oysters, and don’t skip the roasted ones — the melty ’nduja butter is the stuff of dreams. Happy hour is a bona fide steal with $1 oysters and $8 martinis. —SG
The Emerald Lounge
2416 Jefferson Ave.
A tropical refuge from the founders of Carytown watering hole The Jasper, The Emerald Lounge, a take on a beachy escape inspired by the bars of 1920s Cuba and 1970s Los Angeles, is just what the doctor ordered. In early summer, the Union Hill cocktail lounge received a boost with the onboarding of longtime Richmond chef Bobo Catoe Jr., formerly of Alewife and Odyssey. Find specials including fried sugar toads served alongside chilled shrimp with a zippy citrus vinaigrette, as well as booze-soaking sticky short ribs and chicken wings. Regulars, aka Lounge Lizards, can be spotted slinking into big booths while happily sipping on umbrella-adorned drinks spiked with rum, agave and brandy. —EM
White Tiger
3991 Glenside Drive
Owner Sunil Bhandari worked at other local Indian restaurants before opening White Tiger with Pakistani chef Manzoor Qadir. The duo had a vision for the quiet Staples Mill Road strip mall where White Tiger crouches. “We’re unique in our design, layout, everything,” Bhandari says. Qadir mixes authentic dishes, such as chaat and moma dumplings, with unconventional kale and cheese/butter sauces. Traditional platings of butter chicken, or sukha goat with tomato, onion and ginger, delight. A basket of garlic naan, hot from the tandoor, should be mandatory. —Genevelyn Steele
(Clockwise from top left)Three-bean salad; tempeh bahn mi sandwich; braised brisket over a lentil orzo salad with sauteed kale, feta and salsa verde (Photo by Julianne Tripp-Hillian)
Wishbone Food Shop
2 N. Sixth St.
Planning one’s own restaurant is a frequent diversion while cheffing for other restaurateurs, and Ginny Sowers and Justin Cropper had plenty of time to plot while working for Kuba Kuba, Lemaire, Bandito’s and Rappahannock. The couple incorporated what industry folks enjoy most about eating out into Wishbone Food Shop, their downtown diner fever dream. It’s friendly and walkable, has eclectic vintage decor, and boasts both a lightning-quick coffee bar and easy sit-down service. Open early, Wishbone serves oversized breakfast burritos with sausage and chorizo made in-house. At lunch, global specials, such as the Thai peanut salad, and sandwiches, including the tuna melt, reign supreme. Ask for the housemade hot and Worcestershire sauces. —GS
Taco Bamba
1601 Willow Lawn Drive, #400
Whether you’re looking for credible versions of classic tacos like al pastor, carnitas or carne asada, or wildly inventive global flavors, such as Shrimp Bing Bang Boom — loaded with fiery gochujang-rubbed shrimp and funky kimchi, and mellowed with a sesame aioli — Taco Bamba is calling. On a cold day, seek a bowl of soul-warming pozole rojo. The menu of this regional chain, founded by James Beard Award-nominated chef Victor Albisu, is designed with mixing and matching in mind. The Willow Lawn location features a lively bar with killer margaritas, including a smoky mezcal-spiked pineapple variation and frozen versions on tap. —SG
Daily crudo at Shoreline Seafood Market (Photo by Monica Escamilla)
Shoreline Seafood Market
10614 Patterson Ave.
After circling each other’s orbits years ago, executive chef Josh Loeb, former Yellow Umbrella Provisions scion Dave Whitby and fellow co-owner Matt Snow are charting waters together again, this time in the West End at Shoreline Seafood Market. The restaurant-grocery mashup rises above mere fish counter status by offering a wave of luncheon plates, such as daily crudo, plump crab rolls, fritto misto, must-order sticky rice fries and tinned fishy delights. During weekends, the 12-seat chef’s table flexes a reservation-only, multicourse tour of nautical delicacies with wine pairings. —GS
Cafe y Sabor
7807 W. Broad St.
Coffee is the flavor king at Cafe y Sabor, where raw beans are imported from Colombia and roasted in-house. The Broad Street location joined its Hull Street sibling in January, serving a hungry clientele. This casual, inexpensive eatery specializes in oversized plates of pork belly, steak, eggs, corn cakes, avocado, and plantains savory and sweet. If the hearty Bandeja Paisa doesn’t call to you, a bowl of chicken, lentil or rib soup may. Sabor’s pastry case is stocked with family-recipe empanadas and sweet guava buns; the South American takeaways should accompany a hand-warming latte or velvety hot cocoa. —GS
1870
13310 Midlothian Turnpike, Midlothian
You’ll know 1870 when you see it on Midlothian Turnpike because it is, charmingly, “the only 19th-century commercial brick building still standing in Chesterfield County,” according to local historian Robert Stowell. Chef David Dunlap and his wife, Brittany, bought Jewett-Bass Hall, originally a general store, and installed a banger of a steakhouse in the intimate structure. From starters (lobster bisque en croute!) to sauce work (horseradish cream!), it’s a big winner. Expect stellar service, too, with thoughtful wine and cocktail recommendations. Make it a date night if you don’t mind a bit of ambient buzz. —BC
Con Salsa
3016 Mountain Road, Glen Allen
Caviar sliders with creme fraiche, chives and potato chips from Lillian (Photo by Justin Chesney)
Con Salsa’s relaxed eatery beckons diners to experience succulent Venezuelan soul-satisfiers, including overstuffed arepas, juicy patacones and a case full of scratch-made cakes and puddings. It’s one of the only local places I’ve found that serves the standout carne en coco patacone, a masterpiece of steak laced with coconut sauce between press-fried green plantains. Plan to sip an agua fresca and score a slice of tres leches cake. Side note: You can also track down the Con Salsa food truck with a quick check of their Instagram. —BC
Lillian
3001 W. Leigh St., Suite A
Gorgeously designed, Lillian is meant to impress, and there’s nothing flex-ier than the massive seafood tower. It’s decked with all manner of mollusks, tinned fish, pintxos and a zesty crab cocktail — plus an optional caviar upgrade. Service at Lillian, like its sister restaurant, Lost Letter, is intuitive to the point of mind-reading. While the bivalve selection or the all-day happy hour on Sunday might bring you in the door, it’s the plated dishes that shine. Order the exceptional anchovy toast smeared with yolky butter and sprinkled with bright Aleppo pepper, decadent caviar sliders or a sourdough ice cream sundae for dessert. —SG
Emily Muscat of EJ’s Bistro Manila in Hopewell (Photo by Jay Paul)
EJ’s Bistro Manila
230 S. 15th Ave., Hopewell
After operating a market and making food exclusively on the weekends, proprietor Emily Muscat leveled up and committed to cooking Filipino fare full time. In July, she introduced EJ’s Bistro Manila, a homey, 40-seat, counter-style cafe in Hopewell. Serving food “turo turo” style (choose what you like from the items on display), she prepares dishes such as succulent chicken adobo, pancit, tortang talong and comforting beef kaldereta and displays them at the front counter. On a lucky day, you’ll be blessed with lechon — the whole roasted suckling pig is a staple of Filipino cuisine. Don’t miss dessert, including freshly made turon, banana spring rolls coated with caramelized sugar. —EM
Stock Bistro & Bar
604 Hull St.
Cut right to enter the dining room of Stock Bistro & Bar or turn left and plop onto a comfy showroom couch at Txtur — either is welcome at this Manchester furniture store meets restaurant, which opened in May. Nordic cuisine is indicated by appearances of wild mushrooms, lingonberries and fish-heavy dishes, such as the exquisitely cooked Smoke in Chimneys Virginia trout served atop a crisp potato rosti and joined by braised leeks and a salty-silky everything seasoning creme fraiche. Standouts include smorrebrods — open-faced rye sandwiches topped with adornments from smoked duck to housemade gravlax — fried smelt and a superb wedge salad. —EM
Dishes from Carytown Indian Cuisine including (at center) tandoori chicken tikka (Photo by Ash Daniel)
Carytown Indian Cuisine
2907 W. Cary St.
Many dishes, and staff members, at this Carytown dining temple hail from Punjab, but the artsy, vibrant spot offers a marriage of East and West — as in the mango, arugula and pear salad and the spiced jhinga (shrimp). Carytown Indian Cuisine chefs Naveen Sadana and Rahul Juneja say they’ve consciously made modifications to suit an American palate not geared to heat. This isn’t a muting of flavors, but an adaptation of Indian cuisine. Dishes exist in both worlds, Punjab and Richmond, with one fork dipped into two plates. The soul of India remains, however, in spinach saag or lamb korma, the latter suggested by manager Steven Deva. He cites goat cheese croquettes as his favorite reimagined riff on the Indian dish malai kofta. —GS
Cantonese Kitchen
9047 W. Broad St., Suite 1
Cantonese cooking finesses plenteous balance, the woks filled with crisp-tender vegetables, contrasting tastes and colors. Mein, or noodles, dominate menus. And dim sum luncheons almost always require sharing vegetable chow foon or beef and Chinese broccoli with pan-fried noodles. Sampling these dishes at Cantonese Kitchen in the Far West End is a rewarding journey. The elegant dining room displays cases of hanging Cantonese roasted duck, as well as chicken and pork. Weekday meals are unhurried, while weekend throngs bring a wait for diners seeking house-made dim sum, such as pork siu mei expertly rolled and pinched by co-owner and chef Yan Kun Liu, formerly of Full Kee. —GS
Cochiloco
3340 W. Moore St.
Restaurateurs and brothers Paulo and Nelson Benavides have struck again with Scott’s Addition’s Cochiloco, an ode to their native Jalisco, Mexico. Folding tables and bright tiles transport diners to taquerias south of the border, while tamarind aguas frescas and a bar lined with buckets of salsa and sliced radishes and limes seal the down-home deal. A specialty are the crispy tacos dorados: deep-fried rolled tortillas filled with seasoned mashed potatoes and topped with lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo, queso fresco and Jalisco-style tomato sauce. The namesake Cochiloco Taco is a griddled delight oozing with cheese and loaded with adobada pork, grilled pineapple, guacamole, cilantro and onions. —EM
