Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Richmond

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Richmond? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

L'Opossum

4.9

4.9 (3203)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Richmond

About the restaurant

L'Opossum offers dinner Tuesday-Saturday for parties of one to a maximum of six guests. Multiple reservations booked on the same night to form a group larger than six guests are not permitted and will be canceled. Reservations for parties of one to four guests are allotted 2 hours. Parties of five to six guests are allotted 2.5 hours. Please be courteous to your fellow diners by arriving and leaving on time. L'Opossum patrons paying with cash, enjoy a 4% savings off menu prices. To view a sample menu, visit www.lopossum.com - Thank you!

Top review

Norma

Dined 1 day ago

Food was fabulous. Service excellent. Music swell. Can't wit to go again!

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Popular dish

French Onion Dip Florentine

Popular dish

Lavender-limoncello

Stock Bistro & Bar

4.8

4.8 (79)

$31 to $50

Nordic

Richmond

About the restaurant

Stock Is a Nordic Bistro and bar inviting you to dine differently. Our restaurant is located in a lovingly restored railroad freight terminal that is also home to our stylish modern furniture gallery – Txtur. The indoor and outdoor space invites you to lounge and enjoy a meal like no other whether taking time with friends or celebrating a special event.

Whether you take your meal or cocktails in our beautiful “drafting room” dining space, the spacious main gallery, or our covered and shaded patio, Stock culinary craft and special hospitality experience is sure to please.

Craft food, drinks all in an unparalleled space – Stock is here to welcome you.

We have ample on-site parking too!

Top review

BenitaVIP

Dined 4 days ago

Great atmosphere and food! Recommend highly. The noise level was none existent. If you want to have a quiet conversation, this is the place.

Brenner Pass

4.7

4.7 (1919)

$30 and under

Contemporary European

Richmond

About the restaurant

Contemporary Alpine inspired cuisine from award winning chef Brittanny Anderson. Modern twists on classic French, Italian, Swiss, Austrian & European cuisine. Alpine wine from small producers, old world regional specialties, sherry by the glass & natural wines. Unique craft cocktails hand made by our bartenders, house made infusions & molecular techniques, eclectic spirit list focusing on amaro and rhum agricole, gin, whiskey, scotch, cane & agave spirits. Happy hour weekdays at bar. Euro and American beer program featuring saisons, sour ales & hazy IPAs. Naturally leavened bread made from scratch & homemade desserts by pastry chef Olivia Wilson. Craft coffee & espresso. Local cultural hot spot with energetic, social atmosphere. Tasty cheeses on our cheese cart. Great for birthday or anniversary. Fresh, locally sourced produce. Dinner M-Sat. for luxury dining or expeditious business meal. Reservations recommended, not required. Elegan

Top review

HeatherVIP

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Absolutely wonderful meal. ❤️ Friend from out of town, wanted something eclectic foodie meets comfort. Serena our waitress was AMAZING. Great menu recommendations, subtle attentive service, highly recommend.

Lolita's

4.7

4.7 (423)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Richmond

About the restaurant

Lolita’s is a space where we can embody & celebrate the traditions passed down to us. We source our corn from Tamoa that works directly with small communities in Mexico for the freshest heirloom corn.We practice traditional methods of preparation, which increase nutritional value and create rich flavor. Such as nixtamalization, grain roasting, and whole grain milling.

Top review

Jennifer

Dined 2 days ago

There’s currently a Dry January drinks menu and Monday Industry Night specials running - both of which were awesome. The guava NA margarita was delicious and we got guacamole, elquites, and carne asada fries to share for the table. Although not a main menu item, their Brussels sprouts are some of my favorite in Richmond with plenty of flavor and cooked to perfection. I’m sort of sensitive to loud spaces, so going for an early start around 530 gave me time to enjoy my experience before the noise level started to increase noticeably around 615. The service was great and I’ll be going back again.

Brambly Park

4.6

4.6 (144)

$30 and under

Italian

Richmond

About the restaurant

Brambly Park is an urban winery and oasis located in the northwest corner of Richmond's Scott's Addition neighborhood. Our property sits on 2 acres and is divided into four spaces: the winery, the restaurant, the park and the event hall. In addition to eating and drinking with us, we host regularly scheduled events and live music performances. Please check in with us regularly and follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see what we have on the calendar.

Top review

Debbie

Dined on Jan 3, 2025

What a fun experience! The yurts were warm and comfy. Lots of couches and chairs and tables. The food was fresh and outstanding. The staff were all so friendly and patient. We can’t wait to come back!

1870 Restaurant and Bar

4.6

4.6 (314)

$31 to $50

American

Midlothian

About the restaurant

New Restaurant by Award Winning Chef, and the team of Midlothian Chef's Kitchen! Enjoy a French Inspired Steak House in a historical building in Midlothian.

Top review

Akira

Dined 1 day ago

First time dining here with my colleague after a very long day at work! We had great service provided by Iva & Scott upstairs in the bar area. They both were very personable and took the experience to the next level. Jakob also did a great job checking in with tables and making sure they had everything they needed. Drinks and dinner were fabulous! I will definitely be returning in the near future ◡̈ (the espresso martinis are fire)

Can Can Brasserie

4.5

4.5 (766)

$30 and under

French

Richmond

About the restaurant

Can Can is a French brasserie and bakery in Cary Court Shopping Center. With seating for over 140 in the main dining room, an Art Nouveau inspired private dining room that seats up to 60 guests or over 100 for cocktails, and a full-service bakery and pastry kitchen supplying all of its breads, pastries, and desserts, the restaurant’s versatility should provide the area an array of options and events.

Can Can provides nonstop service morning, noon, and night and looks to give the local neighborhood, businesses, and Richmond visitors, a home away from home, an office away from the office, a place of refuge, or a stage for celebrating with friends.

A Parisian-style steak frites eatery in a classic bistro setting with dark woods, tiles & mirrors.

Top review

KristinVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Great food, great service. Can Can never disappoints!

Grandstaff and Stein Book Sellers

4.5

4.5 (977)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Richmond

About the restaurant

Speakeasy with Contemporary American Cuisine - Richmond, Virginia.

Top review

Michelle

Dined on Dec 28, 2024

Fun environment, excellent food and service. For apps, we had crab dip, brie, and duck drummies. For dinner, our table had the pork shank, meatloaf, vegetarian pot pie, shrimp andouille, catfish and red snapper. The crab dip stood out as the best app and the pork shank and meatloaf were the best meals. Everything was good but those were the highlights.

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The Daily Kitchen and Bar Restaurant-Carytown

4.5

4.5 (843)

$30 and under

American

Richmond

About the restaurant

We strive to serve foods that are not only delicious, but also health conscious, environmentally friendly and socially responsible. We use organic, all natural, local and sustainable ingredients as much as possible while still keeping our prices fair. In addition, we also offer an extensive selection of vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and paleo options.

We accept reservations for parties of up to 16 on Opentable. Please email us at carytown@thedkb.com for reservations of 16 or larger. Our patio is first come, first serve. We hope to see you in Carytown soon!

Top review

Jeffrey

Dined on Dec 27, 2024

Great food and service .. go to place in Carytown

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Popular dish

Crispy Brussels Sprouts

Island Shrimp Co. - Rocketts Landing

4.3

4.3 (574)

$30 and under

Seafood

Richmond

About the restaurant

For centuries, tropical port cities have served as the gathering places where people, culture, and cuisine collide. Warm hospitality, high spirits, and the intoxicating surrounding from paradise come to life at Island Shrimp Co.

So come relax and talk story on our patio overlooking the James River and city skyline. Soak up the tropical vibes and we'll treat you to a menu rooted in some of the world's most exciting island destinations. Don't skip the aloha pineapple boat entree, or the hula ice cream pie dessert!

Top review

Tonda

Dined on Dec 29, 2024

Delicious food and loved the decorations. Just wish I could have gotten a River Monster, hopefully they will be back soon!

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