Best Contemporary American Restaurants in Richmond

Wonderful service and food. The appetizers and entrees were beautifully presented.

As always, the food, ambiance, and service were excellent. My husband and I have been talking about L'Opposum to my husband's brother, my brother, and their wives since our first meal there in 2018. We wanted to take my brother and his wife to L'opposom because he is a chef, and she is the best cocktail maker. They both have an amazing wine collection. They are foodies, and we knew they would appreciate this restaurant and its offerings. My brother and I grew up in France. Luckily for both of us, cooking was only done with high-quality fresh food in our family. Every Sunday, we all cooked together and sat at the table enjoying conversations and laughs, and adults dutifully paired wines with the dishes of the day (of course, while educating us children about the need to do so) I am sharing this because L'Opposom offers a colorful environment with a skilled staff, a witty and excellent menu, a tremendous thought-through music list, and a great cocktail and wine list. In some ways, each time I have been there, I am taken back to my Sunday meals, where food and drinks were always delicious, laughter was plentiful, and you could hear each other talk (I do not know how it's done, but you can actually have a conversation without having to raise your voice or ask someone to repeat). Enjoy!! PS: Our server Candle was amazing.

This was my husband and my first time to Lemaire. We specifically scheduled a time to visit The Jefferson Hotel during the holiday season. It did not disappoint. We arrived at the hotel and found the parking lot easily. We took a ticket (to be validated at the meal), and we entered the lobby. We were greeted by the host and taken tour our seat within just a minute or so. The ambiance is perfect. Low lighting, but not so low that you can't read. The music is perfect, allowing for conversation to take place without having to yell, but also providing a nice background sound. Our server was Candi. She greeted us warmly and in a friendly manner. We ordered the Caesar salads which were delicious. The best I've had in a while. We ordered the chicken breast to split. It came with an apricot wild rice and sauces. These were all amazing! No critiques. We also ordered a side of the mac and cheese, which was delicious as well. We each had two glasses of sparkling rose to celebrate the day (January 1st) and finished with the chocolate caramel gateau. Candi was pleasant and helpful the entire time. She was friendly and interesting, asking us questions about ourselves and making conversation. All in all, this was a great experience. We even talked about it being an annual event for us.

Helen’s is such a treat! Fun, kitschy decor and incredible food. Such a gem in RVA. Can be pricey if you do it up like we did but it’s worth it.

The Tobacco Company is a Christmas Eve tradition with me. My soon-to-be-wife and I celebrated there the first time in 1998 (because it's was one of the few restaurants open on Christmas Eve back then, and there was no way we could get together on Christmas Day). This tradition has continued unbroken ever since, 23 of the 27 dinners being at the Tobacco Company. The missed years? Three due to the fire, and 2020 was take-out from another place due to COVID. Last night's meal was the usual: Absolutely excellent. The New York Strip was cooked to perfection (they understand 'rare'), the service was professional and prompt, and the ambience was . . . . . well, what I love the Tobacco Company for. Definitely coming back next year.