Lafayette Tavern

The owners did not disappoint creating this cool new restaurant! The food is delicious, the ambience does feel like a cool New York steakhouse, and the service is some of the best that Richmond has to offer! Everything on the menu sounds absolutely delicious, but I got oysters and the French dip, with a dirty martini! Everything was absolutely amazing!

The build of this place is so perfect and well executed. The service is amazing, accommodating, warm and inviting. The food matches the ambiance. Cozy and makes you want to stay there longer. Again: Veal chop is bonkers good - could be a two person dish. The pork is moist and flavorful. Burger and Bum combo = heavenly cant wait to get back in there! perfect spot for date nights - bar hangs - business dinner.

Great food, great vibes, and even better service. The atmosphere was warm and fun with excellent music, and the servers were incredibly attentive and kind without being overbearing. Everything we ordered was delicious, and the whole experience felt easy and enjoyable. Definitely a place we’ll be coming back to!

This place was such a gem. Would recommend a reservation since it's a more intimate setting and small. We ordered the fried artichoke which was amazing. I also had the spicy shell vodka which was soo good. Lastly we finished with the banana cheesecake which tasted like a cheesecake crème brûlée. We decided to move over to the bar after to get some more drinks and had the pleasure of having Erick as our bartender. Great conversation and great drinks. I also want to shout out Lenny our server who made great recommendations and I will never forget the pink squirrel! So yummy! We will definitely have more date nights here!!! ALSO wanted to add that the restrooms were great and had feminine products and mints!

I never take the time to write a review for anything, but this place stood out so much that I just had to. Lafayette Tavern is a total win from start to finish. The moment you walk in, you’re hit with old-school NYC vibes and a buzzing, lively atmosphere. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive throughout the entire meal. We started with cocktails and a basket of bread, both were divine. For appetizers, the crispy rice with hamachi and the fried asparagus with Parmesan and fried lemon were standouts. For mains, we had the veal Parmesan and a chicken dish similar to chicken piccata, both executed perfectly. We even stayed for dessert (which I never do), and the banana brûlée cheesecake was hands down one of the creamiest, most delicious desserts I’ve had. Ended the night with another glass of wine and left already trying to snag another reservation. Highly highly recommend.

I love the aesthetic of this restaurant! The Art Deco look, the warm feel, the leather, the colors. It looks great. But we spent about $150 per person and the food is just okay. If it were cheaper I’d say the food was good; but for the price I expected something more. Cocktails were very good, but again, expensive for Richmond. Wine was good, but expensive. The appetizers were by far our favourite and I’d be happy to come back here for drinks and appetizers before going somewhere else. What we had: Buffalo Octopus: Very tasty, but you won’t taste octopus because of the Buffalo sauce. Skip if you want octopus; Try if you don’t usually have seafood. Shrimp cocktail: Eh. Wedge salad: Great! Fried Artichoke Hearts: Amazing! Roasted Leeks: A dark horse. Very good. MAINS: Veal Parmesan: This was disappointing. The tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil had me hoping to taste my favourite margarita pizza flavors mixed with veal. But instead it was just veal schnitzel with a bland sauce. New York Strip: Fine. Maybe under seasoned? Dessert: We had the ice cream Sunday, crème brûlée cheesecake and chocolate mouse. The chocolate mouse is by far the best. The other two were okay. So in summary: Once the crowds die down I’d be happy to bring out-of-towners here for a drink before we go somewhere else. But staying for dinner would require some more flavourful mains. I would still like to go back and try their pastas. Wishing them well and happy to have them as an addition to Richmond dining!

We had a great experience at Lafayette Tavern - party of 3, lucky to get a reservation on a Saturday as they just recently opened and are quite busy. Atmosphere was moody and cool, dining volume and music were both fairly loud. We had the following for dinner: Appetizers: leeks, slab bacon, hamachi with crispy rice, potato skins Entrees: New York strip, spicy vodka shells, pork chop, shoe string fries Dessert: chocolate mousse Drinks: Manhattan, daiquiri, federal punch, espresso martini, Pinot Noir The bacon was thick, tender, and delicious. The potato skins came in a generous portion with tasty chive sour cream and horseradish-cream toppings which you can apply to taste; they also offer a caviar topping option which we did not try. The hamachi was good, however based on other “crispy rice” dishes I have had I was expecting a firmer and more crispy rice base; the rice in this dish was more akin to a pillowy and mochi-esque texture. The leeks were tasty as well, but weren’t a must-have. Two of us shared the NY strip and spicy vodka shells. The strip was well prepared. We got the accompanying horseradish cream which elevated the experience, and I enjoyed the side of roasted garlic. The shells had a surprisingly light creamy sauce which was delicious. The fries were fine - I was expecting a thinner, crispier fry based on the description, however, we could have just had an off batch. The pork chop was well balanced, juicy, and a stand out for pork chops in my opinion. The chocolate mousse was more than enough for 3 people to share - rich, creamy, and not too sweet. The drinks were good - the espresso martini was my favorite, very coffee forward and tasted fresh. Overall, Lafayette Tavern provided a very enjoyable dining experience. Their execution is impressive considering they have only been open for a few weeks. We plan on going back, and will be looking forward to trying a salad (they were large and good looking), the tartare appetizer, and onion rings.

Best vibes in Richmond. Killer martinis and the bar staff is top notch. Attention to detail everywhere you look - lots of love went into this spot to make it special.