The Emerald Lounge

Absolutely incredible. I wrongfully believed the food would be mid-tier as they seem to be primarily focused on drinks here. However, the pork belly tacos had me swaying like a little kid. The Mellow Monkey is great if you love banana. Can’t recommend this place enough!

Highly recommend their Sippin’ Santa event. The decor was so fun and well-done for the holidays. Our waiter, Michael, did a great job providing quick and friendly service. The food was phenomenal with the meatballs and dumplings being two of my favorites. Drinks were delicious too!

So freaking adorable 🤩 I attended the Christmas pop-up restaurant and was amazed at the effort put into the decor. You can tell The Emerald Lounge alone is already stylish and one of a kind, so the holiday decor added a festive look to all the cute colors and theme that's already there. I enjoyed the crab cake, grits and greens- which was so yummy! The staff were polite and so attentive- even though it was a packed house and the line was wrapped around the building from the time we arrived and left!! Thankfully, we made a reservation 😃 Such a good time and atmosphere to have a drink and catch up with a friend ✨

The Emerald Lounge made the best drinks I have tasted in a long while! The music selection was tastful for the vibe, and decor was exceptional! I did not care much for the starters that my party and I chose. The wings were bland tossed in sauce, and the pork pot stickers needed more time in the pan for browining. The spicey popcorn was an added welcome with the drinks. This is a must visit spot if only for the drinks and atmosphere!

The atmosphere is excellent. It’s comfy and not loud but still has a good energy. There are purse hooks and outlets under the bar! And a lot of them. We ordered one of everything from the food menu. It was all very good but the stand outs are the spam sliders and popcorn. Great cocktail menu and prices. They have a $6 daily daiquiri that’s not just a happy hour special. I can see myself coming here often.

Gorgeous cocktail bar!! Love the ambiance, & decor. We tried the Dead Reckoning + Blue Hawaii and both were delicious! Pleasantly surprised by the aquarium and intimate seating. Just Beautiful. Certainly will be back with more friends! ♡

Loved our Thanksgiving weekend visit to kick off the holiday season! Made reservations the day they opened up and was glad to do it. Walked right in and we were shown right to our table. The Christmas decorations for Sippin Santa were fabulous! Only matched by the festive drinks and serving glasses. Loved the Sippin Santa drink so much, we bought a mug to bring home. Staff was friendly and helpful. Super fun!!

We can during their Christmas pop-up with Sipping Santa. Had about 45min-1hr wait to get in, which wasn't that bad. We got there fairly close to opening time, and there was already a line. When we got in, We got seats at the bar, which we rather enjoyed, especially being able to chat with the bartenders, who were awesome! The selection of drinks were pretty cool all Christmas themed. The food overall was pretty good, but the oysters. I love oysters, but the add on's made them inedible for me, at least. The dumplins were really good, and the little chex-mix. The decor was really nice, lots of lights and Santa riding a Hammerhead shark. We had a good time. My wife tried quite a bit of their drinks and thought they all were tasty. Lots of fun!

This cocktail lounge is such a cute place to grab drinks with friends! They have an extensive cocktail menu along with some bites. They have a happy hour that runs from 4 to 7 Monday through Friday, with some of the less fancy cocktails going for $10. I would recommend making a reservation: we were quoted a 30-45 min wait for a party of 4 on a Friday night, though we were lucky and it ended up being closer to 10-15 min. We shared the fried chicken sandwich, pork belly tacos, and fried tomato tacos. The chicken sandwich was delicious, and the fries hit the spot. The appetizer style fries come with this delicious aioli that I love. The pork taco was so delicious, though the fried green tomato taco was somewhat disappointing, and I wish it were more flavorful. We all loved all the cocktails we got so you really can't go wrong!

I went to the Emerald Lounge in Richmond, VA for their Christmas pop-up and honestly wish I hadn't bothered. The place was okay at best, but the food was subpar and the drinks were flat-out terrible. My first drink was packed with giant ice cubes -- basically half a cup of frozen disappointment. The second drink wasn't even filled to the top (see my photos). For the prices they're charging, this was insanely disappointing. I felt cheated, like they were cutting corners everywhere they could. I was genuinely excited to check this place out, and instead they completely killed the vibe and ruined the buzz I came in with. Save your money. Seriously. Don't fall for the hype like I did this place is not worth it.August and No stars!!!! Do not waste your time on this plane on this this o I don't usually leave harsh reviews, but my experience at Emerald Lounge in Richmond was so unbelievably bad it deserves a warning label. I ordered a drink that came half-filled, and when I sent it back, the waiter actually argued with me and still tried to charge me for a drink he took away -- a drink he knew I didn't touch. The attitude, the defensiveness, the complete lack of customer service... it was honestly shocking. Between the terrible food, the watered-down, ice-stuffed drinks, and a waiter who seemed more interested in challenging paying customers than doing his job, this place is a total disaster. I felt cheated, dismissed, and disrespected the entire time. Please avoid this dump -- even if you show up dressed to the nines, they'll still treat you like an inconvenience. I was excited to visit their Christmas pop-up, and instead I got one of the worst dining experiences I've had in Richmond. Do yourself a favor and go literally anywhere else.

Great creative cocktails, super cool ambiance, friendly service - my favorite spot to visit while in Richmond!

Emerald Lounge is the place I love showing off whenever friends or family come to visit me in Richmond. It's got such an amazing vibe--moody and cozy in the best way, but also a tiki bar. The drinks are top-notch, the prices are super reasonable, and the snacks hit the spot. The staff is always friendly and welcoming, which just adds to the experience. Whether I'm catching up with someone or just unwinding, this is hands-down one of my favorite places in the city. I honestly just love this place so much.

I've been to Emerald Lounge twice so far, both for seasonal pop-up events. My first visit was last December for Sippin' Santa (it's back now!). It was really cute and the drinks were *so* strong. The wait time to get in wasn't terribly long. I also loved my little summery Santa mug. More recently, I visited for La Cueva earlier this month with a group of eight. They really only have one table available for large parties and they weren't accepting reservations, so we waited probably about 45 minutes. It could've been way worse, and the host kept us in the loop about the status of the party before us. I had a jumbo empanada in addition to two drinks. I enjoyed everything I ordered and the decor was spot on. I wouldn't hesitate to return in the future. Maybe sometime even just for their regular vibe.

Great cocktails mostly tiki themed drinks. Rotating menu of drinks so always something new on the menu. Small space so can be hit or miss on weekends getting a spot

*Specifically reviewing the Sippin' Santa pop-up* We went on a Friday night at 7:30pm and waited in line outside for 1.5 hours for a party of two. They advertise themselves as first come first serve but there were several parties that were able to cut the line due to somehow having reservations. Because of this, there was no correlation between parties leaving and parties entering, and also empty tables at times. It was a fun holiday experience once we made it in though. We tried about half the drink menu and our favorite drinks by far were the holiday on ice and the grasshopper. They have a food menu as well. We weren't fans of the meatballs as the coconut flavor was pretty overwhelming. Overall I'd return but would definitely try for a weeknight instead.

I enjoyed my time at the Emerald Lounge. The hostess seemed friendly and they had a spot for us even though the restaurant was pretty packed. There was a wide variety of unique cocktails, but I honestly just wanted an espresso martini which they were able to make! Drinks came out quick and were of excellent quality. The atmosphere was crafted to perfection. Everything from lighting, wallpaper, to music were detailed to create a nice vibe. Service was okay. Our waiter stopped by to say hi and was pretty friendly, but never came back. We had to flag him down every time we wanted to place an order or pay out. That said I'd absolutely come back to Emerald Lounge as I had a really nice experience!

I adore anything created by the minds behind The Jasper. My partner and I came to The Emerald Lounge to celebrate our anniversary. We were seated at a cute lounge chair by the entrance. This gave us a wonderful view for people watching. I loved the decor here. The small aquarium has a peek into Slurp next door. It feels like a chic underwater photoshoot here. The interior design is really cool. There are a lot of seats at the bar available and a good amount of booths. There are outdoor seating options too. This spot does have a lot of tiki drink options, but there is variety. They can make you a cocktail not on the menu if you want. Our server was kind and attentive. I adore that they offer Happy Hour every day 5-7pm. I got a delightfully delicious mojito and my partner got their daiquiri. We also got their shrimp ceviche (which I devoured because it was so yummy). I highly recommend getting the ceviche if you want something to eat.

This was a pretty good adventure. For once, I wasn't in the mood for food (we'd had a delicious dinner at Blue Atlas) and I just went for drinks. The spot is pretty picturesque on a warm summer night, so snap that selfie! Attn: RUM fans, you will love this place! I'm more of a gin girly, so I made my own drink and they killed it, but I bet rum lovers will have an even better time, as that seems to be their specialty. I find the space is one you'll want to come back to again and again. I like that it's tucked away and set apart that makes it feel like a hidden gem. We actually met Kelvin Harrison, Jr. (Chevalier) while we were there and it didn't seem he wanted to hide in the shadows, so I'd say this spot is a winner!

We had reservations for a small group for a birthday celebration. We had been there once before for cocktails after dinner across the street. This time we had dinner and a few drinks. Like others have said, the conctail menu is extensive and pretty solid. The food was underwhelming tough. We got the chicken sandwich, but all agreed, it was more breading than bird. Everyone felt the vibe was a bit off also. We didn't feel very welcomed. If you're in the neighborhood, it's fine for a coctail. We'll give it a pass going forward.

Emerald lounge has a classy, modern vibe with inventive cocktails and fantastic staff. I would recommend this place for date night, drinks with friends, or a private event.

We went there for a date night and were very surprised. We had heard the drinks were great but wasn't sure about the food. I will say, we loved everything we got! It had great flavors and wasn't too rich. The drinks were unique but delicious as well. If I had to pick a favorite out of everything it would be the fried dumplings, crispy outside and juicy inside with a kimchi aioli! The service was good as well, took just a few minutes to get served but after that drinks and food flowed quickly.

NEW FAVORITE BAR IN RICHMOND Here's why Atmosphere was incredible, like a jungle but also ocean theme (lots of real plants and also a large salt water tank) They had not only plenty of bar space but tables and booths as well as 2 large niches with seating for a more intimate space Our bar tender was extremely knowledgeable and was not only able to recommend drinks for our taste, he also made a drink on the fly that matched exactly what I asked for Everyone was extremely friendly and we felt as though the service was outstanding The only food we tried was the parfait which we just about took each others fingers off diving in for more We will be back to try more food and drinks!

The food was fantastic! The drinks, amazing! And the ambiance was simply on point This is firstly a cocktail lounge, so there is no surprise that the drinks were 10/10 each time. But what was a very pleasant surprise was the amazing food. It's nice to have an actual selection of quality food instead of it being an afterthought. It's at a pretty decent price too, so I ordered almost a little of everything. Not to mention, I'm taking inspiration from the interior design, it's definitely a great ambiance too. Everything was great, but my highlight drink and food was the Brainlord and the Chilled Shrimp

Wowwww, I really loved this place. The design and decor is amazing and it's super cute inside! I also love the presentation of their drinks and their food and I can tell they put a lot of effort and pride in those details. I've been here twice now and I've gotten the Miami Vice, Humuhumunuku-nukuapua, popcorn, and marinated skewers. I definitely prefer just the Pina Colada portion of the Miami Vice and the food options I've had were so good! I honestly love it here. Such a cool spot with great food and drink options and great service!

This place has it all. It's kind of tucked away and from the looks of the outside you wouldn't imagine what you're about to walk into. It's definitely tropical! The drinks definitely stay on theme. Don't get nervous about the drinks being too sweet. The wait staff makes amazing recommendations based on your preference. Just remember... it's a tropical theme. The food... whatever you do, don't skip the popcorn. It's addictive! Overall a great place for drinks, photos and a good time.

Adorable new bar in Church Hill! Friendly staff and yummy drinks. I asked for one of the Humuhununuku drink as a mocktail. No problem. It was yummy AND it was served in this cute fish bowl glass. Friends ordered both types of wings...one type was too spicy to eat and the other had a salmon-like flavor. Not ideal, but I ordered edamame and enjoyed that very much. The vibe of this place is fantastic. I will surely be back to try more menu items.

The perfect spot for drinks in richmond! It is my new favorite place for drinks! You step inside and it's like you are transported somewhere else! All of the tiki decor is so cute but also trendy and tasteful. The drinks are next level and reasonably priced! I had the strawberry daiquiri and then the table got some popcorn to share. One of the better daiquiris I have had for sure; especially on a hot summer day, and the popcorn was hands down the best popcorn I have ever had. The staff was also lovely. Though it was busy and all tables where full, the wait wasn't bad. I can't wait to go back!

Overall, great experience! My husband and I went last weekend for happy hour, and the prices were wonderful, cocktails were flavorful and food was decent! The shrimp ceviche needs some work but the chicken skewers were fantastic. Would return!

Small, but not tiny, place for drinks and cozy bar ambience. Although the food menu is limited, the Oysters Moscow are divine, best oysters on the half shell I think I've ever had -- creme fraiche and caviar make them soooo! good. Crabcake with grits was good, a bit more spice than expected. Christmas decorations are really fun and Christmas drinks, too. Sippin' Santa and Holiday on Ice (iced coffee) both good. It's a place for drinking, being with friends, relaxing, easy-going. Small plates, not a big meal place. First visit was on a whim, a rainy evening, no waiting. Glad we made reservations for the second visit; a line outside the door before it opened and people waiting as we left.

Emerald Lounge is my new favorite cocktail spot in town. I have been coming here for around 9 months and the drinks, snacks, service, and vibe never disappoint! The staff is so welcoming and friendly; everyone who works here is super nice and down to earth which I think sets it apart from many other cocktail bars in Richmond. The tiki-inspired drinks are super delish and unique, and the decor, garnishes, music and service create such a cozy and fun atmosphere. I particular love their take on an espresso martini and the frozen drinks. Highly recommend the marinated chicken skewer if you're going in for a snack. My boyfriend and I have become regular guests and we love that we can always expect to have a great time at Emerald Lounge. Check it out the next time you're in Churchill!

Drinks are good! Love the apps they offer as well. Staff is always very attentive and kind. The general vibe inside is also really nice.

The Emerald Lounge is a perfect date night spot and great for happy hour with friends as well. Their drinks are always delicious and the ambiance is great. Definitely one of my go to places.

Cute and fun cocktail bar in the heart of church hill. It's a unique concept and has a modern, upscale tiki bar feel to it. They also do a fun Christmas pop up during the holidays. I enjoyed the atmosphere, the lighting is softer and the volume is always at a good level. The cocktails are good, although some are a bit on the pricy side. Also to note, they charge you the same amount as the actual cocktail for a mocktail which sort of rubbed me the wrong way. The food is also good. I've tried most things on the menu and you can't go wrong with any of their bar snacks. Service is always great. Worth a visit!

We've been wanting to visit The Emerald Lounge for a while. Especially when I keep seeing a friend post all their great dishes. Well, we picked a beautiful evening to visit. The weather was fantastic, so we ate outside. Started with two delicious drink specials and placed and order for the popcorn right from the start. Pretty much killed the popcorn in no time, so it was good our food arrived when it did. The edemame dip with fried saltines was amazing! And the ribs... that sauce! Hope to make it back to visit Slurp soon!

If you're looking for Christmas spirit, this is the place for you! This bar has the most amazing Hawaiian Christmas aesthetic! With amazing drinks and cute cups it's a holiday lovers dream! Go for the drinks stay for the ambiance, and order the food so you can survive walking home! The service was very good and attentive. We got there right at 5pm on a Wednesday and waited for about five minutes.

The Emerald Lounge is a super cute cocktail bar tucked away in Church Hill. The drinks that our group ordered were so unique and incredibly delicious! We had a couple of apps but the one we loved the most was the popcorn! We had a great service also.

I visited Emerald Lounge located in the Churchill area of Richmond also known as "The Jewel on the Hill"and it is SUPER cute y'all! Emerald Lounge is a tropical getaway with a focus on rum, agave and brandy where the mixologists are mixing up fun and tasty cocktails. They offer a light snack menu as well to soak up spirits. The decor is so green and inviting. I love it here. Grab your crew or your boo and go check it out y'all!

We waited to be sat only to be presented with a "beach week" menu (in early March) which had far less options than their normal menu. We were then told when looking at their standard menu on their website that the drinks weren't available while they were running the promotion. It would've been nice if they'd notified us of this before waiting to be seated.

Walked in on a Saturday night and was seated instantly. Inside is very vibey and cute. Had the two mai tai versions and the popcorn. I could have eaten like 5 bowls of the popcorn it was incredible. Cocktails were solid!

Just a short drive from my apartment right in Churchill. I'm so glad this cocktail bar is in this neighborhood. I love Jaspers but now I don't have to travel to carytown or Scott's addition for a quality drink. It's a rum bar so I love the tropical beach vibes and decor.

great drinks, great service, and a really enjoyable ambiance!! the holiday pop up is definitely worth checking out :)

The drinks and service were wonderful, but the music was TOO LOUD. We were shouting to be heard, and it is completely overwhelming, especially for guests with sensory issues. I asked our server about turned the music down, and they came back and said it wasn't possible. The music was so loud, I'm not sure it's worth going back for the food and drinks.

Our group loved our experience at Emerald Lounge. We started with the popcorn which was delicious. Next we got drinks - some of us got cocktails, others beer. The specialty collab beer was awesome, and we loved the local incorporation. The best part was the frozen drinks, which you could do 1/2 of each flavor. Pricing was fair and the ambiance was good! Our server was attentive, but not overbearing. It was a longer wait, but only because they're newer and on a lot of peoples' wishlists. Will definitely be back!

The vibe is great, I love what they do with the decor. The drinks are okay, food is also mediocre. You come here to have a drink in a cool looking bar. That's it. This biggest issue with this place is that the staff is RUDE and they seem annoyed the moment I walked in - the host and the bartender. I live in this neighborhood and have never been into this bar without feeling like I'm inconveniencing the staff with my presence. Last night, I asked if there is a drink on the menu the bartender recommended that isn't overly sweet/sugary. His response was "I don't have the sugar content of every drink memorized. I also don't think you should care about the sugar content of a cocktail" I should have told him to go F himself. Each drink has like 10 different ingredients. I was a bartender for 10 years and I would never respond to a customer like that. The drink I ended up choosing was "Thriller" which was more citrus focused. Literally exactly what I was looking for. That A-hole should recommend that if anyone else has that same innocent question. Going out to eat or get drinks is so expensive these days, they need to realize that and give better service.

great atmosphere, cool drinks, good food, hostess and waiter were ok. definitely a go back place

I came here last night for their Christmas bar. Comparable to most the other Xmas bars they make you wait outside in the cold. Service was mediocre. We tried a variety of drinks. The nut one, the shark one, the 2 secret Santa's (frozen drinks) grasshopper, & coquito. The grasshopper ended up surprisingly being our favorite. It was so creamy & delicious. The coquito was disappointing as the rum was very overpowering. They put too much lime juice in the shark & it ended up being very sour. You couldn't even taste the melon liqueur, I was anticipating it to be way sweeter & more like a punch. The nut one was fine but also just not hitting the spot for us. We also were unpleasantly surprised by the automatic 20% gratuity especially being a small group & being there way less than an hour. I'd like to come back to their regular happy hour, but I wasn't over impressed with their pop up bar. Especially since it isn't unique being apart of the sippin Santa collection.

I realized the vibe and environment of this place! I tried their daiquiri and it was really good! Their edamame dip was really good too! I highly recommend this cute place for happy hour!

We're DC tiki fans and have been missing real local tiki since Archipelago closed this August. We were so happy to find the Emerald Lounge on our latest Richmond trip. Great decor and ambiance, amazing staff, fantastic drinks.

Perfect for an after work wind down, pregame or date night. The staff is inviting and attentive. Thanks for taking me out boo - xoxo!

Very cool bar. Lovely esthetics overall from the decor, the layout, the drink presentation. I loved it. I had the Montenegro Bay which is a Jamacian rum with allspice, honey, lemon, grapefruit & absinthe. Very good & strong I might add. The quick bites were new to me. I tried the Teriyaki Shishito Peppers...different bit delightful nonetheless. Parking can be a challenge but worth the effort. Check them out.

This is a new addition from the folk who own Richmond's beloved Jasper. It opened last week and I can easily see this becoming my favorite local spot. RVA was in need of a fun lounge with an elevated + sexy vibe and this place delivers. Expect to wait/no reservations but once onside service is flawless. For food there are delicious small bites that match the tropical theme.

The service was top-notch, and the ambiance was swanky, with a friendly and chill vibe that reminded me of popular cafes in LA or Miami. However, the food was just okay, and the portions were hella smallfor the price point. It didn't provide me with enough substance to soak up the potent but ever-so-good cocktails they offered. I must emphasize that we all have different tastes, and what I found lacking may be perfect for someone else. Still, I did enjoy the pork with the rum sauce and the mushroom stuffed pastrues, which came as a nice and flavorful surprise but they were small!The edamame, on the other hand, was cooked to perfectiin and a decent serving

Food was shockingly bad for the price. 24$ for a small piece of soggy fried flounder and some flavorless rice slop. Signature sauces were bad too. Just get drinks if you go here.

I came here with my bf to have a nice drink. There were two tables available with no one else waiting. The hostess said it would be a 20 minute wait. Then a party came in and asked for a 4 top and got seated immediately. We stood there for two minutes and the hostess essentially told us to leave or wait outside because there was no "wait area." I said but it's pouring outside and no one else waiting in here and she reiterated there is no wait area. I really wanted to try this place and was excited about it but the rudeness and reluctance to help us was appalling and honestly disgusting.

I enjoyed my trip here. Luckily came on an off night and it wasn't crowded. The restaurant alone is colorful and modern then they put up some Christmas decor to partake in the season. It's really cute and you can see the detail they put into the decor. The waiter recommended the holiday on ice and it was delicious. I would say to not come here expecting a full dinner as they only have small plates. But we tried the edamame, chicken skewers and beef patty. All of which were tasty even ordered a second serving of the beef patties. It's a good alternate to the jasper which can have lines down the block and wait for hours. Also parking around here sucks.

My husband and I were visiting Richmond for the weekend and another bartender mentioned that The Emerald Lounge had just opened. We were super excited to try it out. When we arrived, there was a 30 minute wait but the host directed us to a nearby bar to have a drink while we waited. As soon as we ordered a drink at the other place we got a text that our table was ready early. After telling them that we had just ordered, they were gracious enough to hold our table for us even though we didn't mind giving it to someone else and waiting again. Our drinks and food were good! I loved the sliders. I do think there is room to grow with the creativity of the drinks and presentation, but I say that after having visited many tiki bars. This bar has a clean, brighter tropical vibe more than "tiki." I believe it was their soft opening when we went so I'm excited to come back next time we are in town and see what's new!

My friend took me here for my birthday and I loved it! It was during Christmas time and everything from the decor and drinks was themed! The tables are kinda small (they do have large booths for larger parties) but I like that because sharing cocktails are a little more intimate than dinner. Our waiter was really informative as I didn't know what half of the liqueurs on the menu were. He even allowed us to try a sample to help us decide. They have outside seating which I know will be great for summer nights. 9/10 recommend and I will definitely be returning for more.