Wow wow WOW! This place is a national treasure! Everything was so amazingly good. I love that their menu is like traveling the globe, but for your palate--there are influences from the Hispanic Caribbean, Japan, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and, of course, regional American cuisine gets it's shine here too. I had an amazing whole branzino dish with Carolina gold rice (seriously?! Not easy to find) which was amazing! I also got to try the amazing swordfish with some greens that were the stuff of dreams! The yams were delightful and just the right touch of sweetness. I love that nothing here is cloyingly sweet, but just enough, including dessert. As a gardener, I find the farm-to-table concept done in this way to be the stuff of dreams. Whatever farm they use seems to get their seeds from Baker Creek, based on the selection, which means a heavy dose of amazingly delicious global heirlooms. If you are not immersed in the food world somehow, be it through gardening, as an adventurous cook, a lover of gourmet cooking shows, etc., the menu may seem intimidating because you may not know what half the stuff is, but just dive in! It's all amazing! Everyone can speak the language of deliciousness! The food was so good and so special that it felt almost like a private dining experience. Service was absolutely impeccable, and the waiter gave amazing recommendations, a very rare treat. I can't stand when waiters are timid to make recommendations or share what their favorites are. The price point is high, but well worth it in both quality and portions. I never felt slighted in the least with the entrees. Dessert was a little pricey for what it was, a pavlova, but it was certainly in line with the price of the other items on the menu, and I didn't regret it a bit. The artistry and skill for the price was undeniably there. I shall write more later, but I just wanted to say what a wonderful experience you are sure to have at Alewife! read more

We were three people Mid week. Our order consisted of three drinks one starter to share, three mains and two desserts. Of the three main dishes only one was considered good the other two were marginally OK. Only one of two desserts was edible. The total bill was 195.00 Plus tip. The atmosphere was on the cold side and the noise level was up there. we had high hopes for this place based on reviews. Maybe they got overly confident and stopped trying. there were several empty tables while we were there while Grisettes across the street was jumping. Grisette's comes through on all levels except noise. read more

The ambiance was nice, service very good, and we enjoyed the cocktails, appetizers and desserts. However, in the end we found the entrees to be underwhelming. There really wasn't anything that stood out and the fish portions were very small. read more

We went for a restaurant week and it was very well organized. Please be aware you're in restaurant week you can only get the restaurant week menu. I liked everything except my entrée I found my entrée very salty but I like my boyfriends Entree it was very tasty. I had the duck! The muscle appetizer was scrumptious! We loved it the descriptions of the wines and of the cocktails and we enjoyed our choices! read more

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My husband and I came here on a Wednesday evening for date night and found the restaurant quite empty at 6:45pm. Upon entering, we were left waiting at the door for about 5 minutes before anyone acknowledged us. They had the temerity to tell us "we had to check reservations for seating" while we examined a 25% occupancy rate in their dining room. We ordered the beef tartare, duck breast, southern fried chicken daily special and an old fashioned cocktail. I enjoyed the beef tartare and the duck breast; both were seasoned beautifully and generously portioned. Their special, the southern fried chicken ironically, was the worst thing I've ever tasted. This 1/2 chicken was excessively coated, fried and salted enough to embalm your guts. I had to peel back about 1/4lb of tree bark-esque coating just to get to the actual chicken which was under seasoned, overcooked, and dry, reminiscent of day old grocery store fried chicken. Absolutely dreadful. Appetizers range from $12-$15, entrees $25-$35 and cocktails being $11-$13 which is not bad given how the portions were. The restaurant itself is nothing special, cheaply decorated courtesy of Ikea and Wayfair. Service was rather impetuous and didn't refill our waters or really check-in on us outside of taking our order, delivering our food and taking payment. This was a poor experience but not a place I'd add to my burn book. +0 Vibe +0.5 Taste +1 Presentation +0 Service +0.5 Value read more

We have had two of the best Richmond meals here so far and I don't think we will ever be disappointed! Though the specials change, the quality never goes down at Alewife. For our first meal, we arrived early to grab one of the amazing cocktails we'd heard about and we decided to sit and enjoy dinner at the bar. The bartender was lovely and the food and service were top notch. Our second visit, we brought my in-laws and sat at a table. (It was the best idea because we got to share even more appetizers! Haha.) We are making Alewife a regular spot to impress our out-of-town guests and I'm pumped about it. read more

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The surroundings are simple, but the food and service are fantastic. The gourmet level meals are presented beautifully, and the menu changes frequently so there is always something new to try. I can guarantee you will see meals you've never had before. There aren't a lot of tables, but they are spaced out so you have privacy. Reservations recommended, especially on weekends. Street parking. read more

This was the best meal I have had in a long time. The sea bass was amazing. The flavors were complex and delicious. The scallops were light and fresh. The fish spread on waffle may sound odd but the waffle is thin and just the right device for the spread. To wrap up the meal we had the black sesame cheesecake which was surprising and delightful. The service was excellent as well. Highly recommend read more

Lovely neighborhood restaurant featuring American seafood fare such as Branzino swordfish and traditional classics like duck breast and local free range chicken. Cocktail program is as unique as it is diverse. We loved the Virginia oysters with peach mignonette as well as the whole fried branzino on a bed of kohlrabi salad with nuoc Cham. Bird of Paradise (frozen cocktail with rums, botanicals, white wines, pineapple and red amaro blend). Silas' Knife (cedar mezcal, terramaro, dried citrus) read more

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Great service, wonderful mixologist, average food and kind of pricy... Four drinks, two beers and two glasses of wine...$150....one Monkfish, and two Flounder dinners...$60....hmmm...have your cocktails at home read more

This place was 10/10! The server was stellar! We had pineapple martins! We shared multiple apps: cabbage, oysters and the fish.

Enjoyed our time at Alewife. Service was great and it was a cool vibe. The Branzino was amazing, with the sauce being the highlight! The oysters had pineapple which was different, but great. Would definitely recommend for adventurous eaters. read more

Alewife - Branzino - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Did not disappoint! Such a delicious meal for restaurant week. Food was spectacular, service was great -can't wait to return! read more

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A truly unique and impressive dining experience. The ambiance is delightful and staff were absolutely amazing. But what really sets them apart is the food. High quality, fresh, complex flavor profiles, and aesthetically pleasing. I got the whole fish appetizer and the duck entrée. The fish app was delicious, however it is a whole fish full of hard bones, and I am not skilled at getting the meat out, so it wasn't much food for me. The duck meal was mind blowing. Such a unique and powerful flavor combination. It's a fine dining establishment, but they aren't stuffy or uptight. They are warm and welcoming. Would recommend a reservation if it's a weekend. read more

I had one of the best meals I've ever had here. I got the Arctic char and I had a wonderful cocktail (Silas something can't remember the name). Everything was excellent, service was great. The only thing I'll say is that the ambience could have been easily been improved. I was there at about 6 pm on a Saturday. The music was a bit loud, and it was SO bright in there, they had all the lights on full force. Imagine going on a date there and your date is staring at your pores under the spotlights. As I was leaving around 7 I noticed they dimmed the lights and it looked perfect. Maybe it was an anomaly that it was so bright for the time I was there. The dimmed lights took the vibe from a 3 to 9. But even if you are under a spotlight I would still recommend it, the food and drink were that amazing read more

Alewife - Silas something (can't remember name) sooo good - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

***Food*** Great porkchops, the best fish. Everything is so so so creative, fresh. Masterful cooking technique and skills. Dessert is always good here. Menus change daily. Flawless. ***Service*** Super knowledgable, attentive without being fussy, everybody is dedicated to impeccable service without any pretense. Elegance. This is my second time here and I would come back in a heart beat. Would definitely recommend to my friends and family. A highly evolved experience. A true gem in Richmond, Virginia. This place makes me proud to live here. read more

Bland looking interior but very tasty entree. I took the bartender's recommendation and got the skate wing which was both fun to eat and delicious. I know this restaurant has received high praise over the past few years which is what led me there. It felt like a straight forward neighborhood spot but not one I would go back to. read more

My husband and I had an amazing brunch experience here before starting a road trip back home. Parking was fairly easy to find on a Sunday morning and I was happy to see the place wasn't packed. There was no wait for a table and we were seated at a cozy table for two. We ordered coffee and the shisho soda and started with the cottage cheese biscuit to share. The biscuit was huge! Perfect for sharing. The tomato gravy was like an amazing extra savory tomato soup. The biscuit was warm and fluffy, and hit the spot. The soda was explained to me beforehand and it was perfect for recovering from a night of drinking. For our entrees, I ordered the soft shell crab sando and my husband ordered the braised pork cheeks. His dish was on the sweet side and the flavors worked really well together. My sandwich was perfectly fried and I couldn't get enough of the potato salad that came with it. We were extremely content with our meal and I've been raving about it since. I will definitely be sure to come back (hopefully to try out the dinner menu) when I pass through Richmond again! read more

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Alewife is a lovely restaurant with a small but interesting menu. Give the chef 5 stars for creativity and for changing the menu frequently. The starters we had were exceptional - crispy potatoes with smoked trout, fried porcini mushrooms, and stuffed squid. The depth of flavors, creativity, and freshness of the ingredients were exceptional. Our entrees were also delicious, although both fish dishes had quite a few bones and were a bit awkward to eat. My husband doesn't like seafood so he got the venison entree and was pleasantly surprised because venison is not his favorite. Absolutely delicious! The desserts we tried were a complete miss. The banana pudding with sun chokes was barely sweet and the sun chokes did not complement the banana. The grilled sweet potato was accompanied by a delicious sauce (although not enough of it) but the sweet potato was barely grilled and oddly presented. We will definitely come back for the excellent seafood and beverages, but will probably skip dessert. read more

Have wanted to try Alewife for a long time and it lived up to the expectations. The service was excellent, everyone was friendly, and we never had to ask for water refills. Great drinks, including the mocktails. We really enjoyed the Poke starter. Best we've had since Hawaii. Plenty of options if you love seafood. I had the crispy snapper and hubby had the arctic char. Quiet, laid back atmosphere, perfect for a Monday date night. Definitely recommend! read more

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Calling all seafood lovers. This quaint restaurant is just for you. Make sure to make a reservation or be okay with eating at the bar because there is limited seating, but it's worth it! Starting with a great cocktail and then enjoying a starter and main course. Staff is attentive and polite. Can't wait to go back! read more

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How am I just finding Alewife!? Food was amazing! I ate the pork special and my father had the steak. Both were soooo good. I've never seen my dad clean a plate, but he did! Service was attentive. The music was such a vibe! We'll definitely be back! read more

Skate Wing with red peas and rice. Fantastic Fish Dip. Amazing Service friendly and professional Ambiance comfortable, classic, and quaint. This place knows how to run a business and it shows. Great walk up date spot or perfect neighborhood down the street solo meal at the bar. This is a great restaurant!! read more

**A strong 4.5 We always have a solid experience here. It's a beautiful space, service is excellent, food is creative and well plated. Not my first visit and certainly won't be my last. read more

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This is such an interesting, small, neighborhood eatery! I found this place using social media and I decided to give it a try when visiting this area for business on a Monday evening. They were packed when I got there, but I was able to grab a seat at the bar. The bartender that took care of me was very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They have a very unique menu loaded with some interesting ingredients, as well as lots of seafood. Their cocktail list is just as incredible as the menu. The couple of cocktails I tried were outstanding! They do an outstanding job with Sugar Toads too!! But be sure to save room for dessert, their apple dessert is outstanding! read more

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Not good anymore! This was a great place (NOT ANYMORE!!) The service was ok but the servers were not informed and really not interested in making this anything other than "here's your food". Food was very mediocre except for the roasted potatoes. I am sad as i loved this place for so long-probably will not return. read more

Made reservations for a Friday evening for our 4 year anniversary! (Used the Reesy app to make the reservation. Also, be prepared to put down your credit card to make reservations for Friday/Saturday - $25 penalty if you miss your reservation). Plenty of parking around Church hill and this place was worth the drive for us. We were seated right away when we checked in and were given champagne starters for the celebration (huge plus! haha). Both their menu and drink list looked amazing! Our server was awesome! I wish I had asked for their name to praise them in this review. For cocktail starters, I decided on their Smoke and Mirrors and my husband got their "I'm going to need a bigger boat" cocktail. We We decided for starters to get their ceviche and fried sugar toads. The presentations of the two were beautiful and the food tasted delish! As for the entree, I decided on their "whole fish" - aka the red snapper and my husband got their "Snook on roasted peppers" (and egg plant). The presentation of the whole fish was fantastic and I highly recommend getting that if you get the chance to go. My husband's order didn't really make a great impression on me and was just okay... That's the only problem with this place is that the menu is always changing - in a great way! The food and cocktails that we decided on were great for the evening and the service was on point! The only regret I have is that we did not order dessert. We actually wanted to take advantage of the evening and trying out another spot for dinner. **Really impressive move from this restaurant was - the reservation app that we used (Reesy), actually texted/contacted me 30 mins before our reservation to ask if we wanted to start with an order of crab claws and a draft cocktail. How freaking awesome is that?! - Thanks! read more

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I love Alewife. I said on a prior review about certain restaurants being a ten out of ten and Alewife is one of them. The food is exceptional and the service is always great. I had two delicious drinks and my boyfriend had wine. We had the wagyu tartare and the Virginia oysters as appetizers. I loved the oysters, I liked the wagyu but tartare isn't really my thing but the rice crackers were awesome. For dinner, I had the arctic char, I tried a bite of everything by itself and fell in love with the flavors, but the flavors were meant to eaten together and when I combined the fish with the squash and vegetables and sauces it was like a whole new dish with new flavors, it was so good I think I could eat it every day. My boyfriend had the fish special, it was really good too, I just can't deal with the bones that comes with a whole fish but it was really good. We had a ganache and sticky toffee pudding for dessert, I try the sticky toffee pudding at every restaurant that serves it and in my opinion, Alewife has the best. The ganache was a bit too rich and sweet for me. Highly recommend for dinner and I've been there for brunch already too which was also delectable so go often. read more

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After much research we booked reservations at this recommended local eatery. I'm so glad we did because it was hands down one of the most memorable dining experiences I've had in recent past. From the moment we walked in the host met us with a warm hello and we were seated at our table near the open kitchen. The cocktail men is super inventive, poetic, and offers an exotic range of tastes for every palette. We sample a few between the four of us and each was a bursting, mouth exploding delight. We started with oysters with a yuzu granita and chili oil, crunchy rock shrimp, and pine nettle cavatelli. Each starter was bursting with succulent flavors. The oysters were so totally out of this world that we immediately ordered a second round. Ordered duck, venison, and whole fish special for dinner and everyone loved their entrees as well. We had a lebenah ice cream for dessert that was also outstanding. The service was informed, passionate, and attentive. The style of the space is minimal and quirky. Also, apparently the menu changes weekly, which is another impressive and highly attractive feature. I truly loved this dining experience and can't wait to come back at some future point to revisit this highly considered restaurant. read more

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Fantastic restaurant- a must if you're in the rva area! Make sure to reserve a table as it's quite busy. I went in a Tuesday evening and they were packed. I ordered the rock shrimp, Arctic char, and both desserts on the seasonal menu. I also ordered evening shadows, a drink on the menu. 5 star quality food and service. Everything was well cooked, well seasoned, and tasty. Highly recommend read more

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I'm not sure if I went during a time when they were very busy or if something else was going on, but I just didn't feel like the quality of service fully matched the prices I was paying. The food was good. I did eat most of what was brought out to me and I thought the flavors were great. I think it was just my experience with the very last server (we had several) that left a bad impression, which is unfortunate. Overall, I'd still recommend this place for the food. read more

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It has taken me a while to post a review of this place because I had to really think about whether I leave a one star or two star review of this restaurant that is so highly rated on Yelp and other restaurant review sources. I settled on two stars because they did give us a credit for the baked clams that were so salty to the point of being inedible. We should have asked for a credit for the Arctic char as well but felt bad because we were able to eat around the inedibly over seasoned skin. The other app that we got, the Okinawa potatoes, and whole fish were edible but that is the most I can say about them. There was no complexity or nuance to the flavors, and it was not really enjoyable. The overriding flavor was salt, to the point that if we did not know what the underlying protein or vegetable was, we would not have been able to identify them. One last note, their profile says dress code is "Classy" but it really is pretty casual. I wore a dress polo and I could have easily worn a sweatshirt and not stood out. read more

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Never had a bad meal here. The ambiance is impeccable. The food is delicious. Drinks are superb. My wife and I did brunch this Sunday and it was the best. Started the meal off with the three cheese biscuit. It was amazing. I did the brunch burger with side of tossed greens and my wife did the mackerel. Both dishes were the perfect size. We did not save room for desert which is a shame because they have great ones. The waitstaff provided great service and checked in periodically to ensure we were taken care of throughout the meal. Get to alewife. You will be impressed. read more

Alewife - Three cheese biscuit - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Fantastic place. Everything was great. The fish spread, whole fried fish and the fig dessert were all outstanding. Great service as well. Can't wait to come back when we are in town again. read more

Alewife - Whole fried fish with fried rice - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Exquisite fish, sourced locally. Casual but elegant setting, and good service. The talent in the kitchen sings out on every plate!

Tasty seafood! We visited Alewife on a Saturday night and the buzz of conversation was so loud that we couldn't hear the music from the speakers. One thing that I appreciate about Alewife is their commitment to sustainability with cloth hand towels in the bathroom and paper straws for cocktails. We split the crispy oyster mushrooms, grilled collard raab, and Arctic char. The collard raab was phenomenal with a lovely balance of flavors. The crispy mushrooms were served hot and with a tasty sauce. The char was perfectly cooked, and its accoutrements were rich if perhaps a bit salty. Overall, I would recommend Alewife for dinner. read more

Such an amazing little restaurant. Been here twice now, food was great both times. The oysters are a must have and make sure you try the deserts!! read more

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Good date night spot. Just make sure you make a Resy reservation well in advance. We sat at bar for dinner. Bartender was very pleasant and patiently explained the drinks. My main complaint is that he (as well as everyone else working here) never smiled. It seemed very much like a cold business transaction. We tried the marinated crab claws. Very interesting marinade using coconut curry. It needs something to drip into the marinade. My wife had the perch for dinner. Fried perfectly. I had the skate and it was out of this world. In summary, great seafood with OK service. read more

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Fabulous meal! We had the siren song - waygu beef tartare, smoked fish dip, crispy potatoes, mussels in a delightful broth, oysters with ceviche instead the pepper, two different types of fish - artic char and rockfish and a fabulous beet salad. It's definitely a seafood paradise!! Highly recommend read more

Alewife - Seafood Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It is hard to get a reservation in Richmond during the weekend. Unless if you plan early. Thankfully this place was able to accommodate us although we were sitting outside on their porch area. It was pretty well lit and we were provided a heat lamp. The food was amazing as well as the presentation. Our server was just phenomenal very knowledgeable very patient and not pushy at all. I ordered the pork which is very filling and heavy but that was what I was looking for. read more

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