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    Amuse Restaurant

    4.1 (179 reviews)
    Closed • 11:30 am - 4:30 pm

    Amuse Restaurant Photos

    AMUSE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Dressy

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    Recommended Reviews - Amuse Restaurant

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    Amuse bouche: Salmon tartare
    Hannah S.

    As previously mentioned, Amuse is one of my favorite local restaurants to dine at. I recently ate there in celebration of my husband's birthday & once again, the food, the service & the ambiance were all top level. My husband & I enjoyed everything from the appetizer to dessert & each dish was absolutely full of flavor & stunning in presentation. I never tire of eating at Amuse.

    Fries
    Lena M.

    If you haven't been to Amuse before, it's located on the third floor of the VMFA and overlooks the sculpture garden. It's a bit more of a business casual dress-up restaurant in the afternoon. I came here for lunch as a group of six. I had only been once before years before for my birthday and hadn't been back since. It was nice returning to eat indoors. The big windows still make you feel like you're on the museum's "rooftop." The hostess was extremely sweet and our waiter was very attentive. He gave us time to peruse the menu. My fiancé and I ended up sharing the fried oysters and duck ragu oro pasta pappardelle. We ordered fries and the gigantes bean hummus for the table too. The food is good here, but most of us were left wishing for a little more variation in flavor in our dishes. I really loved the focaccia and butter that came out before our food, it was delicious. The fried oysters were pretty nice too. I did love the pasta in our duck ragu dish. The fries were also awesome. I don't remember exactly what my friends got, but one got a chicken sandwich and another ordered a mushroom dish. We had a good time here as a group.

    Crispy thyme Eggplant
    Maya O.

    Amazing food & drinks before the Frida Kahlo exhibit! Such a lovely lunch with family as we enjoyed/devoured their NY strip steak with tajin fries, Farmer's & little gem lettuce salads, and the crispy thyme eggplant Everything tasted so fresh and delicious, and i absolutely cannot forget to mention the amazing service! We washed everything down their michelada and avocado margaritas. Beautiful bar and nice seating ;) will be returning ASAP

    Espresso Martini AKA the love of my life
    Lauren B.

    A beautiful restaurant overlooking the lawn at the VMFA. The service was wonderful and we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience. For starters, we enjoyed the Fried Oysters (so good!) and Mussels (just ok-- wouldn't order again). For lunch I had the fish and I thought the accoutrements were a little strange but the fish was very good. I just ate around the rest of it. The complimentary bread and butter is to die for and the fries were very good too! Oh, and the Espresso Martini? DIVINE All in all, it was a nice lunch and pleasant experience. I would definitely return and plan to! Thanks, Amuse!

    Stephanie L.

    Make sure to get a reservation if you come. Gets busy! I walked in for an early lunch at 11:30 and they were able to accommodate me in 15minutes. When I checked in, people after were told they had to wait another hour since all seats were taken. You can probably ask to sit at the bar if that happens if you don't mind not facing the beautiful wall of windows. Service was warm and attentive. Food was the most elevated meal I had while visiting Richmond. Also note that museum is free entry (how amazing!) Beet salad was just perfection and rockfish was nicely prepared. A don't missing you are visiting RVA!

    Steak and eggs
    K P.

    An amazing experience. We took advantage of the beautiful weather yesterday and tried this restaurant for brunch. I am grateful for the suggestion to eat here. Although I am usually the one who asks to eat outside, it was nit my suggestion this time and I am grateful that it worked out to our liking. Although warm and bright due to being directly in the sun, we were able to enjoy the fresh air and the views. I am remiss to say I do not recall the name of our food concierge during our time there, but he was very attentive and knowledgeable. The recommendations were great. We ordered drinks: Chrysanthemum, Sauvignon Boanc, and the water of the day (cucumber citrus) that, by suggestion; was spiked with vodka. Each drink was refreshing and a great selection to enjoy outside. Our food orders: We started with fried oysters (they were cooked softer than I prefer, yet still delicious. The breading was light, but paired well and gave slight crunch and texture) They brought us complimentary pecan crumble and it was sooooooooo good. I would not otherwise eat pecans. This is the only way that I will. We took what we could not funush there, home. Since our youngest person has a nut-allergy, they brought a tiny dish of crackers which I thought was very thoughtful for them to be included. Crab Benedict with scrambled eggs: this portion was very much appreciated and filling. The crab cake was seasoned well. I liked the greens, but did not enjoy them in combination with the other components of the dish. The eggs were scrambled to my liking and paired well with the crab cake and sauce. The English muffin was charred more than I would have liked, but it was able to be cut and eaten without issue. The potatoes were good. Buttermilk Waffle: the waffle was soft. I like a slight crisp, especially in the edges. There are four waffles served with seasonal fruit (for us, it was blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries), whipped cream, compote, and a crumble. It was very appreciative that this dish is nut-free as an option for someone with a food allergy would be able to enjoy it. Steak and eggs: He shared that the steak (cooked medium well) was okay and so were the eggs (which were scrambled). We will definitely go back. This would be a splurge type of place.

    Drink menu
    Anna K.

    We came here for a birthday and were pleasantly surprised to see the menus printed with a "Happy Birthday!" across the top. The birthday girl was very excited to also have a chocolate disk on her dessert also wishing her a happy birthday. Our server was very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. To start, I tried the snapdragon sparkling cocktail, which was very good. It had a good balance of sweet with a hint of spice. We enjoyed the curry fried oysters and the poached shrimp with heirloom tomatoes and fried capers as appetizers. The poached shrimp and heirloom tomatoes dish was a standout among all of the dishes we ordered. For our entrees, we got the flat iron steak, swordfish, and lamb flatbread. The swordfish was an odd dish due to it being surprisingly sweet and tasted like apple pie. Out of the entrees, we'd recommend the flat iron steak. The dessert course saw the lime leaf ice cream, the turon sundae, and the cheese plate. We were confused by the sundae and would pick the cheese plate in the future. Overall, it's an experience I would highly recommend, especially if you have something to celebrate.

    Drinks menu
    Chris K.

    We absolutely love going to Amuse after seeing an exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond. The chef creates an innovative menu that is often tied to the museum's special exhibit. A go-to favorite for us is the fried oysters. This time they came with chow-chow. Delicious!! For mains, we got the crab cake with a succotash comprising zucchini, corn, and cherry tomatoes on top of buttermilk dressing. You can decline the dressing for a dairy-free meal. There's lots of crab in this little crab cake, and the meal is a filling lunch. Top marks!! We also ordered the chicken sandwich made of thigh meat, chow-chow, coleslaw, and sauce. It came with a side of salad on the plate. The concept is good and the flavors meld nicely, but there's so much moisture that the brioche bun disintegrated on the bottom, making it challenging to hold. For drinks, we enjoyed the house made soda, which was pear and ginger. We also ordered a cranberry mimosa. Both were excellent! We'll be back!

    Seasonal menu
    Marta W.

    Fantastic food. Best fried oysters I have ever eaten. Whimsical and varied cocktails and mocktails. And great service. Plus the museum-- what are you waiting for!

    French toast

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    3 months ago

    Food was delicious and Elizabeth was a terrific server. She went out of her way to make our meal memorable. Hugh recommend

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    We were a party of five, sat in a round table, quick service, all the food was delicious, we highly recommend.

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    1 year ago

    Went with large (9) group post a high school graduation. Everyone was please with what they ordered. Service was excellent

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    Outstanding experience! Food was excellent. Our Server (Nabeeha) was enthusiastic and wonderful. Thank you we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

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    Ask the Community - Amuse Restaurant

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    I had been looking forward to experiencing Jasper's, so I decided to treat my husband to his first…read morevisit--and it was an absolutely lovely evening. The ambience is sophisticated, intimate, and effortlessly alluring. Sitting toward the back of the restaurant created such a dark and sexy atmosphere that was perfect for a relaxed date night. Knowing how much my husband enjoys a well-crafted Old Fashioned, I knew he would appreciate the cocktail selection, and he certainly did. I opted for the Caribbean Queen, which was fresh, vibrant, and beautifully balanced with just the right touch of a delightful kick. Jasper's offered exactly the kind of atmosphere we were looking for--elegant, intimate, and inviting. Between the sophisticated setting and delicious cocktails, it was a wonderful first experience, and one we'll certainly remember.

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    Lillian - Lobstahh

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    Amuse Restaurant - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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