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Amuse Restaurant

4.1 (179 reviews)
Open • 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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Reviews With Photos

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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Reviews are largely positive. Diners highlight the fresh, flavorful food, a creative drink menu, and a relaxed, modern ambiance. Most find service attentive, though some report issues.

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11 years ago

Speechless. Brunch was amazing. Need more kimchi tater tots STAT.

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The Emerald Lounge - Bar Area!

The Emerald Lounge

4.3(69 reviews)
3.5 mi•Church Hill
•$$

My date and I had never been here before and had the most amazing experience. The drinks? 10/10…read more.. the service 10/10... the ambiance? 20/10!! The patio outside was really cute and cozy, the various seating areas is really great because you get a different feel from different angles. Our server recommended a Mexican lager.. it was SO GOOD! Try the lager!! My only gripe, the downtempo music changed to club music around 12am and got much louder. My date and I had to raise our voices to continue our conversation, we wanted to take our drinks outside but were told the patio closes at 11 :( We got lucky as the crowd was really thin but most weekends our server said it gets packed.. it's such a small place, I can't imagine what it would be like with 100 people inside!!

Not sure what this place thinks they are but it's not a 2026 customer service award contestant…read more Open the door for an elderly couple to leave and was literally yelled at to close the door, like the hostess almost physically accosted me to close the door. Yes, it's hot outside but c'mon, will the entire clientale die within 30 seconds of heatstroke? Fine, no worries, let it pass, walk in just wanting to grab a quick drink at the bar, AGAIN, accosted by the hostess that DEMANDS that I go back to her command center to talk to her, whereupon she really happily informs me that I can't even stand at the bar to have a drink and she would reluctantly put me on the bar waiting list which would be a minimum of one and a half hours... to grab a drink at the bar. tldr; AVOID unless of course, you love being judged at a low rent tiki bar...

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The Emerald Lounge - It's Electric - be careful, it is strong!

It's Electric - be careful, it is strong!

The Emerald Lounge - Inside

Inside

The Emerald Lounge - Spring Fling

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Lillian - Lobstahh

Lillian

4.6(48 reviews)
0.8 mi•Scott's Addition

if you are going to read any of these dumb yelp review in full, this is the one…read more i once read an article describing the talent of the head chef's ability here to "cram so much bold flavor into a tiny dish". in general, i usually dread small plate restaurants expecting to pay a large bill and leave hungry. this was the exception. these were the most unique, creative, high end, flavorful, dishes i have ever had. seriously. the absolute best BITES of my ENTIRE life. i swear to god dormant tastebuds and flavors i didn't even know existed were provided here. the chef here draws spanish inspiration into each dish, and i was in there feeling like the food critic from ratatouille the way familiar flavors blended in effortlessly with extravagant flairs. and don't get me started on the presentation !!! everything was gorgeous. this restaurant was named #3 out of 100 in the city, and i honestly think it should be #1. i may be biased since my boyfriend works at a sister restaurant owned by the same guy, but this is definitely the favorite sibling for me. unreal how fresh, flavorful, and carefully crafted everything was. so so so so good. if you come to richmond, make this the top priority to visit. that being said, if you can't handle intense, innovative flavors, this isn't the place for you. also, go during happy hour

Hats off to the staff at Lillian who continue to be wonderful, but now that they have scrapped…read moretheir dollar oyster lunch specials, the food has absolutely nothing to offer. Like too many restaurants in the Scott's Addition area, this is seafood cooked without finesse and then absolutely brutalized with absurd amounts of palate fatiguing, brash, loud flavors. Every item on the menu endeavors to conceal mediocrity in the quality and handling of the ingredients with explosive, overwhelming additives meant to shock you into submission. Things like black garlic and chili oil, raw garlic, sesame seed oil, and punishing heat are inescapable on the menu, which really says to me loud and clear "we do not understand the appeal of seafood, and might have a fundamental misunderstanding about good food in general." I don't exaggerate when I say these dishes would be improved (setting aside things like inability to properly cook octopus) by scaling back the flavors to 5-10% the loudness level they are currently at, to let the ingredients speak, and to make the dining experience less of a punishing marathon with no relief. I have had much subtler and more skillfully balanced dishes at Indian and Thai restaurants, cuisines known for strong flavor profiles. I'm through listening to these Richmond restaurants trying to excuse simply bad food by claiming "that's the nature of the cuisine." In this case, Lillian claims that dishes characterized by these cacophonous competing flavors is "South American." No it isn't - the person conceptualizing the dishes is just a bad chef who doesn't know what he's doing, and at the prices Lillian charges, that's inexcusable. Drowning every dish in flavors that overwhelm the palate is not a way to respect your ingredients or your diner, and only communicates youth and insecurity. Anyone who's eaten widely and knows their ingredients will rightly feel assaulted and insulted by this overpriced, unskilled fare. To anyone who decides to go anyway: Good luck with the digestive distress, and with the taste that will still be left over in your mouth the next morning, no matter how much you brush your teeth.

Photos
Lillian - Seafood Tower

Seafood Tower

Lillian - Banana dessert

Banana dessert

Lillian - Miller high life with Aperol

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Miller high life with Aperol

Grandstaff & Stein

Grandstaff & Stein

4.1(351 reviews)
3.3 mi•Shockoe Bottom
•$$

What a cool spot! We always seek out speakeasy venues and this one does not disappoint! My steak…read morewas prepared perfectly, the drinks were generous and timely, and the service was prompt!

The parking is a sh*t show around here. We walked here, so I can't fault them for that…read more Upon entering, we were greeted by an enthusiastic young man dedicated to his role. He asked for the password and we, unprepared, had to tell him a joke or an interesting fact. Luckily, my partner had one on hand. The atmosphere was lovely, very reminiscent of a 1920s speakeasy, or at least what you'd imagine it to be like. Our server came by within a few minutes of us being seated. She lacked enthusiasm, unlike the host, unfortunately. Her service turned out to be lackluster as well. We ordered the chicken pot pie and the filet mignon with asparagus. For drinks, the Grape Gatsby and Maine root beer. The food, like our server, lacked appeal. The saving grace was the host and the atmosphere. The view was lovely and the intimacy of the setting was a welcome experience. For dessert we ordered the bread pudding, and it was tasty, though nothing special. The burned odor that we smelled prior to its arrival turned out to be the bread. I can recommend Grandstaff and Stein as an experience, but you should not expect much in the way of culinary delights or exemplary service. We probably won't be back, but if you've never been, it's worth trying at least once.

Photos
Grandstaff & Stein - Atmosphere and large table

Atmosphere and large table

Grandstaff & Stein - Baked Brie

Baked Brie

Grandstaff & Stein - Hidden bookshelf door

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Hidden bookshelf door

Amuse Restaurant - newamerican - Updated October 2026

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