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.

The food, the service, the ambience? Wow!! We are visiting the area and were longing for something…read morelocal and authentic. We ended up at the Salty Siren for two reasons, one, it was recommended by one of the guides at the Henricus Historical Park as being near the Farrar's Island historical marker (ancestors) and it was on the river. The view was gorgeous. We were promptly seated at an outdoor table overlooking the water. Our server, Jodi H., greeted us with a smile and offered to get our drinks and our calamari appetizer. It was excellent. Light, crispy, fresh with a few fried jalapeños for zing. The dip served with them was really good. I ordered fried oysters, which came with authentic hush puppies (which for this southerner means no sugar!) and I ordered the vegetable of the day (steamed broccoli) to sort of make up for the "fried". My husband ordered the grilled salmon. His salad was huge and the vegetables were so fresh that I filched some of his cucumbers. His salmon was amazing. It was perfectly cooked and it was so moist and tender. We will try to return if we are ever travelling this way again. Try The Salty Siren. Even if you don't go looking for the mile maker afterwards.

What a great place to get a great view of the river at sunset in a wonderful open air restaurant…read more The restaurant is shaped like a giant yurt with giant windows that open to the beautiful deck and water. Crab cake sandwich, fresh oysters and cheesesteak were our choices and were definitely good choices. The service could not have been better. Prompt service and cheerful smiles. We will definitely be back. Thank you Salty Siren.

My awesome girlfriend made us a reservation here and kindly requested a seat by the garage…read moredoor....and they did it!!! Literally so nice and cool! Food was fantastic and really made you sit back and wonder "how did I end up in the French countryside and why do I have an urge for a cigarette?" Can't wait to come back!

SO good, favorite spot of our Richmond trip!…read more My brother and I were looking for late night oysters. Sadly when we came in Wednesday night at 9 PM, we were told they were only serving drinks at that time. I emailed the restaurant and was informed that on most nights, they indeed close the kitchen and only serve drinks after 9 PM, but that on weekends they'll keep the kitchen open longer. I'm so glad we came back on our last day of the trip. It was a Thursday night at 7:45 PM and pretty full. Thankfully, there were some seats at the bar which we preferred anyways since you got to watch the oysters get shucked right in front of you. We ordered the bread service, and though it said house cultured butter OR whipped beef tallow, our kind server made sure to ask if we wanted one or both (the answer was both, of course!). We also got 4 Virginia oysters (appreciate not being forced to order in increments of 6 or 12), chargrilled oysters, and "dessert tonight" which ended up being the most perfect chocolate cake (I think it was describe as something else, but my memory fails me) with a white chocolate ganache-like topping and pistachios *swoon*. I tried the wine of the day which was an orange wine that it was a nice not-too-sweet, not too dry wine. I'd recommend it with a pasta or fish. Our server (didn't catch his name but he had a nice brown sweater and a beanie, receipt says Taylor so maybe that's his name?) was so nice! Great vibes all around from the interior to the bathroom to the service. Would definitely come back.

We were in Richmond on a Sunday evening and traveling with our four legged friend. There were…read moreseveral options for outside dining and the menu suggested this was a good place to start. Soon after we. Ordered the octopus and mussel appetizers a storm came in and the rain fell pretty hard. Our choices were to run back to the hotel or stay and dine huddled under an umbrella. Being a little wet with beverages and good food seemed the better option so we ordered more food. The octopus was great. I have tried it prepared many ways and here it was both tender and flavorful, really done well. Shrimp cocktail is usually pretty basic, but often the simplest dishes demonstrate the most skill. This is truly one of the best I have ever had. The shrimp were plump and flavorful. Their cooking stopped at just the right time leaving a slight bit of translucent hue, but still cooked through. Very nicely done. The salad with home ranch was dressed nicely and the dressing was light. The scallops were cooked well and perhaps my only criticism is that the corn purée was better in concept than execution. I can't say enough about the staff. We were two people on a Sunday night crazy enough to dine in a downpour. The staff never made us feel like they wanted to punch out, embraced us being outside and were creative in waiting on us with umbrellas to keep the food from getting wet. It would have been understandable for them to limit the trips to check on us, but they persevered and made us feel welcome. If you are in the area, highly recommended stopping by, rain or shine, and sampling their menu. Nicely done.

The food here was amazing! The grilled octopus was so tender and the risotto was delicious. I…read morewould've liked a touch more lemon zest in the gremolata though. The pan seared fish was moist, but the grits it came with were not crispy. The whole fish was also moist and tender, but the exterior could be a bit over-charred for some. The blueberry upside down cake was great. The staff were friendly and attentive. Overall, I would definitely come again!

Cute bistro oozing with character and charm. Loved the meatloaf and crab cakes. Great neighborhood…read morevibes. Food and atmosphere are outstanding!!!

My partner and I have been here three times now. The service is always good, if not excellent. When…read morethe servers and bar staff and hostesses are all working together, it's a beautiful thing. The ambiance is something akin to retro modern with classic retro signage painted on the exposed brick walls, oozing with nostalgia, harkening back to days past. Every time I come here, it feels like a family gathering, even though I don't know many of the people here. The restaurant always feels cozy and quaint. The menu is focused, a curated collection of American food items that the chefs lovingly prepare. They certainly know their food science! The appetizer (pimento cheese with crustinis) came out promptly. The textures and flavors all complimented each other. The entrees were equally delicious. I had the turkey breast with gravy and my partner had the fried chicken. The portions focused on the three Ms: massive, mouthwatering, and magnificent.

Another delicious lunch at The Continental! I couldn't help but order the Salmon Reuben again --…read morethis time with sweet potato fries. My husband had the Hot Kentucky Brown, which was huge and very good. Service is quick and friendly. This place really fills up for lunch. By 12:05, only two tables were empty, and then they filled up. The vibe is casual and comfortable with well stocked bar. The Continental in Westhampton is a real gem!

They have a cute outdoor patio that is covered that we sat in (has two overhead fans for cooling)…read more They also have tables uncovered kinda on the sidewalk and it looked like there were heaters beside some for the colder months. Great service. Portions sizes huge. Penne pasta was the winner - super rich.

Got to give it 5 stars. This is a place if somebody if someone is visiting Richmond, you tell them…read moreto go to. I've only been 3 times in 6 months, so I am far from a regular. With that being said, I have gone with large groups so I've gotten a little taste of a variety of things from people not finishing their meals. It's got good versatility, but most importantly it's got an excellent cheeseburger. I did give the title to slack Tide for the best burger, and now, I'm unsure. After my Fat friend Sam whiffed on Slay Burger, I decided to give him another chance. I actually did some chatting with the nice bartender at the Richmond airport about Slayburger. She was also underwhelmed. But back to the cheeseburger at East Coast. This is a difficult cheeseburger to describe to where it's not a burger you can't really put down. It's not one you can split with a wife or girlfriend without a potential divorce or break up on the horizon. It's one that you can get to go, and you feel like you made the right decision. It's a different type of cheeseburger.

The oysters here are a must! Definitely what you should come here for! Aside from oysters and many…read moreother seafood options, there are steaks, sushi rolls, sandwiches, salads and more. Definitely enough choices to please nearly everyone in the family. Service has been awesome both at the bar, as well as table side service. The outdoor deck is nice for eating under the shaded umbrellas and people watching while you done. Definitely a place to try while the weather is nice!

First, the staff was a delight! Thank you to Chloe for being so helpful and friendly…read more The ambiance was beautiful! Felt as if I was in a cute country home. Drinks: Majority of the party enjoyed fresh lemonade while my boyfriend and I enjoyed cocktails. Me: Flight of the Bumblebees- this was a refreshing summer drink My boyfriend: Tiger's Eye. Perfect bourbon flavor Food: The cornbread was our least favorite, really dry and lacked taste. Fried oysters- these were divine! Lightly seasoned and fried well. The remoulade and house pickled carrots, pickles, and onions added a fresh touch to the dish. My dish: Pasta Bolognese. This was AMAZING! All of the flavors that you'd look for in a well prepared Bolognese. I was thoroughly pleased Other dishes: Special: Steak with glazed rainbow carrots and stringed beans. The steak had a little too much salt but it was prepared well and the rainbow carrots were amazing Chicken tenders and fries for the little one. They loved it lol Bone in pork chops: I was told that this was incredible from start to finish Overall, we had a great dining experience and appreciate the staff for accommodating our large party during a graduation celebration.

I am trying to be fair in this review but am struggling to find any part of the experience that was…read moregood to offset the bad. Here's my best one - Great root beer. We had tried to make reservations for a group visiting from out state but were not allowed to by the reservation. Should have taken this as a sign that groups are clearly not wanted nor welcome when arriving. The staff tried everything they could to make it an unpleasant experience once they were assured of an automatic 20% gratuity. Petty things, such as forbidding the movement to another table out of the sun, when there were many other tables available. I left early after being chastised for loving a chair but the family decided to stay. They shared that the crappy service continues the entire time they stayed. Those that are reported that the food was fair at best. Not sure that this sorry excuse for service is a great business model. Perhaps it is saved especially for large groups. Either way it would appear that the just do not care. Stay away.