Beautiful spot in Richmond. Amazing food, wine, and fabulous staff. Can't wait to try the Leesburg spot next. Cheers

Polished, clean, slightly pretentious but then I'm reviewing a pretty serious wine bar and I don't drink alcohol. The drinkers of our little group really enjoyed their wine flights and the huge variety, but I'm focused on the food which was all quite good if not also on the smaller side. The chef was pretty resistant to any requests for substitutions, so do with that what you will. They certainly knew what they were doing in the kitchen. The duck, with the chard mixture, was amazing work. The burger is probably the largest dish on the menu, it's pretty substantial and was very tasty. I'll also shout out the pickles on the meat and cheese board, they had a significant spicy kick but were delicious and I wanted more in the end. The service was great, our man was very involved and had a lot of knowledge about the menu. It honestly was pretty quiet for a Friday night; the Tobacco Company is right down the block but you would never know it in here. The decor in here is also very interesting, there are tables with couch seating on one side. Everything's very sleek. Delightfully clean bathrooms. We enjoyed it, though I'm not sure when we'll be back for a meal as the menu is ultimately pretty small. read more

Echelon Wine Bar - Duck - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Echelon Wine Bar holds regular themed tastings and I'm so glad they do this locally in Richmond. There's no better way to get your bearings in the wide world of wine than tastings that don't just pour a bunch of bottles and ask you to remember them, but focus on specific regions or grapes so you can feel the variation within a style and start to pick out the fine-grained differences. It also gives you a much better benchmark for what a Spanish Tempranillo should taste like, or a French Marsanne-Roussanne blend, or the wines of the Loire Valley. Echelon sends out info about these themed tastings and dinners via their newsletter, and I highly recommend checking them out if you've been looking to get a foothold in understanding regionality, terroir, and typicity. The food can be amazing, though it's been a bit of a mixed bag for us. The oyster mushroom dish pictured was rich, umami, and absolutely stellar. The fish with sorrel was also insane: a perfectly cooked, flaky white fish set in a silky parsnip purée with a nest of sautéed leeks and chard, topped with crisp root-vegetable chips and bright, lemony red-vein sorrel leaves. Simple, clean flavors that really came to life with the wine. That high was dampened on a later visit when some of the food, most notably a pork rib, was much, much too salty. Food so salty you actually have to send it back is a serious bummer. Out of six dishes we've had so far, two were over-salted and one had to be returned because it was the kind of saltiness that starts to burn your mouth. Long story short: we love this place and the way it cares about wine (and often food), but a couple of spotty experiences keep it at four stars for now. When the kitchen hits its mark, it's an easy five. read more

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Cute wine bar right next to the train station. Deep cellar selection and great atmosphere. read more

Echelon Wine Bar - Menu - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Ahh..what a refreshing change from the usual restaurants here. Not that the usual isn't good but thisbplace is outstanding. Got a flight of whites to start with ($10 off during hh) Perused the menu and couldn't resist the scalloped crudo appaetizer..with leche de tigre sauce , pears, jalepeno and white anchovies. This is a dish dreams are made of. Perfect from the flavors to the texture, delicious. For dinner I chose the quail with a molasses glaze , smoked celery root, blackberry and a Johnny cake. The fantastic bartender/somellaiar behind the bar paired it with a Pino that absolutely rocked! I also got my favorite wine, a st million gran cru for 35% off menu price! They sell their wine retail so you can just walk in and get a bottle. Go here, seriously, go!! read more

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Wonderful red wines and we tried nearly all of them! The food is delicious and it was a great ambiance. Great service, too. read more

Echelon Wine Bar - Scallops - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

A Tapas & Wine Experience, Dinner - Ambience = 5, Wine = 5 (wine tasting/small pour (less than a 2 oz taste) = 3), Tapas = 3.25, beautiful presentation but food average, Service = 4. "The Spanish Table" didn't meet expectations but I would go back to try other menu options. read more

Echelon Wine Bar - 3 Tapas - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

We had pre dinner glasses of wine here. Diverse by the glass selection. Cheese plate was good but I found the sliced focaccia too thick to work with the meat and cheese. Staff were great. read more

I had a good experience here this spring for Richmond Restaurant Week. I made a reservation for two in advance, and we were seated in the basement at a corner booth with dozens of pillows. The pillows helped with insulation, as the restaurant was absolutely frigid to say the least. I was so cold the entire time. As such, I ordered the carrot ginger soup as my first course. It was quite gingery but in a good way. It felt like it helped my sinuses, and it was warming too. For my main, I had the pan-roasted cobia -- my first time trying cobia -- and the presentation was well done. The fish was tasty too. For my dessert, I had the olive oil cake skillet, and it might've been the star. It was truly delightful. I ordered a white wine flight to accompany my meal, and I enjoyed the wines I tried. I'd certainly go back sometime but perhaps request to sit on the main level. I'll also be sure to bring a thick cardigan. read more

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I had the best date night here with my partner! ***LOCATION*** Located in Shockoe Slip. We took the 14 bus there and the Pulse home. There seemed to be paid street parking nearby. It's a very charming location. The brick buildings are such a gorgeous vibe. ***EXPERIENCE*** We had a really romantic evening. We came on a Monday and had most of the place to ourselves. I enjoyed the exposed brick aesthetic. Our hostess and server were extremely kind and easy to talk to. We were seated by the window. The booth had a lot of pillows so I had to move some. I loved that it felt like we had our own private nook. We both got the white wine flight. This is a wonderful price for a tasting in the city! You get to pick from the white, sparkling, and rose glass lists. The tapas here are not only gorgeous to look at, but so yummy. Here's all the things I tried: White Wine Flight: I chose the Lambrusco, Albariño, and Malvasia. I adored the Lambrusco (which I figured I would). It was my first time trying Albariño and I really enjoyed it! I wasn't the biggest fan of the Malvasia, but that was because it was sweet. Pan Seared Scallops: These were soo delicious! It came with three scallops and two pieces of bacon. The flavor was yummy and the presentation was great. Tuna Tacos: I adored these. I'm a huge seaweed salad fan so adored the wakame on the tuna. The togarashi avocado elevated the dish for me. I liked these a lot. Pork Belly: You have to get this! It was SOOO delicious. The candied ginger and peanuts took it to the next level. I'm drooling writing about this dish. It was both fatty and crisp and just plain delicious. ***PRICE*** Note that this is a tapas style place so things are a bit pricey for smaller portions, but the food is good here and worth it. For three dishes and two wine flights we paid about $130. ***CONCLUSION*** I cannot recommend this place enough! It's great for special occasions, but even great for just meeting with friends at their bar for a quick drink. The food is so yummy. I highly recommend visiting Echelon Wine Bar. read more

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Really adorable wine bar located in the heart of Shockoe Slip, next to Urban Farmhouse/The Martin Agency. Street parking was available on a Saturday evening but there are a couple parking decks nearby as well. They had a great wine selection and the wait staff are knowledgeable. The charcuterie plates had plenty of options and I was impressed by the spread. Our friend had set up a private tasting consisting of four courses paired with wines. While the actual menu for food is pretty slim, it is quality! Perfect place for a happy hour. read more

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Right up the cobbled street from the Courtyard - I found this super little spot - delish wines and really nice menu - it was hard to choose but I had the Ricotta gnudi ( kind of like gnocchi but not !) - just a lovely atmosphere inside and very nice wait staff - adorable all around ! read more

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Wow wow wow! This place was amazing! Ordered a red flight, a meats charcuterie fyi it doesn't come with cheese, burrata which had to be my favorite thing, so flavorful & the yellowtail, a mixture of flavors that explodes in your mouth. I would definitely recommend this spot as a date night. Service was outstanding, very attentive. read more

I was very excited to try out this newly opened wine bar in Shockoe Slip. My husband and I decided to do dinner for our Friday date night and we were not disappointed. All of the food is served tapas style and it was the perfect way for us to be able to try multiple different dishes without anything going to waste. Upon arrival, we were greeted and seated promptly as I did have a reservation that I made in advance. We were seated in a cute, quaint spot in the corner by the front windows. The ambiance of the restaurant is absolutely sleek and beautiful. It turned out to be quiet on a Friday night, which was a pleasant surprise. Our server greeted us promptly and offered us bottled or tap water. We ordered some glasses of bubbles and a Cheese Plate to start. FYI - I did inquire about doing a half cheese and half charcuterie plate from their menu, but was promptly denied. You'll have to either order both - or forego one or the other as we did. I therefore have not tried the Charcuterie Plate, however, we were extremely pleased with our Cheese Plate. All three cheeses were delicious and came with several accoutrements including grainy mustard, fig jam, candied ginger, warm and fresh house made gluten free bread, and nuts. Our favorite cheese was the Shropshire, a very fancy and funky bleu cheese variation. The cheddar was my least favorite with the goat's milk cheese being my second favorite. We did find that we wanted additional bread to go with our cheese and we were kindly provided just that. It was warm and fresh just as the first round was. We also enjoyed the Tuna Tacos (they added a fourth for us so that we each could have two which was appreciated) and the Scallops. Both were a hit. For dinner, we ordered a glass of red wine and shared the Pork Belly and the Filet Mignon. The Pork Belly was very rich and I didn't love the peanut butter with it, but all in all, the meat was delicious and perfectly prepared. The Filet Mignon was actually our least favorite dish out of everything we had. We would order everything we had again with the exception of the Filet Mignon. We chose to forego dessert so nothing to add on that front. The service throughout our meal could have been more attentive but all said and done, I would definitely recommend Echelon and we plan to enjoy another date night here in the future. read more

Echelon Wine Bar - Scallops - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Came here for my birthday to try the tasting menu and while it was delightful, it was not filling for dinner. My husband and I ordered a bistro filet to split after the last tasting course. It's still a really good deal for the price and we will definitely be back. I could see this being a great after work drink spot. read more

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Randomly stumbled upon Echelon Wine Bar in downtown Richmond and I'm so excited about this new spot that opened up recently. They offer wine flights of your choosing (select 3 wines (3oz each)) White Wine Flight: $20 Red Wine Flight: $25 Reserve Wine Flight: $45 We sat at the bar and ended up doing one red and white wine flight along with some fantastic food. Ash, who was helping us that evening was fantastic! The wine, ambiance, dishes were excellent!!! I especially loved the dishes that we got; the food is served tapas style. Ash recommended about 2-3 plates per person, and that was perfect for us. What we got: Burrata- with red wine poached pears, granola, aged balsamic, herbed hot honey Corn Chowder- with oysters, crispy potatoes, lardons Tuna Tacos- poke-style tuna with corn tortilla, avocado with togarashi spice, aji amarillo, and wakame (seaweed salad on top) Bistro Filet- herb marinated filet served medium rare with creamed spinach, truffle potato gratin, bordelaise Lamb- tomato braised lamb leg, chickpeas, oregano, red onion, feta Olive oil cake with raspberries The food overall was fantastic however the Corn Chowder was our absolute favorite! The gentle creamy sweetness of the corn chowder with the savoriness of the oysters/crispy potatoes/lardons was "chef's kiss"! I also really liked the presentation of the dish as it came with the oyster/potatoes/lardon already plated in the bowl and the corn chowder was poured into the dish at the table, that way we got to appreciate all of the different elements of the dish! The burrata's hot honey had a great kick to it and paired so well with the granola, and the lamb was hearty and so flavorful. The flavors were so good that I wished I had a small slice of focaccia or pita to help get every single drop of the sauce that came with the lamb dish! The couple next to us got the Parmesan Grits (with shaved brussels sprouts, poached egg, truffle, fried shallots), and they kept saying how they loved it... I definitely want to try that next time! To end the night, we of course ended it with dessert. We got Echelon's signature olive oil cake, it takes 20mins to make so while waiting for it, we of course enjoyed some more wine. They have a great dessert wines available, but I was wanting something light and bubbly and refreshing, and went back for a glass of the brut. Overall, excellent experience, definitely will come back for sure! I saw that they have a Chef's Tasting & Wine Pairing for $79/pp with 4 courses paired with 4 wines, sounds like a great deal, I definitely want to try that next time! Thanks for a great time and see you again soon! read more

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I finally visited Echelon Wine Bar and it is niiiicccceeee! Echelon Wine Bar offers 30 wines by the glass, wine tastings and wine flights which is what I went with. The flights you get to choose from are, white, red and reserve. I went with the red flight and chose 3 different styles. The space is gorgeous, modern elegance with 2 floors so it's very spacious. They also have a food menu served tapas style. They have a Sommelier on staff if you need help choosing the perfect wine for your liking. Echelon has memberships available for the wine connoisseur in you. Echelon is perfect for a sexy date night, girls night or a classy night out with the fellas. I didn't try the food this time but was told by staff that the parmesan grits and olive oil cake are a must try. Go check it out y'all if you're a wine-o like me or if you're new to wine as well. Cheers friends! read more

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Scallop Crudo was legit, but, really, everything was very good, too. Started with a flight (you can choose your own) and then a glass of the one I liked best. Would recommend. read more

Echelon Wine Bar - Butternut squash, Butcher's Steak, Scallop Crudo, Pork Belly - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I made a reservation for my friends and I for the first day of restaurant week, and it was a disaster to say the least. We all ordered the restaurant week deal which came with 3 courses for $35, and wine flights on top of it. It took over 50 minutes to receive our appetizer which was soup. I even walked past the kitchen at one point and overheard the chef yelling that he refused to serve the soup because he needed to wait staff to bring back bowls. Our entrees took came out at around an hour and 40 minutes into our reservation. Prior to them being brought out, our waitress let us know they were sold out of one of the dishes my friend had ordered. It was the first night of restaurant week and the restaurant was only half full so that was pathetic. Once received, our entrees all tasted amazing, it's just sad the kitchen ruined the night with how slow they were. By the time we finished dessert, we had been there for 3 hours. Instead of compensating our meal, the staff provided multiple glasses of alcohol; however, we all had to drive home and couldn't finish these glasses. Long story short, the food and wine were excellent, but the experience was completely ruined by poor time management. We will not be returning. read more

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Reserved a table for a friend's birthday and was not disappointed. Wine, food, music and overall ambiance was great. Will be back again!

Love the ambiance and the cheese board was delicious. Really enjoyed the wine selection as well! read more

Echelon Wine Bar - Cheese board - Wine Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Nice, relaxed vibe. Great wine, service and food. The kale salad and halibut was delicious! Definitely will return with friends. read more

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I'll have to write an update when I take proper pictures but can delete recommend this wine bar for a quiet girls night or date night. The location is rather small so I do encourage reservations to the extent that you're able to but walking in with a small group should be fine. I don't think they do happy hour but they did have a seemingly routine 4 course wine paired meal for $80. Or I encourage you to have one of their wine white (which includes roses and sparkling) or red wine flights. read more

We attended for Restaurant week and could not recommend. The menu doesnt specify gf or vg options. The waitress who introduced herself as taking care of us never came back to table. Our true waiter never introduced himself, never asked if wanted 2nd drinks and glasses were empty before meals arrived. The roasted butternut starter was cold and squash hard. Menu didnt state that brussel dish was salad and not hot dish. Entree portions were very small as were desserts except mousse, which was too much chocolate. They gave us cocktail menus then when we ordered drinks, said werent making any of their specialty cocktails because too busy. Overall, poor service and food overall just ok. Spend your money elsewhere. read more

Travel to the area often and always looking for good places to eat and drink. This isn't one of them. Staff behind the bar seemed lost, new, confused, or disinterested. The guy with the beard seemed to be in charge, but his attitude needed an adjustment. I ordered the scallops. Nice presentation, but flavorless and chewy. I couldn't finish them. I make better scallops. much better. Try searing them and adding some garlic butter and some fresh herbs. I mentioned the chewiness of the scallops to two of the staff and got an apology. No offering of something else on the menu and an apology that lacked as much flavor as the food. Poor service. The staff were more concerned with the people there for the wine tasting than the random guest dining and drinking at the bar. When I was told $73 for the meal, I asked if it included the bad scallops. The young guy ringing me up didn't know what to do. He says he'll check. Suddenly the bearded fellow appears and says he was just about to discount the scallops. Sure you were. They were awful, I was still hungry, and they gave me 50% off. Only option for a tip on their iPad billing system was 20%. Don't go here if you're hungry. Seriously disappointed. Be better Echelon. read more

I had the original chicken wings and fries. They were some of the best wings I have ever had. The service was quick and very attentive. Food was piping hot with many different choices. One recommendation anything that says it's spicy could be very hot although delicious. I love spicy food but wow my mouth was on fire. read more

Went for the Valentine's Day tasting menu. It was lovely. Told the waitress that i hated chocolate and they were able to substitute it for the olive oil cake off of their regular dessert menu. Great service and the vibe of the restaurant was modern and pretty relaxing. Will definitely be back! read more

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just now NEW Very disappointed with this place. My friends and I were excited to try a new wine bar and my friend was visiting from out of town. I recently renewed my drivers license online and my other friend who also has a VA license has an older VA ID. When the bartender asked for our IDs it was clear to us that she was questioning them for being different but we, as almost 30 year olds, were not worried. A few minutes later we had the general manager approach us, ask for IDs which we happily handed over (again we know we're way over age) and she began to question every detail of our IDs. When we tried to give her a rational response (Virginia changed their IDs, we renewed online so only 1 year of renewal etc) manager was condescending and rude. We didn't want to make a big deal so we left but it felt that we were given a hard time because we didn't fit their "ideal clientele". read more

Outstanding Small Tapas plates! Pork belly, Tuna tacos, Halibut and salads were out of this world! Compliments to the world class chef! Not to mention, the wine selection and quality were 2nd to none! Most highly recommend this fantastic wine bar! Ambiance and comfort made our experience and evening even better! read more

Delicious food- especially the Bistro Filet and grits! Good service. Beautiful decor with good music.

Outstanding service. Unique, fresh and delicious food! Fantastic and unique wine list. Cushy seating, especially in the window. If you're in downtown Richmond, do not hesitate to try this place out. And don't pass up the olive cake. Incredible. read more

Good food, good wine selection, very nice looking space but very disappointed with the service and the way that we were rushed out of the restaurant and not allowed to wait in the entrance of the restaurant for a Lyft even though it was raining after ordering the entire menu and several flights of wine. Definite opportunities to improve customer service. read more

My daughter purchased a gift certificate for my husband and I to enjoy a chef prepared with several wines dinner. Unfortunately our reservations were canceled by establishment twice (@mere 2hrs before dinner reservation) only explanation for this was unforseen and uncontrollable circumstances. We made 2nd reservations on last Halloween 2023.. as we were moving in few days & wished to experience a special meal in remembrance of leesburg. I have reached out over 10 times to ask for refund of $200.00 & although employee assured a call back from manager..no one has even had courtesy to reply. I'm going to reach out to AG & other officials to report this & hopefully reclaim money which seems to have been fraudulently received by restaurant gift certificates never intended to be validated by this establishment. Save yourselves the hassle and time invested in getting responses of this scam. DO NOT BECOME A VICTIM TO THEIR HOLIDAY GIFT CERTIFICATE SCHEME. read more

This place is terrific and worth a try. Was out walking a few weeks ago and stopped in for a glass of wine. Decided to try their roasted beet item that was just fantastic. The salad in between the 2 beet "sandwiches" was amazing. Wine selection is of course significant. Stopped in again last evening and had an even better experience. Again started with the roasted beet offering. Our bartender Ash was great. Her passion describing the lamb leg made me order this and I was not disappointed. Along with the bread order, it made for an amazing combination. Prices for all food items (other than the cheese and charcuterie) are very reasonable. The bar setting is very comfortable and the entire first floor dining area is very attractive. Adding this to my regular spots to dine. I really like this place. read more

It's a nice place, but it caters toward an older customer base, and the prices are reflective of that.

Fun place and nice flights! The four stars was due to minimal vegetarian options on the menu!