Tarrant's CafeExcellent food and service.Excellent food and service. Our table was on the busy bar side, but it was fine. We had reservations, so had hoped for seating on what I call the "dining" side. We've sat on the dining side in the past, and it is much more intimate. The food is off the charts excellent, and the beer and wine choices are very good as well. "Free" valet parking and top notch service along with the food make this one of my favorites of all time. Considering I used to be partner for a restaurant guide in New Orleans hopefully lends some credibility? :).6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGood for groupsThis is a good restaurant with a nice ambiance. The menu is large, with options for different tastes and budgets. My personal preference is a smaller, more focused menu. I've been twice and got fish options both times, and it has been good. My wife got a sandwich once, and this time a calzone. Serving sizes are generous, and there is usually enough for the next day. If you haven't been I'd give this one a try.6/10/2013 12:00:00 AMGood Food, Wonderful ServiceWe had an excellent meal at Tarrants. The portions are a little big so would be good for sharing, or plan to take some home. Overall, a very good meal and experience.6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMVery good "date night" locationTarrants has a great "olde time" charm, and always a very energetic crowd. A little tight at times, but not overtight like some other restaurants. They even added special sound-absorbing panels to the ceilings to help with the noise of patrons. We are both vegetarians and they have plenty to choose from. Decent beer selection too. We usually go for pasta and it's good. The service this evening was phenomenal. I noticed that when an empty dish was put at the end of the table, whomever passed by picked it up quickly, even if they were working another table. Food arrived surprisingly quickly, even though the restaurant was 90% full. Great food, excellent service. I recommend reservations on weekend evenings.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMLovely waitstaff - Broad menuSomething for everyone, yummy food and delightful waitstaff.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat neighborhood restaurantFood, service, and ambiance always wonderful. Great specials. One of my favorites5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat spotWe had a nice anniversary dinner there. The food tasted great, despite a slightly sloppy appearance. The deserts were great and the cheesecake was homemade. Overall a great experience.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I celebrated ourMy wife and I celebrated our resent anniverary at Tarrant's and had a wonderful time. Will be visiting again soon5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMA New FavoriteTarrant's has become one of my new favorite restaurants. Everything that i put in my mouth from the time I walked through the door until the time I left was delicious. Our waiter was very helpful and gave us some great suggestions. The atmosphere was nice. We were both very impressed and it was an anniversary dinner we will not soon forget!5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMHoppin' with energyBest rib-eye I've every tasted - garlic mashed potatoes hit the spot. If you like she-crab soup, you'll love it here - cup is plenty.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMChose this restaurant on theChose this restaurant on the advice of a friend, we enjoyed ourselves and the food tremendously. It was prom night so things ran a little slow, but added to the evening's enjoyment!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is one of my favoriteThis is one of my favorite restaurants, but the service was slow and it took a long time for our food to be served. Two and a half hours for lunch, is a bit much!!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat PlaceWonderful food at a great price. We had a wonderful lunch!5/14/2013 12:00:00 AMA big FanMy husband and I adore Tarrant's and have been going for some time. When our grown kids come back to town Tarrant's is a given. The staff is very knowledgeable extremely friendly. the energy is amazing and very catchy!
Tarrant's is the in spot for RVA!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMTarrant's Mother's Day BrunchGreat brunch menu, service and food consistently very good. Never fails to satisfy.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMterrific mother's day brunchwe had a large party and had to change our numbers several times. the manager, eric, was super nice and patient with us and the server was very friendly chatting about RIchmond and the history of the restaurant. the food was terrific and the grapefruit mimosa, I'll go back for.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMMothers Day BrunchThis was a great spot for Mothers Day brunch. We had 5 adults and 2 small kids in our party. When we arrived, they were so busy they didn't have 2 high chairs, so the manager went to the restaurant nearby to get us one. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. Just enough time for them to clean up the table for us.
We ordered and everything came out promptly and hot. Frequently, my wife and i joke about how often we go out, we have to send things back, but on one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants, all the food in our party was delivered fast, hot and we were served our correct dishes. Kudos to the staff on Mothers Day.
Thanks for making our experience a positive one at Tarrants! We will be back.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and atmosphere were bothFood and atmosphere were both wonderful! The place was packed due to VCU graduation, but they had our table waiting right when we arrived at our reservation time, very impressed.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWait and serving staffMain meal was served before finishing salads. Table too small to accommodate all the dishes. Seemed to be rushing to get us served and out the door.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Mother's Day dinnerWe had a really good Mother's Day celebration at Tarrant's. Our family from out of town really appreciated the history behind the restaurant. Our only problem was that one person requested her steak very well done and we had to send it back a few times. They never filleted it to assist in cooking, they just kept burning it a little more each time. I assumed the manager would take it off our bill but he only gave her a free dessert, which was maybe a quarter of the cost of the now ruined steak. She is a picky eater, and definitely didn't enjoy her meal, but insists she will go back there. We loved Jamie, our server.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMSecond VisitWe found Tarrant's on a recent visit to Richmond and definitely wanted to go back. The food is very good and the place is well staffed with everyone working to make sure your needs are met. It was a busy night...college graduation that day, and so the place was hopping. We were seated as soon as we arrived. The waiter was knowledgeable about he menu. Great evening.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMOur anniversaryThis was the second anniversary there. The food and service was super. I ordered flowers and they were right there. Good job5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Gem of Richmond, VA - Tarrant'sFirst off, the ambience is off the chart - the overall feeling of the restaurant is one that one must visit (in person) to feel it. The two lady bartenders were very accommodating (I sat at the bar to eat) rather than a table/booth. The meal choices I had were: starter (salad w/ ranch & bread w/ a herb-garlic in olive oil), main meal (Tilapia stuffed with crab meat, and the sides that come with it), and for dessert (hot chocolate fudge brownie). They prepared (finishing touches) the hot chocolate brownie right there in front of you (if you're at the bar), another plus. A day/time note, a reservation is a recommendation if dining on a Friday or Saturday evening, as it was rather crowded on a Thursday (~7'ish). Perfection defined!5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother great meal at Tarrant'sThis was my fourth trip to Tarrant's. Two have been with couples and two with girlfriends. Four girlfriends met for dinner before a play. The food was excellent. I loved the Tarragon Chicken salad and my sister said her Polenta with Shrimp was divine. The other two enjoyed their salads as well. You could eat there for a year and not have the same thing twice. The menu is expansive and I've never had a bad meal. The bread with a garlic/olive oil drizzle is to die for. The waiters are just the right mixture of friendly and informative. Will definitely return.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMTop DrawerIf you like fresh fish prepared right, Tarrant's is the place! Our party of 4 all had different varieties of fish on the menu and our opinion was unanimous. It was the best we've had in a very long time. The historical decor makes for a terrific subject for conversation during dinner. Matthew was our waiter and he was most accommodating inasmuch as we were late for our reservation due to traffic issues and had to be out the door for a concert, so we didn't have as much time for dinner as we would have liked. He kept an eye on the clock and moved things along, including timely delivery of our checks and valet delivery of our car to the front door. Bottom line is that we were very impressed with all aspects of Tarrant's!5/7/2013 12:00:00 AMA favoriteThe food is always good, as well as the service. Perfect place before a before-theatre dinner.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely wonderful!This was my 4th time and definitely my favorite restaurant... cant say enough about their food, service, ambiance... amazing. The fried polenta is to die for!~ Each visit I select a different entre and am never disappointed~5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat LunchGreat mussels, very good hamburger and seasoned fries, really good garlic bread, loved this place.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMMom's Bday Wish!Of all the restaurants in Richmond, Mom only wanted the best She Crab soup in town.
The one place to get that treat is Tarrant's. for as long as I've been a fan of the place, never have I had a bad experience.
My favorite appetizer is polenta with a tomato cream sauce with scallops & shrimp. It's a meal in itself.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMJeremy was a good server,Jeremy was a good server, very personable. Manager came by the table which was a nice touch. Dinner service was slow to start but picked up quickly. Tuna was good but overcooked. Would definitely go back.4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for any occasion!Our favorite place to eat when visiting son at VCU. Makes me want to move to Richmond!4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMInterior antique decor wasInterior antique decor was very classy. Food was above average as was the service.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOur party of three had a greatOur party of three had a great experience. The food was awesome, and the service great. When one of us couldn't decide which of the many draft beers to try, the server brought him two samples to help him decide. And there's free valet parking!4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMI am very picky when I goI am very picky when I go out to eat. I expect perfection in everything!
And, I got it at Tarrants!4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful food and service!So many times we leave a restaurant and say we have spent too much money for mediocre food. That was definitely NOT the case at Tarrant's! We had a wonderful meal at a reasonable price. At our table we had both brunch and lunch foods. Tarrant's has a nice kids menu which worked well for our children! The food was delicious and our waiter was attentive. We felt we received great food for our money! We will definitely recommend to our friends and revisit Tarrant's in the future!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was my second visit andThis was my second visit and I was pleased again with the food and the service.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMWe all ordered fish...it wasWe all ordered fish...it was amazing. One of the best dishes I've had! And great service to boot!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AM3rd trip to Tarrants. Great3rd trip to Tarrants. Great variety on the menu and haven't been disappointed with anything. My only complaint is that I have always felt a little rushed by the server each time. It's still a winner.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWhen we got there we foundWhen we got there we found out it was half price wine night, always a nice surprise. The triple bruschetta appetizer was DELICIOUS. The bread it was on was crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, perfect. I ordered the chicken parmesan sub. It had hardy pieces of chicken, lots of ricotta and mozzarella and a delicious sauce. It was big enough for two meals.
Our waitress was attentive without being over-bearing and the atmosphere was great. Wonderful date night spot!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service and food wasGreat service and food was very good! Our first time and you can be sure we'll be back. We brought out of town guests and we were worried about taking them to a place we had not visited. They loved it, too4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMUnique dining in converted pharmacyPleasant dining experience within an easy walk of The Jefferson Hotel. The menu is varied with fish, pasta and meat offerings. The wine list was extensive enough to find a good, reasonably priced wine. Server was attentive and knowledgable. We enjoyed it!4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was excellent and waitFood was excellent and wait service was very good. In fact, the entire staff were friendly and upbeat. The sweet bread was a terrific hit. Our only "negative" was the amount of time we waited for our food.4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat restaurant!LOVE this restaurant - the she crab soup is WONDERFUL! Never had a bad meal here! Can't wait for their new restaurant to open!4/7/2013 12:00:00 AMOur waiter was awesome; friendlyOur waiter was awesome; friendly without being too friendly. Knowledgable about the menu and made great recommendations. When he had to leave early he let us know and then the woman that took over for him was equally attentive and nice. Food was great...large portions, great desserts, awesome time.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a great place withThis is a great place with great food choices. I will definitely revisit!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMYummy!Great experience! The garlic bread, and shrimp and grits were simply delicious! Will definitely be returning soon4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMBest She Crab Soup!!Best She Crab soup!! Sandwiches are GREAT - Garlic bread brought to the table is WONDERFUL!! Best casual dining place around!!4/1/2013 12:00:00 AMNice Easter dinnerRecommended to me by a friend of mine I was really happy my date and I dined at Tarrants. The she crab soup and her vegetable plate entree were amazing. I was a little disappointed in the pork tenderloin, but the sauce on the meet more than made up for the pork being a little drier than I would have liked. Will definitely have to go back again and try some of their other dishes.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is a great restaurantThis is a great restaurant all around. It has great unique food & can be for dates or families or just hanging out.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMTarrant's Cafe is my favoriteTarrant's Cafe is my favorite restaurant in Richmond. Excellent food,service and ambiance. Ken3/31/2013 12:00:00 AM