Diners' Choice: Best Ambiance restaurants in Richmond

OpenTable

Updated April 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambiance in Richmond? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

L'Opossum

4.9

4.9 (3278)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Richmond

About the restaurant

L'Opossum offers dinner Tuesday-Saturday for parties of one to a maximum of six guests. Multiple reservations booked on the same night to form a group larger than six guests are not permitted and will be canceled. Reservations for parties of one to four guests are allotted 2 hours. Parties of five to six guests are allotted 2.5 hours. Please be courteous to your fellow diners by arriving and leaving on time. L'Opossum patrons paying with cash, enjoy a 4% savings off menu prices. To view a sample menu, visit www.lopossum.com - Thank you!

Top review

Jordan

Dined 3 days ago

Amazing and unique dining experience. Food and drinks were great, our server Anya was awesome and the vibes were on point.

Buckheads - Richmond

4.9

4.9 (2060)

$50 and over

Steak

Richmond

About the restaurant

Buckhead’s has been a Richmond tradition since 1994. Featuring succulent Braveheart Beef and only the freshest seafood, you can taste our passion for culinary excellence. Consistently recognized with Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence”, our list offers over 800 labels to complement your dining experience. Additionally, our bar proudly highlights one of the largest selections of single malt scotches and small batch bourbons in Richmond, Virginia.

Top review

NancyVIP

Dined 3 days ago

We make this our anniversary dinner restaurant and we are never disappointed! Steaks are always prepared properly. Their blue cheese dressing is excellent. I had their white chocolate ice cream. It was delicious. Service is always top notch and it is not too noisy. Reminds me of the way steakhouses were years ago.

The Tobacco Company Restaurant

4.7

4.7 (4203)

$31 to $50

American

Richmond

About the restaurant

The Tobacco Company Restaurant is proudly celebrating over 40 years as Richmond's landmark dining and entertainment venue. This four-story, breath-taking restaurant embodies the spirit of Southern hospitality and charm. The exceptional menu features slow-roasted prime rib, aged Angus steaks, fresh seafood, and an award-winning wine list. Enjoy live entertainment on our first floor or dance the night away in our lower level nightclub. Our staff is committed to excellence and the creation of an unforgettable dining experience. Open seven days a week in Historic Shockoe Slip.

Top review

Angela

Dined 3 days ago

Excellent service! Great place to go.. especially for special occasions!

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4.6

4.6 (47)

$30 and under

Pub

Petersburg

About the restaurant

Shirley’s Restaurant & Bar offers warm hospitality and the region's flavorful bounty. Menu favorites include playful twists on classic dishes, such as a tomato caprese made with buttermilk-fried green tomatoes and a grilled shrimp cocktail paired with a spicy, tomato-based sauce and homemade tortilla chips.

Executive Chef Mina Mahrous has thoughtfully crafted a menu that showcases refined American cuisine, offering an elevated dining experience. The light-filled and airy dining room of the Hotel Petersburg has been restored to its original grandeur, making it a welcoming gathering place for all.

Buzzing with energy, the ambiance of Shirley’s Bar combines sleek sophistication with a warm and inviting atmosphere, featuring rich burgundy walls and deep wood accents that create an intimate, refined setting. Our mixologists offer a rotating selection of refreshing cocktails, local craft beer, and wine. Sundays, we offer all-day bar bites perfect for pairing with a cold beer or cocktail.

Top review

Mark

Dined on Apr 11, 2025

The chef cooked a superb Lobster that was perfectly cooked. A delightful place for dinner!

The Wine Whisperer

4.9

4.9 (231)

$31 to $50

Wine Bar

Henrico

About the restaurant

The Wine Whisperer is a wine shop and bistro located in Richmond's Short Pump neighborhood. We speak wine and are passionate about sharing your new favorite bottle or glass with you!

Our wine bar is designed to offer an immersive experience to our guests. Let our knowledgeable staff help you learn about your palate and curate a flight of wine just for you! Look for a rotating by the glass list, craft beers, more whiskey than you imagined, and an expansive food menu built for wine pairing. The intimate dining room is a perfect spot for a casual glass with friends or that special occasion date. Look for weekly wine tastings, monthly classes, and other special events that are uniquely Whisperer!

No reservations available? Give us a call or stop by; we save a number of tables each night for walk-in guests. For questions or to make a reservation for a larger party, please call or send a message.

Top review

EvelynVIP

Dined 7 days ago

Excellent food & wine!! Excellent service staff who are very knowledgeable about the wine!! Food is delicious!!

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Experience

Aperitivo Hour

Upper Shirley Vineyards

4.8

4.8 (241)

$30 and under

American

Richmond

About the restaurant

Upper Shirley Vineyards, perched above one of the most beautiful bends on the James River and surrounded by history, brings you the best of Virginia: culinary delights, award-winning wine, and events you’ll remember for a lifetime. Whether you’re looking for a day away or the best place to stage your dream wedding, Upper Shirley Vineyards will exceed your expectations.

Top review

SimeonVIP

Dined 1 day ago

Ate outside on a beautiful spring day. Enjoyed the food from a limited menu. Wine was good as always.

Lemaire at The Jefferson Hotel

4.8

4.8 (4339)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Richmond

About the restaurant

Please note when booking: Lunch at Lemaire ends at 2pm. From 2pm-5pm we offer a lounge menu. Full dinner starts at 5pm.

New American restaurant and bar that is inspired by the agricultural and coastal traditions and bounty of Virginia. Lemaire delivers the quality and service The Jefferson Hotel is known for, but in an accessible format without the pretense, formality or expense!

Complimentary self-parking is available in both the Adams Street and Main Street lots. Valet parking is $18/car

For special requests (cake, flowers, etc) guests must contact Lemaire directly.

Tables are held for 15 minutes.

Separate checks are not available for parties of six or more. A 20% gratuity will automatically be applies for parties of six or more.

Table/seating requests are noted but not guaranteed.

Thank you for joining us!!

Top review

Jane

Dined 2 days ago

Our waiter, Sean, was excellent - enthusiastic, helpful and attentive.

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Lemaire Barnyard Burger

Southern Kitchen

4.7

4.7 (1679)

$31 to $50

Southern

Richmond

About the restaurant

Southern Kitchen, which is known as "The Mouth of the South" to the locals, serves up comfort food favorites. From collard greens to fried fish and chicken, the eatery provides a comfortable, relaxed spot for enjoying classic Southern food, beer, and wine for lunch, and dinner. Since opening in 2014, the restaurant has focused on providing good food paired with a classy experience and great customer service. Southern Kitchen features a variety of options for starting the meal, including fried oysters, fried okra, southern rolls, and salad. Enjoy sandwiches like the salmon cake and chicken club, or dive into some apple pecan salad, fried fish, big momma's chicken, and chicken livers and onions. Southern Kitchen also features plenty of filling plates, including the seafood platter, meatloaf, catfish, and southern-fried pork chops.

Top review

Michael

Dined 1 day ago

Exceptional experience and can’t wait to return! The food and service is always top notch!

Lolita's

4.7

4.7 (450)

$31 to $50

Mexican

Richmond

About the restaurant

Lolita’s is a space where we can embody & celebrate the traditions passed down to us. We are a Mexican scratch kitchen with a modern take. At Lolita's we take pride in quality, taste, and presentation.

Top review

Shanita

Dined 6 days ago

Lolita's offers a welcoming atmosphere with truly great service and some good drinks. However, the food itself proved to be a bit of a mixed bag. While the hot sauce/salsa is a definite highlight, the main dishes left something to be desired. The much-talked-about Carne Asada "fries" were surprisingly breakfast-style potatoes, which, while having a good flavor, felt underwhelming for the price, especially lacking expected additions like guacamole and jalapeños. My sopes featured brisket that unfortunately was quite dry, though the other components were indeed quite tasty. Overall, Lolita's shows promise with its service and beverages, but the food quality needs more consistency to truly impress.

Bookbinder's Seafood and Steakhouse

4.8

4.8 (5864)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Richmond

About the restaurant

Bookbinder’s is a locally family owned Seafood & Steakhouse and is unique to Richmond. Bookbinder’s offers the perfect combination of rich history and atmosphere. Close to the James River in historic Tobacco Row, steak and seafood lovers will enjoy the ambiance of exposed beams and brick walls in this refurbished tobacco warehouse. From steak to lobster to seafood, each dish is intricately prepared and beautifully presented. We look forward to seeing you soon!! We are honored to have been selected as one of the 100 Most Romantic Restaurants in America for 2018, as Voted by Open Table Diners, (based on an analysis of twelve-million reviews of more than 26,000 restaurants across the country)!

Top review

Christopher

Dined 5 days ago

Wonderful as usual will always recommend to anyone who will listen

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