My husband and I went last night for Restaurant week with my brother and sister-in-law. Here's how it broke down: Service: 4/5 Stars. From the bartenders to our waitress everyone was extremely nice and very accommodating. Atmosphere: 4/5 Stars. The only reason I take one star away is the tables were made out of a flexible copper-looking material which was very ascetically pleasing but kept denting and popping up with the addition and removal of dishes making our drinks nearly fall over. The chair I sat on felt like it was nearly going to fall apart and the other patrons in my party said the table was too short so they felt very cramped (I don't have this issue because I am very short). Other than that, it was your typical quaint Fan restaurant with lots of charm. Food: ehh... 3/5 Stars. The Good: My mussels were excellent. It's a good app for two to share and the broth was great! Get some extra bread for dipping. My husband's Pork with Grits were great as well. Pork was cooked perfectly and the grits at least seemed to be homemade. The "ehh": The ravioli as the app. Sort of an odd thing to serve as an app but it sounded good and ended up being just ok. The Bad: My scallops were definitely over-cooked. they were chewy and you needed a knife to cut through them. Also they completely lacked flavor. My dish had three scallops and I ended up only eating 1 and a half of them because they just really were not good. The veggies on the plate however were tasty. My brother-in-law ordered the bourbon/salted caramel dessert and was given the apple turn-over. I think you can have a much better experience if you order the right dishes - I would take a look at what a majority of viewers have ranked high and stick with that! read more

This is an enjoyable place to have a date night or small family dinner. The atmosphere is very special, the music is absolutely awesome in my opinion. Service is friendly and on task as any restaurant experience should be. Some dishes to try include the Helen's burger and sausage rbonara. Definitely consider trying the soup of the day as well as the dessert. Many of the dishes from viewing other tables also looked appealing as well so I assume they all taste good. This isn't the biggest of places but it definitely seems to attract attention so plan ahead if you want to get a table, especially for more than two. read more

Matt and I joined the crew for brunch a few Sundays ago. He had a Benedict and, as for me, I had an omelette. Food wasn't particularly fast but when it came, it was great. Service was spectacular. My coffee cup never went empty nor did his soft drink and this was when they were absolutely packed. read more

Brunch is dope. Mmmm Florentine Benedict. Friendly crew, delicious food. My son crushed the pancakes. Love it. read more

Helen's - Florentine Benedict. - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I usually don't dine at places as pricey as Helen's but I wanted the holiday ambience and Helen's does deliver. It's not that Helen's is overpriced, just more than I generally go for. That said, I've gone in for just drinks on many late nights. On to the food: I had the Moroccan duck and it was fantastic; I don't think I was overcharged by any means. The waitress was friendly and service was great. read more

I last ate here New Year's Eve 2010... sat beside a charming, interesting couple and had a great dinner and conversation. The food was terrific, the service was perfect, and the atmosphere was also very nice. I don't know why I don't eat here more often. read more

Walked in. 12 min later walked out without service. I've been to Helen's before & enjoyed the food & atmosphere. Nice decorations. It was enough to come back. We stood at bar tonight with 30 other people in the restaurant - yes somewhat busy. It's not a sin to be busy. We just ask service to do something to check on the new walkins when you're busy. The woman hustling behind the bar did greet us - I'll give her that. We asked for a drink menu. It took 5 minutes of finishing up drinks & us asking twice with two apologies to even get a drink menu. We read it. She walked by 2 more times. Apologized more. We tried to order. She Turned away to make more drinks for a table sat at same time we walked in. What? Well... benefit of the doubt. We came in at same time. Still no order placed. Waiting some more, no waters or anything. Eventually she comes over to us 12 min after we walked in and says "I'm so so sorry, I'll be with you in a minute." I say "We're ready to order" and she says "I just have to go set this table" for a new group who just walked in! I said "Well in that case we have to leave. You've put us last place too many times." 6 interactions & no service. Something was up. read more

Food looked great but never got to try it. Arrived at 10:15am Sunday to ensure we got a table for brunch. Place apparently opens at 10:00 despite their own website, opentable and yelp stating 10:30. Owner was clueless. One table for five in the back with two people sitting at it. Our party of five waited 75 minutes and hostess and manager STILL had no solution. Left. DO NOT COME HERE UNLESS YOU ARE PARTY OF FOUR OR LESS. THYE CANT AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO ACCOMMODATE YOU AND YOU WILL BE DISAPPOINTED LIKE WE WERE. read more

Came today for the Rose' bar crawl had to leave as the Bartender refused to serve us. We sat at the bar for at least 20 minutes as she did everything but acknowledge us (she was not particularly busy as the crowd had died down). She assisted the ladies next to us who had just come in before us. Rightfully so. However, once she walked past us (still not looking at us; we were in the middle of what is a small bar) and began to serve people on the other side of us who had just walked in my bf had enough and said he wanted to leave immediately. Very Disappointed. read more

I went here with a friend for brunch around noon. Luckily we were seated right away although others had to wait. The place felt kind of dirty to me, and the copper tables are terrible. The service isn't fantastic, if you order a soda drink it slow because you may never have a chance to ask for a refill. And when you do ask for a refill the server will act like you're annoying her. The food was decent. I ordered the French toast and was surprised to see that it's like baguette French toast- I would have rather regular French toast because it was hard and difficult to cut through. My friend enjoyed her chocolate chip pancakes. The eggs, breakfast potatoes and bacon were solid. read more

Helen's - French toast meal in front and pancake meal in back. - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The staff is very friendly and they serve you drinks while you wait for your table. The restaurant has a cozy ambiance and wasn't too loud for a conversation or too awkwardly quiet. I ordered the classic eggs Benedict. The food was tasty and just the right portion size. read more

We were in the mood for a burger very early on a Sunday evening so thought we'd stop by Helen's since it's close, and it's been years, and I'm not sure why it's been that long. Was it the curtains in the front window that kept us away? They shouldn't have. The place doesn't look like much from the outside but inside, it's a charmer. Clean, cute, great music/atmosphere, visible kitchen to watch the action. Zsa Zsa took wonderful care of us. Not sure why we paired the calamari with the Ol' Dusty burger, but we did. The calamari was cooked to perfection with capers, onions, grape tomatoes and yellow/red peppers. It was lovely and pretty okay taste-wise. The burger was overcooked (perhaps our medium-rare order during a beef recall wasn't heeded) and missing the Goddess dressing - it was okay - I wasn't raving about the fried green tomato addition (and I love them). The FRIES - what they do to them is sinful, amazing, and addictive. When I come back I'll try the Dixie burger (and everything else on the menu). The recommended Virginia (!) wine was very good. read more

The food was really great! My whole table ordered different things and everyone loved it. This was our first time at Helens. The service however was not the best, we had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 4. Our waitress did not explain to us how they split checks (which is very confusing). We will be back for the great food and hopefully bette service. read more

Helen's - Country hash - New American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

The best shrimp and grits I've ever had! My husband ordered the short rib and he too loved his meal. The service was very attentive and our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu as well as the cocktails. We'll be back. read more

Usually just go here for some drinks, but finally made the effort and made it to brunch. Wow. One of the best brunches I've had in Richmond. I got the Strawberry Pancakes and they were phenomenal. Very low-key inside, like always, but classy. Service was good, coffee was solid. Just a nice spot to get some brunch. Apparently it usually has a line, but we went later in the afternoon (2-ish) and were seated immediately. read more

Just nowhere in the same field as the Helen's I remember. It had been 10 years. It will be at least 20 more. The meager portion in their bagel and lox meal was as insulting for the price as it was uninspired and untoasted on the bagel front. My wife's Madam Croque had runny Hollandaise and an unforgivingly hard egg. The staff seemed to be happy enough with their disaster of a brunch. We sure weren't. read more

Wow. What a disappointment. Apathetic service (server was on her phone) and we waited an hour for our food on a Wednesday night. No apologies, no bread. We were told "well, everyone came from in at once." What's worse is after 50 minutes, she came by and asked "how are you all doing?" as though we were enjoying imaginary dinners. Food should've been the redeemer. It wasn't. Sorry Helen's. I was really looking forward to dinner but I won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

The ambiance is fun. Great people watching if your outside or near a window. The food is totally on point. But please for the love of god so so I can come back for above....update your HVAC system. No one should sweat while enjoying great food and atmosphere. Had to have been 80 degrees dining inside by front. read more

Ok, 20 minutes to get our drinks, 40 minutes to get bread, an hour and 10 minutes and not even our salads are here. Pack a sleeping bag if you are coming to Helens. read more

If you like to wait, wait again, wait some, then wait some more, go to Helens! And when you question said wait, be told it's because they make food from scratch, this is your place. The food was ok, but came out only warm. By the time the food did come out nearly an hour after we were seated, we were all famished, so it's hard to be objective about the food. Lastly, does anyone make a decent mimosa?? Why use the cheapest orange juice from concentrate you can find?? Yuck. read more

My friend ordered BBQ pork benny, and that was great. I had shrimp and grit, which is not the best and the portion size was smaller than usually. read more

We were fortunate enough to find ourselves at Helen's Restaurant in the Fan district of Richmond this past Thursday evening. The meal we were served was absolutely sublime. Layer upon layer of amazing flavors, expertly paired and prepared. If you pass anywhere near Richmond, make your way to Helen's! Do not pass Go, Do not collect two hundred dollars, drive straight to W. Main St and order some of the best food you will ever taste!! Our only regret was that we left without getting the chef's autograph as we see even greater things in his future. read more

Chef Clayton Hostetler is a magician! Creative and unique presentations. Highly recommend!

While the waitress was very nice, she was pretty awful when it comes to actually "waiting" on us. We were literally the only table she had. And after she brought us our food (which was pretty darn good...but really expensive), we didn't see her for another 25-30 minutes. We had been out of water for a while at that point and were really thirsty so the wait for her return was pretty annoying. General waiter/waitress etiquette is to come by after dropping off the food shortly afterwards to check in and see if they're happy and if they could use anything else...didn't get that. Then once we asked for water, it was 5 minutes (we counted) before we got it. Then we asked for our check and she dropped it off...and then waited...and waited. I eventually went up to the bar to have the bartender take care of it for me. TL;DNR - Good food but overpriced, nice staff but very inattentive and slow read more

This was my first time dining at Helen's- great experience. It is a tiny spot with a romantic feel to it; great for a date night! The drink menu was great, we all ordered a round or two of beers. We started with the beet salad. It was ok. I ordered the scallops dish as my entree... amazing! I would order it again. Others in my group ordered the shrimp and grits and the pizza special. The shrimp and grits were apparently also phenomenal. I would love to come back to try the gnocchi. read more

The absolute slowest service! I understand it's made from scratch but a 1 hour wait from the time of order to delivery for Sunday Brunch is ridiculous. So many other places to eat in RVA. read more

Went with my husband for the Sunday brunch. He had eggs benedict, I had blueberry pancakes with a side of bacon. Neither entree knocked our socks off, but we weren't disappointed either, especially considering the price. (We managed to get out of there for around $25, with tip.) Atmosphere is decidedly hipster, but the building is neat (especially the copper tile ceiling). All in all, I'd recommend the brunch as a good place to start recovering from your hangover, and I'd be game for trying out their dinner fare. read more

As a non-hipster, I felt a little bit lonely. However, the brunch was cross-counter-cultures. I had the french toast with fresh fruit and bacon - simple but delish. My friend had the Irish Breakfast and hers was great as well. I really loved the art nouveau/kitschy decor. I can't wait to see what the bar is like at night! read more

In an effort to support Helen's during the shutdown, we decided to order a couple of "to-go cocktails". The woman on the phone was rude from the time she answered, repeating my questions mockingly, but said our drinks would be ready in 5 minutes. When we arrived, she said they would be out shortly and continued to cut lemons. 20 minutes later, still no drinks and there is no one else waiting. I get that these are tough times and it looked busy with plenty of food orders coming out, I just don't understand why the young lady at the bar had to be so nasty and rude. If you did not plan to make the drinks, then why say you would? We will plan to give the tip to someone more competent and with a nicer attitude. read more

Super cute place! It's very eclectic. The food is unique but very yummy. The lamb meatballs were super tasty! The drinks were great and the server was very helpful and gave awesome recommendations for things to do around Richmond. read more

I went here for brunch and was so pleased. The fried chicken sandwich was amazing--I wouldn't change anything about it. Our server was kind and attentive, and did an excellent job. The drinks were generous pours and reasonably priced. I will definitely be back for brunch in the near future. read more

Was told 'Restaurant.com' certificate was a 'scam' and our coupon (which had been purchased that day) was refused. I was told by Helen's to take it up with Restaurant.com. Restaurant.com confirmed that Helen's entered a contract guaranteeing that they would honor any certificate sold (even if Helen's decided to terminate their agreement with the site). Absolutely terrible service and even worse business practices. Avoid at all costs. Helen's deleted my comments on their Facebook page without answering my questions or attempting to contact me or resolve the issue in anyway. read more

If you like to be ignored at a half-empty restaurant, Helen's is the place to go! My roommate and I seated ourselves at the bar (because the waitstaff refused to acknowledge our presence) and still had to wait another 10 minutes till the bartender handed us two menus without a word. When it seemed obvious we weren't leaving, she begrudgingly asked us if we wanted drinks. The menu looked good, if not a bit overpriced. I got eggs Benedict with avocado and tomato and my roommate ordered a veggie scramble. In the time it took to receive my cold ass food, I could have gone to Kroger and given myself an entire restaurant experience. Waitstaff all looked hungover, but the open kitchen provided a really nice view of the cooks not giving a shit. Food was ice cold by the time we got it (at least an hour after arriving), but I suspect it would have been mediocre even if it was hot. Yelled "you're welcome" at the bartender once she took my 20% tip without a word. Maybe she had a hard life and never learned to say "thank you" or "how is everything? Do you need anything else?" "Have a nice day" or "I'll be right with you". In summation, avoid this place unless you want a borderline infuriating experience. Oh, the potatoes are good. read more

My boyfriend and I go to Helen's quite often for weekend brunch. We love it there and their pancakes!! The atmosphere is great, lots of families around and other couples. The service is good. Everyone is very friendly and food is usually served in a timely manner except when they're super busy which is understandable. It's the pancakes that keep us coming back though! He gets the strawberries on top and I get bananas. Both fruit toppings come caramelized and the pancakes are perfectly fluffy. We aren't even big pancake people either but absolutely love them! Definitely top 5 favorite spots in RVA! read more

This is one of our favorite local spots but until today we had only done cocktails and dinner and we had never be disappointed. Brunch on Sunday is very busy. And of course Helen's hit the spot leaving us satisfied and full as usual! I appreciate when expectations are constantly exceeded, will be back very soon! read more

Most delicious dinner in town! The shrimp n grits bring me back time and time again. Although this is not related to the food I seriously appreciate Helen's has not one television. Can you imagine? Helen's is really one of Richmond finest dinner restaurants read more

Plain drinks, terrible bouncers. The staff did not seem trained at all. My friend was trapped inside and couldn't get out. I wanted to pay my tab but the people kicked us out because we were gay and enjoying our time. Apparently one of their workers walked through our group and caused a disturbance. Kicked out and waiting outdoors and waited 30 minutes for our friend to come outside. The bouncers antsgonized us and made sure we couldn't check on our friend. I feel very uncomfortable around this place. No answer on the phone, I'm really fed up with this restaurant. The customer service does not seem up to par. read more

A solid brunch bursting with not only great flavors and foods but also RVA hipster vibes. The coffee was below average for my taste, but the benedicts were on point. I ordered the Red Eye Benedict: two english muffins with a corned beef hash with a side of homefries. These homefries are SO good- they've got this curry seasoning that's really unique. The eggs were poached perfectly and the corned beef hash was saucy, very sleep inducing, and surprisingly and delightfully not that salty. I also had a taste of the VA benedict which has an incredible savory pork belly. The service was eh, but the delicious food makes up for it. read more

My dinner was during the restaurant week. A friend suggested we go here and enjoy the atmosphere. It's a neat little place that fills up very quickly. I chose the ricotta ravioli for the first course followed by the shrimp and grits. She had the cream cauliflower soup and the rockfish. Everything was delicious! Plus 2 glasses of wince each. I love the fact that it wasn't too loud and we could actually carry on a conversation without having to lean in and hope you were getting what your dinner guest was saying. Dessert was lavender and honey creme brule. Om My Goodness!!! That was divine. Would love to bring my husband here for a nice dinner, but since he used to work at Retreat... he has probably been here with out me. :( Dinner came to about $100.00 minus tip. read more

This restaurant has the best brunch I've eaten. The decor is authentic, retro (read, not hipster, trendy) and comfortable. The staff members are all friendly. The food is fresh and my only complaint is that I can't eat there everyday! read more