Stopped on the way south for a break from winter and was wowed by this little place. Great seafood, great bar, and great vibe. Describe your tastes and the bartender will invent something. Made to stop back two weeks later into the still-frozen North for another hit. The delicate Rappahanock oysters are my all time favorites. Delicate sauces didn't overwhelm fresh seafood and shellfish. First-class service from Kaitlyn - she's a luv. read more

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Another recommendation from a Richmond native while in RVA for a recent weekend, it was another hot new restaurant in town that had only been open for 2 months. A more casual oyster bar has also opened in DC at the new Union Market, but this is their full service restaurant. It was hopping on a Sunday night, so do make reservations. Also, until they find a way to streamline the system or finish working out the kinks, go to enjoy your company and don't have any plans within 2-2.5 hours of your reservation. Otherwise, you'll have a high chance of missing a 9:30pm movie at the Byrd Theatre even if your table is ready at 7:45pm. Or go early, before the kitchen has been backed up with orders. That being said, our waiter and the hostess were extremely friendly and the former was very apologetic - though we never brought it up nor complained how long things were taking. He was obviously also rather swamped. We just scrapped our plans and relaxed so that we could still enjoy our dinner. We put in for raw bar items right away, but ended up receiving the tuna crudo first - an hour later. Though I've gotten pretty bored with raw tuna preparations, the ingredients still lured us to order it (Castelvetrano olives, preserved lemon, radish, Calabrian chiles). While fresh, it lacked any oomph of something special. At the same time, the ingredients didn't overwhelm the subtle flavor of the fish, either, so perhaps it's my fault for ordering it. For the 4 thin slices and the price, I prefer Japanese preparations and wouldn't order it again. We ordered a sampler of each oyster available that day (Rappahannock River, Witch Duck, and Olde Salt) as well as the Olde Salt clams from the raw bar. While I've seen and had Rappahannock Rivers at other restaurants in DC, they certainly didn't taste as fresh as these did. They were pleasingly mild and balanced. Better yet, the Witch Ducks were both briny and sweet, and the Olde Salts were bright and the most briny of all. I really liked the latter two, and definitely will make the trip to the oyster bar in DC just for them. The Olde Salt clams were tender yet with a firm bite, and super briny as well. They almost were on the iodine side of briny, though, because they were so pungent...and I'm not sure if I liked them despite it or not. The Olde Salt clams were also available as a larger entree dish - steamed, with housemade pancetta, fino sherry, lacinato kale, toasted barley, marcona almonds, and grilled bread. The Olde Salts were better steamed (I usually slightly prefer raw), but the alcohol flavor was a touch too strong, overpowering the other elements of the dish. Admittedly, this happens often when I steam and cook clams as well, so I've proven I can easily re-create the execution of this dish at home. Other than the oysters, my favorite dish had to be the grilled Outer Banks (NC) shrimp with green olive aioli, pickled kohlrabi, and arugula. OBX shrimp, along with sweet shrimp/botan ebi/spot prawn, are my favorite shrimp in the world. These were a touch past perfectly cooked, but man, they were still delicious. Lovely grilled flavor, beautiful char. I even ate parts of the crispy flavorful shell and legs (and dug out the sweet, delicate contents of the head). The green olive in the aioli was likely Castelveltrano again, which is very mild - almost like a ripe black olive. And the acidity of the kolhrabi and arugula was spot on. Still a bit hungry, we split a dessert - the buttermilk panna cotta with a berry sauce (raspberry? if I recall correctly) and citrus segments/zest. It was tangy, yet sweet, and delicate, with only a scattering of vanilla bean throughout. Also awesome. Despite some of the misses and the long wait for food to arrive, I still would come back - but probably for a light meal with drinks during happy hour or something. Those oysters and that shrimp really are that good. Though...I would also be tempted to try the whole grilled fish that I saw arrive at the table next to us. It looked amazing. read more

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It has definitely been a minute since my last post, apologies yelp, I was out of the country these past few weeks but now am back and ready to write. You don't really care about that so Rappahannock....real dope oysters! The olde salts are definitely a must, they have one for every oyster lover whether you like yours alittle more salty, subtle or paired with something flavorful that will go with your cocktail/wine. The craft cocktails here are pretty good and if your not sure what you want, the bartenders here will take care of you and make you something based on what you like (liquor). Ambience was casual, nice spot for a date or hangout with friends. Everyone seems like they enjoy drinking here so prepare yourself to have a great time. Huge bar if you want to sit there, there always busy it seems so haven't snagged a table yet but seems like some bit of a wait. Street parking, better to walk if your close by. Otherwise, street parking wasn't too bad! read more

Wowow ok shot to the top as one of my favorite RVA places to eat Got an assortment of oysters, all delicious and fresh. Really hit the spot. Forget which were my favorite oops. Entrees. I tried some of everyone's and would seriously order any of them. Not to mention there were another 4-5 on the menu that I wanted myself. The paella was really good. Not traditional paella, but delicious and full of seafood and flavor. The scallops were delicious, and the lamb ravioli it came with was insanely good. Also tried a pan seared fish which was soo good and I usually avoid ordering fish out (just a personal preference - usually something I want more on the menu) My only negative about the place is the amount of smoke that churns out of the open kitchen. My eyes were watering at one point and my clothes were stained with the smell after. read more

The happy hour oysters were such a good deal. I don't know much about oysters, but I do know that I especially enjoyed the briny Olde Salts. Their bodies may be small compared to others, but only to intensify their flavor is a smaller amount of volume. The restaurant is gorgeous, and the servers were kind. read more

Rappahannock - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

After an extremely long flight into RIC airport, I stopped in for something to eat. The place was packed, it was a Friday night so it was expected. The wait for a table was long, but the bar had available seats so we just sat there. The bar is very roomy and you will not feel cramped if you decide to eat your meal there. I was actually glad we sat at the bar because we got to interact with one of their bartenders, Luke. He was eccentric and knowledgeable, kept us entertained during our dinner. I asked for a cocktail suggestion, I like trying what a place is known for and he suggested the Undaunted Courage. This a gin based drink and I do not typically like gin, but it was fantastic. So good I had two. We started out with a dozen oysters, 4 of each kind, if you like raw oysters then this is going to hit the spot. They do not have a wide variety like East Coast Provisions, but what they do have is excellent. For my main course, I had the Seafood Paella and my husband had the Pork Chop. They were both amazing. A good pork chop is hard to pull off, but this is perhaps one of the best in Richmond. For dessert we had the apple cobbler ala mode. They have multiple ice creams for you to pick from so it will take you a minute to decide. Everything here is amazing, from the service, to the cocktails, and especially the food. read more

The Setup: the restaurant has a rustic barn theme. It's not a large restaurant so I imagine it gets crowded quickly. I don't think the restaurant has central air because it was hotter inside the restaurant than it was outside. The Service: I wasn't impressed with the service at all. God bless our server Jason because I swear he was the only server covering tables that night. I wasn't bothered by his slowness bc he was being pulled in various directions all at once. I was however bothered by the amount of time we had to wait for our food. It took way to long for the raw oysters to arrive and even longer for the food to arrive especially since it wasn't crowded. I blame the kitchen bc the food arrived hot which means it wasn't sitting around waiting for busy Jason to pick it up. The kitchen was just slow! The Food: Wasn't worth the wait. The raw oysters were strangely bland. The baked oysters got rave reviews from my friends. I had the octopus dish which was just ok. I think the octopus was overcooked. A friend of mine had the paella and that was very flavorful. Another friend had scallops that she said were pretty good. They charge $4 for what should be complementary bread which I have never seen before and I live in the DC area! Overall it was just an ok experience and when I'm in the Richmond area again, I'll go elsewhere for dinner. read more

If this review was based solely on their Oysters it would be rated a 5, but when I factor in service and the other items we ate, Rappahannock is a solid 3 1/2 star restaurant in my eyes. Along w/ our Oysters we had the pork & pickles charcuterie. This is my go to at any restaurants I absolutely love a good charcuterie plate. This was probably the worst charcuterie I've had to date unfortunately. That evenings selection was blood sausage & some sort of a pate. The blood sausage was very sweet, not what I am used to or expected. I had hoped that the accompaniments that came w/ the charcuterie would help to compliment both of the sausage offerings. The accompaniments were good on their own but not together w/ the sausage/pate as they normally should be. They had a special that evening that wasn't on the menu it was grilled country bread then spread w/ a delicious English pea puree, topped w/ in house smoked salmon & a salad of baby greens tossed in a vinegrette. It was excellent, although the bread was charred just a little too much & there was red onion mixed in w/ the baby greens (I'm allergic) I wish our waitress would have mentioned that when she explained the dish to us. I ended up picking around the best I could. Speaking of our waitress she wasn't the greatest. We came later in the evening 9pm so they weren't overly crowded but she acted incredibly rushed the entire time we dined. We asked questions about the oyster selection & beer selection she seemed irritated that she had to take the time to answer them. Also when we asked about one of their craft beer selection Stone Enjoy By (which if you drink craft beer will know you are meant to drink the beer by that date similar to a sell by date in stores... hence the name) rather than check to make sure that it wasn't the expired Enjoy By July 4th beer she said "oh no if its past the enjoy by date we don't serve it" Needless to say we weren't surprised to find out that it in deed was the expired one. read more

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Great water side oyster bar with wonderful outside covered seating. Portions are a tad small even on their large portion selection on menu however, the taste offsets this deficiency! Highly recommended read more

Rappahannock - Menu - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Girls night out and Craving seafood. We met up at Rappahannock Restaurant. The decor is warm and inviting. The service was outstanding. Ordered claims and bread. They were delicious. I ordered octopus which was grilled to perfection. The dessert was good. We were undecided about coffee so we got a sample. The coffee was delicious so we ordered a cup. The service is above average. The hostess saw we were eyeing the dessert order by the next table and bought over a dessert menu. The hostess asked how was the dessert. I will definitely return to Rappahannock. read more

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Been on my list of places to go to since i moved to RVA in March - great service - great drinks - great food. I only had drink and ceviche (was different than ever i have had with beets - but was amazing. I especially like that the bartenders will do a "bartenders choice" drink if you just tell them what you like - and it was a knock out! Looking forward to returning and eating more! read more

Rappahannock - ceviche - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I'm a fan of Rappahannock. I love the raw oysters and could sit here all day eating them. The sampler suggested by the bartenders is the route I normally go. If you do this, make sure to start with least briny of the oysters and then make your way around to the most salty...otherwise, your palate might have difficulty adjusting. My friends had the cobia ceviche and a few main dishes. The mains were good, but the appetizers really stood out. The restaurant itself isn't large and can get quite loud when full. Also, its proximity to the Centerstage Complex helps pack in the restaurant before and after shows, so take that into consideration. On street parking is the only option and because of its downtown location, parking can be difficult especially during the evening rush hour. That being said, this place is great. read more

Rappahannock - Cobia Ceviche - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Loved Rappahannock, RRO's third installment. The oysters are awesome as usual and are of course still the signature. Try them topped with caviar here... To die for! All of the small plates and entrees we had were excellent as well. The clams, scallops and the gazpacho were a few group favorites! read more

Rappahannock - The clam entree - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Higher end seafood joint. What the menu lacks in variety it makes up in service and atmosphere. The bar area was alive with action but not too distracting or anything that makes dining at a table less than desirable. Had the smoked yellowtail and was not disappointed. The emperor rice was delicious and a new one for me. Wish they had a surf n turf option but for the diehard seafood lover, you'll find something you like. read more

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This restaurant has a very nice industrial style, very clean and the staff was friendly. The drinks and oysters were great. The food, in my opinion, was slightly pricey and average for what I received. I ordered the wood fired steak and the wood fired tuna entree's. The wood fired steak was a hanger that was supposed to be medium rare but it came out very rare. The steak was under seasoned and there was only 3 small slices of beef. The best thing about the dish was the tiny side salad, but the purée was bland, definitely not worth 32 dollars. The wood fired Tuna was very good. Seasoned perfectly and cooked to a perfect medium. The side salad and purée were delicious. The serving size of the tuna was good and at 32 dollars, I would definitely recommend the Tuna entree. I gave this restaurant a 3 out of 5 rating because of the prices and the underwhelming steak entree. I'd recommend only ordering seafood here. Other than that the restaurant was pretty good. read more

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Went here for the first time recently. The oysters were delicious -- we had raw and baked. My cocktail (a cosmopolitan) was very good but pricey at $11. I got the seafood paella as my entree and I was very disappointed, especially for the $32 price. The meager clams and mussels were tiny -- the meat was butterbean size. The couple of shrimp were large but overcooked. The sauce was bland with some flavors I couldn't identify. The sausage was chorizo (I think) but it was a very weird texture, like it had been puffed up somehow. They got it right with the rice -- it was flavorful and crusty. A couple of my companions got the steak and they raved about it. I wish I had gone that route. No bread was served with the meal. All of us there would have liked some. For the money, my meal was poor. But if you're going for the oysters or steak, you'll be satisfied. read more

I will not try to Rap pahannock, but instead will sing its praises.... Thoroughly enjoyed my meal here. For a seafood place in the heart of Richmond, it was great. Good selection of items on the menu for one page only, very decent wine selections (most bottles were under $40) and a good cocktail selection. I like my craft cocktails and looking at all the simple syrups and the bar, I expected a better selection. Almost all cocktails were direct from a book (i.e. Negroni, Sazerac, Old Fashioned) so I was disappointed that there wasn't something more original. Three selection of fresh oysters, that were delicious, but again maybe getting a Kumamoto or a Kushi on the menu could've pushed me to give this establishment a five star. It wasn't mentioned on the menu, but I'm pretty sure that they strive to get their food from a sustainable source and keep the quality high, so getting something shipped from either coast would be considered wasteful. My table shared the Rappahannock oysters and pearls (yummy although there was a bit too much lemon shaved ice, I like to taste the oysters) and we had an amazing grilled octopus with red pepper puree. Scallops for her (with pancetta square on top Mmmmmm) and I had the Olde Salt Clams. My plate's star was actually the Merguez stuffed squid, as that's the more prominent taste on the table, and Matt our. friendly waiter was the first to tell me that. Last but not least, we had a scrumpdiddlyumptious seasonal cobble (apple!), cooked in an adorable little stainless steel skillet, that I wanted to put in my girlfriend's purse to take home. All in all a great place, more on the pricier side. Casual atmosphere, nice decor, great food. If you're craving local seafood prepared in a great fashion, come here! read more

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Recommendation: Make a reservation beforehand, the place gets packed. We made the the mistake of walking in and were initially told the wait would be about an hour. They then suggested being seated at Rapp Session (more casual menu, less entrees), with the wait time increasing now to two hours. Thankfully, there were seats available at the bar. Bar service was good. They make delicious mules. Food comes out quickly as well. We ordered the oysters and caviar with the wood-smoked fish. Best oysters I've ever had and the caviar just amplified the delicious of the oyster ten-fold. The fish was fresh, fragrant, and tender. Looking forward to trying other entrees on the menu. read more

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One of my favorite places in Richmond. If you enjoy oysters and an upscale experience that isn't pretentious this is it. The menu offers something for everyone and you will not be disappointed. Go for the fish en papillote and you will be glad you chose it. Perfect dish to share with someone along with a couple dozen oysters. read more

Went there twice for happy hour for the half-prices oyster on half. Very fresh and delicious! We loved tried the paella ( one of the best I have had in RVa!) and the grilled octopus on the regular menus. The dishes are good, but pricy given the small portion. read more

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Overall - This place sux .. decent food but crappy management and average food at top prices - go somewhere else and don't waste your money. read more

Rappahannock - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

All I can say is wow! Not a surprise that it is always packed. Extremely well-prepared well-seasoned dishes where the raw ingredients are the star. You can never go wrong with the oysters on the half shell. Grilled octopus so tender and flavorful with just the right amount of char to make it crispy. Nudi with rabbit ragu -- oh my oh my. Pan fried mahi mahi. And of course the drinks. Servers were attentive without being overbearing. Well worth the $$$. Treat yourself and your loved one... you deserve this experience. read more

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Great atmosphere for dinner. Casual and but classy. Good food. Looked online at the menu but it was old menu. Let the menu surprise you and shoot from the pallet. It will surprise you. I just needed some oysters today and this was perfect. read more

Rappahannock - Center of restaurant - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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So much hype and I finally made it to Rappahannock. Overall, this should be a 3 1/2 star but that is not a choice here. Definitely not a 4 star. The restaurant was extremely warm; over 80°. Cocktails were not memorable and small for the $12 cost. Oysters were very good, but at $2.25 a pop, they were quite pricey. Service was very slow and forgetful. Entrées were very good; skimpy on the greens and protein. Desserts were good, but not extraordinary. Small portions for the price. Too many great choices here to rush back. read more

My boyfriend and I were here for lunch on Friday afternoon. We were seated by a host who was clearly put out by having to walk us to a table. We ordered baked oysters - 6 total; one was smaller than a dime!! We pointed it out to the waiter and he just said that sometimes that happens and walked away. The owners of Rapahannock Seafood should be ashamed to serve something like that. Not coming back. read more

Rappahannock - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I've been here twice in the past year. I am from out of town. The service has always been amazing. I've sat at the bar each time. The bar staff is always engaging and willing to recommend other great spots in the area. The oysters are top notch. The cocktails are what you would expect from a high end cocktail lounge. I highly recommend and hope to have the opportunity to return in the future. read more

I went into Rappahannock alone last night to have a quick glass of wine before the ballet. I walked up to where there were several empty seats at the bar and was about to sit down when a large woman ran up to me and asked if I had a reservation. I told her I only wanted a drink at the bar. She said in as nasty a voice as I've ever heard "we aren't doing that tonight". You need a reservation for the fifteen minutes it takes to order, drink and pay for an over priced glass of wine? I left and will never be back. There are plenty of restaurants on Grace Street that are more than happy to accommodate walk ins at the bar. I would recommend avoiding this place unless you like snotty, pretentiousness. read more

So my first ever venture of trying oysters in my life was here at rappahannock and i have been back here multiple times since then. Oysters were great and drinks are spectacular! I had the corps of discovery and it was super! read more

Rappahannock - Rappahannock Oysters - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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What a disappointment this place was. We joined another couple who recommended this restaurant for a pre-concert (State Theater) dinner on a Tuesday night. Our friends made the reservations and the restaurant was more than half empty when we arrived...yet they still sat us at the very last table next to the rest rooms. First a few positives... great decor, convenient location and no problem finding on-street parking after 6 pm. Unfortunately that's about it. I ordered an over-priced beer ($9/pint) from the bar and my wife ordered a cocktail while we waited for our friends. When those friends arrived, they moved our table closer away from the rest rooms. My friend told our waiter he'd have what I was having...but when his beer arrived they told us it was a different brand since the one I ordered had tapped out last week. So, I was drinking something I hadn't ordered and wouldn't have known otherwise. No apologies. The wives ordered oyster appetizers...they were OK, but nothing special, though the presentation was nice. My buddy and I ordered the crab fettuccine but both of us commented on not being able to find or taste any crab meat and the portions were half of a size I would have expected. The server swore the crab was in there somewhere. The menu- which is the first one I've ever had trouble reading because the print was so small- said bread came with our dinners but our server advised us they "ran out of bread" (at 7 pm??). Maybe it just wasn't their night. Our wives enjoyed their meals... so that's a plus. Still...when the bill arrived ($192 for the four of us with just one drink each)... this restaurant gets my vote for least bang for the buck I've ever experienced. read more

Love, love, love this place. Especially their oyster happy hour! They always offer a great variety of food and drinks. And the customer service is great. We always bring visiting friends here for a good time and good eat! read more

My favorite for a seafood date night in RVA. Great food, exceptional service, and an awesome bar. Get some oysters, a wood grilled seafood entry, and trust the bartenders with your cocktail. It will be a good night. Can't wait until we all reopen to visit again. read more

Awesome establishment. Great food and service. I need to figure out how to grill octopus. The oysters on the half had a watermelon sorbet with trout caviar. Complex flavors-fun presentation read more

Rappahannock - Yummy oysters, watermelon and trout caviar - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Rappahanock is one of my favorite spots for craft cocktails in Richmond. They have an ever changing menu with talented bartenders who can also craft you something special based on your personal tastes. At my most recent visit I tried the rusty revolver. A slightly sweet bourbon based drink with tributes to an old fashioned. I'd recommend pairing your drinks with some oysters, we usually get a few of each: the olde salts, and the more milder rappahanock river oysters. The atmosphere is great with a large square bar, able to seat numerous groups. read more

Rappahannock - Rosemary's Baby, Rusty Revolver, and the Sloe Death - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

It's so obvious that no one working there gave a crap. Got a dozen clams and baked oysters for apps, the oysters came out a full ten minutes after the dozen, that's sloppy. The baked oysters were dull dull dull and underseasoned. Wood grilled tuna was dry and underseasoned with plain boring rice, which was a shame because it was a nice piece of fish. Only interesting part of the dish was the pickled grapes. I had the wood grilled scallops, which were good and well seasoned and the succotash had a nice sweetness. Solid b plus but at A plus prices . Just an overall lack of attention and caring in both cooking and service. 7.21.17 read more

Fantastic oysters with pepper shallot sauce on the side. Perfectly seared scallops. Great beer list and an incredibly friendly female bartender who gave me tips for other spots to try on my brief visit to Richmond. Loved it! read more

Rappahannock - The bar - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Great food! Lovely service! Fabulous experience! If I lived in Richmond, I'd make it a weekly destination.

Really good place. It's located downtown, was a quick walk from the Richmond Marriott. Nice bar, friendly service. Awesome Oysters. Worth the trip. read more

A delicious spot with attentive and knowledgeable service. I ate here twice this week. Tonight was a selection of oysters followed by a perfectly charred skin-on Steelhead filet over tiny roasted root vegetables and charred peppers. I thought the portions were generous. Earlier this week I ate with a large group and tried the scallops, oxtail and fresh noodles and most of the small plates and desserts. All were delicious. read more

Rappahannock - Steelhead filet over root vegetables and roasted peppers. - Bars Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Everything about Rappahannock was top notch. After a small wait to make a reservation they were all over the service. We arrived and were seated immediately and the server was right there. He had great recommendations and they were ALL on point. Scallops, Monk Fish, and Pan Seared Fish of the day were all in the BEST category. Caesar salad was among the best any of us have ever had. GREAT Easter dinner!! read more

Went here for a bday dinner with the bf. I had heard a lot about Rappahannock and I was excited to have an excuse to treat myself. We started the meal with a couple of cocktails and a dozen oysters. They had 3 varieties they were offering that evening- Not an oyster expert? Don't worry the staff will explain it to you. We tried the York and Olde Salt oysters -6 of each. Both were delicious!!! Definitely get oysters. If you go for happy hour, I heard the oysters are $1 a piece. Not sure about the happy hour details but I plan to look into it. I had the paella and I enjoyed my meal, but as a whole, I think that it wasn't quite worth the cost. Maybe best to stick to happy hour drinks and oysters. They also use Sub Rosa bread that is so perfectly chewy and salty- a must for a few dollars when you go. read more