We Love RVA
Richmond holds such a special place in our hearts. It is a place where we grew as people, made cherished friendships, and fell in love with each other. RVA will always be a place we come back to and we hope you will too.
Our perfect weekend in RVA could include some or all of the following…
CULTURE / NATURE
We love spending time at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and have been members for many years. We even had our second date here. Alex invited Jake to the museum to view the art; Jake thought we were going to the museum’s garden cocktail hour. A classic mix-up. Great place to see art or just enjoy the weather in their garden / park.
Other museums we recommend:
Virginia Museum of History and Culture
VCU’s Institute for Contemporary Art
The Valentine Museum (Richmond History) (Alex volunteered here in college)
The Edgar Allen Poe Museum (for all the Raven’s Fans)
Richmond’s greatest asset is the beautiful James River running through the middle of it. Enjoy the water from Brown’s Island and learn more about Richmond’s history while taking in the beautiful views of the river rapids. If you cross the T Pott walking bridge, you can walk along the flood walls or nature trails along the southside of the River. If you arrive on Friday, see what band is playing for Friday Cheers. Some of the biggest up-and-coming artists play here (Chappell Roan came in 2024!) and it’s a fantastic way to spend an evening. Tickets are normally between $10-$15 with beer / wine & food trucks on the island.
For those who love being on the water, book a kayak or rafting tour.
If you’re in the mood for a new book, visit Fountain Books or Shelf Life Books.
BREAKFAST / BRUNCH / LUNCH
Blanchard’s is our favorite local coffeeshop. They have three locations
Sugar&Twine is a great place to get a pastry, sandwich, and coffee
Sub Rosa is the best bakery in town, no debate (unfortunately they recently had a fire and might still be closed - check their website)
Idle Hands is another good pastry shop.
Joe’s Inn or Helen’s are also Richmond staples for brunch (really all meals)
CanCan is a Richmond institution with a great brunch
Stanley’s is a MUST — their drool-worthy cheesesteaks are incredible and don’t miss the wedge salad. They also have tomato pie and veggie options if beef / chicken isn’t your thing. This is our FAVORITE dive bar / sandwich shop. This was our first stop after Jake popped the question (see photo here)
Perly’s is a great sit-down Jewish deli. There’s almost always a line but it is worth it if you have time to wait!
Some other great fast casual lunch options are Roots Natural Kitchen, Cochiloco Tacos, & Stella’s Grocery
Stanley’s (our favorite dive bar and sandwich restaurant) after the proposal!
Helen’s
Sub Rosa
Blanchard’s Coffee Shop
Perly’s
DINNER
Sabai: Thai food and fun cocktails. The Painkiller and Panang Curry is Alex’s order. Old Fashioned and Kao Soi Gai for Jake. Sometimes we share the Kao Pad Sapparot (Pineapple Fried Rice) as a starter!
FanBoy: Asian Fusion and inventive cocktails. Very chic, very small, you need a reservation. Get the Tikka Masala dip if they have it.
Penny’s RVA: Natural wine shop serving elevated southern dishes within walking distance of Common House
Gersi: Classic Italian food, we recommend the Limone Spaghetti
The Stables: American Cuisine, where we had our second date and where we had dinner the night we got engaged. The waitress during our second date said, “I’ve got a good feeling about this.”
Conejo: Mexican restaurant with great cocktails and food. Jake helped design the space!
Tazza Kitchen: Great for families, very large menu that can accommodate dietary restrictions easily.
Pizza Bones: Casual pizza place with outside seating and a great wine list. Good for kids.
Celladora: Another wine shop, with a small menu that changes regularly. Phenomenal! Need Reservations!
Wood & Iron Scott’s Addition: Large sports bar with great food
ZZQ: Some of the best BBQ in the south. They are only open 11a-6p though and normally run out
Sabai (Thai)
Conejo
FanBoy
Tazza Kitchen
Pizza Bones
Wood & Iron
Cochiloco
ZZQ
Breweries
Richmond is famous for its craft breweries. Here are a few of our favorites and one that Jake designed…
Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop: Jake designed this one! They’ve been around in VA since 1998 and opened this Richmond location in 2019 with one of the first roof top bars in Scott’s Addition
The Veil: really great beers (award winning) and cool vibe. There’s a location in Scott’s Addition and one in Forest Hill - both are equally cool though the tacos at the Forest Hill location are better than the food at the Scott’s Addition location
Hardywood: This is Richmond’s OG brewery. They have two locations which are very different but equally as fun. The Ownby Lane location is the original location but has seen a few renovations and has a great outdoor space. The West Creek location is tucked back in the woods and is a grand hall with a ton of outdoor space
Brambly Park: Beer, Wine, Food, Outdoor Park within Scott’s Addition. They normally have live music and it backs up to the train tracks so you might see some trains go by depending on the timing.
Ardent Craft Ales: One of the first Scott’s Addition breweries. Really great beer and have a great Burger spot attached to it. Good outdoor space too
Bingo Beer Co: Fun brewery with cocktails as well. They have arcade games in there too so good for kids to play. Can get pretty loud and turns into a club at night. Nice patio too
Buskey Cider: For the Cider lovers this is a great spot as a beer alternative.
Starr Hill
Hardywood - Ownby Lane
Hardywood - West Creek
The Veil
Brambly Park
Ardent Craft Ales
Bingo Beer Co
Buskey Cider