Alewife — Restaurant in Richmond

Located on the corner in an unassuming Richmond neighborhood. Parking options are within the residential area and I had no issue finding a place to park within walking distance. The neighboring eateries and residents share the parking but just respect the restricted areas.

Reservations are recommended and help ensure you'll have a table when you visit. Small farm to table style concept menu and restaurant that has mixologists that know what they are doing when creating drinks. This is important to ensure the ratio of ingredients deliver a quality product.

I enjoyed the appetizers and our host was very detailed in each of the options. This made it easy to decide what to order. They have a modified habanero (mild heat profile) pepper stuffed with squid that I enjoyed very much. Similar to a tapas style of dining, it's encouraged to share to experience more of the menu options. Since items are made to order, allow some patience and overall, the wait wasn't bad at all.

The bathroom was so clean. This is a plus when dining out and I really appreciate the owners and management ensuring the cleanliness of the establishment is consistent throughout. There is some bar seating and tables that accommodate 2, 4 and larger parties. Larger gatherings should absolutely coordinate beforehand to ensure they're ready for you.

There is a dynamic menu so when you're reviewing the photos online, it could be seasonal items or something the chef is doing for a limited time. My option was the fried chicken that came with dill potato salad. You can tell that the chicken had been brined. It was tender, flavorful and had a golden brown appearance. I chose right with this one and would recommend it to others.

If you are celebrating any life events, the host is attentive in acknowledging these details. This goes a long way for customer service and contributes to the warm, inclusive environment for its employees and guests. I did not experience any hidden gratuities or surcharges like many places are doing as of late. However, the visit was so positive that tipping was warranted.

A hidden gem that I hope you'll enjoy as...

This restaurant was in a cute area with street parking. The restaurant was great at accommodating us early on a thursday. There is some outdoor seating. The ambience is nice with small tables, a bar, openish kitchen, and tiling/mirrors. The bathroom even has cloth towels rather than paper with a towel hamper right near the bathroom door so you can handle the door with the towel and not need to touch the knob with your hands on the way out! The one aspect of the environment I did not like was the noise. It was very loud inside. The restaurant had added sound absorber panels hanging from sealing and some stuff under tables but it was not enough. Perhaps the restaurant may want to replace the wall of mirrors with neutral modern tapestries that absorb sound. My friend and I each had a drink and an entree. I enjoyed trying the dry pineapple tonic soda that the restaurant made because it stayed cool and bubbly through my dinner. My friend selected a wine. I had the scallops that we’re absolutely delicious with a beautiful sear and caramelization. As I ate my meal I felt like there were more peppers than eggplant and finished my meal with room for more food or maybe a starch like rice or potatoes to soak up the dashi that was left in my bowl. The branzino was whole fish and had a beautiful fried rice. Our server was very helpful and patient as we looked at the menu and attentive about filling water. I appreciated the...

So, id like to start with the lady who took my phone order at 930 just before they qere going to close......very nice, very considerate. I told her i was new to the city it was my first time and we had juat arrived in off of 95. We wanted to find something to eat but mostly everything but fast foods were closed. She answered and was so nice and helpful even giving me parking advice for when i got close to their restraunt 10/10 for her attitude nearing the end of her shift, absolutely pleasant and the only good experience. I asked if they had lobster that was a big no so i asked if they had any seafood on the menu, she recommended this file of salmon with shrimp and squid and rice and curry.. it sounded so great i didnt even consider asking how much and we were so hungry from our travels, my bill for two orders was over 70 dollars i thought wow thats crazy oh well must be either really good or a lot of food, incorrect on both ,the small strip of salmon was unsatisfying with the 3 shrimp and 2 pieces of squid mixed with half a cup of rice the taste was just curry with the smell of fish and squid nothing special or even worth what was paid..but i wasnt done paying yet,back on the road for the last 3 and half hours of driving and i barely hit town when my stomach could not handle what was in my stomach anymore, my advice stear clear of that item but def promote the lady that...