Brazen — Restaurant in Richmond

We showed up at that awkward in-between hour—brunch had just wrapped, dinner was barely stretching its legs, and we were the lone couple in the room. (Nothing says “power diners” like eating in an empty restaurant.) To their credit, we overheard the staff mention brunch had been sold out earlier, so clearly, timing was the issue—not popularity.

After a round of drinks to make the silence less obvious, we dove into the menu and started strong with the short rib appetizer. For mains, we toured different sections of the menu and went with the boeuf bourguignon handheld and the stuffed quail.

The short rib? A masterpiece. Melt-in-your-mouth tender, perfectly paired with a crisp polenta cake, and swimming in a sauce I would unapologetically drink straight from the plate. The boeuf bourguignon sandwich, however, didn’t quite pack the punch I wanted—the flavors were there, but the meat didn’t sing solo. The Brussels sprouts stole the show: charred, crispy, and kissed with just enough balsamic sweetness to make me consider ordering a side plate of them.

The quail? Gorgeous. Juicy, flavorful, and wrapped in a cherry reduction that made me feel fancier than I am. The herb-heavy stuffing was slightly overenthusiastic—think more “holiday potluck” than “Michelin finesse.” Potato aligot? Let’s just say it was more “mashed potato in a nice dress” than the dreamy, stretchy magic I expected. Broccolini, though? Chef’s kiss.

As for the location—let’s just say it’s tucked in a neighborhood so residential, I half expected to leave with someone’s...

Update: the manager reached out and wants us to give them another try in which we agreed. We look forward to giving them another chance next time we are in town. And will update this review as well

Terrible service but good food. We made a reservation for 7:30pm and got there right on time. They did not have a table available so they asked if we could sit at the bar until one became available. We agreed and we watched not one, but two tables become available and given to other couples… finally we spoke up and said something and the manager said oh yeah someone else gave them the table… meanwhile we had been siting at the bar for 45 minutes, no food given or even the appetizer we ordered. Finally it happened again as a table was open so we asked if we could sit there and the manager allowed it. Why would you give two of the other open tables to other guests and not us? We sat at the bar for an entire hour with no appetizer brought out let alone our food. Finally at 8:45 we sat at a table that we had to request. Over an hour after our reservation. It made the entire experience sour and just unprofessional. It would be one thing if y’all were packed and no one was leaving but for tables to come open and you knowing we wanted a table was just not right. KEEP IN MIND WE LITERALLY HAD A RESERVATION. So just know with this place if you make a reservation it means nothing. You’ll sit at the bar and wait over an hour for an appetizer and your table will be...

First time visiting Brazen tonight and we will certainly return. It has great atmosphere and the staff are friendly, welcoming and attentive. Watching the bartender mix drinks was a great show. Then the food arrived and we were thrilled. For an appetizer we got the Frog in a Boat. The bread is made daily, the egg was cooked perfectly and the honey butter was amazing. For entrees I got the Miss Piggy, and my wife got the Slow Braised Short Ribs and they were exceptional. The addition of apple to the Miss Piggy made it unique and different than any pulled pork sandwich I have had. The short ribs were tender and the risotto cooked perfectly. The portions were very generous. We finished the evening with the Death by Chocolate, and my only complaints was I did not order my own. Who can go wrong with chocolate and toffee together. What a great addition to the Richmond food scene. Looking forward to...