Floris at VMFA — Restaurant in Richmond

Lovely setting for afternoon tea. The menu changes seasonally and often coordinates with special exhibits at the museum. We were there when the menu had recently changed from being a riff on the Frida Kahlo exhibit to the Fall menu, which still had echos of the southwestern theme. Most of the items were very delicious, though some were a bit too vegetable-centric. The braised greens tart didn’t quite hit the mark for us. The dainty sandwiches and desserts were all visually appealing. I will definitely return as I would like to try some of their other seasonal tea menus. I have enjoyed specialty teahouses all over the world and this one rates pretty high up there on my personal lists of favorites, however there were a couple of things that lost a star in my rating.

1. We did not receive milk with our tea. We had to ask. And it took awhile to get our waitress’s attention, even though the restaurant was nearly empty.
2. The waitress was in a hurry to clear our table and removed the jam and butter even though we were still eating our scones.
3. The tables for two seemed a bit too crowded once the food and pots of tea were brought. It was a tight squeeze to fit everything (likely the reason for the aforementioned problem #2)

I know these aren’t major issues, definitely first world problems in the grand scheme of things, but minor details that detracted from an otherwise...

FLORIS is a wonderful addition to Richmond and to VMFA. From it's polished staff, to it's chicly soothing room, to it's delectable culinary offerings it succeeds on every level. Every bite of the three tiered high tea extravaganza was very special and worth caloric intake and price. Many twists and updates on traditional offerings here. The marmalades, purple sweet potato buns and pistachio choux pastries in particular are outstanding. Chef Chainey Kuykendall creates this all with great flair and apparently, all in house! I thoroughly enjoyed adventuring through Floris' caffeinated and herbal tea menu. We were treated with unstuffy professionalism and cordiality by all the staff. Maitre D in particular is excellent. Otherwise, the wait staff is lovely and still getting their groove down. (we visited only two days after they opened). The room is just redesigned and redecorated in shades of pink and aquamarine and is quite stunning. And what a treat to have the Pauley Center now open to the public like this. I recommend FLORIS...

Update to my original post below. I returned for a second visit for my sister's birthday. The food was stale with little flavor. I didn't eat much and didn't even bother to take the leftovers home as I usually do after tea. I will not be returning.

Finally had a chance to go to Floris for afternoon tea today. It was a lovely experience to celebrate my dear friend's birthday. The setting is beautiful, the service quite good and very friendly, and the tea selection excellent.

It was an extra treat to have unlimited tea, so we were able to each try two. And on this hot summer day, we especially enjoyed an herbal iced tea selection.

I had one hot with the assortment of tea sandwich, scones, and sweets. I later had an iced tea after we ate.

I was however a bit disappointed with the food. While I appreciated the Asian theme, to accompany the superb Samurai exhibit, I was disappointed with the overall lack of flavor.

Still, the presentation was spot on, and I look forward to trying Floris again with my...