Lost Letter — Restaurant in Richmond

GM was welcoming and accommodating with our reservation when one guest was unable to attend last minute due to a sick child.

Bar/Mixed Drink: While waiting for our table (about 30 minutes beyond our set reservation time) ordered a vodka dirty martini. When deciding between two options of vodka and despite asking, I was not given any guidance on the difference between the house vodka and the Japanese vodka flavor profiles. I decided to try the Japanese vodka as something new to experience. I learned that this particular one has a sweeter flavor profile so would not recommend for a dirty martini.

App: Burrata app tasted great, interesting use of currants, honey and cheese into a spread. Really enjoyed the flavor palette for a starter. Portion was good for two to share. Downside was that it was only served with 3 small crostinis, which were burnt. Even if the crostinis had not been burnt, given the large portion of Burrata, there was not enough bread to finish the app so we had to buy an additional order of bread.

Wine: By the glass selection was good. Was able to taste two before committing. Nothing exquisite available by the glass unless you wanted to spend $50/glass. Would be interested in the $50/glass option or a bottle in the future.

Entree: My friend and I both had the halibut (Pesce Arrostito), which was great. Really enjoyed the flavor profile with the fennel sausage and black rice. No complaints, would order again.

Dessert: Tiramisu was heavy on the cream and not particularly coffee flavored nor sweetened. Would not recommend if you are looking for the traditional version of this dessert.

Service: Slightly pretentious vibe from the bar and wait staff. I would have been “ok” with it, but ultimately felt like it was unwarranted for the level of service. 1) Our leftovers were placed in the same bag. When we attempted to divide up the to-go boxes in the bag after we left the restaurant, we discovered that our entrees had also been combined into the same box. I would never expect my entree to be combined in the same box with anyone else’s when packaging it to-go, but I would especially expect a fine dining restaurant such as this to know better. 2) For an elevated restaurant bar, I would also expect the bar staff to have an intimate knowledge of everything they are serving and be able to give me guidance on the drink I am choosing. That was not the case given the limited knowledge of the Japanese vodka and the poor outcome of the dirty martini.

Atmosphere: Was a fun, elevated, moody vibe with a pretty outdoor garden. I sat on a wooden bench against a hard wall several inches higher than my friend’s chair across the table. I would have enjoyed a cushioned seat with more back support closer to the same height as the chair across from me. The outdoor space appeared that it could accommodate the additional seating. I did enjoy being outdoors and how the garden was lit up as well as the beautiful greenery.

Value for the Price: We spent $255 for a shared app, 2 entrees, shared dessert, 1 mixed drink each, 2 glasses of wine each. The alcohol definitely made this meal super expensive, but the app ended up being almost as expensive as an individual entree. Price tag did not match overall value...

But for Google we might not have found the plain, unmarked door, but stepping inside is like entering an oasis. After a drink at the bar (we had a reservation but it was so beautiful, we asked to sit on the patio on arrival and they needed a moment to arrange it), we were shown out to the lovely patio area. Neatly walled off from the outside and with a roof to prevent the weather from ruining your meal, it's a pleasantly peaceful space - well lit even after sundown and spaciously arranged. The menu is reasonably brief but still difficult to choose from, and we finally settled on two antipasti and two 'pasta' dishes (the risotto lives in the same section) after we were advised they were perfectly entree sized.

The burrata and beef tartare were delicious, especially the former with its blood orange, hazelnuts, and what I believe were slivers of fennel. I will confess a note of puzzlement, since neither appeared to come with its own bread (we ordered bread and olive oil separately) as if one were expected to eat it with a spoon- the potato listed as a tartare ingredient was definitely delicate crispy crumbs, not crisps as I expected. A second plate of bread was provided (and extra olive oil, though this was honestly wasted) without delay on request though.

The mushroom risotto packs a heavy earthy punch. It's cooked well, and quite filling, perhaps heavier than might be expected. The Meyer lemon bucatini was a light, airy flavor, a touch sweet as opposed to savory, much like the citrus and burrata. I demolished it entirely, though I probably could have been satisfied with less than I did end up eating in total. Sensibly, I took the tiramisu home. It traveled well and was delicious once I had the space in my stomach to consume it.

All in all a beautiful experience, the only thing ordered that wasn't consumed was a milk punch- Do not be fooled by the list of ingredients, it is extremely sweet, but the staff replaced it for me without protest, and my corpse reviver was immaculate. We would absolutely go back, though the price point is to be taken seriously, it is not a place to go...

My partner and I went here for our anniversary on 7/9 and I have to say it's one of the best meals and experiences I've ever had. Our server, Chris, recommended a fantastic wine neither my partner nor I had ever heard of and we wound up ADORING it. (If they have it, try the txakolina!) From there, we got two appetizers, the vitallo tonnato and the pesce crudo. The vitello was lovely, but the the pesce crudo was positively divine. My partner said he thought they'd left out the tomato because there were no apparent tomatoes in the dish. Which was weird to me, because I tasted tomato in it. Turns out, it's made with tomato water which factors in later.

We then ordered two pasta dishes, one tajarin al ragu and one agnolotti pisello. Both were wonderful and cooked perfectly. But then the braised pork shank came out and that was just a master class in deliciousness. Somewhere during the course of the evening, my partner mentioned he couldn't have most cocktails because they're too high in sugar. Between that and both of us raving about how wonderful the crudo was, the host Sophie told us that the bar had a tomato gin and that some tomato water had been acquired from the kitchen if my partner would like a crafted tomato gin martini. This description will never do justice to the positively astonishingly good drink my partner was presented with. I didn't catch the bartender's name that night, but there were some fabulous suspenders involved, and exquisite skill in balancing the cocktail.

From start to finish, this was a warm, welcoming, delightful, fun, and astonishingly delicious dinner. Thank you, Lost Letter, for helping us have such a joyous...