Slack Tide Fish Co. — Restaurant in Richmond

We had been following the buzz around Slack Tide’s opening for weeks and were really excited to give it a try. The concept felt fresh, the menu looked promising, and the sneak peeks from the trial weekend were enticing. Since we live about 30 minutes outside the city, we often make a special trip into Richmond for a great meal and this one was meant to celebrate Father’s Day weekend.

I want to share this with the intention of being honest, balanced, and fair…not to discourage, but to offer insight from someone who truly hoped for a great experience.

We made our reservation on June 3rd, the first day bookings opened, securing a 5:00pm dinner for June 14th. I selected indoor dining intentionally because my husband prefers air conditioning in Virginia’s humid summers, and I have a medical condition that causes me to overheat quickly.

When we arrived early (around 4:48pm), the greeting was less than warm. Instead of a hello or welcome, we were asked, “Do you have a reservation?” I provided our name, and was told, somewhat in an unfriendly tone, “We’re in the lunch-to-dinner transition since your reservation is at 5.” The tone felt a bit off, and before we knew it, we were being led to an outdoor table.

I quickly pulled up my confirmation, which clearly stated “Dining Room.” I voiced my concern and showed the hostess our booking. Her response: “The dining room is fully booked tonight.” I asked if she was sure she had the right reservation, and she left to check. When she returned, she claimed our reservation had been changed to patio, something we absolutely did not do.

She then offered to seat us inside, but only for 90 minutes, since the table was booked again at 6:30. My husband, not wanting to feel rushed, declined. I expressed our disappointment and was met with, “We’re new and still working on things.” While I understand the growing pains of a new restaurant, being told we had changed our reservation when we hadn’t, felt dismissive and unnecessarily uncomfortable. Everyone has tough days, but first impressions matter, and hospitality starts at the door.

Thankfully, things took a turn once we were greeted by our waitress.

Maria B. was truly the saving grace of the evening. Warm, upbeat, and genuine, she set a much better tone and made us feel cared for. Right away, she let us know that they were out of oysters and smoked salmon rillette. It was a letdown, but she shared the news with grace and humor, making light of the post-opening rush.

She guided us through the menu with great suggestions. We tried the broken egg, spicy shrimp fritters, and trout churros to start. All delicious, though noticeably smaller than what’s pictured online (which felt a bit misleading for the “medium plate” designation). For mains, we had the beet & strawberry salad paired with the hanger steak, and the soft shell crab & andouille risotto. Again, the food was flavorful and nicely presented with the larger plates offering better value but pricing still felt steep compared to other spaces in RVA.

One unexpected gesture: a $28 comp on our drink order, likely tied to the earlier reservation mix-up, though no manager ever came by to acknowledge or discuss the issue. Had someone checked in personally, it would have gone a long way in showing accountability and hospitality.

All in all, Maria made the night what it was. Without her warmth and attentiveness, the experience would’ve felt like a miss. Thank you, Maria!

We’re open to giving Slack Tide another try down the road but we’ll likely give it some time to settle in and refine the full experience. We wish the absolute...

My first visit to Slack Tide was extremely promising. The room is beautiful, all stone and warm light, tucked into a little quasi-European nook in Scott's Addition that is a pleasure to walk through and to dine in. That first night I had lightly roasted oysters with potato foam and guanciale that were literally Michelin-star quality, and a salmon rillettes spread with fresh-baked focaccia that made me think I'd lucked into a true five-star seafood spot around the corner.

Since then, the wheels have come off. Slack Tide has the same problem a lot of Richmond restaurants have: an almost compulsive need to drown delicate seafood in diced chiles, chile oils, and chile powders. I told my server on two separate visits that I cannot have peppers or spice in any form. He proceeded to recommend dish after dish with Aleppo pepper, a guajillo-chile vinaigrette, and a rémoulade with creole seasoning (cayenne being part of that) and horseradish. I sent back two plates after being assured they were "safe," then gave up and ordered the smash burger, which predictably wrecked my stomach. On my third visit, with the same server, I made it impossible to miss: "treat this as a severe allergy; if anything with pepper gets near me it will send me to the hospital." He said he understood. I ordered a hamachi ceviche that, on the menu, listed cucumber and cantaloupe and nothing spicy. Our server cleared it as safe. It hit the table slicked with Aleppo-pepper oil and topped with what tasted like a ground pepper-and-nut jam. My wife took one bite and said, "That's hot." Only then did the server go "check with the kitchen." Why would anyone need to "check" after the dish is already on the table when I have said I will literally be injured by pepper? Utterly baffling.

Even setting the pepper fiasco aside, the food we could actually eat was, bluntly, disgusting. A dish that read like an oeuf en coquille: egg, jamón ibérico, trout roe, dill, "chip," arrived as stinky, hard-scrambled eggs sprinkled with roe and dill, spooned on top of packaged potato chips that were buried underneath and steaming into sogginess. Who thinks that is a good idea while sober? It was deeply aesthetically unpleasant, visually as well as in smell and taste. The fritto misto should have been simple pleasure; instead it was oil-logged rather than crisp, with a jalapeño garnish and an aggressively bitter lemon aioli. It tasted like the peel oils and pith had been expressed right into the sauce. One bite was enough.

The bar program has not rescued things. I have now tried three different cocktails here, and all three were unbalanced in the same clumsy way - sweetness and acid fighting each other, no structure, not pleasant to drink.

I wanted to love this place. The room is lovely. My first meal really was excellent. To their credit, the manager comped our check and invited us to return on his dime. If he is reading this: I would only consider coming back if there is a reset in the kitchen, starting with a chef who understands restraint and how to treat seafood with subtlety. Across Europe and the Mediterranean, people manage to cook pristine fish without setting it on fire with chile heat. It is not complicated. Let the ingredients speak. Until Slack Tide can manage that, I will...

We had a lovely evening at this restaurant. The staff was incredibly attentive, always checking in without being intrusive, and ensuring we were comfortable throughout our meal. While the menu was diverse and thoughtfully crafted, we did notice a lack of gluten-free options, but the server was quick to note our dietary preference and offered alternative dishes to accommodate. The wine list, while extensive, was somewhat limited in terms of variety and price points, with no bottles under $50, and most hovering around $70 to $80. Unfortunately, there were no tasting notes or descriptions of the wines beyond their regions, which made choosing a wine a bit more challenging. We were recommended an expensive bottle, though our server didn’t inquire about our budget or wine preferences—specifically, we’re not fans of sparkling red wine, which the selection leaned toward.

The meal itself, however, was exceptional. The oysters were a standout, as was the octopus.The whole sea bass was perfectly cooked and the salmon rillette was a delightful surprise. Although we experienced a small hiccup with a pricing error on our wine, which resulted in us being overcharged, it was graciously and promptly corrected by the staff. Our overall experience was positive, with great food, an attentive team, and a...