The Stables at Belmont — Restaurant in Richmond

The Stables at Belmont proves the axiom that there are many well-hidden locally-owned culinary gems in Richmond that you would be hard-pressed to eat at in a year. The Stables is one of the tiniest, hippest and best restaurants that you may not have heard of before. We were served in a small wine bottle-filled private room by our waiter Tim who brought out surprise after surprise of some of the best food I have ever eaten. The lamb lollipops ($16) over Frisée with tamari aioli were gorgeous, tender and delicious. Do not miss an opportunity to try these if you visit. My personal favorite were the Southern scallops ($13) with collard greens, rosemary polenta and bacon beurre, a fantastic southern-style presentation. The Creole Shrimp jambalaya ($13) with chimichurri and gremolata had everyone drooling. I also regret not ordering the Spanish mussels ($15) with mango, coconut, Calabrian chili, cilantro, saffron and grilled bread, but that’s a great reason to return.

The Catch of the Day was Swordfish ($29) over spring risotto with asparagus, snap peas, grilled corn, roasted red pepper, lemon, ricotta and pea shoots. My entrée was a fabulous Cioppino ($29) with shrimp, mussels, scallops, fish and andouille in a rich seafood broth with grilled bread. We also had the lobster & crab Parisian-style gnocchi ($32) with asparagus, snap peas, lobster cream and pecorino, which was eaten down to the very last drop and, finally, the duck breast ($29) in a duck-fried scallion pancake with grilled Bok choy and asparagus, which was very tender and fragrant.

Dessert was a couple of scrumptious chocolate panna cottas ($8) and the total was $328.30 for four people.

Drinks:

Daou Chardonnay 2019 $13 x 2 = $26 Black Beauty with plantation rum, Gosling’s black rum, lemon blackberry puree and brown sugar lavender syrup $12 x 2 = $24 D.O.M. Bendictine $12 Letras Minúsculas Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano Rioja 2018 $10 Bombay Sapphire martini $9.25 Grand Marnier $9 Esperto Punit Grigio 2017 $8 Getränk Grüner...

There is still good food in there, but the service is in free fall.

First the new bartender said she had been there three weeks-she had to touch her hair or face a couple times, not wash her hands, then put her fingers in the drinks she made. (Drinks that require you to use herbs, and even to put ice cubes in drinks with her fingers) Yuck we switched to wine. Second-disorganized service- A-we called three weeks ago to make a reservation and ask for a booth, they had no record of the reservation, so we had to sit at the bar. B-Couldn't time courses. My lamb app came, then 5 or ten minutes later my wife's charcuterie came. At dessert mine came, and we sat waiting, and i finally had to ask if they could bring my wife's dessert. c-Couldn't deliver food hot-Our entrees were walked over to us by one of the chefs, (yay they both came at the same time!) both were pretty close to room temp by the time we got them. Now if you've ever been, you'd realize that the bar is right on top of the kitchen, so how is it possible to not get two apps and two desserts to move less than ten feet at the same time? How can you sit so close to the kitchen you can hear things sizzle and get cold food?

Zero stars for the service, gave the stars to the kitchen. We tipped hoping that the bar staff tipped the kitchen so that some of our money went to them. Apparently, the place changed hands, maybe the new owner can get his feet under him. I suppose if I wanted cold food only and drinks that didn't need to be mixed, I might go back. (Kidding, never going back). If you remember how good this place used to be keep them memories intact. Update-10/26/22 When we made our reservation we spoke to an employee over the phone. Implying that we didn't follow the process to book a reservation is an example of the attitude that has lowered...

I was recommended The Stables by a friend and coworker for my boyfriend’s birthday dinner. Neither of us had ever been, and when asking others who had been how their experience was everyone gave rave reviews, so I decided to give it a shot! I made a reservation a few days prior, and upon arrival we were immediately greeted and taken to our table. The ambiance inside was beautiful! The tables are dark wood set with lit, warm candles, and the walls are tastefully decorated with antique looking paintings. We began with cocktails that came out quickly and were absolutely delicious! We then placed our entire food order and were met with knowledgeable feedback and recommendations by our server that actually saved us a few bucks! Our server, Olivia, also made sure to pace our appetizers so that we could truly enjoy each dish. We had the baby kale and arugula salad and the lamb lollipops to start, followed by the red curry mussels and were absolutely blown away. The mussels were accompanied by a baguette that was replenished for us free of charge. For the main course we shared a perfectly cooked and equally delicious ribeye. When informing our server Olivia that we were celebrating a birthday she surprised us with a champagne toast and a lit candle. Olivia truly went above and beyond for not only us, but each of her tables. She truly made our time at The Stables a fantastic experience. My boyfriend and I are in the industry and can confidently say this is the best meal and dining experience we have both ever had in our lives. We literally have not been able to stop talking about it. I cannot recommend it enough! I’ve already made plans to return for my...