Helmed by Mexico City-born chef Danny Mena, Conejo’s kitchen mills heirloom corn daily for their fresh tortillas, which anchor the menu’s street food offerings like tuna-topped tostados de pescado and crispy taquitos, as well as their seasonal selection of tacos. Conejo’s gorgeous bar is the ideal seat for enjoying their vast collection of agave spirits for a perfect margarita. Mena is part-owner in mezcal producers Pelotón de la Muerte and Mezcal de Leyendas and also runs Brooklyn’s Mexican eatery Le Loncheria.

Fuzzy Cactus is part dive bar, part live music venue and all-excellent “urban cowboy fare.” The breading recipe from chef Sam Lappin, previously of Pies and Thighs in Brooklyn, shines in fat chicken tenders. The crunchy and brilliantly spicy wings also easily pair with Fuzzy’s version of a beer-and-shot combo, all set to the old-school sounds of a working jukebox. 

Top Chef alum (and current Tournament of Champions semifinalist) Brittanny Anderson’s ode to the food and wine of the Alps, Brenner Pass offers a spacious, modern setting to enjoy fondue in Dansk pots, potato-topped flammkuchen (an Alsatian flatbread), or a dry-aged cote de boeuf au poivre. But save room for a trip next door to Black Lodge, a fun-loving dive bar born during the pandemic where killer cocktails pair nicely with the “Tower of Power” — a selection of hot dogs, patty melts, and French fries that satisfy late-night cravings in one fell swoop. Looking for something just a skosh more German? Head to Church Hill to sister restaurant The Metzger, where the Frühstück Brett (charcuterie, pretzel roll, soft egg) at brunch is an unmatched delight.

Lost Letter’s cool vibey dining room, expert service, and refined-yet-rustic Italian fare are three good reasons to get gussied up and make it a date night. Try the acciughe al verde — beautiful, plump anchovies swimming in an herbaceous sauce — and the zuppa di vongole — a masterpiece of brothy clams, and don’t skip a slice of tri-layered spumoni ice cream cake for dessert. Looking for bivalves? Head over to sister restaurant, Lillian for oysters on the half shell.

You’d be hard pressed to find a funner spot than Stanley’s, a little taste of Philly in the Fan. It’s the home of meaty cheesesteaks and heavenly hoagies like the Mckoko, with a melange of meats, plus American cheese, pickled red onions, and Duke’s Mayo with a Calabrian kick. Hit the bar for a requisite Surfer on Acid.

Cobra Cabana is what happens when restaurant vet Josh Novicki and Herbie Abernethy — lead singer for heavy metal band Valiant Thorr — join forces. CC features extra-crispy French fries, an epic, hand-formed beef burger, Miller High Life on tap, and a fun little twist on a fast-food chain chicken sandwich — a thick, pickle-brined chicken thigh on a soft roll affectionately named Gay-Fil-A. The two also own Hot For Pizza, a pie joint next door to CC, and recently opened seafood bar Brave Captain.

At the top of a flight of carpeted stairs sits this consistently-packed Richmond institution for rustic, Italian-American dishes like scungili (conch) insalata, braised fennel, and spaghetti with crab meat. And for takeout, try sibling spot 8 ½ , known for its crushable heroes, seasonal antipasti, and some of the best pizza the city has to offer.

Named one of Esquire’s best new restaurants in 2020, Adarra marries Basque flavors and cooking philosophies with hard-to-find, easy-to-enjoy natural wines from around the world. Seafood, especially conservas, is the star of the show, and chef Randall Doetzer draws out its full potential with his arsenal of garlicky, paprika-tinged sauces. Whether you’re in the cozy dining room or Adarra’s charming back patio, there’s not a bad seat in the house (but you’ll need a reservation to get one).

Around since 1994, owner Carena Ives recreates the Jamaican food of her childhood, like jerk chicken, curry goat, and beef patties, from a small restaurant on Broad Street that sits a short walk away from the original. Channel Caribbean vibes while sipping fresh-pressed juices while awaiting a whole crispy-skinned snapper escovitch.

Dinamo’s owners Brad Wein and Mya Anatai, the talented culinary duo previously at Edo’s Squid, uniquely blend Italian cuisine with Jewish influences. The tiny, futuristic dining room is bright with black-and-white flooring and a well-situated bar that gives a perfect sightline (and Negroni) into a scratch kitchen churning out pastas, seasonal dishes like refreshingly simple, sauteed soft shell crab, an unctuous chicken liver pate, and sausage served with crispy-edged creamy polenta.

Named one of Esquire’s best new restaurants in 2020, this Basque-influenced restaurant known for seafood and hard-to-find, easy-to-enjoy natural wines recently relocated to sexy new digs in Richmond’s Oregon Hill neighborhood. Chef Randall Doetzer uses garlic and paprika-tinged sauces to enhance seafood dishes, especially conservas (the star of the show).

Around since 2011, the Roosevelt sits in a turn-of-the-last-century building in Richmond’s oldest neighborhood. Since taking over the kitchen in 2022, chef Leah Branch has made the Church Hill restaurant a destination again with help from her old-soul point of view. Think crab soup with saffron cream and bottagra and tobacco-smoked pork butt with Deb’s (as in food anthropologist and writer Deb Freeman’s) Nana’s collards. Thanks to wine director Troy Hancock, the Roosevelt’s beverage program shines with a list of Virginia-born bottles curated by wine director Troy Hancock, plus regional beers and inventive cocktails.

The South’s best new restaurant of 2020 according to Southern Living, Alewife is all about sustainable Mid-Atlantic seafood and the waterways that surround the Chesapeake Bay like rainbow trout to skate wing. Start with an ethereal cocktail while you peruse the chalkboard specials, which change frequently. Plan ahead with reservations for this always-bustling spot.

Husband-and-wife team Everardo Fonseca and Karina Benavides have created an oasis of guisos —rich stews reminiscent of their childhood in Mexico — in the Southside of Richmond. Eight different versions rotate daily utilizing seasonal vegetables and proteins and all are served with freshly pressed, Maseca-based dough tortillas, zippy rice, and deeply flavorful refried beans.