Belle & James

Had lunch with coworkers. Everything we had was delicious. The pimento beignets were everyone’s favorite. The charcuterie platter had a really good assortment of meats and delicious marrow butter served with it. My coworkers had the croque Monsieur and said it was quite tasty. He opted for fried egg on top and cleaned the plate. The décor was nice and he service great, our waitress, Ravien, was amazing. They need more Ice in the water though. Although I’ve found that many places in downtown have this problem also. Would eat here again and soon. Can’t wait to try the crème brûlée.

Best brunch in RVA!!!
Service was amazing. Highly recommend the duck confit with a Texas beach bloody. The place is gorgeous and reminds me of a restaurant in San Francisco.
This place was spot on with drinks, food and service!!!

A fantastic option in Richmond for a special date or other dinner. There’s a parking garage only a few feet away, the food was delicious, the ambience was calm, and the service was nice. Nothing about the restaurant blew me away, but also nothing was a disappointment; it was just a nice place to enjoy a Valentine’s Day dinner.

We stumbled across Belle & James when the original restaurant we had planned on going to was too packed. Lovely, modern meets old school southern gentry feel. Our server (Alexis) was very personable, knowledgeable, and sweet, and took excellent care of us! The cocktails ranged from innovative and unusual (Honey habenero moonshine? Pretty amazing.) to classic Best sidecar I’ve had in a looooooong time) and all delicious. French-​American cuisine with some good old southern comfort ingredients. Our party of 4 ran the gamut food-​wise: cheese plate and mussels to start (both delicious — I could have eaten the mussel broth with a spoon), Pork Osso with sundried tomato polenta and greens, cedar-​wrapped salmon with blood orange buerre blanc, ratatouille, and the surf and turf special. Everything was delicious. Not usually a lobster fan, but this was the best I’ve ever had. The one miss was the kale salad. The maple tahini dressing didn’t pair very well with the other ingredients — it needed a bright/​citrus note in there somewhere. And Oh My Goodness the desserts. Even if you don’t order anything else, get the French toast cobbler.
Loved this new downtown gem, and can’t wait to go back! Thanks again Alexis — you made our night!

This is a late review, as my boyfriend and I came here a few months ago, but the experience was very memorable. We ordered the poutine appetizer, which was very delicious and would highly recommend. It’s not like traditional Canadian poutine, it’s more like a classy version of poutine, but it still satisfied my craving for delicious smothered fries of goodness.
I ordered the grass-​fed burger as my entrée, which was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. My boyfriend ordered the steak and frites, which also was cooked to a perfect medium rare.
The service was outstanding, our server was incredibly nice and he was always friendly and attentive. He noticed one of our friends only ate half of her salmon entrée and didn’t take it to go, he politely asked her if everything was okay and if there was anything he could do to make her experience better. She politely stated that she is not used to salmon cooked medium, because of the texture, but it was still good. Without her asking, he took her salmon off of the bill and offered her a free crêpe dessert. I could tell this restaurant really cares about the experience of their customers, and is willing to go above and beyond for them, which is awesome.
On top of the amazing food and service, the décor is lovely and is definitely pleasing on the eyes. Will definitely come back to try their other apps and entrees!

Lively, with an engaging staff, and a menu that is creative! We stopped in on a business trip and enjoyed the atmosphere with delicious items on the menu. Also a great selection of adult beverages. The place was rockin’ and as good as it gets on a Saturday afternoon. Sometimes hard to find in cities where the best places don’t open until 5 PM on a Saturday. Thank you!
@WetFeetTheNovel We will be back!

Brunch at Belle and James was one of the best!
The service was top notch, both informative and prompt.
We had the duck confit and Belle eggs. The duck confit with the slight sweetness from the maple syrup was awesome not to mention the bread pudding underneath. The Belle eggs were so simple but fresh and well prepared mixed in a single black iron skillet.
I want to try the French toast with Bannanams and Nutella.

Went to Belle & James for their 90s brunch and it was great! I love that it was a fun atmosphere but still an adult brunch. The menu items were creative and there was something for everyone. I had the egg white, kale and tomato omelet which was very good. I also ordered a croissant which was absolutely fantastic! As the day went on and brunch died down a bit the DJ started playing more upbeat songs we could sing along to and I was sad I had to leave. Will definitely go back soon.

I came here for the first time a few weeks ago for a collaboration event between King of Pops and Ginger Juice Co. They were making pop tails (putting a popsicle inside of cocktail!!). The ambiance of this place is swanky and I felt underdressed being there even though I had a button up shirt on.
Since it was me and my friends first time here, we decided to get some appetizers to get a feel for the food before getting any entrée dishes. We decided to split four appetizers between the two of us. We got the following: scallops, pimento cheese filled beignets, poutine, and some sliders. Our thought process was, if anything, we could possibly be full from just the appetizer which was fine with the both of us. The food came out fairly quickly and was presented nicely. I think my favorite was the cheese filled beignets and the scallop. Just to clarify, my assumption was that there would be at least two scallops, because it is an appetizer and because it was $ 6… but only one came out but it was the biggest scallop I have ever seen in my life. It was beautifully cooked and seasoned well and I enjoyed every bit of it. My friend doesn’t enjoy seafood that much but she was cool in getting it and said she thought it wasn’t bad.
Apparently the bar somehow made the specialty pop tail drinks (that night only) twice by mistake so we got two drinks for the each of us, but only charged us one time for it. The bathroom here is immaculate and gorgeous; I could have eating my dinner in there without any concern and they have the new Dyson V blade dryers!
The entrée prices seem a bit out of my price range but would consider coming here for a romantic date night and get something off their dinner menu,

Food is good, but the service was unacceptably slow. 45 minutes before we got bread. 1 hour and 15 minutes and we still don’t have our entrees. It’s not that busy. Very disappointed especially after reading so many good reviews.
The food was excellent. Maybe we just caught them on an off night.

1) They make the craftiest cocktails in Richmond; custom recipes featuring fresh herbs, spices, juices, ciders, and artisanal ice (from snowcone pebbles to ice blocks).
2) They’ve built a giant illuminated gold onyx bar, a tile mosaic of Bridget Bordeaux, and a private courtyard.
3) The clientele is varied, in a good way — you never know who you will meet.
4) The management supports local arts and cultural organizations with sponsorship nights and guest bartenders (generally Tuesdays).
5) The chef is French-​trained and uses locally sourced ingredients.

A foodie friend and I tried this place as one of the hot new RVA restaurants. Together we sampled three apps, entrée specials, and desserts. First off, the bar is super and can handle a dressy crowd. The ambience is very urbane — we could’ve been in any major city and enjoyed the same attention to décor, lighting, unique restrooms, and Brigitte Bardot. Unfortunately the food didn’t quite measure up, especially because most of the sauces were rich/​heavy. Try the fried pimento cheese whatever you do. I’d go back again once they are more on a roll, and I have been back to the bar twice since. Also — this is a two hour dinner experience, no less. If you like gin, try the Belle.

I’m torn between two and three stars, décor and service were good, but the food was definitely of the «meh, I’ve experienced better» caliber.
I was very excited to see the options on the cocktail menu and picked something made with a plum shrub. However, the bar didn’t have any of the shrub on hand, so they made it real quick. I think my drink suffered for that; the cocktail didn’t taste like any of the ingredients were playing well with each other. Maybe it’s the last-​minute shrub, maybe it’s the overall cocktail recipe, hard to say, but I would have liked the option of changing my cocktail order rather than being brought something that was thrown together at the last minute.
My bf ordered the brussels sprouts and kale salad. Those of you who look at it and think, «tahini (chalky) on raw kale and brussels sprouts (also a bit chalky)???» you are absolutely correct. The salad was not good. However, the pimento cheese beignets were excellent and the best part of our meal. I could eat those all day long.
The rest of our meal was decent, but forgettable. The mussel broth was just ok and lacked depth. The fish was gnocchi was also just ok. I snagged a few gnocchi and enjoyed them, but they weren’t something I’d return for.
Go here if you’re with folks who care about atmosphere more than food and value. The bar itself is gorgeous.

Pros: The overall dining experience was top-​notch! I ordered the special salad (which I later learned is a preview dish for the rooftop deck menu) and it was divine — crab meat, green papaya, cilantro, and thai chilis were great. I don’t even like salads, so I took a risk ordering this one and I never wanted it to end. I also got the baba ganoush with crackers, which tasted great. My husband ordered the pork and beans and he could not stop talking about how much he loved the food — the presentation of the pork and beans was beautiful as well, served in a cast iron skillet atop a polished wooden plank. We checked in on Unilocal,which meant that we got some fried green beans as an appetizer — they, as well as the lemon aioli, were crispy, tangy, and better than fries. The server was extremely polite and personable, as were the rest of the staff we interacted with.
Cons: The baba ganoush was yummy, but maybe a slight bit overpriced for the amount and ingredients. The dressing on the side salad that came with the pork and beans was WAY too lemony/​piney — tasted like bathroom cleaner to me. If you are going to get something with a side of greens, order the dressing on the side. There was also only one option in the entrees that had neither meat nor dairy. I’d love to see more Pegan options, but this limitation did not impact my ability to devour the delicious food I did order! I’d give it 4.5 stars if I could (based on these cons), but I’m rounding up.
Summary: I’d definitely go back! The atmosphere was great, the food was really amazingly good, and the staff was professional and helpful. I recommend this restaurant. It seemed like it was be a great place for a rehearsal dinner or company happy hour, also!

I tried this bar for Happy hour. The décor is beautiful and the cocktails are awesome! I had a drink with pumpkin, vodka, and cider. It looked as pretty as it tasted in a glass with tons of crushed ice and mint garnish. They also brought out free appetizers for happy hour that were all very yummy. The spot for this restaurant is on Main in the middle of downtown so parking wasn’t the greatest but they had an awesome selection of my favorite local beers on tap. I am looking forward to visiting Belle & James again.

French, but relatable, for those of us that didn’t study French and are not Francophiles. I started with the house-​made ginger beer ($ 4), nonalcoholic on a work lunch. Not too sweet, and zingy with ginger, very good. We had a large work group (with a reservation) for lunch and the server was very helpful making choices, upbeat and helped with the pronunciations, like I said we don’t know French and our smattering of German didn’t help at all!
I had the croquet monsieur ($ 12), flavorful county ham with a gruyère cheese layer on toasted thick-​slice bread. The sandwich had a mornay sauce spread on top, adding to the richness and flavor but it does make it more difficult to eat as a sandwich. Available sides are fries, greens, sweet potato risotto, and green beans — my choice and they were looked to be fresh, sautéed with onion. Others had a porchetta sandwich that I think is only on the lunch menu and they raved about it. We didn’t have cocktails but the spread behind the bar was impressive as was the beautiful bar itself.
There’s a silhouette of Brigitte Bardot spangled on the back restaurant wall — we had to ask who it was — I still wonder if there is more to the story. There was a sweet little outdoor patio, semi-​protected from the street, with about 5 – 6 tables, would have loved sitting there if we hadn’t been such a big group. The entrance is a little hard to find, right now it is under a scaffolding for the building next door, that building has been under construction for ages now, so the entrance should be easier once that building is done!

Great new addition to the «Arts District» of Broad. Dimmed lights, unique flavors, and an extensive list of cocktails.
I checked in on Unilocal and to my surprise got a freebie of fried green beans served with lemon dill aioli as the dip. Salty and crunchy, which may or may not be a bad thing. To each their own.
For main entrees, we stuck to plates that were simple. Medium well burger ($ 10) topped with onions, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, a fried egg ($ 2) and pimento cheese ($ 2). For $ 2 more dollars you can also add crispy pork belly. Too bad my date is on a never ending conquest to get abs. Ruins it for both of us.
I ordered the kale and brussels salad ($ 10); kale, shredded brussels sprouts, almonds, shaved parmesan, tahini-​maple dressing. For $ 6 you can add your choice of protein– chicken, steak, or salmon. The salad was lightly dressed, which allowed you to enjoy the other working parts of the salad. If you are someone that likes dressing with a side of salad, ask for more dressing. Texture is key in this dish; so crunchy! In a good way.

Shannon, the bartender knows her stuff! Very very good cocktails. I could easily see on my next visit just staying at the bar and enjoying from there.
I was even warned, but still ordered the mushroom crêpe. It was ok, but should have tried the much better options that everyone else at our table picked. We started with some great apps — my favorite were the fried green beans.
They do have $ 5 valet, but unless you don’t drink — I would recommend you Über there and back.

The Restuarant and parking was a little hard to find. The store front didn’t jump out at you, you definitely had to be looking for it. There is construction going on on the block and next to the Restuarant. Soon a hotel will be right next door. I’m sure it will get busy.
The Restuarant is still new so there wasn’t a lot of people in there but inside is very well done, a few couches, an outside eating area, a beautiful mural on the wall and great music playing.
The waitress was very nice and accommodating and very knowledgeable about the menu. We came for a birthday dinner so there was quite a few of us and she handled our table like a pro. The dinner menu wasn’t extensive, a few actually wanted to order off the lunch menu as it seemed to have more options. I ordered the burger, it was yummy. $ 2 extra for cheese. A few at the table got salads, the salads weren’t very big but every one seemed to enjoy them.
We enjoyed our dinner and the ambiance, I think this one is a keeper… once you find parking.

I had high hopes for this new restaurant.
It does have a nice vibe but the happiness stops there.
The mixed drinks were too strong and over stated.
The calamari was good.
The Brussels sprout and kale salad was pretty pedestrian.
The entrees were pretty boring. No flavor enhancements were present.
Overall a high priced average meal.