Lara's Fine Dining
1900 Esplanade Dr, Richmond
(510) 234-1860
Recent Reviews
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I had pasta a gin at the bar. Fun, lively spot with great service.
Well. I didn't see Lara and I didn't see fine dining. I was there for an event that only served hors d'oeruves so that's all I can comment about.
Had a special lunch celebration with friends. Great service and beautiful location and views. Setting was perfect
Impeccable food. Great ambiance. You get what you pay for.
We dined at Lara’s Fine Dining for the first time, and upon entering, we were greeted by a nice atmosphere complemented by live singing. However, the main female host appeared less than cheerful, leaving us uncertain about whether to follow her for seating or wait for further instructions. We opted to follow her lead and were seated at a lovely spot with a view of the bay.
As we settled in, we noticed waitstaff bustling around, attending to other tables while completely overlooking us, despite our proximity. After about 15 minutes, we decided to call over a waiter, only to be met with a disgusting and disturbing look directed at my husband that felt discriminatory. Ironically, the staff were fellow Latinos, and the disdainful glance suggested that my husband’s presence at the restaurant was unwelcome. This left a bitter impression, and I suggested leaving, but he wanted to stay, so we persevered.
When I lifted my napkin from my glass, I was dismayed to find dust inside. I brought it to someone’s attention, but my concern was dismissed. The only bright spot was Marcus, a waiter who was genuinely kind and attentive but unfortunately wasn’t our waiter. Eventually, another staff member took our order, and while the food was satisfactory, the real letdown came with the salmon entrée, which was poorly prepared. I attempted to locate our original waiter but had to summon another to return the dish for proper cooking. Upon its return, it was evident that it had likely been microwaved, as the presentation remained unchanged. Disappointed, I chose not to eat it.
When the meal concluded, we faced another long wait just to settle the bill, giving the impression that the staff was indifferent and simply eager to finish their shifts.
In summary:
Location and view: 5 stars
Food: 3 stars
Cleanliness: 3 stars
Service: 1 star
Overall, I would rate our experience as 2 stars. A considerable enhancement in staff quality is necessary at this location and discrimination must be eliminated. It is deeply disrespectful to look down upon your own Latin culture.
Beautiful location with view of the marina. Food is great, try the clamp chowder and the salads. Service is very friendly - and also well trained in upselling you.
Lara's is a quaint spot where you'll find fresh flowers on every table, white linen tablecloths, a pianist with a vocalist that provides a subtle but lively ambience. The food is great and the service (the waitstaff, bar staff, et al) is better with the majority of the staff being the originals from the time they opened during COVID. These days, that speaks volumes. We love having such a nice place on the marina and with the sailboat masts as the backdrop, it's such a serene setting and easy choice for a weeknight, date night or special occasion.
Great place. Loved the food. Service vs amount vs quality was great. I will be there again if I pass by the area
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Over all loved it, me and my mother-in-law spent like 2 hours there and had coffee and lunch, very cute diner on the marina, it had a very cozy feeling to it, it wasn't busy when we went and got seating right away! They have lots of food options and a great happy hour!! The server checked on us several times and made sure we were taken care of!
Vegetarian options: I didn't notice too many vegetarian dishes
Kid-friendliness: Semi-friendly it is a nicer situation down restaurant and there was kid friendly food but there is a bar top and the game gets played on in the bar area
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lara's is a quaint spot where you'll find fresh flowers on every table, white linen tablecloths, a pianist with a vocalist that provides a subtle but lively ambience. The food is great and the service is better with the majority of the staff being the originals from the time they opened during COVID. These days, that speaks volumes. We love having such a nice place on the marina and with the sailboat masts as the backdrop, it's such a serene setting and easy choice for a weeknight, date night or special occasion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Delicious Ceasar Salads, one with grilled salmon and one with grilled chicken. Great Cosmo from the full bar. Also had crab cakes week prior. Very yummy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place, great service, great food, great views. What more could you want?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Calamari
Beautiful place. Foods are tasty and the atmosphere is great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Always will be our favorite local seaside food spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
As always the food was out of this world. We chose a dinner from small plates that suited all three of us. The service was perfect, the decor was enhanced by sweeping sunset panoramic views of the harbor. The icing on the cake was a singer and piano duo entertaining us with sentimental old time songs. It was magical!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ravioli, Salad, Key Lime Pie, New England Clam Chowder
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