1870 Restaurant and Bar

Absolutely delicious food. Wine pairings are spot on. Wait staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Will return!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Flounder with crab meat, exceptional.
Chicken, not so, well below the standard they have established with their steaks, must add sauce or the chicken would not be so good, it was over cooked.
First beer in frosted glass, second in water glass not frosted, not as enjoyable.
1870 seems to be putting more emphasis on happy hour, had to park quite a ways away and walk back in the dark,
They have fallen off my exceptional list.
Finch

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 3

Iva was amazing. Was very personal and professional. She really knew her stuff and understood how to accommodate the people she served. I would highly recommend seeking Iva out down in the speak easy she truly was a delight. Thank you again Iva from courtney and Jonathan we hope to see you soon.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Excellent service, amazing food, how have I lived in Midlothian for a decade and not know this place is here??

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Best happy hour in years. Compliments to the staff and kitchen for the evening. I haven't enjoyed a meal like that in years. Just go. Less

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

RVA has some great restaurants, and 1870 is absolutely at the top of the list. Every time my wife and I have dined there, it has been perfection. Best crab cake we've had in our life. Filet incredibly tender. Unique flavors with sauces. Everything cooked to perfection. Excellent service. I could go on and on...

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a 6:30 Saturday reservation for two and were seated right away on the screened-in balcony, which turned out to be a great spot—especially with the perfect weather. The building itself is charming, with some neat Chesterfield history, and the setting added to the experience.

For food, we ordered the ribeye with creamy spinach and the duck with roasted carrots. The 20oz ribeye was cooked exactly to temperature and had good flavor, though the garlic butter was a bit overpowering. It was a solid steak overall, but at $76, I’m not sure it quite justified the price—there are better options in Richmond at that tier. The creamy spinach was rich but heavy, with the Gruyère weighing it down.

The duck, on the other hand, had excellent flavor. The skin was beautifully crispy, and the caramelized onion butter paired really well. It was just slightly overcooked, which held it back from being perfect. The roasted carrots had an interesting twist in flavor but worked well with the dish.

Service was a highlight of the night. Our server was warm, friendly, and impressively knowledgeable about the menu and pairings. She struck the right balance of attentive without hovering.

Overall, it was a very good evening—atmosphere and service were excellent, and the food was strong but fell just short of the premium pricing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 5

We just showed up without a reservation . The hostess was a bit surprised as they were busy. She found us a table down in the speakeasy. Everything from drinks, dinner, and dessert was perfect. Highly recommend

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a birthday party here for a family member with nine people total. The drinks were excellent (try the Barbie). The entrees (I got the scallops) were outstanding. The entrees (steak, fish, lamb) were superbly cooked. The side dishes were excellent as well. Try the bread pudding for dessert! Jacob gave us great service throughout the evening. We all give 1870 our thanks for a wonderful evening!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Terrific food and service! This is now my wife and I’s favorite restaurant in the Richmond area. Highly recommend!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We came for an early birthday celebration for my dad. The food was pretty good, especially the cheesecake and our appetizer. The ribeye and NY strip steak were also good, but not sure if it was worth the price point.

Service was okay. Our server was nice but it seemed like she was the only one working the floor which was weird because we saw many employees around, it just seemed that none of them were servers which slowed service by quite a bit. There was a manager (I assume? He asked us how our server was but I don’t really remember him introducing himself), looked like 2-3 hosts, and a busser (I think?). Regardless, most of them were just standing around talking at the front whenever we needed anything. Our server was always busy taking orders, bringing out food, etc. We also ordered 2 ribeyes, one with mashed potatoes and one with asparagus but we got both with asparagus. I tried to say something when they brought out the food and they just took my mom’s mashed potatoes and switched it with my dad’s asparagus, and then my mom just told me it was fine and she’d eat the asparagus so that ended up okay I guess.

I think the biggest reason for my rating is because we were sat around 4:45pm and didn’t get our check until almost 7pm. For a table of 3, that feels a little long and we were sitting around waiting a lot. It took especially long to get the check, which was a little frustrating.

Overall, I think the place was worth a try but unfortunately, I don’t think we’ll be coming back.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 2

Great experience! We came for dinner for a friend's birthday and were so impressed with the bartender/server that we had. He made excellent recommendations that we ended up taking, like the holiday Panzanella Watermelon Salad as a started. Cannot recommend this enough for a higher end dinner. Drinks were phenomenal and pacing of the meal was perfect. Was a few hours so be prepared for a lengthier meal.

We were also told about happy hour and plan to come back to enjoy it!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

We had a wonderful experience this evening! We did the Happy Hour and it was Absolutely Amazing. The food is so good, you cant beat the prices for the quality. Our Server Ryan was phenomenal. He really made our evening special!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I don't like leaving bad reviews, but I sent 1870 an email regardig this and never heard back, which is just as infuriating as our experience there:
My husband and I dined at 1870 for the first time a couple weeks ago. We arrived at 7:30, when our reservation was set, for the speakeasy. The hostess brought us downstairs and when she saw that the table was not bussed yet, she told us to sit at the bar. 30 minutes later my husband went upstairs and it was obvious that we had been forgotten about. They quickly cleared the table, sat us and apologized. We ordered 2 appetizers and 2 entrees. The appetizers arrived and then we waited and waited for the entrees. Our server noticed that the food was taking a very long time so he went to the kitchen and apparently they had been entirely forgotten about. He apologized and said that they would be comped, but the entire experience left us dumbfounded. Neither of us have ever been forgotten to be sat at a table before, and then to also have our entrees entirely forgotten about was simply unacceptable. Also, the fish was so incredibly dry that it was almost inedible.
The only positive experience was our bartender and server, Ryan, who was very friendly. And I will say that the steak was delicious.
To say the least, it wasn’t the experience we were expecting from a high dinning steakhouse. We appreciated the entrees being comped but we still had a decent sized bill with the drinks and appetizers, and were left with a foul taste in our mouths. The other thing that surprised me, from a restuarnt of this caliber, is that no manager came over to apologize during our meal. And then to top it all off, my email containing our grievencaes went unanswered.
Really, very, deeply disappointing.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 1

From the moment we walked in, this restaurant delivered an unforgettable experience. The building itself is full of historic charm, creating the perfect atmosphere for a cozy and memorable evening out.

What truly stood out was the exceptional service. The wait staff were nothing short of amazing—charming, personable, and impressively knowledgeable about the menu. They struck the perfect balance between attentive and unobtrusive, making us feel genuinely welcome and cared for throughout the night.

The food was absolutely outstanding. Every dish was perfectly prepared, showcasing fresh ingredients and thoughtful technique. I also really appreciated the focused menu—rather than overwhelming us with too many options, each dish felt carefully curated and purposeful.

All in all, this place is a local treasure. Whether you're celebrating something special or just want an elevated night out, I can't recommend it enough.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5