I arrived at 7:45 with a reservation and got seated immediately. To even get our order the service was very slow.. I understand it was a Saturday night but the restaurant itself is small. The crab cakes were really good and I would say the appetizers were the best part of the meal. They are a must get. The shrimp pasta was good but the portion sizes were very small.. For $30 I expect more noodles.. I finished it in 5 bites and the shrimp was lukewarm. The stuffed bell pepper was probably the worst dish here, the fried onions/jalapeños were soggy.. and the polenta lacked flavor. It tasted like oatmeal. The slow service on top of the mediocre food and portion sizes was disappointing. For the prices they set I expect bigger plates. (Nevertheless, the highlights of the meal were still very bright.)
Christine Z.
Serving sizes were super small and expensive with limited choices. A couple of the food options didn't taste good to us, others may like though. Staff friendly. The restaurant offered the appetizers on 3 tier serving plates which was fun.
Karie W.
What a surprise! Ambience was beautiful and upscale. Food was creative and delicious. Drinks were refreshing and inventive. Really enjoyed the experience and definitely will be back!
Don S.
Delicioso! Laekker! Delicieux! Lecker! Delizioso! Pyszny! No matter what language you say it in, the food at 21 Spoons is delicious!! The service is spectacular with a wait staff that is friendly and knowledgeable. The restaurant is cozy and intimate...the perfect place to celebrate something special or to impress a first date. Make a reservation; 21 Spoons has become a favorite fine dining establishment in Richmond.
Mychael J.
Stopped by after we had dinner at another restaurant. I had been to the location years ago for a cooking class but didn't realize it was a restaurant. It is a quaint establishment with ecclectic and amazing staff! They seem to love working there which says a lot. We didn't try the food but everything that came out of the kitchen looked great. The cocktails were great! From homemade marshmallows to edible flowers, no detail was missed! I loved their version of an old fashioned which they call Old Pal. We will definitely get food the next time we go!
Moira R.
Love this place! I love the beautiful glassware and the eclectic menu and the wine list! My hubby and I decided this is our date night place!
Steven K.
An elegant, intimate restaurant with outstanding food. There are only 14 tables, so reservations are recommended. It is somewhat hidden in a strip shopping center, but it's worth finding. Everything served is made in-house, including all baked goods and dressings. I would have given it more stars, but our service was off. We ordered an appetizer that never arrived, but it was on our bill. We asked for salt & pepper and were inexplicably given two salt shakers. Personnel are friendly but need some training. They do have ample parking.
Whitney K.
We need more of these restaurants around. This is real people who love what they do and the food is amazing and fresh and made with so much love! Makes you feel like a million bucks!
Michael M.
It is a delightful restaurant with friendly staff. I had a delicious meal. I was alone so I ate at the bar. The owner came to welcome me and chatted for a while. I hope to return.
Matt J.
Amazing creative food. Locally owned and operated. Highly recommend. Am I at 85 characters yet?
21 Spoons is the fine dining experience you always hope for! Superb food, professional and excellent service, a small but unique wine list, a beautiful ambience (probably seats less than 50), and the owner's (Ann) personal attention. For our fourth anniversay, we drove for over an hour to eat at 21 Spoons because my husband had read a nice review of it in Southern Living magazine. We could not have been more pleased. It was our fourth anniveresary and we made reservations well in advanced, as 21 Spoons is only open Thursday through Sunday, I believe. Now, they're open for brunch on Sunday too. We arrived to find a table set just for us with a little Happy Anniversary card signed on behalf of the restaurant. Ann greeted us and made a few minutes of small talk with us about wines. She and our server (Taylor?) were just the right mix of attentiveness and letting us eat undisturbed. The bread Ann serves at 21 Spoons is called their "house bread." I've never tasted better bread in my life, and I'm 63 years old. I could have made a meal just on the bread and whipped butter. The Wagyu beef special was expensive, but meat that melts in your mouth like that is worth every penny. My grilled marinated shrimp over wild rice was mouth watering. We shared a white winter salad, which was excellent. We split the seasonal dessert, egg nog panna cotta with a berry compote. Too die for. Apparently, Ann changes her menum seasonally, so we can't wait to go back and try new stuff. Her seasonal cocktails were creative and beautifully presented, as well as being totally yummy. I had two of the Christma-politans, and my husband had an Old Pal. Then to top it all off, we ordered a bottle of Israeli petit syrah, which was extraordinary and very reasonably priced for a fine dining restaurant. There was literally nothing for which I could asked for better. We can't wait to go back.
Lorin L.
Really excellent service. Food was very good. The cheese service was enormous, easily serving more than the listed number of people.
Ali N.
We had an amazing meal. We try to support restaurant week which in some cases means smaller portions and leaving disappointed. Not in this case. Plenty of variety and everything was delicious. Inventive, seasonal, lovely plates! THE most tender hanger steak we've ever eaten. The scallops were the best I've had in a long time. Extremely good service. Attentive without being distracting. Plenty of servers. The manager (likely the owner) took a moment to stop by the table. She chose an opportune time, so it felt authentic. I absolutely hate when a manager "makes the rounds" in the dining room and stops at every table and pretty much says the same thing regardless of where you are in the meal. Her check in was perfect. Nice cocktail menu. Plenty of wines to choose from. Can't wait to go back. Looking forward to trying Sunday brunch.
Dave R.
Select menu with personal service. Quaint restaurant. Love to go with my wife. Bartender makes a great smoked old fashion!
Aida S.
I was so excited to finally check this place after hearing so many good things about it but I have to say I wasn't that impressed and even a bit disappointed! I guess my expectations were high! I made a reservation at least a month ahead and when 7 of us arrived we were seated right away! Place is not very big so seating is tight and tables are kinda close! They have cute whimsical decorations although a bit corny with all the umbrellas, Christmas ornaments and hanging fake flowers lol As starters we ordered Charcuterie Board for 6+ and 2 orders of Matt's housemade bread. Charcuterie board was big and very nicely arranged with lots of different things on it in addition to cheeses and meats. But that bread???? Nasty - it was dry and not really fresh! I guess Matt didn't have time to bake bread that day so they just used some stale bread that was drizzled with olive oil and warmed up! We had few cocktails and they were all pretty good! As for our entrees I have to say they were not very big in size so you not gonna be stuffed full after eating here for sure! Two of us had pappardelle sugo - pasta with shrimp, mushrooms and pea pesto with Parmesan - while small in size it tasted good, pasta had good bite, shrimp was nicely cooked. One person who ordered this meal has shellfish allergy so they omitted shrimp but they didn't adjust a price or at least offer others those extra shrimp - I thought that was kinda not right! 26$ for a smallish order of pasta with no protein? She asked if it can be substituted with chicken but they said that everything is already portioned for each entree so no! Few people had pan seared salmon that was very tasty but again very small portion! We also had Eggplant Bollatini - saffron risotto wrapped in eggplant with crusted tofu and red pepper jam - that was hands down worst tofu I ever tried!! So dry and basically no taste! Saffron risotto was overly floral tasting and very dry! 22$ Their menu is seasonal and it changes! There are not a lot to choose from and my advice would be check the menu out before you go! I will not be coming back!
I arrived at 7:45 with a reservation and got seated immediately. To even get our order the service was very slow.. I understand it was a Saturday night but the restaurant itself is small. The crab cakes were really good and I would say the appetizers were the best part of the meal. They are a must get. The shrimp pasta was good but the portion sizes were very small.. For $30 I expect more noodles.. I finished it in 5 bites and the shrimp was lukewarm. The stuffed bell pepper was probably the worst dish here, the fried onions/jalapeños were soggy.. and the polenta lacked flavor. It tasted like oatmeal. The slow service on top of the mediocre food and portion sizes was disappointing. For the prices they set I expect bigger plates. (Nevertheless, the highlights of the meal were still very bright.)
Serving sizes were super small and expensive with limited choices. A couple of the food options didn't taste good to us, others may like though. Staff friendly. The restaurant offered the appetizers on 3 tier serving plates which was fun.
What a surprise! Ambience was beautiful and upscale. Food was creative and delicious. Drinks were refreshing and inventive. Really enjoyed the experience and definitely will be back!
Delicioso! Laekker! Delicieux! Lecker! Delizioso! Pyszny! No matter what language you say it in, the food at 21 Spoons is delicious!! The service is spectacular with a wait staff that is friendly and knowledgeable. The restaurant is cozy and intimate...the perfect place to celebrate something special or to impress a first date. Make a reservation; 21 Spoons has become a favorite fine dining establishment in Richmond.
Stopped by after we had dinner at another restaurant. I had been to the location years ago for a cooking class but didn't realize it was a restaurant. It is a quaint establishment with ecclectic and amazing staff! They seem to love working there which says a lot. We didn't try the food but everything that came out of the kitchen looked great. The cocktails were great! From homemade marshmallows to edible flowers, no detail was missed! I loved their version of an old fashioned which they call Old Pal. We will definitely get food the next time we go!
Love this place! I love the beautiful glassware and the eclectic menu and the wine list! My hubby and I decided this is our date night place!
An elegant, intimate restaurant with outstanding food. There are only 14 tables, so reservations are recommended. It is somewhat hidden in a strip shopping center, but it's worth finding. Everything served is made in-house, including all baked goods and dressings. I would have given it more stars, but our service was off. We ordered an appetizer that never arrived, but it was on our bill. We asked for salt & pepper and were inexplicably given two salt shakers. Personnel are friendly but need some training. They do have ample parking.
We need more of these restaurants around. This is real people who love what they do and the food is amazing and fresh and made with so much love! Makes you feel like a million bucks!
It is a delightful restaurant with friendly staff. I had a delicious meal. I was alone so I ate at the bar. The owner came to welcome me and chatted for a while. I hope to return.
Amazing creative food. Locally owned and operated. Highly recommend. Am I at 85 characters yet?
Restaurantji Recommends
21 Spoons is the fine dining experience you always hope for! Superb food, professional and excellent service, a small but unique wine list, a beautiful ambience (probably seats less than 50), and the owner's (Ann) personal attention. For our fourth anniversay, we drove for over an hour to eat at 21 Spoons because my husband had read a nice review of it in Southern Living magazine. We could not have been more pleased. It was our fourth anniveresary and we made reservations well in advanced, as 21 Spoons is only open Thursday through Sunday, I believe. Now, they're open for brunch on Sunday too. We arrived to find a table set just for us with a little Happy Anniversary card signed on behalf of the restaurant. Ann greeted us and made a few minutes of small talk with us about wines. She and our server (Taylor?) were just the right mix of attentiveness and letting us eat undisturbed. The bread Ann serves at 21 Spoons is called their "house bread." I've never tasted better bread in my life, and I'm 63 years old. I could have made a meal just on the bread and whipped butter. The Wagyu beef special was expensive, but meat that melts in your mouth like that is worth every penny. My grilled marinated shrimp over wild rice was mouth watering. We shared a white winter salad, which was excellent. We split the seasonal dessert, egg nog panna cotta with a berry compote. Too die for. Apparently, Ann changes her menum seasonally, so we can't wait to go back and try new stuff. Her seasonal cocktails were creative and beautifully presented, as well as being totally yummy. I had two of the Christma-politans, and my husband had an Old Pal. Then to top it all off, we ordered a bottle of Israeli petit syrah, which was extraordinary and very reasonably priced for a fine dining restaurant. There was literally nothing for which I could asked for better. We can't wait to go back.
Really excellent service. Food was very good. The cheese service was enormous, easily serving more than the listed number of people.
We had an amazing meal. We try to support restaurant week which in some cases means smaller portions and leaving disappointed. Not in this case. Plenty of variety and everything was delicious. Inventive, seasonal, lovely plates! THE most tender hanger steak we've ever eaten. The scallops were the best I've had in a long time. Extremely good service. Attentive without being distracting. Plenty of servers. The manager (likely the owner) took a moment to stop by the table. She chose an opportune time, so it felt authentic. I absolutely hate when a manager "makes the rounds" in the dining room and stops at every table and pretty much says the same thing regardless of where you are in the meal. Her check in was perfect. Nice cocktail menu. Plenty of wines to choose from. Can't wait to go back. Looking forward to trying Sunday brunch.
Select menu with personal service. Quaint restaurant. Love to go with my wife. Bartender makes a great smoked old fashion!
I was so excited to finally check this place after hearing so many good things about it but I have to say I wasn't that impressed and even a bit disappointed! I guess my expectations were high! I made a reservation at least a month ahead and when 7 of us arrived we were seated right away! Place is not very big so seating is tight and tables are kinda close! They have cute whimsical decorations although a bit corny with all the umbrellas, Christmas ornaments and hanging fake flowers lol As starters we ordered Charcuterie Board for 6+ and 2 orders of Matt's housemade bread. Charcuterie board was big and very nicely arranged with lots of different things on it in addition to cheeses and meats. But that bread???? Nasty - it was dry and not really fresh! I guess Matt didn't have time to bake bread that day so they just used some stale bread that was drizzled with olive oil and warmed up! We had few cocktails and they were all pretty good! As for our entrees I have to say they were not very big in size so you not gonna be stuffed full after eating here for sure! Two of us had pappardelle sugo - pasta with shrimp, mushrooms and pea pesto with Parmesan - while small in size it tasted good, pasta had good bite, shrimp was nicely cooked. One person who ordered this meal has shellfish allergy so they omitted shrimp but they didn't adjust a price or at least offer others those extra shrimp - I thought that was kinda not right! 26$ for a smallish order of pasta with no protein? She asked if it can be substituted with chicken but they said that everything is already portioned for each entree so no! Few people had pan seared salmon that was very tasty but again very small portion! We also had Eggplant Bollatini - saffron risotto wrapped in eggplant with crusted tofu and red pepper jam - that was hands down worst tofu I ever tried!! So dry and basically no taste! Saffron risotto was overly floral tasting and very dry! 22$ Their menu is seasonal and it changes! There are not a lot to choose from and my advice would be check the menu out before you go! I will not be coming back!