I’ve been eating mussels since I was in a high-chair, and their evening special easily ranked them among my top experiences. The bartender was passionate and attentive, assisting me in selecting the perfect wine and sharing stories of foraging for local ingredients to incorporate into cocktails. The evening culminated perfectly with a slice of Basque cheesecake drizzled with olive oil. Although the shrimp, which was the reason I originally visited, had run out for the night, I now have the perfect excuse to return :) Restaurant Adarra, I adore!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen Stephens
It never disappoints. The amazing flavor mixes and spices are perfect combinations. We had the beans with octopus - the octopus was as tender as the beans - how is that possible. Topped off with a wonderful glass of wine for a great date night!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kendall von Michalofski
This place is truly exceptional. It is my favorite restaurant in Richmond right now. I highly recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashley Sanico
I love this restaurant so much. The food/drink, and service is always wonderful and leaves me feeling very satisfied! I have had several fabulous dinners here and I am always impressed by their creative menu. Wonderful service and experience everytime.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Raffi Wineburg
I would give it a 3.5, but will round up to 4. Some things were really quite excellent, other things not so good.Conservas: Had one of the clam dishes and one of the calamari. Clams were fantastic, squid was not for me. The squid was unusual -- it was in a spiced tomato sauce -- so don't want to say that it was "bad", but I'm a pretty adventurous eater and really couldn't stomach it.Mushroom Gnocchi: This was incredibly tasty. But as others have noted, it was about 90% mushrooms and 10% gnocchi. Pretty bizarre, in my opinion. But again, very good tasting.Cheese and crackers: I think it was $19 for cheese and crackers. The cheeses were nice, but the crackers were legit stale basic boxed crackers. Not even the nice Costco crackers. Would have though that for $19 they would have had either house-baked crackers or some other type of nice cracker.Overall, the service and ambience were very nice. The food is quite unusual I think, so this won't be for everyone. But I'm happy that I went and think it's worth checking out (except for the crackers).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Sophia Crago
Five stars across the board!!! The staff's attention to detail with the food and the drinks did not go unnoticed. If anyone is looking for a great date night, this is the place to go. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairing, Octopus, Squid in Ink, Basque Cheesecake
Sarah Brown
Delicious food and great wine selection! Will be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Eric W.
Adarra is a unique place in Richmond in my experience, combining Spanish tinned seafood with a selection of interesting, mostly seafood "dinner" selections. And a well curated wine selection that goes beyond Spain. My party of four had a good time, with the comment " We're coming back real soon" being heard. If you don't like seafood, you'd better pass. If you're looking for a unique dining experience, do consider it. It's downtown, so you do face the usual parking challenges. And they're a small restaurant so take reservations very seriously.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairing, Octopus, Razor Clam Special
Cathy Wendler
Amazing seafood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairing, Octopus, Razor Clam Special
cathy
This restaurant is incredible. For those of you who love seafood, this is must. Everything we had was wonderful, but we especially liked the razor clams and sardines in oil olive (tins), the shrimp and the octopus with white beans (dinner) but everything else we had was just as good. Several interesting specials (including a lamb shank) which made it difficult to choose. Small, lovely restaurant which I highly recommend.
We stopped here when we came to Richmond for a quick weekend getaway. The food was excellent and the most unique menu I have seen. Wine by the bottle must be ordered through their sommelier which was very fun. She did an excellent job in finding us a bottle of wine that we would not have chosen if left to our own devices, but we both agreed that it was outstanding. Service was excellent, and the atmosphere was wonderful - you feel like you are in a cozy café in Spain. The prices are a bit high especially if you are buying a bottle of wine, but it is worth it for a special occasion or date night. We will be back the next time we are in town!
GeneV
This place reminds me of the restaurants I've visited in Pamplona and San Sebastián in the Spanish Basque region. The wine and drink selection is tailored and the service is outstanding. The food is one of a kind! I will be back!
Brendan Rhoad
Quite possibly one of the best and most unique dining experiences I’ve had in Richmond. All of the dishes were thoughtfully and artfully prepared, with flavors that complemented each other perfectly (many dishes you won’t see on menus anywhere else). The service was also impeccable and the wine was perfectly paired with the tapas. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rose Wine, Razor Clam Special, Lamb Belly with Lentils
KenW
Like taking a culinary trip to Europe. Remarkable Basque inspired food from Chef Randall and personally curated wine recommendations from Lyne, unlike anything else in Richmond. Go for a special and memorable evening.
Tiana Wilson Addai-Mensah, LMS
My friend and I visited around 7:30pm on a Thursday. Earlier we called and were told that the place was booked and we could not reserve a table, but we were free to sit at the bar first on a come first served basis.For a restaurant in the middle of Jackson Ward, the place is quite pricey.The bartender was cordial, but was not overly friendly. He asked us if we wanted sparkling water. We did. Seeing that we were the only black people in the place and this was our "hood" you would think that he would have really spread it on thick so that we would tell our friends and spread the word.We explained that this was our first visit (duh) and he explained that the menu was meant to be shared. Basically, each item was just what it said, no side dishes, just the protein unless stated otherwise. He suggested the special of lamb stew, and we almost got it until we asked the price. Once we found out that it was $50, we declined. We ended up ordering a cheese plate and glass of wine each. We watched the bartender go to the kitchen and share HIS thoughts with the chef or someone who was doing the cooking. They both looked over and smiled at each other. (Hmmm...) The cheese plate arrived delivered and explained by someone else???? from the kitchen (Hmmm...) There were 3 types of cheese (very small portions), 2 small cups with even smaller amounts of honey and jam each, and roughly 8-10 crackers. Although the cheese portions were small, 4-5 crackers per person was not enough. I asked for additional crackers, but stopped the bartender as I saw that he was ringing us up for the additional water crackers (Hmmm...) He asked if we were okay about 5 minutes into our "meal/snack", but ignored us the rest of the time after realizing that we were not ordering any further. Once we received the check of $69 (for bottled water:$10, a cheese plate:$19, a glass of white:$14, and a glass of red $18), we were over it. The place is beautiful and the ambiance is nice, bit it's a NO/Never again fro. Me.Parking: On street.
I’ve been eating mussels since I was in a high-chair, and their evening special easily ranked them among my top experiences. The bartender was passionate and attentive, assisting me in selecting the perfect wine and sharing stories of foraging for local ingredients to incorporate into cocktails. The evening culminated perfectly with a slice of Basque cheesecake drizzled with olive oil. Although the shrimp, which was the reason I originally visited, had run out for the night, I now have the perfect excuse to return :) Restaurant Adarra, I adore!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It never disappoints. The amazing flavor mixes and spices are perfect combinations. We had the beans with octopus - the octopus was as tender as the beans - how is that possible. Topped off with a wonderful glass of wine for a great date night!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is truly exceptional. It is my favorite restaurant in Richmond right now. I highly recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this restaurant so much. The food/drink, and service is always wonderful and leaves me feeling very satisfied! I have had several fabulous dinners here and I am always impressed by their creative menu. Wonderful service and experience everytime.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I would give it a 3.5, but will round up to 4. Some things were really quite excellent, other things not so good.Conservas: Had one of the clam dishes and one of the calamari. Clams were fantastic, squid was not for me. The squid was unusual -- it was in a spiced tomato sauce -- so don't want to say that it was "bad", but I'm a pretty adventurous eater and really couldn't stomach it.Mushroom Gnocchi: This was incredibly tasty. But as others have noted, it was about 90% mushrooms and 10% gnocchi. Pretty bizarre, in my opinion. But again, very good tasting.Cheese and crackers: I think it was $19 for cheese and crackers. The cheeses were nice, but the crackers were legit stale basic boxed crackers. Not even the nice Costco crackers. Would have though that for $19 they would have had either house-baked crackers or some other type of nice cracker.Overall, the service and ambience were very nice. The food is quite unusual I think, so this won't be for everyone. But I'm happy that I went and think it's worth checking out (except for the crackers).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Five stars across the board!!! The staff's attention to detail with the food and the drinks did not go unnoticed. If anyone is looking for a great date night, this is the place to go. Can't wait to go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairing, Octopus, Squid in Ink, Basque Cheesecake
Delicious food and great wine selection! Will be back :)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Adarra is a unique place in Richmond in my experience, combining Spanish tinned seafood with a selection of interesting, mostly seafood "dinner" selections. And a well curated wine selection that goes beyond Spain. My party of four had a good time, with the comment " We're coming back real soon" being heard. If you don't like seafood, you'd better pass. If you're looking for a unique dining experience, do consider it. It's downtown, so you do face the usual parking challenges. And they're a small restaurant so take reservations very seriously.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairing, Octopus, Razor Clam Special
Amazing seafood!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Wine Pairing, Octopus, Razor Clam Special
This restaurant is incredible. For those of you who love seafood, this is must. Everything we had was wonderful, but we especially liked the razor clams and sardines in oil olive (tins), the shrimp and the octopus with white beans (dinner) but everything else we had was just as good. Several interesting specials (including a lamb shank) which made it difficult to choose. Small, lovely restaurant which I highly recommend.
Restaurantji Recommends
We stopped here when we came to Richmond for a quick weekend getaway. The food was excellent and the most unique menu I have seen. Wine by the bottle must be ordered through their sommelier which was very fun. She did an excellent job in finding us a bottle of wine that we would not have chosen if left to our own devices, but we both agreed that it was outstanding. Service was excellent, and the atmosphere was wonderful - you feel like you are in a cozy café in Spain. The prices are a bit high especially if you are buying a bottle of wine, but it is worth it for a special occasion or date night. We will be back the next time we are in town!
This place reminds me of the restaurants I've visited in Pamplona and San Sebastián in the Spanish Basque region. The wine and drink selection is tailored and the service is outstanding. The food is one of a kind! I will be back!
Quite possibly one of the best and most unique dining experiences I’ve had in Richmond. All of the dishes were thoughtfully and artfully prepared, with flavors that complemented each other perfectly (many dishes you won’t see on menus anywhere else). The service was also impeccable and the wine was perfectly paired with the tapas. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Rose Wine, Razor Clam Special, Lamb Belly with Lentils
Like taking a culinary trip to Europe. Remarkable Basque inspired food from Chef Randall and personally curated wine recommendations from Lyne, unlike anything else in Richmond. Go for a special and memorable evening.
My friend and I visited around 7:30pm on a Thursday. Earlier we called and were told that the place was booked and we could not reserve a table, but we were free to sit at the bar first on a come first served basis.For a restaurant in the middle of Jackson Ward, the place is quite pricey.The bartender was cordial, but was not overly friendly. He asked us if we wanted sparkling water. We did. Seeing that we were the only black people in the place and this was our "hood" you would think that he would have really spread it on thick so that we would tell our friends and spread the word.We explained that this was our first visit (duh) and he explained that the menu was meant to be shared. Basically, each item was just what it said, no side dishes, just the protein unless stated otherwise. He suggested the special of lamb stew, and we almost got it until we asked the price. Once we found out that it was $50, we declined. We ended up ordering a cheese plate and glass of wine each. We watched the bartender go to the kitchen and share HIS thoughts with the chef or someone who was doing the cooking. They both looked over and smiled at each other. (Hmmm...) The cheese plate arrived delivered and explained by someone else???? from the kitchen (Hmmm...) There were 3 types of cheese (very small portions), 2 small cups with even smaller amounts of honey and jam each, and roughly 8-10 crackers. Although the cheese portions were small, 4-5 crackers per person was not enough. I asked for additional crackers, but stopped the bartender as I saw that he was ringing us up for the additional water crackers (Hmmm...) He asked if we were okay about 5 minutes into our "meal/snack", but ignored us the rest of the time after realizing that we were not ordering any further. Once we received the check of $69 (for bottled water:$10, a cheese plate:$19, a glass of white:$14, and a glass of red $18), we were over it. The place is beautiful and the ambiance is nice, bit it's a NO/Never again fro. Me.Parking: On street.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1