There are more than 900 reasons for attendees to dine in the Richmond Region. Check out some of the top group dining options, renowned restaurants and local tastings that are easily accessible for groups while meeting in RVA.
Creativity Comes By the Plateful in RVA
Richmond has become a center for dining innovation, with award-winning chefs serving up some of the best farm-to-table dishes that have received national recognition. Get a taste of the versatile dining options and restaurants in and around Downtown RVA and the Greater Richmond Convention Center that are able to accommodate small and large groups.
The newest of RVA hospitality's restaurants, Bar Solita, mixes vacation vibes, Mediterranean flavors and an inventive cocktail menu effortlessly. Plus, it offers private dining opportunities among three rooms for up to 85 people.
At Belle, groups will find a 3000 square-foot space that encompasses a variety of seating options, including the Belle Dining Room, James Bar, and Patio.
Available for an entire restaurant buyout and with enough space to host groups of up to 350 people, The Boathouse at Rocketts Landing is a nautical dining experience that features an extensive raw bar, open-flamed prime steaks and fresh sustainable seafood. The street-level floor, waterfront River View Room can accommodate up to 230, while a private, fourth-floor room, The Harbourmaster Suite, is available for private events up to 40.
Groups will find French-brasserie-style cuisine from breakfast to dinner at Can Can Brasserie. The eatery offers private dining experiences featuring event management and coordination, private rooms set apart from the restaurant setting, outdoor seating and more for up to 140 attendees.
Capital Ale House-Downtown is a historic 108-year-old building featuring a European-style Beer Garden, 46 taps and true American cuisine in the heart of Downtown. The restaurant offers space to accommodate up to 60 people in its private dining room and up to 230 in the Music Hall.
Serving up authentic Mexican cuisine, Casa Del Barco at Canal Walk offers space available for groups to reserve, which includes a bar area for your group happy hour, a seated lunch or dinner for up to 30 people, a patio for a canal-side al fresco event, or an entire restaurant buyout to have access to all three. Fun fact: The restaurant has a ceiling feature that allows guests to sign and hang tequila bottles as they're emptied.
District 5 is a full-service restaurant, banquet hall and bar featuring 48 craft beers on tap, and can accommodate parties up to 600 people between two private dining rooms, the Jack Daniels Room and the Belle Isle Ballroom.
Havana '59 is a stunning three-level restaurant serving up Latin cuisine. It offers a second-floor patio featuring indoor-outdoor space with a full-service bar for up to 120 attendees, a third-floor patio that's completely open-air for up to 40 guests, and a first-floor mezzanine that’s available for smaller groups. Buyouts are available for larger groups.
Julep's New Southern Cuisine offers a back dining room that can accommodate up to 50 attendees for a sit-down luncheon or dinner. And if you need more room, the entire restaurant is available for receptions of up to 125 guests.
Fine Italian dining restaurant, La Grotta Ristorante, offers two private dining rooms — the Wine Room for up to 36 people and the City View Room for up to 32 people. With a minimum of 100 guests, groups can reserve the entire restaurant.
Traditional dishes and lighter fare with Celtic music are what groups can expect at Sine Irish Pub & Restaurant. It also features a spacious outdoor deck and patio plus facility spaces to accommodate groups from 25 to 200.
Dine at a Richmond landmark with your group at the Tobacco Company Restaurant. Serving up upscale steak and seafood cuisine, the four-story restaurant boasts two distinct dining floors, a cocktail lounge with live music, and a popular nightclub and dance floor.
James Beard recognized restaurant, Wong Gonzalez, blends Asian + Latin cuisine in an upscale setting with space available for groups of up to 200 plus allows for a buyout.
More Richmond restaurants ideal for group dining include:
Tastings & Tours: Sample RVA's Culinary Scene
Groups can not only dine in and around the Richmond Region, but they can also tour the town while doing so. Real Richmond Food Tours and Discover Richmond Food Tours offer neighborhood-centric outings in the Richmond region that focus on food and history. If your group is into biking for bites, Basket & Bike and Richmond Rides both combine bikes and bites on their food-focused tours.
Groups can mix food with fun at River City Roll. The restaurant and venue feature boutique bowling, a seasonal menu and cocktail scene, a covered and heated patio and more for groups of 40 to 400. You can also rent out the entire bowling alley and private dining spaces for event accommodations.
Have a unique group dining experience at Tang & Biscuit Shuffleboard Social Club. This shuffleboard social club doubles as a restaurant with a full kitchen and allows buyouts. The venue offers nearly 18,000 sq. ft. of space for groups of up to 400, outdoor dining and private dining, 10 shuffleboard courts and other fun engaging games.
Richmond Food Events: Festivals, Food & Fun
Food festivals like Broad Appétit, Fire, Flour and Fork and Stick a Fork In It! take over Richmond each year. These events bring together local chefs, fans of food and craft food in settings that set this place apart. Food events are a great way to sample and savor all RVA has to offer.
Local Bite Spotlight: Chef Michele Wilson on RVA’s Dining Scene
Chef Michele Wilson’s passion for cooking and bringing people together led her to open Ma Michele’s Café, a restaurant that has since made a mark on the region’s culinary scene for its inventive Southern comfort food. As a connector and an events enthusiast, Wilson most enjoys the catering aspect of her business. And she recently completed a SWaM training course hosted by Richmond Region Tourism’s latest campaign, BLK RVA, and the Richmond Black Restaurant Experience that provided Black-owned restaurants with information about corporate and meeting contracts. Read more about her story and why she is proud to be a part of the region’s thriving culinary scene.
To learn about planning your next convention, meeting or event in Richmond:
