We Visited Lafayette Tavern- Here's What You Need to Know

If you love Stella’s, Little Nickel, or The Continental, you’re going to want this on your radar immediately. The team behind those delicious spots just opened Lafayette Tavern, a brand new restaurant located right across the street from Stella’s on Lafayette.

Lafayette Tavern is serving up classic American comfort food with an elevated twist. Think steakhouse vibes with a neighborhood tavern feel. The menu has everything from potato skins and hashbrowns to creamed spinach and pasta, so there’s truly something for everyone.

Here’s everything we ordered, what I thought, and what you should know before you go.

Where is Lafayette Tavern?

📍 Lafayette Tavern
1011 Lafayette St.
Richmond, VA 23221

It’s directly across from Stella’s on Lafayette, so it’s super easy to spot if you’re familiar with the area.

The Vibe

The vibe here is so good. The space feels unique and elevated but not overly fancy. You can dress up, but you don’t have to. I love the style of the decor. (Even the bathroom is cool!) I should mention it did get quite loud but hey, it was a Friday night. We didn’t have a reservation, so we waited for about an hour and a half, but we got really lucky and scored the chef’s table in the back, which was such a fun vantage point.

What We Ordered at Lafayette Tavern

Basil Mocktail (NA)

I don’t remember the exact name on the menu, but we ordered a basil mocktail that was lightly sweet with fresh lemon, and it was so refreshing. I’m always happy when a restaurant offers creative non-alcoholic options that feel intentional instead of just a soda. This one definitely did.

House Bread + Butter

They brought out house bread with butter that was genuinely some of the best butter I’ve ever had. I know butter shouldn’t be this exciting… but here we are.

Radicchio Salad

This salad had radicchio, chickpeas, sweet drops, cucumber, red onion, and shallots with a lemon dressing. Quick note: it’s radicchio-heavy, so if you’re not into that bitter leafy vibe, maybe choose something else. But I loved the sweet drops, which are a type of pepper, were such a fun pop of flavor. Also, the chickpeas were perfectly crispy, which I appreciate as a certified chickpea enthusiast.

Roasted Leeks

The roasted leeks were topped with brown butter, lemon, hazelnut, and manchego. I don’t typically order leeks (they’re usually not screaming my name from the menu), but this sounded interesting, and I’m glad we tried it. The flavor combo was rich, lemony, nutty, and just really well done.

General’s Hashbrown (Deluxe)

This was a super crispy hashbrown, and we ordered it deluxe style, so it came with sour cream and chives. It was salty, crunchy, and basically everything you want when you order a hashbrown as an appetizer (which should always be normalized).

Spicy Shells a la Vodka

This was one of my favorites. The pasta was tossed in a chili vodka sauce with onion cream. It was delicious, and even though it sounds spicy, it really wasn’t overly hot. So if you’re not a big heat person, I still think you’d enjoy it. The table next to us even commented how delicious it looked.

The Bill (Including Tax + Tip)

Our total was $105.84 with tax and tip.

Well, technically that’s what it would have been. It ended up being a little less, since they comped our salad because it came out after the rest of our food. We didn’t even mention it, but they proactively removed it from the bill, which I really appreciated. (I certainly would not have complained or asked for that. It was only their second night of being open, so these things happen! But it was very sweet they did!)

Wait Time + Reservations

We didn’t have a reservation and attempted a walk-in. We waited about an hour and a half for a table, which felt totally expected given how new it is. The hostess warned me it would be a long wait and it was nice out so it was not a big deal to just hang out on the benches out front. Stella’s Grocery is right next door, so it’s also a great place to hang while you wait.

I can already tell this spot is going to be wildly popular, so if you want to eat at a normal time without playing the waiting game, make a reservation!

Overall Thoughts

Lafayette Tavern absolutely lived up to the expectations. Great space, strong menu, fun vibe, and a lineup of dishes that felt classic but still interesting.

If you like the restaurants this group has created before, this one is going to feel like a natural addition. I’m already planning what I want to try next time.

We Visited Lafayette Tavern- Here’s What You Need to Know

Where is Lafayette Tavern?

The Vibe