Richmond, VA has one of the best brunch scenes in the South, and it’s not something most people expect. Whether you’re looking for the best brunch in Richmond VA, a casual neighborhood breakfast spot, or planning a full weekend in the city, there’s more depth here than you’d think. If you’re still figuring out where to stay, check out my guide to the best hotels in Richmond VA.
Finding the best brunch in Richmond VA was my first priority, and I covered a lot of ground to do it. I asked locals, walked neighborhoods, and ate my way through the city. What follows are the spots that consistently stand out.
Most of these brunch spots in Richmond VA serve both breakfast and brunch every day they’re open, not just on weekends. Whether you’re in town for a quick visit or staying a little longer, these are the places that are actually worth seeking out.
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Where to Find the Best Brunch in Richmond, VA
Richmond’s brunch scene is spread across a handful of neighborhoods, each with its own feel. Downtown and Shockoe Bottom are the easiest places to start if you want something walkable with a mix of classic brunch spots and more modern options. Lakeside is a short drive north and worth it for a few standout, locally loved spots. Scott’s Addition leans more toward a casual, brewery-adjacent brunch scene with plenty of places to linger. Over in Church Hill, you’ll find more neighborhood-style cafes and bakeries with a slightly quieter, local feel.
Best Breakfast in Richmond, VA
Perly's
I’ve lived in New York City long enough that bagels and Jewish deli food are basically a staple for me. So finding a great Jewish deli in Richmond wasn’t something I expected, but Perly’s delivers. They call themselves a Jewish restaurant and deli with a modern spin, and it’s one of the more interesting breakfast spots in Richmond because of it.
The deli side covers the classics: corned beef, pastrami sandwiches, and the kind of food you’d expect. But the breakfast menu is where I’d steer you. The Cinnamon Babka French Toast is excellent, the eggs benedict comes with smoked salmon over potato latkes instead of the usual English muffin, and the cheese blintzes with blueberry sauce are the kind of thing you think about on the drive home.
They open at 9am and a line tends to form before the doors unlock. Get there early.
JEWISH DELI | BREAKFAST | LOX | PASTRAMI | BABKA FRENCH TOAST | DOWNTOWN RICHMOND
SB's Lake Side Love Shack
Before arriving in Richmond, I asked a local Facebook group for their best brunch recommendations. SB’s Lakeside Love Shack came up more than any other spot, so I made the drive. It’s about 15 minutes north of downtown and worth every minute of it.
SB’s is named after owner Sarabeth Hagen, and the menu is small, focused, and a little eccentric in the best way. If you grew up with 80s music you’ll recognize the B-52’s theme running through the dish names:
- “Tin Roof Rusted” Hash: Sweet potato hash with sunny side up eggs
- “Bang Bang on the Door” Benny: Virginia ham on a grilled croissant
- “I Can’t Hear You” Over This Pile of Pork: Scallion and cheddar pancakes topped with braised pork
There’s also a rotating specials menu that’s worth asking about when you arrive.
Pro tip: If you finish up on the later side, head over to Final Gravity Brewing Co for one of the best craft beer selections in Richmond.
BREAKFAST | BRUNCH | LAKESIDE | HASH | EGGS BENEDICT | PANCAKES | NORTH RICHMOND
Moore Street Cafe
Moore Street Cafe doesn’t look like much from the outside. If you didn’t know it was there, you’d drive right past it. That would be a mistake. Inside you’ll find one of the better breakfast spots in Richmond VA, with a diner feel that’s unpretentious and comfortable.
The signature dish is the Breakfast Club sandwich, and it earns the hype. Bacon, sausage, ham, eggs, lettuce and tomato all on one sandwich that sounds excessive, but it actually works. It comes together well and at $13 it’s still a solid deal.
The mimosas here are called Moore-mosas, served in 32-ounce personal pitchers starting at $10. If you’re looking for bottomless brunch in Richmond VA on a budget, this is about as close as it gets without an actual bottomless deal. Several flavors, very reasonable, and a good reason to linger.
The pancakes are worth adding as a side. They’re large and thin rather than the thick, doughy style you find most places, and they reminded me of the ones my grandfather used to make. Moore St sits right on the edge of Scott’s Addition, so it’s an easy walk to some of the neighborhood’s local breweries when you’re done. Note that Moore Street Cafe is closed on Tuesdays.
DINER | BREAKFAST SANDWICH | MIMOSAS | SCOTT’S ADDITION | BUDGET FRIENDLY
Millie's Diner
Millie’s Diner has a backstory worth knowing. Owner Paul Keevil grew up in the UK, got pulled into the music business, and eventually ended up in Los Angeles where he opened a restaurant he named Millie’s after the previous owner. In 1989 he moved the whole operation to Richmond, and it’s been a neighborhood fixture ever since.
Paul brings his UK background into the kitchen in an unexpected way. Growing up, a curry after the pubs closed was a given, and that influence shows up in the food here. The Devil’s Mess is the dish to order: an open-faced omelet with sausage, peppers, onions, tomatoes and mild curry, finished with melted cheddar and avocado. It sounds like it shouldn’t work as a breakfast dish, but it does. The curry spice gives the whole thing a warmth that sets it apart, and even the home fries have some kick to them.
Millie’s sits far enough from downtown Richmond to feel like a real neighborhood brunch spot rather than a tourist stop, but close enough that it’s not out of your way.
BREAKFAST | BRUNCH | DINER | CURRY | EGGS | NEIGHBORHOOD GEM | CHURCH HILL
Dot's Back Inn
I almost missed Dot’s Back Inn entirely the first time I visited Richmond. It was my last stop before leaving town, and I’m glad I didn’t skip it. The menu covers the usual breakfast territory: omelets, breakfast platters, and the like, but there’s also a rotating specials menu with more interesting options that change regularly.
What makes Dot’s worth knowing about is that it works as well for dinner as it does for breakfast. Burgers, wings, fried oysters and soft-shell crabs in season are all on the dinner menu, and the prices are reasonable across the board. It’s a neighborhood spot locals rely on, which is usually a good sign.
Bonus tip: Demi’s Mediterranean Kitchen is directly across the street and run by the same owner, Chef Jimmy Tsamouras. Worth adding to your dinner plans if you’re in the area.
BREAKFAST | BRUNCH | OMELETS | DINNER | WINGS | SEAFOOD | NORTH RICHMOND
LuLu's
If you find yourself in Shockoe Bottom, Lulu’s is the brunch spot to know. The chicken and red velvet waffle gets most of the attention, but the seafood omelets and shrimp and grits are just as worth ordering. The Bloody Marys are solid too and a good reason to arrive without anywhere to be for a while.
It’s also one of the better options if you’re looking for brunch in Shockoe Bottom specifically.
BREAKFAST | BRUNCH | SHOCKOE BOTTOM | CHICKEN & WAFFLES | SHRIMP & GRITS | BLOODY MARY
Best Sunday Brunch in Richmond, VA
Hobnob
If I didn’t already give you enough reasons to leave downtown Richmond and head up to the Lake Side area (to SB’s Lakeside Love Shack and Final Gravity Brewing) then add brunch at Hobnob as another reason. This small restaurant is worth finding. The menu varies by season, and could include things like steak Benedict, zucchini pancakes, or a low country scramble made with shrimp and andouille sausage. This is another place that I’d also highly recommend for dinner as well. Offering Sunday brunch only.
SUNDAY BRUNCH | LAKESIDE | SEASONAL MENU | NORTH RICHMOND
Champagne Brunch at the Jefferson Hotel
The Champagne Brunch at the Jefferson Hotel is easily the grandest and best Sunday brunch in Richmond. There is a full brunch buffet as well as an omelet station, a carving station, and a full salad bar. But the seafood arrangement, which typically features shrimp cocktail, oysters, mussels, and other items is usually the first place people head
Reservations are required, as space typically fills up. At $65 this isn’t the type of place you go often, but rather for special occasions or maybe for holiday gathering.
Lemaire in the Jefferson Hotel also offers a fantastic and more traditional daily breakfast during the week from 7-11am.
SUNDAY BRUNCH | BRUNCH BUFFET | CHAMPAGNE BRUNCH | SEAFOOD | UPSCALE | DOWNTOWN RICHMOND
Best Bakeries in Richmond
If you’re looking for a lighter breakfast or a quick stop before brunch, these are two of the best bakeries in Richmond.
Up All Night Bakery
Up All Night Bakery bakes all their bread in a hand-built oven on a trailer behind the store. The oven is loaded with firewood and burned through the night, and by morning nothing is left but ash and the heat absorbed into the masonry. That residual heat is what bakes the loaves, with fresh bread coming out around 9am.
The croissants are a three-day process and worth knowing about before you go. The cinnamon buns are popular, but the orange Morning Bun is the one to get.
BAKERY | BREAD | CROISSANTS | MORNING BUN | BELLEVUE | BREAKFAST
Sub Rosa Bakery
Sub Rosa Bakery is back. After a fire closed the Church Hill location in late 2024, it reopened in December 2025 with a restored space and a new oven setup. The heart of what makes it worth visiting hasn’t changed.
Sub Rosa stone mills its own flour and the difference shows up in everything they bake. Get there between 8 and 10am for the best pastry selection, including croissants and whatever seasonal items are on that day. The bread tends to be more available after 10am but goods sell out by the afternoon, so earlier is better. The owners are Turkish siblings, and the menu includes Turkish specialties like lamb borek and pogaca alongside the usual bakery offerings.
Sub Rosa is open Tuesday through Friday from 7am and weekends from 8am. Closed Mondays.
BAKERY | BREAD | CROISSANTS | WOOD FIRED | STONE MILLED | CHURCH HILL | TURKISH PASTRIES
Other Great Brunch Spots in Richmond, VA
A few more spots that are worth knowing if you’re exploring Richmond’s brunch scene:
The Sidewalk Cafe
Yeah, it’s sort of a dive. But also, it’s a place that’s easy to love. Weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. 2101 W Main St
The Hill Cafe
A no-frills neighborhood spot on Church Hill serving Sunday brunch at prices that are hard to argue with. The kind of place locals actually go rather than just recommend. 2800 E Broad St
Alewife
Alewife is one of Richmond’s better seafood restaurants and the Sunday brunch menu reflects that. Skip the standard breakfast fare and go for the rotating dishes: quiche, short rib hash, frittata, Arctic char, or tartare depending on the week. The burger shows up on the brunch menu too and it’s worth considering. 3120 E Marshall St
Pinky’s
Pinky’s brings a coastal Mediterranean angle to Scott’s Addition with a Saturday and Sunday brunch menu that includes zeppole, French omelets, and a handful of traditional dishes. Order the lamb papas with a sunny side egg. 3015 Norfolk St
Whether you’re looking for a casual breakfast or planning a full Sunday brunch in Richmond VA, these spots cover the best of what the city has to offer.
Richmond’s breakfast and brunch scene is better than most people expect, and that’s part of what makes it worth exploring. From Jewish deli classics at Perly’s to wood-fired pastries, champagne buffets at the Jefferson, and neighborhood spots that locals have been going to for decades, the range here is genuinely impressive.
If you’re planning a trip, the Lakeside area alone is worth a morning with SB’s Lakeside Love Shack and Hobnob both up there. Scott’s Addition is another easy anchor for a brunch crawl, with Pinky’s and Moore Street Cafe both within reach. And if it’s a Sunday, the Jefferson Hotel champagne brunch is the kind of thing you plan a visit around.
These are the best brunch spots in Richmond VA that made the cut after walking the neighborhoods and eating a lot of food. If you’ve been to any of these or have a spot worth adding, drop it in the comments.
If you’re building out a full food-focused trip, Richmond has more going on than just brunch. The barbecue scene is better than most people expect, and I put together a guide to the best BBQ in Richmond VA if you want to keep eating well throughout the day.
