The Jasper

Grandstaff & Stein

Tazza in Scott's has a surprisingly good cocktail menu!

Check out Laura Lees

Grisette.

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The Roosevelt

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The jasper is overpriced and doesn’t even serve real food

Cocktails were good for a longtime- in the last two years they've definitely been mediocre

I enjoy grabbing cocktails at Helen's and Grisette. Have also liked everything I've had sitting at Cancan's bar!

Heritage has a good cocktail service

The truth is: There isn't an excellent cocktail-first bar in Richmond. There are two major bars that focus primarily on cocktails, but both have problems. Then there are a ton of restaurants that usually have a few nice cocktails on the menu and a couple of bartenders who know what they're doing.

(This is partly due to Prohibition-era regulations requiring that a certain percentage of an establishment's sales come from food, rather than liquor.)

Grandstaff & Stein is the first cocktail-focused bar. It's okay, not great. The menu is too big. Most of the drinks on the menu are (1) straightforward, you-could-easily-make-this-at-home-and-have-had-it-a-thousand-times cocktails, (2) weird, unbalanced Prohibition-era drinks nobody likes, and (3) mediocre signature cocktails that never change.

The Jasper is the second cocktail-focused bar. It's pretty good, almost great. They do excellent renditions of the classics. Getting a Daiquiri for $6 at happy hour is awesome. The staff definitely know what they are doing. The menu is always interesting and inventive, and I have occasionally had some really excellent drinks. There are too many misses for me to say it's a great cocktail bar, though. I think they should pare down the menu and refine their recipes more. In my experience, it is not at all uncommon for 3 of a group of 4 people to not really enjoy their drink. That's not great! That said, while the Jasper would be a middle-of-the-road cocktail bar in a major city like DC or NY, it's probably the best in Richmond. Oh, and it is always packed.

I'll also throw in the Verdant Lady here. It's in the middle of nowhere and the one time I went, I did not think much of it. Oh, also, the Jungle Room, but I've never been. And the folks behind the Jasper are supposed to be opening up a Tiki-focused place in Church Hill. I'm looking forward to that.

Then we have the restaurants. The best bar program is probably at the Roosevelt. I have also enjoyed drinks at Stella's, Heritage, Restaurant Adarra, Laura Lee's, and Helen's.

In summary: In my opinion, the best cocktail bar in the city is the Jasper. The Roosevelt is not really a cocktail bar, but it has a good bar program.

Different strokes for different folks but I find the prices not too bad, especially considering it's in Carytown where everything's more expensive. Pop in for happy hour and they have $6 classic cocktails and food. I like that they don't serve food, it keeps the tables turning over faster so you can usually walk in unless it's right after the peak wave.

I don’t drink because of migraines so it sucks for me- bar food is the part I enjoy. Plus there are always sober people, DDs, etc that should be catered to too in my opinion

Edit: sober people deserve joy too :(

6 oz. shots and free beer for psychics.... this is the way...

Black Lodge, Grandstaff and Stein, Can Can, Lucky AF, Botanya, Cocodrilo

Avoid Switch, Cirrus, any of the VCU Bars

Even though I'm more into the classics and bitter stuff when making at home, the tiki themed cocktail menu at Jungle Room is my favorite one in Richmond. You can go early if you're not trying to hear the DJs later.

Jungle Room drinks suck. Best drinks are the bars at higher end restaurants, but agree limited selection.

The Stables on Belmont, Acacia when they reopen

Mentioned above, but check out Jungle Room. I'm not much of a tiki fan but their menu has several really good drinks.

LOL. That's the point. Their intention is to be as much of a booze-bar as is possible in a state like VA. They make their food margins off of Carytown Cupcakes. They don't claim to be a restaurant.

I know I just can drink because of migraines, but I still want to spend time with my friends and want to still enjoy myself with some good bar food :(

They do have a couple non-alcoholic cocktails on the menu, and I bet the bartenders would mix something up for you too. Order the soup of the day but non-alcoholic. Have a couple snacks, I really like the smoked trout dip and steak tartare, and then go hit another spot nearby for a real meal.

Southbound

I don't drink but I've had a couple of great mocktails at Alewife

Jewfro!

Lucky for you there are like 400 other options in the city that cover those bases.

They were very mediocre when I went there. Heritage and Roosevelt have better cocktails.

I’m just annoyed because my friends always seem to want to go to the jasper

I recently had great cocktails at Pinky’s. Interesting and delicious!

And their food is sleeper bangin. Never mention on r/rva but that pork bowl... one of the few items in this town I actually get a serious craving for

Alewife has the best cocktails I have ever had in my life

Rappahannock has an underrated cocktail selection

I had the best cocktail I’ve ever had in Richmond at the Mantu. It was a gin and tonic situation using Hendricks, pomegranate juice, mint and some other stuff.

Granted, their offerings are focused on their own stuff, but I've liked all the cocktails that I've tried at Virago.

I always thought the cocktails at Secret Sandwich Society were fun, and, if I am remembering correctly, they change them regularly so there is always something new to look forward to.

Plus, their sandwiches are delicious!

Then tell your friends you don't want to go????

Heritage, Jasper, Blue Atlas

It seems to be the choice spot for friends who I haven’t seen in years who live on the other side of the country. I’m not gonna say no and not get to see them. I’ll just say yes and then complain on Reddit where it doesn’t matter because internet points are fake

Seems like they pick the Jasper in the hopes you choose not to tag along

Lol they text me asking me to go? No need to be rude

Edit: why are you so personally offended by me not liking a bar?

It's annoying that someone chooses to join a discussion about bars to complain that bars exist

L’oppossum

I think their cocktails are overpriced and that their schtick of no food is super lame. That’s a fair discussion to add to a discussion about bars. When someone says what is the best bar, I think the jasper is on the bottom of the list

You attacked me personally because this offended you very deeply for some reason.

Dang, you aint kidding - Verdant Lady is in a really out of the way spot. Might give it a go though just for the heck of it.

I really respect the balls it takes to just open up a spot like that out there. I hope they succeed. But I wasn’t blown away by the menu.

Yeah, the location is more what I would expect from a bar back in VA Beach or something - tucked away into a random shopping center. Benefit of the doubt though, I assume restaurant/ bar space is at a premium in the city and it's a risky business to begin with.

That’s my thinking. But for it to be a destination? It needs to be really good.

Cirrus vodka has a low key fantastic cocktail menu