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Restaurant is closed…
Lola
The Empress
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Amazing. I first tried The Empress a couple of weeks ago, after wanting to go for some time. I was thoroughly impressed! I went with a group of friend…
Jason Lilley
The Empress
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Terrible food. Went to the Empress last night and literally had the worst meal I've had in many moons. I ordered the seitan meatloaf, which consisted …
Jonathan
The Empress
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The Empress serves Breakfast, Coffee and Tea and European. Incorrect or missing information? Make a report, or claim the restaurant if you own it!Details
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9 Reviews on “The Empress”
Terrible food. Went to the Empress last night and literally had the worst meal I’ve had in many moons. I ordered the seitan meatloaf, which consisted of two small logs of wheat gluten and not a lick of meat. Adding insult to injury, the two oversized bread sticks were $16 and came with a slop of mashed potatoes and largely uncooked, almost inedible brussel sprouts (I wanted to switch to braised leafy greens instead of the brussels but this not permitted at this establishment). My wife’s mushroom pasta was decent but appetizer size for $16. A similar dish at Bacchus cost about $10-12 for twice the amount.This place sucks!!! Spread the word.
Disappointing. The wait staff was very rude. The food seemed prepared earlier and was not heated prior to being presented. The bread was stale. All in all, not a particularly enjoyable experience.
Mixed results. I made reservations at The Empress on a Wednesday night. Our party was originally 8, but I called to amend the number to 6. Two of us arrived before the rest, and we were told that we would not be seated until the rest of the party arrived. The only place to sit and wait was awkward and uncomfortable. While I understand the policy, I was surprised that it was enforced on a not-so-busy night and that it was not applied universally. A woman sitting alone when we arrived was joined by a companion during our meal.Once we were seated, we enjoyed the experience more, although the waiter had to go back and ask many questions, which slowed down the meal. The food was good, for the most part, and a reasonable value. The exception was the spinach salad, which did not have all of the ingredients advertised and the accompanying bread that was quite burned, but we particularly enjoyed the risotto. The Caesar dressing was outstanding. The potato roasties were enjoyed, as was the chocolate crepe. Another big plus was allowing separate checks, which we very much appreciated.Had we been seated upon arrival, the likelihood is high that at least two of us would have ordered more to drink and potentially more to eat. I am not sure that having us stand awkwardly around the front was ideal for anyone. I am disappointed because I was looking forward to trying the restaurant and perhaps making it a regular destination.I emailed the restaurant and heard back from the owner right away. She made a very good point in her reply that we should have made any concerns with the food known to our waiter so that they could be remedied. She also explained some of the other issues. I really appreciate her response.
Underrated!. The GOOD: Upscale gourmet dining in a,laid back, trendy atmosphere at excellent value ($15/dinner entrees)! We had the sweet potato bisque, italian risotto, acorn squash, cornbread, and creme brulee. Every dish popped. Two people can easily do a 3-course meal w/alcohol for $60. No issues getting a table at 6:30pm on a saturday night without a reservation. Relatively easy parking within two blocks. Fun cocktails and good beer/wine selection. Decent service.The BAD: Felt a little understaffed. As more diners arrived, service got noticeably slower. Dining room got loud.VERDICT: Good for a date! Felt more expensive than it actually was. Based on the mixed older reviews, I think this new restaurant has gotten most of the kinks worked out and is beginning to hit its stride. Recommended!
Potential unrealized but hope remains.. We recently went for dinner with some friends, 2 of us vegan (not gluten free) and 2 of us omnivores. Our dinner nets mixed reviews. We love the philosophy behind this restaurant. We hate the location. Nice to have a patio but since it is directly on Broad Street you are eating with the ambiance of car fumes and traffic noise without any of the European flair. Inside is spartan but creatively done. We were the only party there until about 8pm which we found curious for a weekend.Our food earned a C+. Our friends had salad, duck and tuna which they loved. We tried the vichyssoise, salad and the vegan stir fry. The vichyssoise was slightly curdled and way too heavy on the cream. Really not a success. The stir fry was way too oily (even after we requested little use of oil) and very salty. No bread came with dinner (is this a gluten free statement?). Dessert crepe was delish and the cappuccino’s were fine. Wine list was adequate and we loved that they were serving gluten free beer.Our server had a tad too much attitude for us. She commented that if one requested anything but raw tuna the chef would get mad. She also told us that they like to know up front if someone is vegan or not instead of after ordering. We didn’t understand this comment….the menu is clearly coded for each dish and so why would it matter that we declare ourselves? We felt reprimanded.We really wanted to love this restaurant. Richmond has far too few options for vegans and vegetarians who like to be social. From the info we read online, these seem like good folks with a great business goal and we have lots of hope that one day they’ll meet it. We always try to support local independent restaurants. We’ll try again but likely not for a few months. Note to any future restauranteurs: please learn to do dazzling vegan and vegetarian dishes and not just slap together some random veggies and call it something. Salt doesn’t make up for lack of conscious cooking. Vegetarian cooking can be delicious and imaginative and is best when it isn’t laden with fat and oil.
New Favorite. Went to the Empress for the first time a few weeks ago. When I arrived there were only a handful of other people having dinner. After trying the wild boar scallopini with truffle, sage, and parmesan pasta and some of my friend’s gluten free seitan (like soy-free vegan meat), I can’t guess why the place isn’t PACKED all the time. Been back at least 3 times since then and still never found a reason to explain why all of Richmond isn’t knocking down the doors. The food is reasonably priced and the portions are perfect. I like going just for coffee or a nice drink sometimes, its a good place to relax, do some work (as they have wifi), or have fun with friends. If you’re in need of a nice restaurant in Richmond give it a shot! P.S.They specialize in gluten free foods and food allergies, and have 5 types of gluten free beer, which Sarah tells me is a big deal.
Over hyped. Food is just ok. Customer service sub par. No substitutions. No liquor. A plus, scallops were awesome.