The ultimate guide to Richmond's best coffee shops
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Richmond rides or dies for coffee shops that roast their own beans.
That's what we found out in this week's coffee shop bracket when Axios Richmond readers crowned — drum roll, please — Blanchard's as the No. 1 coffee shop in the city, winning with 59% of the vote over Lamplighter.
- We extra learned it when readers filled our inbox (rightfully) slamming us for not including Afterglow in the competition.
Yes, but: This city is blessed to have so many options to choose from that we thought we might as well start a coffee shop guide.
- Note: Sabrina has tried every single place on this list multiple times and welcomes all recommendations.
Our key to the emojis used:
📸 next to the ones we think are the most aesthetic.
⏰ long lines on the weekend
🪑 you likely won't get a seat unless you're there when it opens
🚶🏻♀️ our faves for taking it to go (not much seating) and going on a walk in the neighborhood (because it's gorgeous).
Best seasonal lattes
📸 Ironclad in Shockoe is perhaps the most Instagrammable Richmond coffee shop and the lattes often come topped with cookies. Their winter menu includes an eggnog latte and a dark chocolate and peppermint cookie milk latte.
- And can we talk about this hot chocolate brioche bun with an espresso filling and housemade vanilla bean marshmallows?
⏰🪑🚶🏻♀️Black Hand in the Museum District may not have much seating, but their pumpkin dirty chai's in the fall and toasted marshmallow lattes are among the best in the city.
Parousia Coffee in Scott's Addition (and the RVA Big Market on Saturdays where they got their start). Their winter menu includes a Hot Buttered Rum Latte and a White Mocha Chai made with condensed milk.
Best to take to go and on a walk
⏰🚶🏻♀️Riverbend, a women-owned Church Hill staple, has a roasted s'mores latte topped with roasted marshmallows and graham cracker crumbles on their winter menu.
- And you can walk to Libby Hill right after for some views.
📸 🚶🏻♀️ Paix on Cleveland Street (which is also next to a vintage clothing shop) roasts its own beans and makes its own vanilla syrup, which is why we give it the best vanilla latte in Richmond.
Reviresco in Malvern Gardens. Some of the nicest staff and owners we've ever met. You'll feel right at home.
🚶🏻♀️ Crossroads in Forest Hill is just steps from Forest Hill Park, making for a gorgeous morning sip and walk.
- Pro tip: The best people-watching is right on its patio, which is a must-visit in warm weather.
Coworking
📸 ⏰🪑 Blanchard's on Broad Street (the Morris Street location is smaller but great if you can snag one of the picnic tables when it's warmer). Get their seasonal salted maple latte and thank us later.
- Broad Street location also has some of the comfiest seating if you can get a corner booth. We're personally anti-high chairs.
- Warning: It can get a bit loud and the one in Forest Hill closes by noon most days.
📸 Afterglow, the first worker-owned coffee roaster in Richmond, is in Scott's Addition and its founders are former Lamplighter employees — aka the coffee and vibes are consistently immaculate.
📸 Urban Hang Suite is a Black-owned spot in Jackson Ward that's all about building a community of creatives and interacting with one another.
📸 Ironclad: It deserves a double mention even though you only get two hours on the WiFi. But it's a great weekday meeting spot, especially after 9am.
Grit in Scott's Addition is ideal for meetings because though it can get packed, you don't have to yell to hear each other.
Coffee with breakfast
📸 Buna Kurs in Jackson Ward is an Ethiopian cafe that serves breakfast all day. If you're unsure what to get, go for the breakfast combo and for lattes, whatever the staff recommends (they're the best).
Café Zata in Manchester: Get one of their breakfast sandwiches on sourdough and go for the chorizo sausage with a side of home fries.
⏰🚶🏻♀️ Lamplighter: The Muna, with its toasted ciabatta bun sandwich with crispy bacon, fried egg, a generous amount of smashed avocado and roasted garlic mayor. Pair with Lamplighter's brown sugar latte.
🚶🏻♀️ Stir Crazy: Go for the Lilly, which is stuffed with egg, veggie sausage, arugula, mayo and havarti cheese and held together with a brioche bun.
⏰🚶🏻♀️ Sugar & Twine specifically from the new shop next to its carryout window in Carytown. Pro tip: Build your own breakfast sandwich but ask for it to be on their housemade focaccia bread.
The Smoky Mug: Get their breakfast sandwich, which comes with cheese and hatch green chiles, with chorizo on an English muffin.
Cozy up and read a book
📸 Abi's Books and Brews in the Fan is like if you decided to have coffee in a book shop straight out of a romantic comedy.
📸 Gold Lion: An Indian-American cafe in Manchester always has events, including a "New to RVA" meetup. Go for the dirty chai, stay for the vibes and Indian breakfast, samosas and Masala bagel sandwich.
For when you need a coffee with a pastry
🚶🏻♀️ Idle Hands: Get their pain au chocolat (beware: they sell out fast).
Lift: Their blueberry muffins are so popular that they're not always in stock, but if you see them, ask for it toasted with butter.
📸 Fat Rabbit: Their salted dark chocolate chunk cookies will change your life and that's not a hyperbole.
📸 Sefton: Their morning bun cinnamon roll is a must but keep an eye out for whenever they have oatmeal creme pies.
Open the latest
- 10pm: Abi's in the Fan.
- 8pm: Gold Lion in Manchester.
- 7pm: Fuel Pump in Carytown and Cafe Zata in Manchester.
- 6pm: Afterglow in Scott's Addition, Rostov's in the Fan, Riverbend in Church Hill.
- 5pm: Buna Kurs in Jackson Ward, Blanchard's on Broad Street and Grit (both locations).