The Boathouse

Father’s Day and hubby who eats here often has been itching to try the cold seafood tray that is an appetizer to serve 4, as dinner for the two of us. I am in so we make our res and off we go. Platter supposed to have smoked salmon, ours did not. We asked and we got it, probably the best thing on the platter, but no apology for leaving it off. They only serve it with this platter so interesting that they would leave it off. Would love to see it as a separate appetizer. All was good but the mussels, really off tasting. Waiter came with check to remove platter and offered to box up mussels. We said no they were yucky and he agreed, said the marinade was awful. We asked if we could please have dessert. Bear in mind this platter is $ 69 and we were on second bottle of wine. We did enjoy our desserts. We do love it here, best view in town, nice atmosphere, but food and service perhaps not up to price point.

What a delightful experience! Service was superb. We sat outside and enjoyed dinner overlooking the river. From the custom drink order to the draft beer, the libations were outstanding. I ordered surf & turf which was prepared to perfection as was my husband’s entrée. We have been here several times and have never been disappointed. I recommend reservations.

The Boathouse is located a little father downtown on the river. We had a reservation so we got a table quickly and got a great view inside. The service was alright, nothing to brag about. The menu had a very limited collection, so if you are a picky eater do not come to this restaurant! I got the Shrimp and Grits, and it was too flavorful it was a bit overbearing! My mom ordered the shrimp and it was not cleaned so all the veins were still in there. So, if you want a great views with mediocre service and food this is the place for you!

Love Sunday brunch! Love the service and the views. Staff is always friendly and helpful! Since I live in the neighborhood it’s my go to place for a yummy brunch!

Great restaurant great service awesome view, the only bad thing is that my legs were being eaten alive by mesquitos while I was out on the balcony. So make sure you use bug repellent spray before you go :)

The Boathouse is as good as it gets! The food and drinks are literally foot-​stomping good. The quality and service are top notch. However, the price definitely reflects that. The building itself is beautiful. Part of it is the original power company that supplied electricity to all of Richmond and connected to it is the multilevel Boathouse restaurant. The Boathouse structure is an architectural work of art. To add to that, it’s literally a few feet from the James River and it offers amazing views of downtown Richmond, especially when the sun goes down. Other cool things about the Boathouse is it has a Sushi bar and a heated outdoor bar. If you love seafood and great drinks, the Boathouse is an absolute must. Every time I’ve been here, it was an amazing experience. The Boathouse is without a doubt on my top 5 list of best restaurants in all of Richmond.

I was recently at The Boathouse on a gorgeous evening for some dinner and drinks. As it was so beautiful outside but all the outside tables were full we sat at a table right next to the open door and it was still perfect.
We started with a few appetizers and they were all very good. The crab and artichoke dip was good, as was the arancini, but the star of the pre-​show was the hydro lettuce and strawberry salad. It was very good. If it was an entrée size I’d gladly have that for dinner. Instead I had the shrimp and grits which were good, but not amazing. The apple crisp with a sugar cookie «crisp» was very good.
Our server was very nice and attentive without interrupting our conversation. It would’ve been nice for our glasses to be refilled more often. Both water and wine. We actually asked for larger water glasses, what’s with the little bitty ones?
The outside portion of the décor, that being nature, was lovely. The inside left me a little confused by where we were. It’s like they couldn’t decide between simple and slightly tacky. Again, the outside area and the views are great, but the bright green touches and the weird fabric choices don’t go with the rest of it.
I hope to be back if only just for a few drinks and to watch the sunset on the deck.

Little pit stop driving back from NC… amazing view. great drinks and delicious food!

Whew! I think I’m still stuffed from eating earlier, needless to say the food was amazing! To start, my husband and I were celebrating our 6 year anniversary, the weather was beautiful so we wanted to be outdoors. I love the option that we can eat outdoors on the river, it’s absolutely beautiful.
We made reservations ahead of time, the wait was for only a few minutes before we were sat. The ambience itself is very relaxed, there is no dress code but people do tend to dress up.
I decided on the Crab and Shrimp and my husband got the Crab Chesapeake, I was slightly jealous of my husband’s plate, the flavors were just amazing! My dish was so delicious, I didn’t think that 3 mini crab cakes with shrimp and mashed potatoes would fill me up but it was all very hearty! If you do decide on a starter try the Calamari, it is simply divine, not overly fried and it was so fresh.
Our waitress, Chante, was very attentive, making sure we were taken care of despite it being very busy. Everyone was very friendly just in general, made for a great environment.
Perfect location, delicious food, just be prepared to pay for it, it’s a little more up there but you are paying for quality!

I was so excited to visit the boathouse after reading all of the great reviews. Unfortunately, the customer service I received was not what I expected. When we first got there we were immediately seated. We waited for 20 minutes before my husband got the attention of a hostess to let her know our waiter did not come to our table. When he finally came he was really nice and offered us free dessert. Of course we took it! After that we actually enjoyed our visit. The food is delicious and the waffle and omelette buffet are to die for. Our waiter took awhile to come back to give us our check, but that wasn’t that big of a deal to us.
My husband frequently visits this restaurant with his business associates and friends so I’m sure I will be returning soon. Hopefully, I will have a pleasant experience from start to finish when I return.

Had extremely high hopes for this restaurant since I have heard nothing but good things. However, the food was nothing special. I ordered the «sushirito» but found the taste to be somewhat bland and the serving size was very small.
The true highlight of the restaurant is the view which you can’t beat. I would definitely come back to try something different to see what all the raving is about. We ordered the pizooki for dessert which was great but again I expected better from this restaurant!
Overall: great ambiance, average food!

Food was delicious and service was fast! We took our server’s suggestions and we weren’t disappointed. I think his name was Kenny, but I can’t remember. The calamari came out cold and they took it back and it came out hot in less than 5 mins! The sashimi was delicious along with the geisha roll. The crab cake left more to be desired. Finally, the bread pudding was fantastic. Because our calamari came out cold and we didn’t care for the crab cake, our dessert was complementary. That was very nice.
The décor of the restaurant is marvelous. I felt like I was at a hot spot.

What a great experience with amazing food and an incredible atmosphere. Great place for an anniversary or special occasion!

My wife and I visited on a busy Friday with an advanced reservation.
If you’re going for the view, there are only a few tables on the perimeter of the restaurant where you can actually see the view. At night the reflections from inside the restaurant negate any views out the window anyway. Since the dining experience is subpar, if the view is what you’re going for I would recommend simply stopping in for a drink and taking in the view from the outdoor patio during nicer weather. There is a very tiny space on the rooftop to check out some views as well.
The booth seating was so tight every patron was practically joining in each others conversations. My wife and the gentleman behind her constantly bumped heads. The couple next to us (separated by a low divider) reeked of cologne and perfume and the smells overwhelmed our food. When the general manager, Aly Cecere, came by our table to ask how we were and we explained our experience, she brushed off our concerns and issues with a blank expression and fake apology. Even when I complimented specific servers and hosts, she did not care at all — she didn’t even look up to see who I was referencing when I was trying to point out which ones were excellent.
The food was not memorable, and since the experience itself was displeasing, I do not recommend this restaurant at all.

Made reservations for a party of eight (8) the evening before Valentine’s Day. There was a crowd but execution was perfect so we were seated on time. All courses were delicious. Everyone loved their food down to dessert and coffee. Service was excellent.

I came here once and it was pretty good. It’s is a bit formal and on the pricey side, but I think the food was worth it. We got a great seafood sampler to start, and everything was extremely fresh. I got shrimp and grits for dinner and they were outstanding. The service was a bit slow, and it wasn’t even very busy. One of my family members spilled their drink, and it took them almost 45 minutes to bring us some napkins after we asked multiple times. Over all I recommend coming here on a special occasion seeing the food is very good.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the boathouse! This has to be one of the best, most unique restaurants RVA has to offer. I threw my mother a birthday party here– in the Harbourmaster Suite. It was a gorgeous room with windows from the floor to the ceiling overlooking the James River. I cannot remember the name of the staff member that helped me plan the event but she was amazing– pleasant and helpful. I have done a lot of event planning in my day and the people I encounter are not always as patient and accommodating as the Boathouse staff at Rocketts Landing.
Things to note: Parking can be difficult but hey, its downtown Richmond that is to be expected! Also, for private events, they do not/​cannot pour shots (although it is an open bar). This was a little annoying to me because it was a celebration!
Nonetheless, the menu and is amazing, service unparalleled! Can’t go wrong selecting this restaurant for a special occasion or just a relaxing evening out!

5 stars for the view!
I’ve been to The Boathouse several times now and I’ve never had an all around 5 star experience, but it’s come pretty close. If you’re looking for a good dinner in Richmond, this would not be my first choice, but for brunch or happy hour this would be one of my top choices. The prices are steep at dinner time and the plates served don’t seem worth the money we were paying. I always kinda think we are just paying for the view, which is worth it!
Aside from dinners at The Boathouse, the brunch is pretty awesome! You can get the same size meal as the dinner portions for a lot cheaper. I also definitely recommend happy hour here! They have great drink and food deals. If you are with someone visiting Richmond, the Boathouse is a great option for a quick happy hour, so they can see the awesome view of the city along the James!
The service is usually great, and the atmosphere is awesome, but the view is what makes this restaurant.

The Boathouse is a beautiful building with fantastic views of the River. My first experience (2 years ago) was not the best. BUT, I have been back twice in the past 3 months, and have changed my opinion.
First, we went for Brunch, which is fairly priced among other options in Richmond. You can choose between the Omelette and Waffle set up, or both. All the food was fresh and tasted great. I ordered a California omelette with spinach, tomato, avocado and goat cheese. We had mimosas and left very happy.
Last night, we went for dinner to celebrate my MIL’s birthday. Our server was polite and always available when we needed a drink refill. The food was excellent, with sizeable portions. I ordered the Almond Crusted Trout special, with a Lemon Caper sauce. It was delicious and served with many flavorful sides– seasoned potatoes, broiled cheese tomatoes and asparagus. I always wonder if I will be getting the left over randoms when I order the special. But, this was truly a creative treat! Lastly worth mentioning, the cookie and ice cream dessert! Order it! It is not anything complicated, but, everyone at the table loved the warm, melty cookie topped with vanilla ice cream.

Very nice restaurant with an awesome 360 river view. Food was great too.

The food is not my favorite in Richmond… But not nearly my least favorite either. It is above hard to see the least and I love that the venue offers a variety of dining options. The staff is always a tentative an extremely friendly which I truly appreciate. I don’t mind bringing friends here because I know we will always have a decent and nice time. I like to bring friends here from out of town because it seems to be a local favorite and it offers a great view of the city once the sun goes down. I brought my folks here the last time they were in town and they really enjoyed it as well. No complaints. Prices seem on par for a decent restaurants and not out of the ordinary. One of my favorites is that they offer sushi which is actually pretty good too!

2.50 Stars
A stunning-​looking restaurant with equally stunning views but very mediocre (at best) food with Washington DC prices — expensive also with some of the added bad habbits of Washington DC area service.
I think it is always a little unfair to judge a restaurant based on the experiences of a large party — but this wasn’t all that large — it was pretty average — eight of us to be exact. We were celebrating the graduation of a dear friend from VCU in the dusty but recently re-​energized city Richmond, VA. Granted — this was a busy weekend, the staff seemed largely uninterested and lethargic about waiting their tables (if I were in their place I’d be trying to rake in the dough in tips) — I can’t count how many times members of our party had to chase people down for a diet Cokes refill before finally getting their attention to some rolling eyes. Weird…
Many of us ordered very simple dishes — fish tacos, burgers, crab cake sandwiches, etc. And furthermore, this group was a rather low maintenance crew — and based on the reactions from the staff, you would think that we were asking them to go deep sea diving to spear us some Tuna. You can tell that they didn’t want us to be there even though we were dropping some serious loot.
The food took quite a while — and when it did arrive, the reactions were generally lukewarm. My fish tacos were underwhelming — unrecognizable flavor of the fish ungenerously seasoned and the burgers were cold and bland. The crab cakes were an absolute disaster — tiny and clearly lacking an ample amount of crab — only bread crumb fillers, some seasoning, and maybe a flake or two of actual crab meat. How comical that these same crab cakes were used for the sandwiches — only half the diameter of the bread. An absolute joke.
The Boathouse seafood sampler — expensive! A few tiny mussels, a couple of watery oysters, some rubbery lobster bordering on inedible, and some piece of smoked trout clearly out of a can. Disgusting. Legal Seafood in Washington has a $ 10 Seafood tower that is bigger and better and it’s a Legal Seafood for crying out loud! This dish was more like «Boatload of money.»
It has to be said this is one fabulously designed restaurant with some modern touches accompanied by a nautical theme and plenty of outdoor spaces to sit — perfect for a nice day and some very compelling views of downtown Richmond. so everyone get their cameras ready if anything else. This is a great safe place to go with friends and family but it would miles better if they paid attention to their boring and pretentious menu.

OMG this place was fantastic. Everything was good! The sushi appetizer, the steak, the mashed potatoes. The waitress was fabulous.
We had a big table, and the service was still great. All of the food was fantastic. The atmosphere was also great.

I hope to visit this and the other locations in the near future as this was the best dining experience for thanksgiving I have had. The menu was comprised of the main dishes representative of Thanksgiving (turkey, stuffing) but with a twist including food item like shrimp and grits. Our server Lucas was very courteously, patient, and accommodating. The ambiance was very warm. What a very enjoyable experience to bring in the holiday season!

I really enjoyed our dinner at The Boathouse. We went here for my boyfriend’s birthday. Everything was great. The service and food were wonderful. Our server was very helpful. The view is great. I liked everything that I ordered, and so did my bf. It’s a little pricey, but for the quality of the food makes it worth it. We will definitely go back.

Best view in Richmond! We came here for drinks and an app while visiting from Ma… sat outside at a bar table and boy was the view amazing! Picturesque!
They have delicious drinks and although the drinks are pricey they are huge! So worth it! Staff seems nice and atmosphere was great!
We had a sushi roll and man it was awesome!!!
Pretty sure the rest of their food is amazing too… their pizza looked delicious and during happy hour the drinks are discounted and the pizzas are like $ 4!!!
We will def be back for dinner when we visit Richmond again! They also had a wedding going on! Great place to go for just a casual drink or a big event!

We had always wanted to come here and finally had the chance the other day. Decided it would be a great anniversary dinner. It was even better that we bought a $ 100 gift certificate for $ 80 at Costco.
We arrive around 6:30. Saratoga the bar and had a few drinks. The bar has almost full but the restaurant was pretty empty. It was a Monday night.
The bartender was real nice. She did get a little overwhelmed when she started to wait on 4 people for drinks and dinner. Most if the people eating dinner were sitting outside or as close to outside as possible.
We did get a table. I had the seafood combination. It was very good. My wife had the duck special which was excellent.
We spend $ 210 after the night was over. Dinner beer bottle of wine dessert and after dinner drinks. Not too bad for a nice night out.

On a business trip and visiting Richmond for the first time. Itching for seafood after a long day and landed here. Was pleasantly pleased by the ambience and the interior. It’s actually an ideal and cool place to go after work.
The view is fantastic with the Richmond skyline serving as the backdrop.
The seafood was high quality, extremely tasty, and fresh. Ordered the ceviche, Kamakazi Roll, and the Broiled Seafood Combo. All three dishes were fantastic. And you’re hearing this straight from someone from San Francisco.
Would highly recommend The Boathouse for a post work hangout, an evening dinner with a group of good friends, or a romantic night out with someone special.
Richmond and The Boathouse, you didn’t disappoint!

Pros: It’s on the James River so view of river and downtown Richmond skyline.
Food and service much better than Short Pump location.
Portion size is great.
Cons: New waitstaff not as attentive as experienced waitstaff. Provided credit card to pay the bill and waitstaff returned 26 minutes later. Also, didn’t get order correct and the other person in the party just kept the meal provided so they wouldn’t have to wait for the correct meal to cook. I was not provided with the side item requested during the order, but the waitstaff did go back to get the side item.
Not familiar with seasonal beers.
Otherwise, everything else was fine. Can you add Hardywood Pilsner on tap? It appears to be popular at many restaurant locations as it sells out quickly.

Go here for a unique dining experience with family or a group.
We had our California Cousins visiting from SoCal and wanted to do something different and special for Memorial Weekend… the solution… you guessed it!
We had a group of 9 and had an excellent experience with our Server, Greg. He knew the menu well and the wine list even better.
My sister and her hubby make regular trips to Napa and they know wines. Greg was able to answer the call and represented.
Everyone was pleased with the meal, the service and the entire experience.
I highly recommend this place, especially for special occasions.

I LOVE the location of this restaurant. They have windows that open to let the air in and the waitstaff was super fun! The crowd at this location is trendy and cool.
I came for a late night drink and food and ordered stuffed shrimp with crab. I absolutely LOVE seafood pretty much of any kind. I highly recommend the crab puppies as an appetizer. Super yummy!

I made a reservation a week in advance for a special occasion at the Rocketts Landing location. When we got there, they couldn’t find our reservation. Embarrassing and unprofessional. This review is 2.5 stars.
Nice view, but that’s about it. The main dining area is very loud. Too loud for a romantic dining experience. Not upscale as I had hoped.
Service was fast and friendly. Skip the cheese plate appetizer. The bowl of clam chowder was very good, but quite small.
My wife was pleased with her vegetarian dish. My entrée was a $ 42 filet mignon with crab meat and asparagus. Skip it. I ordered it medium rare. The inside was medium rare, but the outside was not seared as one would expect from an expert. My faith on their kitchen staff was put into question as a result; an amateur could do a better job.
The manager visited us toward the end of our meal and apologized for losing our reservation. She took a $ 6 desert off our $ 154 tab for two.