15 Best Coffee Shops In Richmond, Virginia

By:

JP

Last Updated:

With a rich and detailed history, Richmond in Virginia is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. 

Historical attractions, such as statues and museums, preserve the city’s in-depth history, while the various canals and the James River make for peaceful scenery. 

If you are planning a trip to Richmond and know that you will need your caffeine fix, it is important to find the best coffee shops Richmond, VA, has to offer. Of course, you can search for coffee shops near me in Richmond, but that won’t give any recommendations—just a list.

richmond coffee shops
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Best Richmond Coffee Shops

That’s where we come in! We are going to be going through fifteen particularly noteworthy Richmond coffee shops that you can make a note of when you decide to visit this beautiful city. Let’s get started. 

1. Harrison Street Café

Harrison Street Café, established in 2000, has been a staple of Richmond for over twenty years.

They are a unique café in that they have always maintained a vegetarian menu, which they refer to as their “good eats, no meats” menu.

This menu includes tofu, beer-battered steak sandwiches, vegan biscuits and gravy. 

Harrison Street Café offers standard coffee menu items such as lattes, Americanos, local brews, and iced coffees.

If you are looking for a place to relax with a simple cup of coffee and some tasty food, this is the place for you. 

2. Blanchard’s Coffee

Blanchard’s has three cafés in Richmond, although each one is different in location.

With one on Broad Street, one on Forest Hill Avenue and one on Morris Street- you will find the same excellent quality coffees in every store. 

Blanchard’s sells their own beans so that you can make your own versions of their signature blends at home, including their Richmond blend, Midnight Oil blend and Black Dog blend. 

3. Grit Coffee

Grit is another coffee establishment with multiple locations, most in Charlottesville and Virginia, though they have one shop on Libbie Avenue in Richmond. 

In addition to lattes, espressos and general coffees and teas, Grit offers baked drinks and seasonal specials, including a Pumpkin Pie latte with espresso, honey, seasonal spices, pumpkin pie syrup, and steamed milk.

A Spooky Bear latte features seasonal spices such as espresso, honey, vanilla, and steamed milk. 

4. Urban Hang Suite

As the name would suggest, the Urban Hang Suite is the perfect cool spot to hang out with friends or family and enjoy some delicious coffee. 

The social café’s urban nature doesn’t stop with the decor, as its clientele tends to be a mix of those from the eclectic Jackson Ward, Arts District, and Downtown Richmond communities. 

The coffee menu is basic but ticks all the necessary boxes, while there is plenty to enjoy in terms of food. 

5. Crossroads Coffee And Ice Cream

If you are a fan of ice cream as well as coffee, then this next venue is going to be a dream come true! 

Despite the name, coffee and ice cream aren’t all that Crossroads offers. They also have an extensive menu of foods, including sandwiches, salads, breakfasts, and even craft beers. 

No matter what your tastes might be, Crossroads’s food and drink menu offers enough variety to ensure that you will find something to your liking. 

coffee shop richmond va

6. Perk! Coffee & Lunchbox

Perk has a pretty simple coffee menu, but it still offers enough for you to get your chosen caffeine fix, and it is pretty delicious!

The house specialty coffee at Perk is known as the Perkolator. It is a decadent mixture of cold brew, a shot of espresso, maple syrup and sweetened condensed milk. 

In addition to the Perkolator, you can get classics like regular mochas and cold brews. 

Perk also has a tasty breakfast menu, including a breakfast sandwich and homemade Greek yogurt parfait. 

7. Cafe Zata

Cafe Zata is a haven for coffee enthusiasts in Richmond. It focuses on using locally roasted beans from Ironclad Coffee and serves a variety of freshly brewed coffees and espressos.

The cafe offers a range of flavorful options, whether you’re in the mood for a single-origin roast or their beloved House of Usher Blend.

If coffee isn’t your cup of tea, they also boast a selection of Carytown Teas and seasonal sweet teas.

In addition to beverages, Cafe Zata provides a satisfying food menu featuring sandwiches, soups, salads, and locally made Cupertino’s bagels, all made with quality Boar’s Head Brand meats and cheeses.

8. Sugar & Twine

Are you partial to some sweet, baked treats alongside your coffee? Then Sugar & Twine is where you want to visit Richmond. 

We all know that pastries and coffee are a match made in heaven, and Sugar & Twine perfectly combines them. 

You can grab yourself teas, coffees, and espressos at this establishment, all locally sourced, as well as some unique pastries and baked goods.

Such as a fontina and thyme croissant, a ginger molasses cookie or a maple pecan scone. 

There are plenty of tasty sandwiches to be had and choices of beers and wines. 

9. Recluse Coffee Bar And Roastery

Recluse is a coffee establishment that works directly with coffee farmers to create and roast the best possible coffee for its specialty shops, including its store in Richmond. 

Whilst they only have a few bean options that you can buy to make your own version of their coffees at home, the choices they have are incredibly multicultural.

There are options for beans from Ethiopia, Honduras, Peru, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Colombia to give you different tastes from around the world. 

The in-store menu is equally small but still features some tasty treats, such as a Black Walnut Maple Latte and a Coffee Cherry Wassail. 

10. Lamplighter Coffee Roasters

This unique coffee joint definitely has a modern, hipster vibe. It offers interesting coffee concoctions such as the Cranberry Espresso Soda, which features espresso, soda water, sage and cranberry syrup with ice and an orange slice, or the Lavender Latte.

Which is a double shot of Swiftwalker espresso alongside steamed milk and homemade lavender flower syrup. 

Lamplight also offers a number of vegan food items on its menu, such as curry tofu salad, vegan pumpkin bread and vegan chocolate matcha cups. 

11. Roastology

A warehouse turned coffee shop, Roastology has a big space with lots of seating and a modern, industrial vibe with an appealing aesthetic.

The shop also features a viewing window, where you can watch the staff roast the beans for your coffee in-house. 

The coffee itself is pretty damn good too!

There is a lot to choose from in terms of their cafe menu, such as standard coffees and unique creations.

For example, the Fall Equinox seasonal blend combines Ethiopian, Brazilian, and Mexican blends to create a spiced, buttery-tasting seasonal drink. 

Best Coffee Shops In Richmond, Virginia

12. Black Hand Coffee Company

Beginning in 2009, Black Hand Coffee has grown significantly and continues its mission of providing the best possible coffee to its customers at affordable prices. 

This local coffee roaster offers premium roasts and blends that you can buy online or in-store to make for yourself at home and their in-store menu. 

Speaking of that in-house menu, Black Hand offers plenty of choices, including regular lattes, flavored lattes, cold brew coffers and drip coffees, as well as double or quadruple espressos if you need an extra burst of energy!

13. Rostov’s Coffee And Tea

(@rostovscoffee)

Regarding variety, Rostov’s has something for everyone to enjoy when it comes to coffee in Richmond, Virginia. 

If you choose Rostov’s, you have some choices, including a Breakfast Blend, which combines French Roast with Guatemala Antigua and Bourbon Santos beans, or their Yigracheffe blend, which is an Ethiopian style of coffee with citrus notes. 

That is to name just a few of their blends!

14. Alchemy Coffee

Alchemy Coffee is all about education and the scientific processes surrounding coffee creation, making for a truly unique coffee establishment. 

Despite this interestingly scientific mission, the coffee menu is relatively normal (featuring no scientific concoctions, unfortunately!), featuring espressos, drip coffees and lattes. 

15. Riverbend Roastery

Riverbend is a coffee shop in Richmond, VA that has an extensive history as Richmond itself has, with the shop first being a bakery back in the early 1900s.

The message has always been clear: appreciating the Richmond community while creating delicious coffee. 

Riverbend is dedicated to fair trade and organic coffee and offers multicultural monthly coffee choices. 

Final Thoughts 

So, fifteen of the best coffee shops in Richmond, Virginia.

Whether you are in Richmond to soak in the history, enjoy the nightlife or for any other reason, we have hopefully offered enough variety to find the best coffee Richmond, VA, has.

Remember, the next time you get your phone out to search for the best coffee near me in Richmond just come back to this page instead and try out another of our recommendations.

Check out the best coffee shops in Virginia in the other places we cover in the state.

 Be sure to take advantage of the chance to explore our wide range of coffee shops in Arlington, and Norfolk.

What to do in Richmond

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