This place rocked, went to Longoven three times before it became Lost Letter and never once had a bad experience. Totally miss it and hope it comes back. Everyone I've told that we don't have Longoven anymore (as of now at least) is devastated at the loss! The service was always spectacular and the food just as good and well thought out. Richmond needs a real tasting menu as this was our only one and was pretty necessary if you were trying to say Richmond had any fighting chance of competing with DC, Brooklyn, etc. hopefully I'm misinformed and this concept will come back. I'm totally loving Lost Letter, but still missing Longoven.
Laura Wagner
Loved: the special tea upon entry, the unique dishes, the variety of flavors.Did not love: waiting almost 20 mins between every dish making the dinner a 3 hour affair for 2, forced 22% gratuity on a bottle of wine, servers not very attentive often leaving wine and water glasses empty despite the restaurant having only 5 tables.My main complaint however was when my date stated his inability to consume mushrooms and *zero* effort was made to remove mushrooms from his dishes, when they surely, easily could have been left off. And if it couldn’t have been left off, why not offer something else? A prepaid set of courses and 3 of the courses he couldn’t eat.For a special night to celebrate what was a special occasion for us, Longoven did nothing to make it feel special, despite them asking and me telling at time of reservation. I wish we had gone elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Nancy Tang
Visited Richmond for the first time and booked the chef's tasting menu for a nice dinner date. The food was delicious and was a lot more than expected too. Was definitely stuffed by the end so I'd recommend coming very hungry! Drinks were also very interesting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Foto Fern
Great experience....enjoying a variety of small plate selections by the chef! I think my party of four received a total of 11 small plate offering for each guest. All were delicious and artfully presented!
J
I was treated here for my birthday and didn’t know what to expect. I have heard so much about Longoven and was excited to try the 13 course tasting. The tasting was absolutely wonderful and such a experience. All the courses were beautifully plated and each dish was as wonderful as the next! Can’t wait to come back here and do the tasting again. If your not interested in the tasting you are also able to order a la cart, and sit at the bar with no reservations needed. After each plate the table was cleared and cleaned by the exceptional staff. The restaurant was dark and had a very cozy feel. Love how the darkness of the restaurant keeps you focused of the food and presentation. Each plate was explained to us in detail while other staff presented the food. The place was very clean and staff was exceptional. They have an great patio as well that will soon be serving food and drinks. Amazing place! Richmond has some of the best restaurants.
Deborah Rhodes
We had the multi-course tasting menu with wine pairing. It was very interesting, and some items were very good. I especially appreciated and enjoyed the deft use of fresh herbs in all of the dishes. However, the menu was all seafood and vegetable-based, with no meat items at all. We've done tasting menus in several cities, and all had a better variety of foods. The service was perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Teodora I.
There's nothing I enjoy more than a tasting menu. I've always been indecisive and I love the opportunity to try a bit of everything. If there's one thing I do know, it's that there isn't one single item on the tasting menu I would try again. Don't get me wrong, the food is not bad but it's not memorable or enjoyable either. Each item had some components that worked well but as a small dish, when eaten holistically, it missed the mark each time. I appreciate the theme and playing. As you can tell the dishes are beautiful but I would not recommend this to anyone who enjoys spending a bit more money for good food.
Jiyeon K.
I was underwhelmed with this location. I was really hopeful but a lot their dishes were too salty and there was too much going on in one dish. For example the spice tea ice cream with squash and chocolate shavings would have been great if it was just the ice cream. The dish as a whole did not work. The squash was too salty and the texture didn't work together. I did like the lobster and the scallop but that was about it. The servers were really friendly and welcoming. Additionally the plating was very beautiful.
Mike Lee
Newly opened Lost Letter RVA Italian restaurant situated within Longoven restaurant has great casual Italian dishes at a fair price. The chef worked in Italy for many years.
Nicholas Thibodeau
Hands down the best fine dining experience I have had in Richmond.The interior and atmosphere is top-notch. It is incredibly sleek and chic. You can tell that all staff members really care about the experience overall. As one member stated regarding the staff, "No movement is wasted. It is all intentional."The 10-course menu is sensational. It is filled with unique flavor combinations and textures. It is obvious that the menu is a well thought out journey. For example, during my visit, we started with a sip of chai tea (that was so good!) and ended the dinner with a chai ice cream (that was even better!). That moment of realization that the menu came full circle with a blast.1,000% recommend trying Longoven. The price they charge is honestly beyond worth it for the experience they provided!
The best meal within 300 miles- we are so lucky to have these culinary genius in RVA- they so deserve a Michelin star
Cathie P.
We took a quick trip to the area and had a couple of reservations...this was by far my favorite place during our visit! We had a little hiccup before arriving because we had reservations for the garden area, we received a call from the hostess confirming that we still wanted to be outside. At the time of reservation we were given the option and decided to sit there not realizing it would be chilly. The hostess was able to change our seating to inside near the bar area. Upon walking in we were immediately greeted then seated at our table. Let me start by saying the service is impeccable. Similar to a high end establishment in NYC. Each dish was presented beautifully and the flavors don't sound like they go together but marry so beautifully when you take a taste. We had some issues with salty foods at two other restaurants so I was afraid that food in general was saltier in Richmond. Longoven had no issues with over salting. The seasoning was perfect. They had some interesting names for their cocktails. I started my meal with a glass of "Easy Troubles" which claims to be "an easy cure for the troubled mind". It was the beginning of a delicious food journey.
Joe P.
I don't know if the ovens are long here like its name suggests but the names of the dishes are extremely long but definitely worth reading so that you can fully appreciate the dishes. I will not fill up this review with all of the dishes we had in the extended tasting and instead, I am attaching a screenshot of the current menu from their website and including part of names in the photos. The extended tasting comes with 10 dishes. The short tasting just 6. We were originally going to do the short but when we saw that the extended tasting had a Korean inspired dish (pork with kimchi), we had to change. And we were so glad we did because there were some wonderful dishes that we would have missed such as the beef avocado app, the rockfish and the strange but delicious desserts. Warning though, your first bite of each dish will probably be a bit off-putting because they combine flavors that normally go together. Perfect example, one of desserts includes curry. But after the initial culinary shock, as long as you keep an open mind and palette, the flavors make sense and we really enjoyed it. If you go for the extended, bring your appetite because it is a lot of food but if you can stomach it all, you will not be disappointed. They give an 11th dessert course that is not on menu with a "Congratulations!" written in chocolate. I felt like they were congratulating us for finishing all 11 courses but then noticed that short menu diners got him as well. I did not feel they deserved it but that is just me. Don't be put off by its strange location in an industrial park. Don't miss this gem!
Will Ares
An absolutely incredible experience, and in my opinion worth every penny. This meal came with a hefty price tag but was worth it. Nothing disappointed us. The wine paring was on point. The staff was incredibly informative and attentive. Every course was thought out and served with care. It truly is an incredible experience.
David H.
Longoven has been on my list for a couple years now and finally was able to stop in on a quick trip to RVA. Overall, enjoyed the experience/meal, wasn't blown away by anything but a solid dinner, nice space and friendly service. The space consists of a bar/more casual dining room in the front, a nice patio, and a more intimate dining room connected to the kitchen at the back. We started the meal with cocktails - they were ok, but probably wouldn't order any of them a second time (we tried four). For the meal, we went with the extended menu, which includes 10 courses (including amuse bouche, but 11 if you count mignardises). The meal started off really well, some very interesting bites, good flavors, textures and presentation with unique style (lobster/avodado mousse/yuzu mayo, crab/celery root/sabayon, mussel/curry/daikon, squash with kombucha). But the dishes around the middle of the meal and the entrees left us wanting a bit more. The salmon/bell pepper/caper/miso dish was not very creative or interesting, was just a few strips of salmon with a bland sauce and seaweed. The next course - sablefish, was cooked perfectly, but the sauce was a little light and there wasn't much flavor from the other components in the dish. The beef tendon course was ok, but very small with just a couple of bites of tendon (and again, the other components in this one were average). The beef cheek main entree was tasty, but again we were left wanting a bit more in terms of flavor, ingredients, and presentation (beef hidden by thinly sliced matsutake and greens, with a cauliflower puree and jus that needed a punch of flavor). Desserts were tasty and interesting, as were the mignardises. I'd return, it's good and one of the better dining experiences in RVA (especially for fine dining), but overall I left just wanting more - at $145 for the extended menu with only 10 courses, not all of the courses have to be hits but there should be some standouts, and I also expect more premium components at that price point. And last critique and probably picky - the courses got progressively more spaced out as we continued through the menu, felt like once we hit the more savory courses the spacing was 20 minutes for every course, we weren't doing pairings so 20 minutes between entree and palate cleanser felt like an eternity.
This place rocked, went to Longoven three times before it became Lost Letter and never once had a bad experience. Totally miss it and hope it comes back. Everyone I've told that we don't have Longoven anymore (as of now at least) is devastated at the loss! The service was always spectacular and the food just as good and well thought out. Richmond needs a real tasting menu as this was our only one and was pretty necessary if you were trying to say Richmond had any fighting chance of competing with DC, Brooklyn, etc. hopefully I'm misinformed and this concept will come back. I'm totally loving Lost Letter, but still missing Longoven.
Loved: the special tea upon entry, the unique dishes, the variety of flavors.Did not love: waiting almost 20 mins between every dish making the dinner a 3 hour affair for 2, forced 22% gratuity on a bottle of wine, servers not very attentive often leaving wine and water glasses empty despite the restaurant having only 5 tables.My main complaint however was when my date stated his inability to consume mushrooms and *zero* effort was made to remove mushrooms from his dishes, when they surely, easily could have been left off. And if it couldn’t have been left off, why not offer something else? A prepaid set of courses and 3 of the courses he couldn’t eat.For a special night to celebrate what was a special occasion for us, Longoven did nothing to make it feel special, despite them asking and me telling at time of reservation. I wish we had gone elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Visited Richmond for the first time and booked the chef's tasting menu for a nice dinner date. The food was delicious and was a lot more than expected too. Was definitely stuffed by the end so I'd recommend coming very hungry! Drinks were also very interesting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great experience....enjoying a variety of small plate selections by the chef! I think my party of four received a total of 11 small plate offering for each guest. All were delicious and artfully presented!
I was treated here for my birthday and didn’t know what to expect. I have heard so much about Longoven and was excited to try the 13 course tasting. The tasting was absolutely wonderful and such a experience. All the courses were beautifully plated and each dish was as wonderful as the next! Can’t wait to come back here and do the tasting again. If your not interested in the tasting you are also able to order a la cart, and sit at the bar with no reservations needed. After each plate the table was cleared and cleaned by the exceptional staff. The restaurant was dark and had a very cozy feel. Love how the darkness of the restaurant keeps you focused of the food and presentation. Each plate was explained to us in detail while other staff presented the food. The place was very clean and staff was exceptional. They have an great patio as well that will soon be serving food and drinks. Amazing place! Richmond has some of the best restaurants.
We had the multi-course tasting menu with wine pairing. It was very interesting, and some items were very good. I especially appreciated and enjoyed the deft use of fresh herbs in all of the dishes. However, the menu was all seafood and vegetable-based, with no meat items at all. We've done tasting menus in several cities, and all had a better variety of foods. The service was perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
There's nothing I enjoy more than a tasting menu. I've always been indecisive and I love the opportunity to try a bit of everything. If there's one thing I do know, it's that there isn't one single item on the tasting menu I would try again. Don't get me wrong, the food is not bad but it's not memorable or enjoyable either. Each item had some components that worked well but as a small dish, when eaten holistically, it missed the mark each time. I appreciate the theme and playing. As you can tell the dishes are beautiful but I would not recommend this to anyone who enjoys spending a bit more money for good food.
I was underwhelmed with this location. I was really hopeful but a lot their dishes were too salty and there was too much going on in one dish. For example the spice tea ice cream with squash and chocolate shavings would have been great if it was just the ice cream. The dish as a whole did not work. The squash was too salty and the texture didn't work together. I did like the lobster and the scallop but that was about it. The servers were really friendly and welcoming. Additionally the plating was very beautiful.
Newly opened Lost Letter RVA Italian restaurant situated within Longoven restaurant has great casual Italian dishes at a fair price. The chef worked in Italy for many years.
Hands down the best fine dining experience I have had in Richmond.The interior and atmosphere is top-notch. It is incredibly sleek and chic. You can tell that all staff members really care about the experience overall. As one member stated regarding the staff, "No movement is wasted. It is all intentional."The 10-course menu is sensational. It is filled with unique flavor combinations and textures. It is obvious that the menu is a well thought out journey. For example, during my visit, we started with a sip of chai tea (that was so good!) and ended the dinner with a chai ice cream (that was even better!). That moment of realization that the menu came full circle with a blast.1,000% recommend trying Longoven. The price they charge is honestly beyond worth it for the experience they provided!
Restaurantji Recommends
The best meal within 300 miles- we are so lucky to have these culinary genius in RVA- they so deserve a Michelin star
We took a quick trip to the area and had a couple of reservations...this was by far my favorite place during our visit! We had a little hiccup before arriving because we had reservations for the garden area, we received a call from the hostess confirming that we still wanted to be outside. At the time of reservation we were given the option and decided to sit there not realizing it would be chilly. The hostess was able to change our seating to inside near the bar area. Upon walking in we were immediately greeted then seated at our table. Let me start by saying the service is impeccable. Similar to a high end establishment in NYC. Each dish was presented beautifully and the flavors don't sound like they go together but marry so beautifully when you take a taste. We had some issues with salty foods at two other restaurants so I was afraid that food in general was saltier in Richmond. Longoven had no issues with over salting. The seasoning was perfect. They had some interesting names for their cocktails. I started my meal with a glass of "Easy Troubles" which claims to be "an easy cure for the troubled mind". It was the beginning of a delicious food journey.
I don't know if the ovens are long here like its name suggests but the names of the dishes are extremely long but definitely worth reading so that you can fully appreciate the dishes. I will not fill up this review with all of the dishes we had in the extended tasting and instead, I am attaching a screenshot of the current menu from their website and including part of names in the photos. The extended tasting comes with 10 dishes. The short tasting just 6. We were originally going to do the short but when we saw that the extended tasting had a Korean inspired dish (pork with kimchi), we had to change. And we were so glad we did because there were some wonderful dishes that we would have missed such as the beef avocado app, the rockfish and the strange but delicious desserts. Warning though, your first bite of each dish will probably be a bit off-putting because they combine flavors that normally go together. Perfect example, one of desserts includes curry. But after the initial culinary shock, as long as you keep an open mind and palette, the flavors make sense and we really enjoyed it. If you go for the extended, bring your appetite because it is a lot of food but if you can stomach it all, you will not be disappointed. They give an 11th dessert course that is not on menu with a "Congratulations!" written in chocolate. I felt like they were congratulating us for finishing all 11 courses but then noticed that short menu diners got him as well. I did not feel they deserved it but that is just me. Don't be put off by its strange location in an industrial park. Don't miss this gem!
An absolutely incredible experience, and in my opinion worth every penny. This meal came with a hefty price tag but was worth it. Nothing disappointed us. The wine paring was on point. The staff was incredibly informative and attentive. Every course was thought out and served with care. It truly is an incredible experience.
Longoven has been on my list for a couple years now and finally was able to stop in on a quick trip to RVA. Overall, enjoyed the experience/meal, wasn't blown away by anything but a solid dinner, nice space and friendly service. The space consists of a bar/more casual dining room in the front, a nice patio, and a more intimate dining room connected to the kitchen at the back. We started the meal with cocktails - they were ok, but probably wouldn't order any of them a second time (we tried four). For the meal, we went with the extended menu, which includes 10 courses (including amuse bouche, but 11 if you count mignardises). The meal started off really well, some very interesting bites, good flavors, textures and presentation with unique style (lobster/avodado mousse/yuzu mayo, crab/celery root/sabayon, mussel/curry/daikon, squash with kombucha). But the dishes around the middle of the meal and the entrees left us wanting a bit more. The salmon/bell pepper/caper/miso dish was not very creative or interesting, was just a few strips of salmon with a bland sauce and seaweed. The next course - sablefish, was cooked perfectly, but the sauce was a little light and there wasn't much flavor from the other components in the dish. The beef tendon course was ok, but very small with just a couple of bites of tendon (and again, the other components in this one were average). The beef cheek main entree was tasty, but again we were left wanting a bit more in terms of flavor, ingredients, and presentation (beef hidden by thinly sliced matsutake and greens, with a cauliflower puree and jus that needed a punch of flavor). Desserts were tasty and interesting, as were the mignardises. I'd return, it's good and one of the better dining experiences in RVA (especially for fine dining), but overall I left just wanting more - at $145 for the extended menu with only 10 courses, not all of the courses have to be hits but there should be some standouts, and I also expect more premium components at that price point. And last critique and probably picky - the courses got progressively more spaced out as we continued through the menu, felt like once we hit the more savory courses the spacing was 20 minutes for every course, we weren't doing pairings so 20 minutes between entree and palate cleanser felt like an eternity.