Bookbinder's Seafood & Steakhouse

Honestly. The best food, service, and overall experience I’ve had in Virginia Restaurants.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

I marked on the reservation it was a special occasion and 48 hours before, the sweetest lady calls to try and Personalize the menu for your table. I believe she is the Owners Mother, or some relation but she was so cheerful and a great lady to chat with. I mentioned my husband and I recently got married and he is active Army and wanted to celebrate our one month of marriage and our accomplishments in 2023.

We were greeted by Alex and his friendly front staff who had cheerful smiles and such positive attitudes despite being a busy Saturday night. We were Placed in a booth , where we were then greeted by TIM. If you have a chance to request him, his knowledge of the menu and history of Bookbinders is outstanding. My husband & I could have talked to him for hours. He answered all of our questions about the menu, cocktails and specific wines and managed to check on us multiple times throughout the night.

Alex (I believe is the Restaurant Mgr) gifted my husband a challenge coin that the owner John gives to Service Members. This was just icing on the cake to an already fantastic night.

I can’t recommend this place enough. If I could give more than 5 stars I would.

I can’t wait to come back and celebrate many more occasions with this fantastic establishment.

Thank you Bookbinders!

Bookbinders is one of my favorite restaurants in Richmond. Every time I go I always get the Jumbo lump crab cake, it’s phenomenal! Everything from the sides to other entrees are delicious. The restaurant is very nice inside and all of the staff is so friendly! It’s an upscale restaurant and very classy, I love the vibe and atmosphere. Drinks are always nice and strong. The bread they bring you out is always the best part. We eat here at least every other month

Had a fantastic 65th birthday celebration for my husband here. Our server Timothy was outstanding and the food was just amazing. We were able to use two gift cards that we received from our wedding guests, which was very nice. Everything was just amazing.

Bookbinders is the cutest old Richmond restaurant for all special and nice occasions. In the heart of the city, it is so perfect for our wedding dinner. We got married in an intimate ceremony just blocks away at the VMFA. The staff had printed our names on the menu with our wedding date. They were prompt, thorough and the food was incredible! I got the scallops and they were nothing short of perfect (and big/hearty!). Highly recommend for any occasion.

The food is great. I got the 2.5 lb stuffed lobster and my husband got the Cowboy steak and mashed potatoes. So good! The atmosphere is very classy and the staff is amazing. The owner is funny and personable and took pictures at the end of us and with us…so funny!

I was feeling some type of way because the special I was offered was sold out after I had already had my mouth set on receiving it.

However, after I got over the disappointment I ordered something else. The crabcakes were exactly that with no fillers whatsoever. The swordfish delicious and the lobster was cooked to perfection. It appears that Richmond has a lot of hidden jewels like this in the area in places that looks like abandoned wear houses.

Amazing food, wine, service and experience.
There is nothing more to say. The occasion wasn't super special (just dinner with friends) but everybody at Bookbinders made us feel like it was! Relaxed yet attentive service (not the in-your-face stuff you get in certain places, but always there when you needed). Food was just of the highest standard. Classic dishes cooked to perfection.
Sure, the price reflects how good everything was, but I'll gladly pay this again for the same experience!

Reservation for 2 were made for my husband’s birthday. This is a very quaint, romantic upscale restaurant. The service was commendable. The ambiance was excellent. We had courtyard seating which was very elegant. The steak was some of the best I’ve had. My husband was well pleased with his seafood selection and he is not easily impressed.
They offered a free dessert for the birthday person which was chocolate my favorite. It was a delicious ending to a great meal.

Hubby surprised me with a Perfect romantic dinner for our anniversary! Alex was an impeccable server and treated us like family! The appetizer along with our wines went perfectly together and the staff was super helpful and kept our table clean. If I could give 10 stars I would!

As a first-time visitor, I can not give this place enough praise. The hospitality is top tier. We made a reservation to celebrate my belated birthday, and the owners mom called and asked about the visit. Upon arrival and seating, we were presented with menus, and when I opened it, it said, "Happy Birthday, Sharon." This was such a sweet gesture.

The food was awesome. We ordered the shrimp cocktail, crab cake, and ceasar salad as appetizers. For our entrees, we ordered shrimp and grits and the crab cake. Our sides included mashed potatoes (oh so creamy), asparagus, and creamed spinach. For dessert, we had the cheesecake and a chocolate cake provided as a birthday dessert on the house. All of our food was amazing! I can't forget about the house bread provided and was so fresh and tasty and was a great start to our meal.

The only downside was I was a little off put by our server. I felt like he was short with us. I asked my dinner partner if they had the same feeling, but I was told she was not paying any attention. It seemed as if we were preparing to leave his attitude got better. It could have been just in my mind,so I let it go.

I almost forgot, the owner stopped by, wished me a happy birthday, and had a nice conversation with us, providing a bit of background on the restaurant. 9/10, I will return!

This was a beautiful restaurant with wonderful food. I had come with a large group of people, and we all thoroughly enjoyed our meals. We unfortunately were sat at a rather small table, and thus did not have much room to ourselves, our utensils were close to being on top of each other. I had noticed that the support staff seemed like they were inexperienced, or were not fully trained, but it was a minor inconvenience compared to the overall dining experience. The food as phenomenal. We got quite a few dishes, and we loved all of them. Will certainly be back when I visit Virginia again.

The ambiance is matured and the food is to die for. As a foodie, we appreciate great food and this location did not disappoint. Parking lot is right opposite the entrance. The clams as a starter was divine. Surf and turf with out of the world seasoned lobster. Lobster Mac and cheese was very good too

Super superb everything. 3 stars for atmosphere as it was quite loud for our liking. It's loud as it is a very old building that has been kept neer original, so there's not much to absorb sound and voices get loud as people attempting to converse. We will return.

Wonderful food, great service! The food is divine! The jumbo lump crab cake was so very tasty and no filler!! We loved the sharable side dishes!

I can't believe I was this lucky. I picked Bookbinder's Seafood & Steak on a whim, hoping my wife would approve of my choice. I am happy to report and review that I couldn't have picked a more appropriate place to have our 47th Anniversary dinner. The very personal approach and greeting we received as we arrived, couldn't have been better. The service we received by every staff member was excellent, especially our server Ian. When we were served our entrees and took the first taste, we were both blown away! I have never tasted a filet as good as this. My wife ordered a tuna filet that was so tender you could cut it with a glance. We are looking forward to coming back and try what I expect will be just as fine. Thank you, Chef Chris, for this wonderful gift for my and my wife's 47 Anniversary.

This restaurant is wonderful! We went to Bookbinder's to celebrate a birthday, and I'm so happy we found this gem in Richmond! The food and drinks were absolutely delicious, the service was outstanding, and the owner was quite engaging and fun. The group photos were a really nice touch!

I can't believe that after moving to Richmond as a child almost 30 years ago, I never tried this place. It's a lovely dining scene, and the food is 🤌🤌 Pictured here is the petite filet mignon with the scallops add-on with lobster mac and cheese on the side.

Classy atmosphere, friendly and professional service, delicious food. I sat at the bar and did happy hour. I had the seared tuna, oysters rockefeller, and crab cakes. The crab cakes are excellent, they're all meat and no filler!

Our friends get together every year and eat dinner together during the holidays and this time Bookbinders was chosen. The spirit of the season is on full display. It is a great place to gather for an amazing dining experience. We had 8 people in our party and not one single complaint...believe me that never happens. Wonderful place and we will be back.

A fantastic meal. The hosts were extremely accommodating and our server was very patient as we worked our way through the "build-your-own-meal" style menu. We enjoyed both our steaks, and the scallops were perfect. A surprise favorite was the seared tuna appetizer!