RICHMOND, Va. — The Richmond Times-Dispatch’s annual RTD 100 list has just hit the table, but “Eat It, Virginia” podcast co-host and award-winning food writer Robey Martin is serving up her own menu of favorites. More than half of Robey's don’t appear in the newspaper’s top tier.
Robey's freshly compiled Top 15 rankings crown L’Opossum as her number one pick, unseating last year’s winner, Celladora Wines, which now holds the No. 2 slot.
"L'Opossum has a tiny edge on menu items," Martin explained during a recent podcast episode. "You can go and have a steak if you'd like, or a crab cake, which feels very Richmond."
The RTD 100 was assembled by food writers Megan Marconyak, Justin Lo, and Meredith Lindemon under editor Colleen Curran. The team visited every restaurant on the final list, focusing on distinctiveness, consistency, and how well establishments are “moving the city forward” rather than simply following trends.
Restaurants are judged as “the best version of what they set out to be,” meaning fine dining is not measured against casual fare.
Curran said the goal is to capture “a snapshot of Richmond’s dining scene today” rather than create a list that repeats year after year.
The result? More than half of last year’s top 15 didn’t return for 2026. The complete RTD 100 list is available at Richmond.com.
Robey's list differs from the RTD's rankings, with eight of her top 15 selections not appearing in the newspaper's top tier.
Robey's Top 15
1: L'Opossum Restaurant
626 China St, Richmond, VA 23220
"I can't get enough of that, and I've said it already, I would eat there every night if I could."
2: Celladora Wines
111b N Lombardy St, Richmond, VA 23220
"Excellent, excellent food, hyper local, really small, a concept that isn't happening all over Richmond, and is being done just extraordinarily well."
3: The Brooklyn
1616 Summit Ave, Richmond, VA 23230
"I think Brooklyn is the best. I think it's more accessible. I think the food is really fun. I think the cocktails are just pristine."
4: Edo's Squid and Dinamo
411 N Harrison St, Richmond, VA 23220 / 821 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23220
"The food there - it's both the places - is just top notch."
5: Shoreline Seafood Market
10614 Patterson Ave, Henrico, VA 23238
"I think that David's knowledge on seafood, especially in the state of Virginia, is absolutely phenomenal, and the food that they're putting out of that kitchen is super."
6: Restaurant Adarra
501 S Pine St, Richmond, VA 23220
"The sourcing and the knowledge and the items they're serving, and how they're doing them so well, it's worth putting on the list."
7: Blue Atlas Restaurant and Market
1000 Carlisle Ave #200, Richmond, VA 23231
"I think Ben Watters, Rachel Best and their team are doing amazing things up there on Fulton Hill, and should definitely be talked about."
8: Abuelita's and Cochiloco
6400 Midlothian Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23225 / 3340 W Moore St, Richmond, VA 23230
"Just some stellar Mexican owned by the family Benavides. They're different Mexican foodstuffs, but they're both just excellent."
9: Beaucoup and Grisette
111 N Robinson St, Richmond, VA 23220 / 3119 E Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23223
"I think, that there is very little difference. They share like similarities based on the individual that created the concept."
10: The Roosevelt
623 N 25th St, Richmond, VA 23223
"It is a solid through line in that restaurant. Very talented chef, extremely cool place to eat."
11: Moore Street Cafe
2904 W Moore St, Richmond, VA 23230
"They are consistent. The food is excellent. The place looks great... I really think that we could look at some of the places that are affordable, but also stellar."
12: Susie's Delicatessen
1600 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23220
"It's really bright community focused, lots of community events, excellent food."
13: Chez Nous
4 W Cary St, Richmond, VA 23220
"French intimate, freaking great. I mean, just absolutely stellar."
14: Pink Room and Black Lodge
803 N 23rd St, Richmond, VA 23223 / 3200 Rockbridge St #101, Richmond, VA 23230
"I think that particular concept is something that Brittanny Anderson does extremely well. It is Richmond centric, it's highly visual, it's hip, it's trending, and the foodstuffs are really great."
15: Celeste Farms
7001 Osborne Turnpike, Richmond, VA 23231
"It is a regenerative farm. Dinner is excellent. Most of the stuff comes from the farm locally, and they do a bunch of fun drinks."
Some choices, like Blue Atlas and Susie’s Delicatessen, were dropped from or absent in the RTD’s Top 15.
Robey also honored Celeste Farms, which isn’t anywhere on the RTD 100.
Curran noted that reader recommendations influenced the RTD process, leading restaurants like Casa Italiana and Kismet onto the list.
"We absolutely want to hear from people about restaurants we might have missed," Curran said. "Richmond's dining scene is so dynamic that we rely on the community to help us discover new gems."
Robey acknowledged the RTD’s thoroughness but emphasized that food rankings are personal.
"Eating is so, so personal," she said. "What [the RTD] is doing is really important work, and I have a lot of respect for their process, even when my personal preferences differ."
Robey also followed the RTD's practice of combining related restaurants, grouping Edo's Squid with Dinamo and pairing Beaucoup with Grisette based on shared ownership and culinary philosophy. The Brooklyn, Lillian and Lost Letter, three restaurants from the same restaurant group, are listed separately however.
"We wanted to allow more restaurants exposure on the list if possible," Curran explained, noting that groupings only occurred when restaurants shared similar spirits and philosophies. "It's not about ownership structure, it's about whether the restaurants truly feel like different concepts or variations on the same theme."
Robey noted she left off some highly regarded spots from her list, such as Grace and Lafayette Tavern, which appear in the RTD top 15, because she hadn’t visited them enough to judge fairly.
"That's not saying that they're not good enough," she said. "I just don't know enough about them to say anything."
Curran, who has cover Richmond dining and restaurants for decades, said the RTD 100 is proof Richmond has transformed from a city with "a handful of restaurants everyone talked about" into a legitimate dining destination.
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