Laura Lees Design Studio Reviews

I only went to meet a friend for cocktails, but it was perfect. Casual chic atmosphere, pleasant staff, and the drinks were on another level

I love this quaint and spunky little restaurant. I've been greeted warmly immediately upon entering the front doors every time. The service is fantastic. The food is super good. The vegetarian options are belly filling and good for the soul.

Very good food, adult beverages, the martini my son had was pretty weak. Nice atmosphere.

One of our favorite spots for dinner and drinks. The courtyard is lovely too and we felt very safe eating there in person.

Our favorite date night restaurant. Eclectic menu. Great drinks. Great desert.

Always a good experience here! Tegan is amazing. It was also evident that the staff was taking reasonable covid precautions which was very much appreciate during these times.

[Update- 8/19/19: Since I posted my initial review below, I received a very thoughtful response to my message to the restaurant in response to my most recent visit. I appreciated the professional, thorough effort to get to the bottom of what happened, as well as the willingness to use what transpired as a learning experience. For now, I ve updated my rating (unprompted by Laura Lee s), and I hope to give them another shot in the future.]

I ve been to Laura Lee s twice and had two very different experiences; the second, more recent one is the reason for the two-star rating.

First experience: I came here for my birthday brunch last fall. Good food, amazing cocktails, and excellent service. They were super accommodating since it was snowing and some of my party arrived late or couldn t make it due to the road conditions. Based on that visit, I couldn t recommend this place enough to my friends.

Second experience: I met a friend for brunch last Sunday. It was her first time dining at Laura Lee s, and again, I recommended it based on my experience last year. Unfortunately, this visit left much to be desired and honestly, a bad taste in my mouth. The food and cocktails were fine (the cocktails more so, though), but the service was abysmal. Our server took her sweet time to come to our table - only coming out from the back when another server filled our water glasses and asked if we had been helped (which we hadn t). From there, while she was friendly enough, she was very inattentive, resulting in her other colleagues picking up her slack. Needless to say, my friend and I were very disappointed. I reached out to Laura Lee s afterwards to share my experience and received no response. Just an acknowledgement of my note would have sufficed.

So, my overall recommendation: this is a cute neighborhood spot with decent food and great cocktails. Service is hit or miss, and apparently, management doesn t seem to care either way. I m telling my friends to look elsewhere for their dining needs - and the beauty of RVA is that there are plenty of options from which to choose.

Wonderful blend of atmosphere, food and service! Great options for food allergies!

Excellent food, clean bathrooms, friendly staff! My only complaint: they make you pay for bread. I hate places that make you pay for bread, but that's just me.

Great discovery! Nice ambient. I think the food taste is quiet unique. My friends and i had really great time here. Our server Mary was more than outstanding. Great manners. Actually can t remember having a server with such a great manners. Can t remember now the name of my meal, but i do remember was sort of vegetarian burger. Was quiet delicious and i am not vegetarian. Definitely I recommend this place!

Restaurant week at Laura Lee's. Great small spot with fresh food lots of microbrew and quaint atmosphere

The restaurant itself is beautiful! But service is a bit subpar. They were super patient with us since some of our party came late, but after that, they seemed a little distant and forgot to grab condiments that were asked for. Presentation of the food is also gorgeous, but every time I ve been, the food is not that flavorful and it s overpriced for what you pay.

Had what is pretty easily the best burger I've ever had in Richmond here tonight - possibly best I've had period. I don't know just what they did to it, but they ought to just go ahead and give the chef their own statue on Monument now. Will definitely be coming back.

Lovely atmosphere. Great service, varied menu choices.

I ate a buncha good hog it waz good. Also beets are good in a salad (even tho im not a rabbit >:3 )

Service was great . The restaurant was really nice. The food was completely outstanding . I had the pork chop w smoked cabbage and on a bed of grits . Scrumptious Definitely recommend checking it out . I'll be going back . Look at there menu on line AMAZING .

Wow. Went with a friend and both enjoyed our tasty dishes. My only concern after tasting each was the high level of salt they contained.

Just finished a great meal for Richmond restaurant week. All three courses were very good. The starter of fried shrimp was excellent. I could make a meal out of the shrimp alone. The place was full therefore it was quite loud but that seems par for the course these days in many restaurants. Will definitely return for another meal.

A small local restaurant located in my neighborhood. Usually the restaurant only takes reservations but a friend and I walked in to see if they would take us at the bar at least. When we arrived, the bar was full but the staff was happy to seat us at a small table and set of chairs by the window and we were just as happy to take it. The restaurant had a great atmosphere and was very well decorated with live plants hanging from the walls. Our server was amazing and very friendly!

My friend and I ordered two different kinds of cocktails. I got a Negroni and my friend got a You Beautiful Fish You (said like a gentle compliment when being served!). My Negroni was a smooth frozen blend with refreshing herbal notes. The You Beautiful Fish You was a delicious sweeter blend with beautiful presentation and garnish. All of the restaurants beverages are served with reusable and eco friendly stainless steel straws. Very practical and charming!

For our food, we ordered two appetizers to share: the Fried Oysters and a Polenta dish.
The Fried Oysters were delicious; Well seasoned with just the right amount of salt in the breading and the Oysters themselves were very consistent and fresh tasting.
The other dish consisted of Polenta with a summer squash hash on the side and a fried egg placed on the top of both. I am not a fan of eggs so I let my friend take care of that part, but we both enjoyed the polenta so much, we agreed that we could very easily come back for the same dish every day. The flavor was good, the textures paired so well together, and everything was just so fresh.
All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed our dining experience and would definitely recommend this restaurant for others to try.

Pleasant staff. Nice atmosphere! Delicious food & fun drinks! Would definitely recommend and go again!

Loved it! They have alot of GF options on the menu, and the staff was excellent!

This place requires an upscale food palate to enjoy, if you're a chain restaurant lover you probably won't enjoy the food here.

Very nice back patio! Fabulous wait staff and food. Will definitely return, yum yum.

The food is great. Drinks are great. The menu process are a bit high but l the quality justifies them. Our server was good not great. Could have been more attentive. I recommend this place and will definitely be returning.

This spot is a gem! It s very luxe and feminine. The vibe is perfect for the location. We ve had drinks at the bar and on the back patio. We ve had brunch here twice and dinner another time and it never disappoints. We are local guides and always recommend this place to our guests!

1st coming in we were immediately greeted with a friendly smile by a welcoming gentleman wjo sat us right away. AMAZING food, service, and ambiance. Our waiter Clair was awesome, very attentive, personable, and made us feel extremely welcomed as he explained the days specials and made suggestions being that it was our 1st experience there. It will not be out last visit to Laura Lee's i can assure that!.

Wish I'd snapped some photos, because the dishes were spectacular! My wife and I shared a series of appetizers, complimented by some delicious cocktails. Highly recommend!

The food was amazing and service is wonderful! They are so welcoming and the delicious seasonal menu had so many options. Our favorite was the asparagus salad - I could eat that every day! Cocktail and wine options are just as delicious as the food!

Very friendly service, delicious hush puppies, crab cakes and shrimp!

Favorite restaurant in Richmond, plus the best fried oysters ever!

Laura Lee's is my favorite place to for cocktail mixology! The staff is friendly and talented. We like to share appetizers and an entree at the bar. The chef serves up food that is fresh and creative without trying to become overly complicated.

Very pleasant,and staff and service was outstanding!!!

Food was excellent. Service was good. Ambiance nice and relaxed. I found lighting level was too low making it difficult for over 40 eyes to read small font on menu even with eyeglasses. Flickering lights were a nuisance. Despite these complaints I will return to try other items on the creative menu.

Fantastic experience. What an enjoyable, safe and delicious dinner.

The food was good and the vibe was there. I wore my fanciest dress flannel and felt appropriately dressed. Drinks are pricey, but everyone in my party was satisfied with their food.

Food is delicious and the people are very friendly. Our daughter dropped her lipstick and they got down on the floor and just got it under the couch like it was nothing. Classic Richmond awesomeness!

I came for Richmond restaurant week and I will definitely be back. The service was okay but the food makes up for everything. We had to wait about twenty minutes past our reservation but we made sure to take the time and spend it at the bar which had amazing drinks.

My girlfriend and I went here for Restaurant Week. I think I may have found my new favorite upscale restaurant in Richmond. Every item that we ordered was amazing! The portions were perfect for a three-course meal, the flavors were on point and I just can't say enough nice things about this place! Highly recommended.

One of the best brunch spots in Richmond, but just as amazing for dinner as well (I haven't been there for lunch yet.) The Fried Oatmeal brunch menu dish is scrumptious, melt-in-your-mouth comfort food that won't leave you feeling like you just ate too much brunch. The fried chicken - for brunch or dinner - is tender, flakey, and seasoned to perfection. The drinks are expertly made. The atmosphere is classy yet relaxed. And the local artwork on the walls is stimulating and engaging; my family usually has a conversation about one or two pieces each time we go.

My only con is that the service had been a little slow the few times we've been, but nothing that ever ruined our time, and the pros for Laura Lee's greatly outweigh this minor con. We will definitely be back again very soon, hopefully for lunch next time!

Either we really loved the dish or it was really bad. I dont know why i thought fried oatmeal would be a good idea. The staff were very knowledgeable of the menue and polite.

Great local eatery with a well-rounded selection of adult beverages. Vegan options but plenty of carnivore fare. Fried oysters appetizer is excellent.

Oh emm gee! This is my new favorite place. I have told everyone how good the food was, the service was amazing, and how I loved the atmosphere!

This is my absolute favorite restaurant! The atmosphere here is so comfortable and friendly but classy at the same time. The place itself is absolutely adorable from the beautiful decor to the vintage cocktail glasses. All that would be enough to make this place stand out, but the food is where Laura Lee's really shines! They always have a new special beer, cocktail, appetizer, or entree that is to die for. For example, they recently added milk bread as an appetizer, and I can comfortably say that it is the best bread I've ever had. The mainstays on the menu are always delicious as well. As a person with food allergies, dining out can be tough; but the staff at Laura Lee's always go above and beyond to make changes for me or make me something totally new that I can eat. The service is the best around!
By the way, the cocktails they serve up are as unique as they are delicious! Of all the cute, trendy restaurants downtown, this is one of the only ones that keeps me coming back again and again.

Mother's Day dinner...... special of the day was soft shell crabs over shrimp n grits, and pumpkin seed and ramps pesto........OMG Delicious!! Very busy night . Excellent service. Highly recommended !!

Wonderful atmosphere, great food, and excellent staff. It's a must experience for any who visit Richmond.

Very good service at the bar. The bathrooms for one person are gigantic bring a bed set and computer desk. Chicken sandwich and oysters were yummy with two beers $41. Better than Thirstys nachos that were priced the same they needed more chips!

Pretty heckin good. The food was delicious. They messed up our order a couple times but they were really nice about it.

Cute place, great mixed drinks, nice staff. We got the roast chicken, which was perfect, and the trout. I'm a Montana kid who knows good trout, so I was exited to see it on the menu. A little disappointed it wasn't a whole fish but it really was cooked perfectly- tender with a nice, crispy skin. The only thing is it was SO EXTREMELY salty. I couldn't finish it, and was dying of thirst the rest of the night. Not cool for a $21 plate. Otherwise, everything else was quite nice!

Food was fantastic with service to match. Perfect for friends, business, or a special night. Great atmosphere.

Lovely atmosphere, exceptional service & perfect food. On our many visits here, we have never been disappointed. The entire staff works too make the whole evening a special occasion even if it's just a night out. Wait for the specials before making a final decision about your meal--often a hidden gem awaits. The cocktail menu offers interesting twists on old favorites.

The hush puppies are some of the best I ve ever had, which might be a strange statement but it s true. The drinks were also phenomenal. Our server Jen was fantastic. Definitely coming back!!

Food is great and a hefty drink selection! Gluten free and vegetarian options. Every single dish is amazing. Swears it.

Fantastic dinner at Laura Lee's. Our friend oysters, chicken wings, pork shank, and catfish were fantastic.

Stopped here for a birthday dinner. Our server was new, it was her first day, but she did great. The food was amazing everything came out fresh, flavor was wonderful. If I lived in Virginia I would be a regular for sure.

Cute little southern spot with delicious food. Highly recommend coming here for fancy cocktails, damn good beets, pickles, and the fried chicken sandwich!

Fabulous crab cakes and Manakin Ceasar salad and oyster po boy

Hip bar, full of young locals. Just had beers. Reasonably good.

I left this review a long time ago on Yelp. Since Laura Lee's is one of my most favorite places to visit (sorry for slacking). Thanks to the staff (shoutout to Ben and Micheal) for stellar consistency and great memories.

The restaurant is designed nicely with the way everything is placed but I normally eat/drink at the bar. You can order the full menu here and are encouraged to do so.

Parking can sometimes be difficult but most times there is a spot somewhere around the block. LL can fill up because of what they offer GREAT COCKTAILS - WINE LIST - DISHES :)

This place, hands down, has my most favorite cheeseburger and crab cakes. Laura Lee's is also vegetarian friendly. You will not ever never ever be let down. I love this place and you will too!!

Went to celebrate a birthday. Cheese burger was so flavorful! Mac and Cheese was creamy and delicious!

Took the meat-eating fam for brunch. Knew my options were limited but the vegan omelette sounded amazing and surprise, surprise it was! Sick cocktails and friendly service. Would dine again!

Inadequate seating. Wasn't worth staying at a tiny table (this is not Manhattan) while two mothers camped out at a big booth with a screeching child. So we left. We tend to order both food and drink extensively. I seriously doubt we would return.

Great food and service. Folks, go local or all we will have left is Appleby's in strip malls. Try the double cheeseburger here. Don't worry about calories. Is Sysco the supplier? I don't think so. Tigers eye drink is an A+

Light blues, light palette intricate line work. Bold defined shapes. Ferns enough, metal mirrored on bust after bust after. That's atmosphere. Food is very nice, very veryfine, very very verily.

Fantastic food with a great selection of gluten free options on the menu. Charming interior with a great drink selection of wine, beer and cocktails.

Fantastic food! Great interior. Our waiter, Brandon, was awesome. He knew the food, the menu, made great recommendations and helped make the dining experience outstanding.

Fantastic food! Very good service, and a very clean, neat environment!! I will definitely be back, and would definitely recommend it!! Foodies, you're going to love this one!

Great new spot from a veteran restaurateur. I had the sausage and hominy which was wonderful and my wife loved the polenta. Great beer selection too!

We very much enjoyed our new brunch experience. They take reservations and ours were waiting for us.

One of our favorite neighborhood restaurants. The drinks and food are always amazing. The staff are friendly, and the service is great. It's one of our go-to spot for weeknight drinks, date night, brunch, or a celebratory dinner. Good range of prices on the menu so you can make it fancy or low-key. It fits the bill in a lot of ways. THANKS Laura Lee's for making our neighborhood a little more special!

Wonderful food! Great staff! Especially the front of house manager Michael! Very friendly and catered to picky children's tastes. My family of 7 all found something on the menu that we all enjoyed! Rare for us to all be so satisfied in one restaurant! Atmosphere is comforting and cozy. Highly recommended for all ages!

A friend and I went here recently and split a few appetizers which were all amazing! We got the polenta, the steak tartare and the pork belly! The food was awesome, our server was very friendly and attentive, and the decor is lovely! Will be back!

Sorry to say Bunch was a Bus. Biscuits were room temperature, and the coffee was luke warm. The waitress Brandi D made No eye contact, Never apologize about the inconveniences. Check 1 times when omelets came out.When Biscuits were heated up they were a little crispy and I had finsihed my omelet. Hubby was almost finished with his when the biscuits arrived. We were here on a friend's reccomdation.

This was a really great burger! The milk bread was also delicious.

I'm not sure how I haven't left a review yet for Laura Lee's. This is the kind of place you want to share with the world by shouting from the rooftops about how amazing they are.

It's probably been less than six months since I first stepped through the front door of what has now become one of my absolute favorite restaurants ever. Not just in Richmond, but legit all time.

The dining room is so cute and welcoming with half round booths and awesome artwork. But, you'll usually find me at the bar (which is almost always packed), where I have a front row seat to some magical mixology happenings. You can order the full menu at the bar, which is extensive and truly includes something for everyone.

This place has the best cheeseburger and the best crab cakes I've ever had in my life. Those aren't easily said statements. I'm super picky about crab cakes and these things blew me away. They also have a delicious steak special every night, gorgeous and filling salads, they're vegetarian friendly AND they do brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. If I could only eat out at one restaurant for the rest of my life, this would be my pick.

Food was tasty but fries are hard. The atmosphere is nice but the flies are a pain when trying to eat. Overall it was a nice brunch.

Excellent food wonderful atmosphere and great service. For this visit we had an exceptionally nice and attentive waitress. One of my favorite brunch spots in Richmond Virginia.

Menu choices were great, it was difficult to make a choice.The pancakes were awesome, as was everything else.

Everytime I go to Laura Lee's I have a wonderful meal and time! Staff is so friendly and make you feel at home. This night I had the happy hour special. I ordered the wings and I also ordered the chicken sandwich. Both are great deals for happy hour and even better in your belly! So glad they set up shop about 3 blocks from me. Love, love, love this place.

We have wanted to try Laura Lee's for a while based on the rave reviews from friends. Maybe our expectations were too high but we found it mediocre at best. We had the burger and chicken sandwich, neither was very inspired - just beef and chicken between a cheap hamburger buns. Cantalope soup, and mac & cheese we're again pedestrian. The one highlight was the fried broccoli , that was fantastic. I also replaced the fries with a side salad and that came with an anchovie ceasar dressing - a heads up on that would have been nice. All of it felt like things that would have come out of my kitchen at home... And no one is paying me to cook.

I've never had a bad experience at Laura Lee's. Even when it has been packed and we had to wait for a table the friendly staff make us happy to do so. Get the Brussels Sprouts.

It's a wonderful place to spend a quiet morning with friends, family, or your partner. The service is outstanding, the food is incredible, and the atmosphere has a modern bistro-meets-living-room coziness. Highly recommend. I'll probably be back tomorrow.