The Best Richmond Spots for a Coffee and a Little Treat: Church Hill
The first installment of a new series
Illustration of a croissant from Sub Rosa Bakery / Laura Sant
One of my very favorite activities at home and when traveling alike is to scope out the best coffee shops and bakeries. Richmond is full of good options, and I like to take advantage; as a solopreneur who works from home, it’s a nice excuse to get dressed, emerge from my hobbit hole, and clear my head for a bit. As a former pastry cook, I love to see what the local bakers are up to. As a caffeine addict, a well-made coffee is one of my top joys in life. As a mom, a little trip to a café is an easy, low-stakes outing with my toddler. (Fully indoctrinated into Little Treat Culture, he now asks to “walk to the cop-ee shop and get a COW MILK!”—emphasis his.)
And, as a former food editor and restaurant reviewer, yapping about my opinion on local food is my other favorite thing to do. So I'm rounding up my picks, neighborhood by neighborhood, starting with my own hood: Church Hill/Union Hill. I hope to expand this guide bit by bit to include the whole city.
Fighting about these types of lists is the best part, so I welcome your comments about anything I’ve left out, anything I’ve included that you hate, any essential info I’ve missed, or anything else you would like to gripe about. Also feel free to send me any good tea you have on the behind-the-scenes of these places (I love gossip).
The ratings, explained:
Kid-friendliness - Richmond is pretty family-friendly in general, but I’ll make a special trip to any place that is designed specifically with little kids in mind (my son is two, for reference):
1: everyone is working silently on their laptops and/or there are breakable items at toddler height.
2: adult-focused, but your kid will be fine.
3: lively community spot where kids are definitely welcome.
4: there is a special kids’ area, some toys to play with, or it’s otherwise set up specifically for families.Coffee:
1: this coffee is bullshit.
2: good but occasionally inconsistent.
3: solid. you’ll get a well-made drink every time.
4: considered one of the very best in the city.WFH-friendliness:
1: don’t even bring your laptop.
2: you could make it work for a short period of time but it’s not a place to camp out.
3: good for working but with possible minor inconveniences, like not enough outlets or it’s so busy it can be hard to find a spot.
4: basically a coworking space.Treat quality:
1: these pastries are bullshit (or there are none).
2: good, if a bit basic.
3: great.
4: worth a special trip for the treats alone.
Illustration of a cappuccino / Laura Sant
Now onto my faves in CHURCH HILL/UNION HILL/EAST END:
Sub Rosa Bakery
If you only hit up one café in Richmond, make it this one. Owners Evin and Evrim Dogu, who have been nominated several times as James Beard Award semifinalists, have made this bakery a true anchor of Church Hill and the wider Richmond community. Their excellent pastries and bread are made from locally-sourced grain milled in-house. Renovated following a fire in late 2024, the sunny café is a lovely spot to sit and sip a cappuccino and enjoy a pastry. You really can’t go wrong with anything here, but my personal favorites include the poğaça (po-cha — a Turkish pastry filled with cheese and herbs); the sour cherry and pistachio croissant; and the spelt shortbread cookies (slept on!!). For bread, don’t miss the sesame rye and polenta loaves (be sure to check the schedule on their website if you want something specific, as offerings rotate steadily throughout the week). Weekdays you’ll encounter a steady stream of locals chatting over coffee; while some people come here to work, the vibe is more communal than a sea of laptops. On the weekend, expect a line down the block. A limited, excellent coffee menu focuses on the basics done well, along with a well-curated selection of teas. My #1 favorite in Richmond.
620 N. 25th St. Richmond, VA, 23223
Tue–Fri: 7 am–5 pm; Sat–Sun: 8 am–5 pm (Closed Mon)
subrosabakery.com
Kid-friendliness: 3 / Coffee: 4 / WFH: 2 / Treats: 4
Fat Rabbit
This Union Hill bakery churns out gorgeous cakes and sweet and savory treats like buttermilk biscuits and their housemade hop tart — their take on a pop tart made from scratch with a rotating array of fillings. The coffee menu is solid, made up of primarily espresso drinks and French press coffee, with occasional seasonal specialty drinks like an orange mocha. They always have cakes by the slice and occasionally whole cakes available in various flavors in their grab-and-go fridge; this is also an excellent place to order a layer cake if you need one for a special occasion. It’s often crowded on the weekends, but less so on the weekdays, making it a chill spot to post up and work for a while. The side patio is a lovely option in warmer weather.
2025 Venable St, Richmond, VA 23223
Tue–Fri: 6:30 am–3 pm; Sat: 7:30 am–3 pm (Closed Sun–Mon)
fat-rabbit.com
Kid-friendliness: 3 / Coffee: 3 / WFH: 3 / Treats: 4
Riverbend Roastery
This woman- and queer-owned spot near Libbie Hill Park (“your favorite queers’ favorite coffee shop”) roasts their own beans and offers a small menu of bagels and sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. The building has been a community staple for a long time — from a bakery in 1900 to a succession of coffee shops in more recent years. The row of tables along one wall is often filled on both weekdays and weekends with people working and studying. The Salty Bee (an iced latte with honey and salt) is my go-to here when I’m in the mood for a sweet drink. Bonus: It’s one of the few places in this area to grab a coffee on a Monday.
2623 E Broad St, Richmond, VA 23223
Mon–Fri 6:30 am–6 pm; Sat–Sun 7 am–6 pm
riverbendroastery.com
Kid-friendliness: 3 / Coffee: 2 / WFH: 3 / Treats: 2
Peaberry Coffee
This sunny spot tucked away in Church Hill North is another venture by Riverbend owner Alexa Schuett (who also owns Church Hill favorites Liberty Public House and Chimbo Sandwich Shoppe). Situated on a quiet, mostly residential block, Peaberry offers coffee and espresso drinks along with coffee by the pound and a small selection of baked goods. There are several long tables outside for sitting in the sunshine; inside, a long bar faces the front wall of windows and blond wood tables flanked by plush chairs make a nice gathering spot. The pastry case is limited, but there’s a rotating menu of fun specialty drinks to sate a sweet tooth, like a banana bread latte, blueberry chai with cold foam, or pineberry matcha.
1301 N 32nd St, Richmond, VA 23223
Mon–Fri 6 am–5 pm; Sat–Sun 7 am–5 pm
instagram.com/peaberryrva
Kid-friendliness: 3 / Coffee: 3 / WFH: 3 / Treats: 2
Blue Atlas
Though it’s in Fulton Hill, a couple of miles away from Church Hill, I couldn’t leave out this East End gem. Blue Atlas is a restaurant located inside of a restored old schoolhouse with an attached market and coffee bar that serves breakfast and lunch Wednesday through Sunday. Situated at the top of the hill, it’s a picturesque spot to enjoy a cortado and a snack — go on a nice day and sit outside. For those with kids, the outdoor lawn has plenty of room to run around. Menu highlights include the biscuit sliders, mini egg sandwiches with cheese, avocado, and pepper jelly served on flaky biscuits; and the breakfast burrito, a hefty thing filled with eggs, tater tots, black beans and cheese.
1000 Carlisle Ave # 200, Richmond, VA 23231
Wed–Sun 9am–2:30pm
blueatlasrva.com
Kid-friendliness: 4 (if you sit outside!) / Coffee: 4 / WFH: 3 / Treats: 4
Special mention: FriendBar
This wine bar and shop adjacent to Pizza Bones offers a small selection of pastries and coffee on Saturday mornings from 9 am to noon. On a recent visit I had an excellent scone and a yeasted, perfectly spiced cardamom bun. The coffee is drip/cold brew only, but it’s a worthwhile visit, especially when the line at Sub Rosa is off-puttingly long. There’s not much space to sit inside so I would go on a nice day and sit on the patio, or take my coffee and wander over to the community garden next door.
2314 Jefferson Ave, Richmond, VA 23223
Sat 9 am–12 pm
pizzabonesrva.com/friendbar
Kid-friendliness: 4 (if you sit outside!) / Coffee: 3 / WFH: 2 / Treats: 3