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 pop into a local café for a fancy coffee and a little treat. As a solopreneur who works from home, third spaces like these are a nice excuse to get dressed and emerge from my hobbit hole from time to time. 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. And 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.)
Thus, I have been to a lot of Richmond’s coffee shops and I have a lot of opinions. Before I unleash them upon you, a few caveats: 1) I hope to expand this guide eventually to include the whole city, but for now it’s focused on the neighborhoods and coffee shops that I frequent the most; 2) It’s an extremely biased, non-exhaustive list — like I said, I have a lot of opinions; and 3) while I consider myself to appreciate good coffee, I am not necessarily an espresso expert who can talk to you about the finer points of crema and extraction. (If you are, though, I have noted the particular shops where you will find your people.)
Of course, 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, and no one is going to be a dick to you for bringing your child to a coffee shop. And, for the record, I am of the opinion that children have the right to exist in public. However! With a two-year-old, I like to know what I’m walking into ahead of time. So:
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, 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 without further ado, onto my faves in CHURCH HILL:
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, which rotate throughout the week, are all made from locally-sourced grain that they mill themselves 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 (currently available only on weekends); the spelt shortbread cookies (slept on!!); and for bread, the sesame rye and polenta loaves. During the week you’ll see a steady stream of locals chatting with neighbors and colleagues over coffee and a croissant; there are usually a few people working, but the vibe is more communal than people solo on 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
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