Every year, Style Weekly invites our readers to recognize the very best of Richmond.

You nominated for the places, spaces, flavors, and faces that make RVA shine—from standout businesses and festivals to must-try restaurants, top entertainment, and the people who bring it all to life. Now, the 2025 results are in!

You can explore the 422 finalists below and cast your vote—once per day, per category—through March 28. The winners will be announced this June, both in print and online, and we’ll celebrate them in style at our annual Best Fest!

Arts + Culture

Actor
Adam Turck
Lucretia M. Anderson
Susan Sanford

Author
Harry Kollatz, Jr
Rachel Beanland
Sadeqa Johnson

Comedy Club
Bridge 9 Theater
CSz Richmond Theater (Comedy Sportz)
Richmond Funny Bone Comedy Club & Restaurant

Concert Series
Atlantic Union Bank After Hours
Friday Cheers
Shockoe Sessions Live!

Country/Folk/Bluegrass Group
Cassidy Snider & The Wranglers
Palmyra
The Hot Seats

Dance Company 
Conflux Dance Theater
​Dogwood Dance Project
Richmond Ballet

Film Festival
Afrikana Film Festival
James River Film Festival
Richmond International Film Festival

Filmmaker
Jim Stramel
Justin Black
Melissa Lesh

Global Music
Afro-Zen Allstars
Kadencia Orchestra
Miramar

Hip-Hop Artist or Group
Ant The Symbol
Mocha Bear
Nickelus F
Radio B

Independent Art Gallery
1708 Gallery
Art 180
Crossroads Art Center
Gallery5

Jam Band
Craigslist Jerry
Dan & The Fam
Suggesting Rhythm

Jazz Artist or Group
Charles Owens
Desiree Roots
Plunky & Oneness
Roger Carroll

Metal or Thrash Band
Battlemaster
Gwar
Loud Night

Movie Theatre
Ashland Theatre
Bow Tie Movieland at Blvd Square
The Byrd Theatre

Mural
Mending Walls
Opossum by Nils Westergard
Richmond SPCA murals by Nils Westergard

Museum
The Poe Museum
The Valentine
Virginia Museum of History and Culture
VMFA

Music Venue
Reveler
The Broadberry
The Camel
The National

Outdoor Festival 
Dominion Energy Riverrock
Henrico County’s Juneteenth Celebration
Richmond Folk Festival

Podcast
Drinks in the Library
Eat It Virginia
RVA’s Got Issues

Poet
Hope Whitby
Nicolewrites_wbm
Roscoe Burnems

Public Art
Circle Center mural Age & Grace
ICA
VMFA

Punk or Experimental Group
Black Button
Girlspit
Hard Copy
Outer World

R&B/Soul Artist or Group
Desiree Roots
Kaay Taurus
Ms. Jaylin Brown
Rodney Stith

Radio Show
Global-A-Go Go on WRIR
Open Source on WRIR
The Loblolly Pine Show on WDCE
What the Fontaine? on WRIR

Reggae Artist or Group
Mighty Joshua
Unity Sound

Rock Band
Dead Billionaires
Doll Baby
Los Hermanos Alacranes
Rikki Rakki

Singer-Songwriter
Deau Eyes
Erin Lunsford
Justin Golden

Theater Company
5th Wall Theatre
Firehouse Theater
Richmond Shakespeare
Richmond Triangle Players

Visual Artist
Hamilton Glass
Justice Dwight
Mickael Broth (Night Owl)

Food + Drink

African
Addis Ethiopian Restaurant
Buna Kurs Ethiopian Cafe
Elegant Cuizines

American
Laura Lee’s
Liberty Public House
LUNCH.SUPPER!
Neighbor

Bagels
Chewy’s Bagels
Nate’s Bagels
Sunday Bagel

Bakery
Idle Hands Bread Company
Kimmy Kakes RVA
Sub Rosa Bakery
Up All Night Bakery

Bar
Bamboo Cafe
Bryan Park Bar & Grill
Fuzzy Cactus

Barbecue
Bar-Q
The Smoky Mug
ZZQ

Bloody Mary
Bryan Park Bar & Grill
Helen’s
Metzger Bar and Butchery
Neighbor

Brewery
Hardywood Park Craft Brewery
The Veil Brewery
Triple Crossing Beer

Brunch
Lulu’s
Lyra’s Natural Kitchen
Neighbor
SB’s Lakeside Love Shack

Burger
Beauvine Burger Concept
Cobra Burger
Eazzy Burger
Jack Brown’s Beer & Burger Joint

Chinese
Beijing on Grove
Fat Dragon
Peter Chang

Cocktail Bar
Fanboy
The Emerald Lounge
The Jasper

Coffee Shop 
Blanchard’s
Stir Crazy
Urban Hang Suite

Deli 
Coppolas Deli
Nomad Deli & Catering Company
Perly’s

Diner
Dot’s Back Inn
Galaxy Diner
Moore Street Cafe

Distillery
Belle Isle Moonshine
Reservoir Distillery
Virago Spirits

Dive Bar
Dugout
Poe’s Pub
The Locker Room

Doughnut
Country Style Doughnuts
Sugar Shack
Treat Shop

Food Cart/Truck
1115 Mobile Kitchen
Rollin Eatz
The Sweet Xscape

Fried Chicken
1115 Mobile Kitchen
Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken
Mama J’s Kitchen

Greek
Bell Greek
Greek on Cary
Stella’s

Happy Hour
3 Monkeys Bar & Grill
Lolita’s
Wood & Iron Gameday Restaurant and Bar

Ice Cream/Frozen Treat
Gelati Celesti
Ruby Scoops Ice Cream & Sweets
The Sweet Xscape

Indian
Carytown Indian Cuisine
Lemon Cuisine of India
Tulsi

Italian
Edo’s Squid
Lost Letter
Mama Cucina

Jamaican
Carena’s Jamaican Grille
Irie Ting Jamaican Grill
Jamaica House

Japanese
Akida
Lucky AF
Osaka Sushi & Steak

Korean
J Kogi
Lotte Market
Yewon

Late Night Bites
Cobra Cabana
Galaxy Diner
Sidewalk Cafe

Lunch
Charlotte’s Southern Deli
Garnett’s Cafe
LUNCH.SUPPER!
You Matter Juice Bar

Margarita 
Blue Habanero – Street Tacos & Tequila
En Su Boca
Lolita’s

Martini
Beaucoup
Birdie’s
The Jasper
The Pink Room

Mexican 
Cochiloco
Conejo
Mi Jalisco
Y Tu Mama

New Restaurant
Beaucoup
Lillian
Susie’s Delicatessen
Sweet P’s RVA

Patio
Ardent Craft Ales
Blue Atlas Restaurant and Market
Jardin
Portico

Pizza
Hot for Pizza
Pizza Bones
Zorch Pizza

Pop-Up
Daily Coffee Company
Nam Prick Pao
Sunday Bagel

Rooftop Bar
Common House
New York Deli
Quirk

Sandwiches
Charlotte’s Southern Deli
Garnett’s Cafe
Neighbor
Stanley’s

Seafood
Alewife
Beaucoup
Croaker Spot
Yellow Umbrella

Southern Food
Lillie Pearl
Mama J’s Kitchen
The Roosevelt

Steakhouse
Buckhead’s
Hondos
ML Steakhouse

Tacos
Cochiloco
Don’t Look Back
Wong’s Tacos
Y Tu Mama

Takeout
8 1/2
Charlotte’s Southern Deli
Yummvee’s

Vegan
Philly Vegan
The Beet Box
Tiny Vegan

Vegetarian
Blue Atlas Restaurant and Market
Gold Lion Community Cafe
The Beet Box

Vietnamese
Mekong
PHO TAY DO
Sen Organic Small Plate

Wine Bar
Celladora Wines
Jardin
Penny’s Wine Shop

Wine Shop
Celladora Wines
Once Upon a Vine
Second Bottle Wine

Wings
Bryan Park Bar & Grill
Cocky Rooster
Wood & Iron Gameday Restaurant and Bar

Goods + Services

Antique Store
Class and Trash
RVA Antiques
West End Antiques Mall

Art Supply Store
Plaza Artist Materials
Scrap RVA
SUPPLY

Barbershop
Brovado Barbershop
Cutz for Guys
High Point Barbershop & Shave Parlor
Main Street Barber

Bike Shop
Agee’s Bicycles
Outpost Richmond
Wheel Simple Bicycle Repair

Bookstore
bbgb books
Fountain Bookstore
Shelf Life Books

Car Repair
Certified Auto Repair
Ironwood Automotive
Wallace Automotive

Electrician
Atkins Electrical
Kelleher HVAC
Woodfin

Farmers Market
Bird House Farmers Market
RVA Big Market
RVA Black Farmers Market
South of the James Market

Flooring
Better Floors
Costen Floors
The Floor Store

Florist
Coleman Brothers Flowers Inc.
Strawberry Fields Flowers and Finds
The Freckled Flower Farm
Vogue

Furniture Store
Class and Trash
La Diff
Virginia Wayside

Garden Center
Cross Creek Nursery & Landscaping
Sneed’s Nursery
Strange’s Florist & Garden Center

Gift Shop
Mongrel
Shop Siesta Boutique & Gift Shop
The Lioness

Grocery Store
Ellwood Thompson’s
Libbie Market
Tom Leonard’s Farmers Market

Gym
Jazzercise Richmond Center
Moore Than Fitness
Tequila and Deadlifts

Hotel 
Linden Row Inn
Quirk
The Jefferson Hotel

Jewelry Store
Carreras Jewelers
Cowardin’s Jewelers
Lustre by Adolf

Landscaping
Cartwright Landscaping
Cross Creek Nursery & Landscaping

Music Store
Deep Groove Records
Fan Guitar and Ukulele
Plan 9 Music

Pet Store
Fin & Feather Pet Center, Inc.
Lora Robins Gift Shop at the Richmond SPCA
Pawfect Sweets

Plumber
Serenity Plumbing
Woodfin

Record Store
Deep Grove Records
Plan 9 Music
Vinyl Conflict Record Store

Salon
Circle Square Salon
Melt Parlor
Tigers Eye Hair Studio

Tattoo Shop
Black Rabbit Tattoo
Heroes & Ghosts Tattoo
Loose Screw Tattoo

Thrift Store
Ashby
Diversity Thrift
Furbish Thrift

Veterinarian
Betty Baugh’s Animal Clinic
Fan Veterinary Clinic
River City Veterinary Hospital
Scott’s Addition Animal Hospital

Vintage Clothing
Bygones Vintage Clothing
Dead People’s Stuff Vintage Market
Halcyon Vintage Clothing

People + Places

Chef
Brittanny Anderson (Black Lodge, Brenner Pass, Metzger Bar and Butchery, Pink Room)
Leah Branch (The Roosevelt)
Nikki and Paul Polk (Charlotte’s Southern Deli)

Community Garden
Sankofa Community Orchard
Scuffletown Park
Shalom Farms

Community Leader
Darrian Hewlett
Katie Kenyon (Village Green)
Taylor Scott (RVA Community Fridges)

Drag Performer
Grace Wetpants
Hillary Buff
Michelle Livinge
Sweet Pickles

Place to Golf
Hanover Golf Club
Hotel Greene
The Country Club of Virginia
The Federal Club Golf Course

Hike
Belle Isle
Buttermilk Trail
James River Park System
Maymont Park

LGBTQIA+ Club
Babe’s of Carytown
Barcode
Fallout RVA
Papi’s

Media Personality
Jasmine Turner (12 On Your Side)
Megan Wise (12 On Your Side)
Sam NewsMan

Meteorologist
Andrew Friedan (12 On Your Side)
John Bernier (WRIC-TV)
Megan Wise (12 On Your Side)

Neighborhood
Church Hill
Lakeside
Manchester
The Fan

Park
Forest Hill Park
Libby Hill
Maymont Park

Place to Dance
Babe’s of Carytown
Godfrey’s
LOSO

Place to Listen to Live Music
Révéler
The Camel
The National

Place to People Watch
Brown’s Island
Carytown
VMFA

Place To Play Pickleball
Padel Plant
Performance Pickleball
Weinstein JCC

Place to Sing Karaoke
New York Deli
Penny Lane Pub
Thirsty’s

Radio Station
VPM 88.9
WDCE 90.1 FM
WRIR 97.3

Social Media Influencer
@laurenzray
@miss_elaine_neous
@superkeatzeverywhere

Sports Team
Richmond Flying Squirrels
Richmond Ivy Soccer
VCU Rams men’s basketball

Place To Take A Date
Agecroft Hall and Gardens
Hotel Greene
VMFA

Tattoo Artist
Amy Black
Jen Bean
Mike Ivey

Tourist Attraction
Agecroft Hall and Gardens
Hollywood Cemetery
James River Park System
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
VMFA

Visual Artist
Ed Trask
Hamilton Glass
Matt Lively

FAQS

• When do nominations for Best of Richmond start?
  • Nominations open Feb. 3 at noon and close Feb. 28 at midnight.
• How does the nominations round work?
  • Style Weekly’s staff compiles a list of categories for the ballot each year. Once the ballot is made public, anyone is allowed to nominate their favorite local businesses, people, places, and services once per category per day via write-in.
• When does the voting round start?
  • Voting opens March 7 at noon and closes March 28 at midnight.
• How does the voting round for Best of Richmond work?
  • After the nomination round, the three nominees with the most nominations will advance to the voting round. Each person is only allowed to vote once per category/per day. When the voting round begins, if more than three nominations are listed in a category, it is because there was a tie.
• How can I suggest a new category?
  • Although it is too late to add categories to this year’s ballot, we encourage anyone to send their category ideas for us to consider in the future. You can send any category recommendations to editor@styleweekly.com.
• Can I be nominated if I’m not in Richmond?
  • We only accept nominations in the Richmond metropolitan area.
• Do I have to pay to be represented on the ballot and/or win?
  • No! The Best Richmond readers’ choice poll results are based 100% on the public’s nominations and votes.
• How will I know if I won my category?
  • A member of the Style Weekly team will be in touch once the poll closes.
• When will the winners be announced?
  • Winners will be announced to the public upon the release of the Summer Issue in June 2025.

Official Rules

No purchase necessary.

Winners will be notified by email.

Style Weekly reserves the right to final fact-checking and tallying upon poll close.

Style Weekly reserves the right to restrict the local winners to only those within the Richmond metro area.

Contest entrants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of the contest commissioners, which are final on all matters pertaining to the contest.

Entrants further grant to Style Weekly the right to use and publish their proper name and state online and in print, or any other media, in connection with the Contest.

Style Weekly reserves the right to use any and all information related to the Contest, including information on contestants obtained through the contest, for marketing purposes or any other purpose, unless prohibited by law.

The Contest and all of the related pages, contents are copyright Style Weekly. Copying or unauthorized use of any copyrighted materials, trademarks or any other intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.

Each winner agrees to release all Sponsors, and their parent and subsidiary companies, their officers, directors, employees, agents, shareholders, affiliates, suppliers, distributors, and advertising agencies from all liability, claims, or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages, or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership, or use of the prize.

Style Weekly not responsible for Internet crashes or slowdowns caused by network congestion, viruses, sabotage, satellite failures, phone line failures, electrical outages, natural disasters or acts of man or God.

This contest is not intended for gambling. If it is determined that a contestant is using the contest for gambling purposes they will be disqualified and reported to authorities.

Style Weekly reserves the right to change the rules at any time.