First place:

Stella’s (Hall of Fame Winner)

1012 Lafayette St.
358-2011
stellasrichmond.com

Second place: The Greek Taverna
Third place: Greek on Cary
Honorable mention: Crazy Greek

Santorini tomato fritters, anyone? There’s good reason hungry diners were willing to wait to get a table in the crowded Stella’s dining room to enjoy rustic and modern takes on Greek food. And wait they did. Those in the know tended to slide in during Meze Ora from 4 to 6 p.m. during the week to savor small plates and drink specials while awaiting a table. Currently, you can still do Meze Ora or dinner – at half capacity for indoor and outdoor dining – beginning at 2 p.m. with a reservation, while curbside pickup remains an option via phone or online.

Owner Katrina Giavos attributes Stella’s popularity to a high level of service and the way the menu is constantly refreshed with new dishes. For those who were planning to travel to Greece this year and now can’t, they can at least take solace at Stella’s.

“We’ve made the space more beautiful and added some Aegean-inspired drinks,” Giavos says. “We want to give people a little bit of what they’ll miss.”