Old City Bar, Richmond
Over 4 months ago, a friend of a friend suggested a group of us all go out to the Old City Bar in downtown Richmond, which is located adjacent to the train station and Farmer’s Market. I never got to go then, but I did this evening, where I was joined by several friends and colleagues.
The menu had some interesting items for sure, which included lobster bread pudding, fried oysters with Virginia ham, and the duck wellington. In all honesty, none of us had been here before, and we were anxious to go.
Our server (Emily) was nice enough, and did a decent job with service. But it seemed that other aspects of service, including bar service, the speed at which dishes came out of the kitchen, and how a poor entrée presentation was rectified, left us puzzled. “How were they getting away with charging so much?”
The menu, especially in the entrée section, needs inspiration. While several diners reported their entrées were average, one was made up of steak so dry and flavorless it was shameful, and another came as a slab of well-cooked tuna, when “rare” was requested. To be fair, the tuna was replaced, and met with the diner’s satisfaction.
Appetizers were better liked, including salads and the beforementioned lobster “bread pudding.” While long pauses were the norm between courses, luckily the Old Bar hires a singer on Thursday nights who was both engaging and entertaining.
Desserts were mixed, too. The chocolate crepe our server raved about was lackluster. For a dessert, it lacked sweetness, flavor of chocolate, and variety of texture. The ricotta-chocolate cheesecake, on the other hand, was a real winner.
The coffee served to each diner was flavored with hazelnut. Many diners felt this flavored coffee should have been advertised before pouring… as some diners dislike flavored coffees, including your very own Messy Chef.
I was fair, I thought, in asking others of their opinion. “2.5 stars,” one remarked, while another said “around 3, but certainly no more.” No one dish was inspirational, and another diner felt the staff lacked personality and person-ability. My dual petite filet steak dinner was typical of many: uninspired presentation, lackluster quality: entrées that needed help and lesser price tags.
The decor and location both demand better praise. While not all was lost, we can’t honestly recommend ourselves to return. As one in our party told the manager: “I won’t be back… you guys had the chance to impress me and earn my business, but you never did,” perhaps your experience would be different. Luckily for us, a friendly waitress and good company saved the evening. But better food and drink can be found for the price elsewhere, for sure.
Filed by MessyChef at December 21st, 2006 under Meat and Steaks, Restaurant Review