L'Opossum

We had an incredible dinner here for our anniversary. First, the bartender made an excellent aviation cocktail (this is rare to find). The food was delicious and met an important fine dining requirement for me: the truffle in the lobster Mac and cheese was perfect and NOT overly strong.

The ambience is sexy and fun. Maximalist, lush, everything about this place is decadence. Love it and can't wait to go back. The music was a little loud for my taste but I'm old.

I'll be so for real I hated this place
Confusing atmosphere
Food was mid
Way overpriced
Waitress spilled wine all over myself and my partner
Staff acted bizarre the whole time
And for a place with gender neutral bathrooms it was an oddly unwelcoming space

Have been to L Opossum many times and every experience has lived up to the hype. All food and cocktails are created with great thought to flavor and presentation. This go round we had reserved bar dining (only option). The service had a slow start. We sat for over 10 mins before the bartender asked for our drink order.. I get it, one person making drinks for the entire restaurant takes some time. But after that point he was very attentive. I ordered the Inner Saboteur, my guy had Throwing Shade. I absolutely loved the jalapeño and bell pepper infused tequila. It was such a uniquely flavored cocktail. For our meal, we started with the crab and corn bisque and French onion dip. Then dinner we shared the beef swellington and Capt Jared's daily catch - Arctic Char. Who doesn't love a little surf and turf. The guest beside us at the bar had the crab cakes and the meal looked so wonderful I initially doubted the fish selection but the Char was rich and flavorful and the muscles were a nice accompaniment. After dinner we had to throw in the towel as there was absolutely no room left for dessert.

Suggestion to diners:
Don't sit at the bar if you can help it. You get a better dining experience at a table for the same cost. Plus you won't have people constantly walking past you running food and dirty dishes.
Bring cash as there's a 4% feefor cards and be mindful of the bill as the 4% is added to the cost of each item so if you're paying cash, you have to calculate the cost minus the 4% to ensure proper tipping.
The music can get loud, maybe bc the restaurant was clearing out as we had a later reservation. So less people chatting means louder volume of music? Also, the music doesn't create a more relaxed vibe as you would hope for at a high end restaurant.

L'opossum is a quirky and moody place. The location is very unassuming but as soon as you passed the velvet curtain you are transported to a different world.

We were only able to get a bar seating booking 3 weeks out. Being in the far end of the restaurant next to the kitchen prob killed the vibe a little. And perhaps being in the corner the bar tender couldn't notice us out of the 3 parties of 2. We eventually had to call his name to get his attention.

The menus are cheeky with funny descriptions. The food was very nice, French country fairs. I had catch of the day and the fish was cooked to perfection with crusty skin and flaky tender fish meat. The accompanied wild rice and vegetables were a nice addition but after a couple of bites it became a salty soggy nuisance. Perhaps reducing the volume would've been better. My dining partner had the quail and she throughly enjoyed it.

We also shared a limoncello crème bulee. It was nice but I didn't get the limoncello from it.

Overall it was a very pleasant dining experience but I am not sure the $43 main course plus 3 weeks wait paid off the hype.

very unique vibe, I couldn't stop looking around at all the eclectic art. Service was great, everyone was friendly quick and our server was very knowledgeable on the menu and drink selection. Was at a 2 person table but when the night slowed down they offered us a comfier booth and moved all of our food and drinks over quickly. Food was 10/10 has the escargot, venison, and French dip for appetizers and the chicken for an entree.

I have not had the pleasure of eating here, but it's not for lack of trying. Can't ever get reservations and when you call, the front staff are rude and don't point you in the right direction. Also they are listed in both open table and on resy but don't accept resy reservations. I'm sure the food is excellent but likely will never get the opportunity. Also who only accepts cash?!?!?

I really liked the curtains at the door when you first came through the door. It Made it feel like you were entering a different world. The decor also helped with that, very eclectic random pieces, which were all very interesting. Quirky to say the least.

We ordered 2 cocktails (throwing shade, and the spicy tequila cocktail). My cocktail was a little on the sweet side, but still enjoyable. We started with the soup of the day (lobster bisque with a beet drizzle). Very delicious, I think the drizzle was for aesthetic, because I didn't taste the beet at all. Our entrees were, the catch of the day (Artic Char) and the quail stuffed with waygu. Quail was delicious, served over a very flavorful ca jun rice with shrimp, and the sauce was delightful. My friend said her fish was cooked to perfection with crusty skin, and flaky tender meat. We ordered the limoncello creme brulee for dessert. I am not big on desserts, so I can't speak to how good it was. My friend said it was nice.

We were only able to get a bar seating booking that was 3 weeks out. We were seated at the end of the bar right by the chef's pass. Not the most desirable seating, but it was fine. Our server was also our bartender. Nice guy over all, however it was strange he didn't notice us for an extended amount of time, and we had to call him over. There were only 2 other parties seated at the bar. He was nice, and explained everything thoroughly, but I just felt like he could have been a pinch more attentive.

Overall, I do recommend L'Opossum. Looking for a delicious meal in a fun place, go here. This take on modern french fair, is CERTAINLY delicious and unexpected. I loved the funny word play of the cocktails on the menu. Anything different, and eclectic you can count me in. The price of their entree's, I thought was a little steep, however, I'm not gonna knock their hustle!

Wow where to start. This is my second time going and my experience on both occasions was amazing. Great food, "I had the rabbit", the servers on point and the atmosphere was cozy and unique. There is usually a wait so make your reservations in advance.

This is one of Richmond's Crown Jewels for dining! It is tucked away in such an unassuming little brick building, but the moment you step through the believer curtains at the entrance you are transported so to a restaurant in France! The dark moody atmosphere make it the perfect spot for an intimate, celebratory meal!

The staff is so kind and accommodating; they will bend over backwards to make sure you have the best experience you can have. They were prompt and friendly, and made sure there was never an empty glass on the table!

The food was exquisite and it rotates from season to season! When I went I got the quail and it was melt in your mouth delicious! We also got the lobster Mac and cheese to share and it was the richest, most delicious Mac and cheese I have ever had! You would think you were in Maine with how much lobster they put on it!

I am for sure returning for more!

I was hopeful for dining here. The online reviews were promising. A James Beard nominee is high praise. There were a number of people waiting outside before the restaurant opened, a good sign. 


There was a amazon delivery person that was in front of me in line to get in. I thought this was strange as most restaurant deliveries are received in the back. I was seated right away after I waited for the delivery to be signed for. At first the decor was a bit off putting. Later I appreciated it as there were star wars plates on the wall. I am a big nerd and I loved this. 


The server was great. She knew the menu and offered great wine pairings. I had a cocktail to start. It wad DELICIOUS! HEAVEN IN A GLASS! The water was said to be infused with mint. I love mint! There was no mint in this water that I could taste.


My soup was good. The potato was difficult to chop though and difficult to add to the broth, but very good. My reccomended wine pairing was very good. I'm glad it was very good because I was served a full glass. I would have preferred a small taste before a full glass is served because had I not liked it a full glass would have been wasted. 


I had scallops for an entre. I was excited because I was presented a spoon first. I thought, spoon means delicious broth! I was also presented a steak knife. Why a sharp knife for scallops? While waiting for my entre another full glass of wine was served. The server asked if I was ready for another. I said no, as I was still nursing my first glass and was in no hurry. The glass was removed. Again, I'm glad I liked the first glass because I was in no means ready for another. It would be a waste to present a fully poured glass to have the guest say no thanks. The glass was not served, OK.


My entre appeared quickly thereafter. It was presented well and looked delicious. I tried the broth first, it was very good. I removed the meat from my mussels and dug in. The mussels were cold. I could not cut through the scallops with my fork. Thus the previous presentation of the steak knife. Parts of the scallop were overcooked and parts were under-cooked. I see now why a steak knife was presented. The vegetables and greens in the dish were not cooked and raw. Exception being the peas. The peas were cooked perfectly. The carrots were of high quality, but not cooked. The consistency tasted like the raw baby carrots I give my child. The greens on the entre were still on the stem and seemed thrown onto the entre, not cooked into the entre. The onions tasted delicious, but were raw and undercooked. Imagine an under-done saute. The FLAVOR was EXCELLENT, the COOK, was RAW. 


My wine paring for the entre arrived after I was well into the dish. I thought, was the previously offered full glass of wine the glass for my entre? A completely different vintage?  It was. Again, it's good that I liked it, otherwise a full glass would have gone to waste. The paring that the server recommended for the entre was spot on. It is a shame the food was not cooked to the same standard as the wine paring recommendation.


I kept trying different bite combinations to see if the problem was me. Did I misunderstand the menu? Was I eating the dish incorrectly? Were the vegetables crispy and not undercooked? The flavor was DELICIOUS, but the cook was POOR. 


The server and host were most accommodating. I told them exactly what I wrote above. They were genuinely apologetic and I was not charged for the entre. I would have gladly paid for everything. I told them so as I know the displeasure is most likely a me problem. They did not charge me. This was 100% a CLASS ACT. I tipped based on what the full amount should have been, not what it was.


The desert menu seemed fair, but after my disappointment in the meal, I was reluctant, and did not try. I decided to have another cocktail for my desert and it was DELICIOUS!


I was given the bill and told there was no rush. An all to brief moment later I was asked if this was ready to be taken care of? NO was the answer, but I promptly presented my card. I went to the bathroom, it was very clean and pleasant, and left. 


My very poor rating, and DO NOT RECCOMEND, stance comes from disappointment. The online reviews were good, BUT. It says James Beard, BUT. The service was excellent, BUT. The flavors were delicious, BUT. At the price point, and James Beard nominee listed on the restaurant's website, I expected more, and was severely disappointed. I DO NOT RECOMMEND.