525 At The Berry Burk

A lovely place to dine. I enjoyed my dinner w/​my wife and friends. The service was excellent. We ordered several small plates and actually ordered more than we needed when we added a large entrée. It’s wonderfully refurbished and w/​the large windows a nice view. The food, excellent! Need to make a return
was a bit difficult to park.

Wonderful flavors with excellent service. We were attending an event at the Carpenter Theatre across the street and the waiter made sure to time our dinner so that we’d make that on time. Our entrees were delicious and nicely presented. I had the filet — it was tender and perfectly prepared and came with a delightful vegetable medely and potatoes. My wife had the salmon. It came with asparagus and a coconut milk risotto that was out of this world. I could have had that for my meal.
I ordered a glass of sparkling wine that was delivered and looked a bit flat. The waiter was walking close by and saw me looking at it and came over and scooped it up so he could re-​deilver a much more lively glass from a new bottle.
We were going to the show so we both got the smaller serving sizes of our entrees, which was plenty for us. The dessert menu looked excellent, so we’ll be back either just for dessert or to enjoy a full meal.

I have eaten at 525 several times and always fail to write a review. I think its because I live two buildings down from the place and its always one of those last minute dinner or lunch options for me when I’m too lazy to cook.
Now on to the review. My 2 stars are a combo of all of my visits here, but my latest visit is the one that I will write about. I phoned my order in and was very upset at the annoyed sounding teen answering the phone-​I promise if this girl responded to me with «yea» one more time, I was going to teach her some new non-​lady like language! lol Anywho, she annoyed me and she didn’t know the catch of the day, so when she read it off the paper (which I could hear her rumbling to find) she read it to me like it was an excerpt from her history book! Yikes I just hate bad customer service and I will abandon a place on that alone! She also annoyed me like hell when I paid and she she responds «yea let me go ugh get this for you» –then the process took 5 – 6 minutes for some odd reason –there was no one hardly in the place and she finally returned only to lay the change down on the counter and say «yea theres your change» and she just starred at me like she was waiting for her next line in the play! they really need to fix that bc first impressions are everything
I ended up ordering the Salmon entrée. I was HIGHLY disappointed in the dish. the coconut milk risotto was pretty blah blah and wayyyyyy too mushy (properly cooked risotto should still have some grit to it)! It sounded good on paper but it was gross. The mango salsa that was supposed to top the salmon sounded so heavenly in my head but it was basically cut onions, a few mango pieces, and cut tomatoes… I really think its the leftovers from their bruschetta and they added mango pieces to it-​it just wasn’t good. The asparagus was slimy for some reason and too buttery. The salmon was the only saving grace –it was a nice portion and it wasn’t too fishy tasting.
Overall, I don’t think that the food was good enough for $ 24. Anyone that knows me, knows I am willing to pay top dollar for some good food (hence why I am currently having to diet lol). But this place just seems like one of those hyped up places that gets by because of the beautiful atmosphere and its prime location. Otherwise, I highly doubt this place would be successful because all of my experiences here have been meh okay. Its always nice to try someplace so give it a try but don’t be surprised if you walk out thinking that you could have made the same dish with better seasonings at home.
Hope this helps and if my view changes and I go back for another shot Ill update this review.

*** 3.5 Stars Review ***
This place is kinda fancy. No dress attire, but it looks like it should have been. Think everyone besides me had a button up shirt/​nice sweater of some sort and i was wearing one of those short sleeve shirts over a long sleeve and jeans. haha.
Came here with two other friends on Saturday at 5.45PM. They made reservations for 6 but they were able to seat us early and at a bigger table, score! Our server was pretty nice and was knowledgeable about the menu. He’s so good he refilled my drink without me knowing and I was sitting in the corner/​middle of the table!
We got the Butternut Squash Fondue to share with housemade chips. OH MY GOD. These were insanely delicious and addicting. Butternut squash was creamy, light, and was so tasty. House made pita chips, equally amazing. I could have just had the pita chips all night and I would have been happy. App was easy to share among three people and they can give you another order of pita chips no probs!
I got the Short Ribs per the waiter’s recommendation. It started off amazing, ribs were very tender and the accompanying BBQ sauce was pretty good too, then towards the end, it got a little dry and I ran out of sauce :(I am generally not a fan of mac and cheese (gasp) but it came with my meal and it was just kinda ehhh.
If their apps are anything like that fondue we got, i am ONLY getting apps next time! Prices are kinda steep though for their entrees (small/​large portions).

Pretty much a 5 star!
The service was a 5+ star, such an amazing atmosphere. The food was amazing!
We started with the creamy pepper jack fondue with craisins and chipotle honey. YUM! Such a great blend of flavors. Definitely more creamy than spicy-​just the right amount of everything. The honey was so good on it, and the homeade pita chips are soft and delicious.
The scallops were OUT OF THIS WORLD! Buttery and delicious. YUM. Get them. That’s all I can say about those.
My ONLY complaint the whole meal was the flavor on the filet mignon. I didn’t like the sauce that came with the filet– it wasn’t savory enough. I can’t describe it, I just didnt care for it. But the potatoes that accompany it were amazing. And the filet was cooked to perfection.
Lastly-​GET THE BREAD PUDDING TO END! But order extra sauce, mine didn’t come with enough. I love findind bread pudding that doesn’t have raisings. It comes hot and fresh and it unbelievable.
Try this restaurant if you haven’t!

Oh Richmond how I love you. There’s a beautiful quaint bar and spacious seating for dinner, the décor is avant-​garde and fresh. Our table was in the corner with great views of the happenings outside, cheap people watching entertainment. Our waiter, Nicholas was fantastic! He helped make our time at 525 an experience.
The four of us shared two appetizers the cheese fondu (amazballs) and the chefs specials. For dinner once again the majority of us had the surf and turf, by filet was prepared perfectly, it’s not to often a restaurant will let you order a blue steak. Magnificent! We had wine, beers, aperitifs and dessert. One of the highlights of our rva trip and we can’t wait to return! Can’t say enough about Nicholas, ask for him!

This was a great place to take my parents (from Northern VA) to show off some of RVA’s finest. Beautiful location with panoramic views from the floor to ceiling windows. It’s situated on a lovely corner of downtown Richmond and has nice views of the Carpenter Center
Service was superb and knowledgeable. Wine pours were generous. Portions were generous.
I’ll spare you the details of every little thing we ate, because as a party of 4, we ate a lot. But the food is damn good and well portioned. Those pita chips that are served with the appetizer dips are to die for! Chicken parmesan and Scallop and spring pea risotto were the stand out dishes at our table. Skip the surf and turf special: the bacon wrapped scallops were great (when aren’t they?) but the cut of steak (?) left a lot to be desired. It was cooked well, but just wasn’t flavorful or marbled or what I was expecting.
I will definitely come back for any other special occasion to try more things from their menu.

Great location, great atmosphere, great service. Food… nothing special. The servers are very professional, and the bartender was entertaining as we had a drink before our meal.
We started with the cheese fondue, the pita points were fried and a little greasy, but the cheese was delicious. A little tangy, a little sweet, some tart. Good starter.
We split two entrees, the stuffed quail for one and the special which was tempura shrimp, crawfish, rice, beans, and sausage. The high point was the shrimp. They were lightly battered, if battered at all, but so crunchy. I liked that entrée the most. The stuffing in the quail was dry, and the quail itself was way undercooked. We sent it back (no questions asked) and replaced it with the salmon, which was way overcooked, dry, and needed salt. That also came with rice and it seemed like the same beans as the shrimp dish. I will say that the server handled the quail issue well, and the salmon came out of the kitchen very quickly, so A+ on service.
Lastly we had the bread pudding to wrap up the meal. It was good, but not great. It had a ton of butter, and it was mushy. The bread didn’t have much bite but the flavor was good. However my wife didn’t really care for it.
Overall I am glad we went, but I don’t think we’ll go back. There wasn’t one thing that I would crave to bring me back.

For a great cocktail and delicious food in a beautiful downtown atmosphere it’s hard to beat 525. I’ve eaten here or just grabbed drinks numerous times at this almost one year old spot downtown. You could do this dressed up nicely for the theatre or casual in jeans and a polo and be completely at home.
Let me start where you should — the bar. The bartenders (Michael and Brandon) are great at their craft and create a great mood with their wit and charm. I’ve seen both of them entertain a full bar with interesting cocktails and stories. The mood is always comfortable and welcoming and I’ve had a number of great conversations there with complete strangers. It’s a fun place to hang out.
If you can pry yourself away from the conversation at the bar, the rest of the place is great, too. The Berry Burk is a men’s suit store from way back and the decore is a subtle homage to that legacy. Check out the fabrics used around the place and the original floors. It’s a nice touch that co-​owner Tom Hass seems proud of (and should be). But at night it’s even better b/​c Center Stage’s Carpenter’s Center Theatre is lit up beautifully. (Richmond’s Times Square?)
But if you’re dining there, you’re going to care about the food. I’ve had about half of the dishes on the menu and nothing has disappointed. The stuffed quail was amazing. The calamari has a twist — half of it is non traditional and even more delicious. Most friends gravitate towards the scallops and lobster risotto — hard to blame them for that. It’s delicious. And the service is top notch… which should be no surprise since Hass comes from 5 star/​5 diamond experience.
Also of note is that the entres all come in half or full sizes. Easy to share with big groups or to do a little portion control on your own behalf. Makes the bill at the end of the night very reasonable, too.
For lunch they’re a popular choice for a business meal. I usually stick to a salad with protein on top and a soup. Always good — very fresh. The spinach and fried bree salad is a must if you’re willing to indulge a tiny bit. I’m not a fan of clam chowder, but frequent guests have commented that it’s top notch. Chef Hasty (also co-​owner) should be proud of his seasonal creations and the care he and his staff obviously put into the dishes.
Overall this is one of my favorite places in Richmond. I’ve enjoyed it every time I’ve been and so have our friends and business relationships. The

There’s very little not to love about 525. First, it’s located right across from the Carpenter Theatre downtown. Grab a cocktail or dinner, and see a show! The building is decorated in a minimal, modern chic with windows wrapping two sides allowing light to flow in by day and making people watching easy by night. Service is professional, courteous and prompt. Nicholas was great. Drinks were great. My problem with 525 is that the menu is one of THOSE menus. Also minimal. I generally steer clear of «small plates» menus because they’re almost always a ripoff. Mind you, I do not mind spending money on food. But you really just don’t get much for your money here. I ended up getting the entrée sized scallops. I wouldn’t mind spending $ 22 for 7 large or even medium sized scallops (and a dollop of risotto), but these scallops were embarrasingly small. I needed more food!
So, I also ordered a calamari, which totally redeemed the child sized portion of scallops because it was SO GOOD! I’ve never had calamari «steaks» before, just the rings and tentacles. The steaks are to die for! Especially with the shallot caper buerre blanc sauce. I’d go there for that alone… And maybe a salad. And martini.

First of all I absolutely love that this place is tucked in so well next to Carpenter Theater. It’s perfect for a before the show drink and appetizer and even an after-​the-​show meal or late night snack.
My friend and I went there before the Aziz show the other day and we shared an order of the vegetable spring rolls. The size was perfect for a small plate for the two of us to share and the picked (I believe) carrot salad made the perfect compliment to the spring rolls. The rolls were fresh tasting and did not have any excess oil and paired with both the red wine and the cider wonderfully.
The atmosphere is like a classy, young, professional place. I wouldn’t feel completely right walking in there with simply jeans and a t-​shirt but going there after work for cocktails or dinner seems just right.
The bartender and the owner are both very friendly and ensured that all the guests in the bar area were taken care of. By the time my friend and I left to get to our seats the bar was quite packed and the owner was helping the bartender in making the drinks. It seems to me that the owner shows a huge interest in making the business a success and is more than happy to help out in any way.
I would definitely recommend this place to a friend and/​or family member.

I love how much Grace Street is changing into this foodie scene! This place is right across CenterStage. Too bad this place requires street parking. There’s a lot right in front, but it charges by the hour or $ 7 on the weekends. Once you walk inside, there is a complementary coat check. The dining area is fabulous. White tables with panoramic windows (pictured)! Can’t help but admire the views and even some people watching!
the food.
presented so beautifully and comes in either small plates or large plates.
–roasted garlic hummus: It comes with focaccia breadsticks. Tastes soo good! Probably since it’s made fresh!
–seared sea scallops (pictured): The best scallops, I’ve ever had! It’s nicely matched with the sweet pea and lobster risotto.
–fried calamari duo: Prepared in 2 ways — the steak and the rings. I’ve never had the steak portion and I’m not rushing to try it again since it was just a big chewier portion. The rings didn’t have much flavor. Pretty much, I’ve had better calamari elsewhere.
–kalamata tapenade: I’m not big on olives, but this may make me reevaluate that. It also comes with the focaccia breadsticks.
–pan fried salmon: not cooked with much flavor, but I tend to like my salmon salty
the service.
Our server was impeccably polite. He was on top of the refills. Also did a great job explaining the menus. Top notch service.
I’d say this place is great for groups since you can share food with everyone to try a bit of everything. It’s quite a classy place. I’d come by more often if it wasn’t for the street parking, but that’s downtown for you.

I have been to 525 twice both times for dinner on a Saturday night. Though the place was full I never felt rushed or neglected. The drink menu has some unique cocktails. The watermelon basil martini and the jalapeño pear margarita are fun!
Visit 1. There were three of us and we sampled many small plates including duck confit, calamari (the large tentacles are amazingly tender!), scallops, pork belly and the rabbit and morel pot pie (couldn’t really taste the morel). Everything tasted amazing and each plate was very different from the other. For dessert we split (so full) the Baileys crème brûlée (hope that is permanently on the menu!).
Visit 2. This time we were a group of four and there was not as much sharing except for the caramelized onion dip and the shrimp dip (which is cold, we were a little surprised at first but it is yummy). I ordered the calamari again and the salad with fried brie (I had to try it!). Again the calamari was very tender. The salad was quite good but I had a little entrée envy looking at my husbands filet. Sometimes no matter how tasty a salad is it doesn’t compare to a steak. We shared the chocolate molten cake– so rich and amazing!
*Note is tends to be very busy around showtimes (the Carpenter Center it across the street), if lots of energy is not your thing I would suggest making a reservation during a performance.
**Parking can be a little tricky unless you are willing to spend $ 5 – 10. We drove around a bit and found a free street spot within a few blocks on both visits.

First let me say– I had a great glass of wine, the steak was well prepared and the setting is beautiful, especially the large windows.
The three stars really is about the service. Our waitress, once we finally got one, was great but the hostess looked, at best, totally confused. I don’t know if it was her first night but both she and another hostess told us that they didn’t have any tables and then walked off. We waited and when she came back, I said it was okay, we’d simply wait and that was even more confusing for her. I almost just left because it honestly seemed as that they didn’t want to seat us-​ever. Finally I offered that we’d walk down to Pasture for a drink and try back in a bit. I don’t know what is so hard about giving a wait time but no one seemed to have a clue.
When we did finally get seated we were put at a tiny table by the wait station when there were clearly lots of tables available at the windows away from the bustle of the servers. Also, the place has really cleared out, again making me wonder why they didn’t just tell us to come back in 30 minutes. I guess I felt as if I’d done something wrong by trying to come and eat there. And you may be thinking, why didn’t I have a reservation? I tried that, leaving a message with a voice mail system earlier in the day. Strangely, their voice mail doesn’t even say that I’ve called 525 or offer hours, and no one returned the call. I’ll definitely try it again though because once we were finally settled, it was an enjoyable night and I’m excited to see that area becoming a more popular dining destination.

So I came back one evening for a social. I was nervous about it based on my experience during my first visit. I eased my way in by adding a cocktail, I had one of the specials for the night… I can’t remember the name of it, but I think it was their version of a Long Island iced tea. It was good and one was enough to give me that warm fuzzy feeling. As for the food menu, I was disappointed to see they only offered appetizers, salads and small plates, because I was pretty hungry! I eyed the calamari (prepared two ways), and the server assured me that the larger size a decent portion. She was right, albeit it wasn’t the best calamari I’ve had, but it wasn’t bad. I still love the ambiance of the place, which is even more appealing at night, but I don’t know if the chefs here will ever completely appease my taste buds. I would come back for a drink, though.

I love going here for lunch, and it’s only a few blocks away so I’ve come a lot so far. For the price of lunch almost anywhere else nearby (salads and paninis for less than $ 10), I can sit in a beautiful open space with white tablecloths, huge 20 ft tall original glass windows with a view of the façade of the Carpenter Theater, and friendly, conversational, great service.
The presentation is always gorgeous, all the plates and everything are just so unilaterally pleasing and cohesive looking. My glass is never empty. I haven’t disliked anything I’ve ever ordered, although there is room for slight improvement (the pumpkin bisque today was delicious but maybe a little too sweet) — so in all honesty I could say this is more of a 4.5 but to express my overall fondness I’m going with a 5. I almost always get the cous cous just because it’s delicious and it LOOKS so good on the plate.
And good gracious, the TOMATOES. They are local heirloom tomatoes and they put thick slices on the sandwiches. The flavor is bright, ripe, and acidic — like the ones my grandparents made tomato sandwiches with from their backyard garden in North Carolina. There’s always a puddle of tomato juice on the plate when I’m done because the tomatoes are so super-​zaftik.
I often sit at the bar because then I end up conversing with someone for my whole meal. I’ve heard all about the history of space, the renovation process, getting settled in the Richmond food scene, shifting demographics, politics of Grace Street, cooking, et al. I like them as people and it’s cool that the food is good and the space is gorgeous because I like supporting them.
But yeah, I recommend it mostly as a beautiful place to enjoy a sophisticated, high end atmosphere for lunch downtown without paying a hefty check. Dinner is a bit pricier though.
Bathrooms: Men, Women, single occupancy. In the Men’s, just a toilet and sink. I do, however, love the understated snakeskin pattern embossed wallpaper and leather-​style tiles. Sounds bad on paper, looks great on the walls, take my word.

I might upgrade this place’s star level in the future, but for now, it’s a solid 4.
Have only visited once, for lunch, but I was very happy with the food, the service, and the setting. A group of us wandered in around 2pm, after a site selection visit to Centerstage — seven of us, vastly different in tastes and backgrounds, and not a single quibble from anyone about their experience. That’s a surprising outcome, particularly when I consider that many of these folks don’t dine downtown usually.
I’ve read the other reviews, including one posted today, and I have to say that I’m surprised that the experiences seem so uneven. I’ll update this review if my opinion changes, in either direction …

I came here tonight with a party of 4 others with high hopes from the menu I looked at online. I along with about two of the others were sorely disappointed in our orders.
Starters: I had a Chevre and Walnut roll (3 slices, about 3 oz) with crisp flat bread sticks. I’m a cheese freak but found this one as nothing spectacular. My friend had the Shrimp Dip. I think we were hard pressed to find real pieces of shrimp in it and it’s served cold which doesn’t do it justice. Someone else at the table had Fried Brie which she said was delicious. There was also Edamame Dip which I did not try. Our last diner ordered Clam Chowder and that was all that he had but said was good and looked very hearty to me with large chunks of clams, corn, etc.
Main Course: I had Duck Confit Spring Rolls. Rolls were okay, but the noodles they served on the side with this were bland bland bland. My friend had the Pork Tenderloin with spinach and corn grit cake. That dish was a winner. Other partners ordered calamari which was nice and crispy. There was a tomato polenta cake on the table as well but I did not try.
Dessert: I did not order but tasted the ones ordered for the table by others in the group. Apple Strudel was good, and they have in-​house made caramel and coffee ice cream which are good. Their Chocolate Lave Cake was okay but nothing to go all gooey about. However it was served with this supposed Nutella Whipped Cream that tasted awful. Now I love Nutella… this whipped stuff tasted nothing like and is really doing an injustice to the brand. It had an awful oily nasty taste. I don’t know if it had sat too long, was old, or ingredients were not fresh but YUCK!
I am giving this place two stars for two reasons: Our waiter, Kevin, was very friendly and polite and the décor was delightful and relaxing. I would definitely hang out in the bar area if I lived or worked downtown. I had a Orange-​Ginger Mojito while I was waiting for the rest of the party to arrive that was refreshing and delicious.
Not sure I will be back… maybe you can twist my arm in another year if it makes it and they work those kinks out of the menu.

We came for dinner last night. BRING A SWEATER. I’m serious. It is like sitting on an ice block in there.
We got a starter, a soup, two small plates (think tapas sized), and that left just enough room for dessert. I think that’s pretty perfect. The small plates also come in «half» or «full» sizes… we went with the half so I guess if you order full size of everything, you’ll be pretty darn full.
The edamame dip was great and tasted so fresh and healthy. It would probably have been even more top notch with a dab more of wasabi. I liked that it came with thin crispy pieces of bread instead of pita or «soft» bread. For the soup, we got the New England clam chowder. That was more like a dip than a soup, it was so thick. And it wasn’t even hot – I don’t know if that’s the fault of the kitchen, or just because the restaurant is so freaking cold already. My cup of tea that came out around the same time was also cold, so I guess for this one I blame the kitchen.
For small plates, we got the polenta with herb tomato and the sea scallops with sweet pea and lobster risotto. YOU GUYS. THE RISOTTO. Everything else was delicious and fabulous, but the RISOTTO. YOU GUYS. I could take a bucket of that stuff home and just heat up a bowl a day with some extra parmesan melted on top. Dayum.
For dessert we went with the molten chocolate lava cake, which came with a fresh strawberry and some crushed nuts and whipped Nutella. Like I said, the entrees are small but filling, so you will definitely have room for something sweet (and that’s a good thing!)
Other than the freezing temps inside, I thought the restaurant to be really lovely. A little drab on the color scheme, but when you can sit by the huge windows and people watch (ok fine, dog watch), the walls are not as important.

I came in for a work lunch, really wanting to love the place. I’m always in support of the Downtown «rejuvenation» and this place offers a much needed upscale restaurant to the area with sleek, modern, and inviting décor.
Our waiter was incredibly friendly and immediately offered his menu suggestions, which is something I always appreciate.
To start we had the onion dip and shrimp dip. Why two dips you might ask? Well, because that’s all they had, a sign that the menu could use some variety.
I split the Grilled Bistro Tender Panini and Cuban Sandwich with a coworker — both were good, but not great. Better of the two was the Panini… with caramelized onions, some kind of garlicky aoli sauce, and crispy bread. This is what my boyfriend calls a «Beki» sandwich.
For dessert I had the peach strudel, ordered a la mode with caramel ice cream. As I took my first bite of ice cream, I looked down to see a long black hair sticking out from my ice cream… and I have red hair… enough said? The waiter quickly replaced my hairy ice cream, but like a bad movie this one had a hair as well. They apologized profusely, took it off our check, and offered another «hair-​free» try. At that point though my appetite was shot. Moral of the story is that this place left a bad taste in my mouth… literally.