Ipanema Café in Richmond

Came in at 1:20 pm Friday and not open. Drove from Midlo

They never answer the phone. I just drove 30 minutes from Short Pump and paid for parking only to find the door padlocked at 3pm on a Friday when the hours online and on the door of the building say open until 9pm.

My most recent experience with Ipanema was the worst, and is one that will have me reconsider the thought of going again. Ive loved Ipanema for years. Last Friday, I ordered lunch from Ipanemas website. When I went to pick it up, they didnt seem to be open, but the door was not closed. I yelled and called, but nobody was there. I never got my order. Later, I emailed and called, but got no reply. It has been almost a week now, and I still have not gotten a reply to an email and nobody answers the phone when I call. They still owe me a refund for my lunch at the very least.

My companion and I were seated in the booth closest to the kitchen. As we were enjoying the hummus plate and waiting for our entrees, she noticed a medium-sized cockroach moving around in the booth right behind me. We alerted our server and told her we were leaving. As she stepped away to alert the manager, another roach crawled up the wall of our booth. Absolutely disgusting. We left immediately.

Cool underground atmosphere at night. Helpful staff, and very accommodating for vegan and gluten free needs. The food is a bit expensive and tastes good. Pictured is the sweet potato fries, the okonomiyaki-style vegetable pancake (I would recommend this), and an oyster-mushroom steak (would not recommend this). Extra tidbit: Ipanema is the name of a neighborhood in Rio, and the restaurant bears the name because the owner liked the song Girl from Ipanema

The food is wonderful.

We were the only ones in the restaurant. They are out of half the menu, no big deal. My water glass came chipped so I asked for a new one, no big deal. The server tells us our tickets didn t go through so it will be a few minutes longer wait, no big deal. Then my burger finally comes and there s a hair in it. Was super excited for this place but it was a letdown.

Sadly they didnt have most of the ingredients on their menu. 2-3 people in my party had the Reuben sandwich and it was unanimously disliked. The tofu melt sandwich was pretty good.

The place doesnt answer the phone and from the looks upon arrival, its no longer open.

Wonderful little spot, I had the tempeh Reuben sandwich and it was delicious. I would also recommend any of their salads!

I love the food and vibe here; however, this business doesn t answer their phone, their voice mailbox is full, and they don t answer emails.

Oh my. Do not order the Reuben. In lieu of mustard, they put gochujang/cinnamon paste all over the inside of the sandwich. It was an assault on my senses in the worst way possible (I have a cinnamon allergy and there was no cinnamon listed on the menu for this sandwich). Would give it 0 stars but the tofu wings were *real good* plus the Caesar wrap. Couldn t tell the difference between the Mac n cheese and the macaroni salad (maybe they messed up the order?) regardless, they both tasted like cardboard paste. When I walked in to pick up my order, I was greeted with complete silence and awkward stares. Felt like I walked into someone s apartment but it was in fact the establishment. Lots of flies buzzing around inside. Great dive bar atmosphere. I m an out-of-towner and would not return nor recommend.

Touristing: walked miles to try this place. Closed without even a note on the door. Number called goes nowhere. So sad

All vegan food. My wife was very pleased. Very delicious.

I had the kale salad, chicken sandwich (w/honey-garlic sauce), & truffle fries Everything was delicious! The tofu on the salad was grilled to perfection. The sandwich was out of this world so crispy. Def coming back just to order this. The fries were simple but flavor profile executed excellently. Definitely recommend for VCU students, travels, and locals alike!

Except dairy (cheese) and honey, all the other items are vegan They have vegan cheese and dairy cheese as options Their gluten free bread contains eggs, the regular gluten bread is vegan Food : 5/5

Food was alright at best

I was satisfied with my vegan experience here, and the vibe def added to the charm.

The mezze board and my Reuben were great. Service was a little hit and miss, but thats a relatively minor quibble.

Wanted something healthy for dinner and decided to order take out here. Remember having their food some years ago which I enjoyed. Can t say the same this time around. Flavorless food. Only liked 1/4 items we tried. Cauliflower stood out for sure compare to the Mac and Cheese , salad and burger.

Their music venue department really likes to start unwarranted drama with local bands and try to retaliate via social media. Such an unprofessional manner to handle differences from a very seemingly professional establishment.

Strange music side. Starts random drama with local bands and retaliates on social media. Drinks are mid at best too. Wouldn t recommend

Nice people but the food was below mediocre. Appetizers were ok but nothing special, salad was old and wilted and nasty, mains were again very mediocre. Restaurant was so freezing cold we ate in our coats and were still shivering. Would not recommend. Vegetarian options: Bland

Love this place! Having said that why can t I get a non alcoholic drink that s healthy besides tap water? I m here for healthy food why would I drink coke?

Great food! Everything we had was exceptional and the drinks / cocktails are creative and delicious. Fun little basement location!

specials are to die for. Love the plantain bowl so yummy !! Amazing service, fun laid-back location. Crazy how many vegan options, it is like I have entered vegan heaven. Ipa Love

Good place! I always get the beyond burger. I usually have a huge aversion to mock meat products but this burger is legit ! The bartenders are very kind and funny!

Its a cute little place that has a vaguely European atmosphere. Everything on the menu is vegetarian or vegan. They seem to have a pretty decent list of wines as well, but I dont drink so I cant speak on that. The menu is bistro American. Salads, sandwiches, a few appetizers. Nothing in a particular regional style or cuisine. This place could be in any mid sized American city with a population of vegetarians to support it. Sadly its mid. Every time Ive been here the food has been just mediocre. The fries are half over cooked clinkers. The sandwiches are kind of a mess. The other sides Ive tried like the mac and cheez were just bland and flavorless. Not terrible, but not anything that surpasses my homemade vegan mac. Id love to see this place stick around. It seems like a decent place to go for a date. But they really got to kick it up a notch on the food or lower the prices. I can get a more satisfying meal at the same price from several non-chain places nearby. Also a word on the service. The service is generally good. But on more than one occasion I got the impression my server had no idea how to do something and there was no manager or other employee to help. I guess its the curse of college age help that they leave at the end of the semester? Vegetarian options: The menu is all vegan except a couple things which are noted. Such as honey garlic sauce on one sandwich for example. I think maybe the deserts have dairy, but I never saw a desert menu while I was there, but the website claims they have desert?

Ipanemas management seriously needs to get it together. We made reservations for Valentines Day. After making reservations we called and asked if its a prefixed menu or the regular menu since they dont update their social media or website. They said oh the owner is right here. Ill ask. Its gonna be a normal menu. Cool. So we get there and its not the normal menu. Its a prefixed and its $60 a person. For $60 you get an appetizer, entree, and a dessert. We ask about it and were told management sent everyone an email. They did not. They did send an image out of a valentines promo dated 2023, but again, we called ahead. The portions for $20 an item were sad. 5 button mushrooms were $20 and they were not a quality over quantity item at that price point. With drinks and before tip, the price for two people was 145$ and it was not worth it at all. This is the second time weve been burned by this place. The first time they let us make a reservation for a day they decided to be closed unannounced. We want this place to be good, but they continue to let us down. Vegetarian options: All vegetarian Dietary restrictions: Mostly vegan menu. Wheelchair accessibility: No wheelchair access.

Great place! Would recommend.

Cozy vegan restaurant in the heart of VCU campus. Nothing we had was heavy or greasy, Im still thinking about how amazing everything tasted. We had the mezze board, winter squash tart, and cowboy tacos.

Why offer reservations on your website if you re just going to randomly close. Like other reviews, we had reservations for my birthday for last night. Drove 30 minutes into the city only to find the door locked and lights off. No email saying they were closed or anything. After talking with some folks I hear this is standard protocol. We won t be back.

Great food at good prices! One downside: they are never open. I can t count the number of times i showed up at regular hours to a locked gate and no sign, nothing. Avoid this place if you live more than 20 minutes away

Unfortunately always incredibly hit or miss. Tofu wings are good, Mac and cheese tastes like nothing. Like it actually tastes like nothing at all. Nothing on the menu is worth the price tbh. They are always out of multiple menu items every time Ive been there.

Had an incredible experience here for my boyfriends birthday dinner. The bartender, Ian, was extremely kind! He prepared some unforgettable drinks. The food was to die for, and the atmosphere was quaint and cozy. We will certainly be returning.

Ipanema was amazing!!! Ian greeted us and was knowledgeable about the menu and kind!! We were seated promptly and Lucy was an amazing representative of the wait staff and the restaurant. With her great service and Ians welcoming vibe, we knew we chose the right place to eat. We suggest the jerk bbq, and the black bean burger!!!

Really nice vibe inside, kind wait staff, and delicious vegetarian food. Everything on the menu is vegetarian and tons of vegan options. Try the tofu wings ! Thankful this is in RVA.

I visited richmond for one night and am newly eating 100% plant based so I haven t been to a lot of vegan restaurants yet. The atmosphere is very cozy and relaxed with a subterranean vibe. My partner and I sat at the bar because we didn t have reservations and tried 4 things to share. Beers on tap were a good selection. The mac and cheese was a delight. The chicken and sauces were incredible. In fact, everything I tried was mind-bending and confirmed how excited I am to change my life in this way. Ended up being one of the best restaurant experiences I ve had in my life. Thank you!

Great place, great food, and even better people!!!

Really loved this place. Food was excellent. Im glad I came here and this will be one of my go to spots!

The food was delicious, the truffle fries were a little over salted and the bread with the lasagna was too, but it was still delicious. Its all vegan, perfect for my partner with diabetes. It does feel more like a quiet bar then a restaurant though, they have a good size selection of wines, beer and cocktails. The sauce that came with the truffle fries was actually perfect for the tofu. I suggest going on a non rainy day as their entryway fills with water when it rains, so youll be stepping through a puddle.

I ve actually never eaten here despite being a vegetarian BUT I go here for shows and karaoke and it has become my absolute favorite spot in the city, always super super nice crowd and bartenders. Best basement ever!

Although this place is small, its big on customer service and EPIC on flavor. Ipanema Cafe never disappoints. They breathe life into plants in ways you cant even imagine.

First time in and was blown away!! Been wanting to try this spot for a while. Had the Chicken and Waffles. I will tell you something for free, it was the best meal I have had in Richmond since I moved here! Absolutely amazing! Friendly staff and excellent service. Will definitely be back to try every single menu item!! Dietary restrictions: All vegan menu!!

Too slow on the service.

Always have a hit or miss experience, usually both at once. Like, Ill get a burger, which is great, but the fries will be inedible. I believe the owners also own the sandwich shop Garnetts--in my opinion, thats a better option, though the style of food is a bit different.

This is an excellent place for vegetarian dining. I tried the Black Bean Burger and it was actually one of the best burgers that I have ever had. The only suggestion I would make is to reduce the amount of pepper in each burger. There was so much pepper in the burger that it overpowered the taste of the other ingredients. On the other hand, some folks might like it that way. Customer service was pretty good and the wait time was short.

weve been stopping here on every trip to richmond for like 10 years... always great food - ipanema is the best!!

Food was fantastic. I had the buffalo cauliflower tacos.

Excellent food, great taste. All vegetarian restaurant and Im not a vegetarian, food was awesome. Service was friendly and fast.

Great little restaurant in Richmond! Fantastic service and food, and loved that almost everything in the menu was vegan (or could be made vegan). The pea risotto was .

Dietary restrictions: Gluten free Food

Hard to find parking but worth the time to find it and walk to get here.

Great food, and atmosphere. The bartender and kitchen service was perfect. Best vegan spot in Richmond very highly recommend. Dietary restrictions: Plenty vegan/vegetarian options. Parking: Ample street parking.

Vegetarian options: Vegetarian options abound Food

The Vegan food was excellent and the hospitality was awesome. The wait time for the food was faster than most restaurants. I will go back next time I m in the area. I look forward to trying more things on the menu.

The place looks like the cross between a dive bar and a crunchy vegetarian place(because it is ) Nice Clean Impeccable service Very good food I d go back Vegetarian options: Plenty to choose from Includes tempeh dishes! Kid-friendliness: It looks like a place kids would be comfortable

This place is DELICIOUS! Every item on the menu is guaranteed to be a delight. This is not just a place for vegans and vegetarians to eat. This is a place to bring those that might not be as acquainted with plant-based food. It will knock their socks off, too! Vegetarian options: Everything is vegan or vegetarian!

I honestly hate to write this, but wow. Ipanema is no more. This used to be a favorite for my vegetarian wife and me, but the food tonight was borderline inedible. The service was also almost absent. To top it off, the restaurant reeked of sewage. Such a sad day, Ipanema was once a great place to dine.

The patio is considerably private. The impossible burger was very delicious as well as their cowboy burrito. The fries were natural especially dipped In their homemade ranch. My niece and I both enjoyed our time experiencing good vegan food that taste just as good as the processed stuff.

Service is very slow...breaking in two new cooks and have been waiting over 30 minutes without any food. Not easy with hungry children. When our burger came fries were cold. Not allot of specials available. Food was very good though. Complimentary extra fries was a good attempt to make up for slow service. Cauliflower taco better than cowboy taco. Vegetarian options: Nice that they have vegan cheese.

1ST ATTEMPT - Ordered a salad and fries...both smelled like a chemical was sprayed all over them. Ive never smelled a chemical on any food that Ive ever eaten before, which was unbelievable, none the less...tossed everything in the trash. 2ND ATTEMPT - Ordered a large caesar salad...there was a medium size bug alive with its antennas moving around in my salad...tossed the whole thing in the trash. I am very disappointed because this was a waste of money and time spent. I will never eat here again!!!!!!!!!

Made a reservation (it was accepted) for a birthday dinner for Sunday, September 4 at 7:00pm. Found parking nearby, walked to the entrance and found a lock on the front door, with the restaurant closed. This is pretty much the epitome of a violation of trust with a customer. We wont be returning.

This used to be my favorite restaurant, havent been in a few years. My husband surprised me by making a reservation for dinner tonite....we showed up only to be told nothing on the actual dinner menu was available, only sandwiches, because they were creating the fall specials still. Why have a menu online and in the restaurant and take reservations for dinner, and yet not serve dinner? Truly disappointing. Went elsewhere.

The food is amazing!!!

No 10/10

Pretty terrible experience. They were out of everything. Out of kiwi, avocados, sour mix ginger beer, sprite, coke, anything for a drink you can think of. The food was dry and not worth any amount of money! I met here with some friends, not knowing how bad this place would be. We tried like 1/4 of their menu, and almost everything was terrible except their snacks. They didnt mess up the fries or dips. If you must eat here, I recommend the snacks. All the other menu items are trash. The atmosphere wasnt terrible. We had a reservation through google, and apparently, that doesnt apply/matter here. Cannot deter you from this restaurant enough. Go anywhere else. Dietary restrictions: Plenty of GF options, but nothing is tasty except the fries. Parking: $6/ 3 hours

Ive come in three times. The first time, they were closed at noon. The second time, they were out of 90% of the menu at lunchtime. The third time, they were out of 50% of the menu at dinner time. The food I have ordered is so delicious and always hot, but Id like to order what I want and not what is the last available option :(

Bad service, dirty. When I took my ex there they gave us dirty cups. I forgot my wallet. She paid the tab. After hearing about her complaints months down the road I reimbursed her for it! That s how bad this place is. We dated for 2 years and I usually covered a lot of stuff, but it was so bad I just didn t want to hear about it anymore. $80 for some terrible food. $90 with tip. For her in Canadian it was like 120

This place has really gone down hill over the years. The atmosphere is amazing but everything else is so low tier. On a Saturday night the bartender recommended a soda water when asked if they knew how to make a mocktail. The kitchen had no lettuce on a Saturday. The kitchen had no specials on a Saturday. This is just not the restaurant it was 2-3 years ago :(

I loved the buffalo cauliflower tacos. Black bean burger was tasty too. Friendly staff and reasonable prices. A top notch spot.

Vegan surf and turf. Delish.

The food and staff were amazing. It was our first visit and hope to return.

Great Vegan options. They have great vegan dessert options. The tempeh chicken salad was good.

This is my first time eating here and I normally do not leave reviews, I am on a strict fast and needed some vegan options. I googled vegan places RVA and they came up. THIS FOOD IS AMAZING! I never knew vegan food could be so flavorful. I highly recommend it! Great job! Thank you Ipanema Cafe! <3

Ceamser wrap

Delicious vegan food and staff were very nice.

Great service and wonderful food.

Good vegetarian food.

We enjoyed the Valentines Day dinner.....

The Buffalo tofu is amazing! Best I ve ever had. Really enjoyed all the food both times I ve been here.

Really great Vegan food for a great price. The location is awesome, especially for me, since it is walking distance. I will say though if you are going on a later night, it might be more crowded since its a pretty tiny place (which makes it cooler :))

We stopped by for a quick drink after dinner. The bartender is extremely charming! He picked a delicious whiskey for me and Im not even a whiskey drinker. Thank you! I cant wait to go back!

The food here is insanely delicious, filling, and nutritional. I was blown away by the flavor and large portions. Everything from the tea to the tofu melt was out of this world. Such an amazing vegan spot with a great casual atmosphere and the kindest staff.

Great place for a quick lunch, long dinner, and a fun night. LGBTQ+ friendly, super cool staff, and delicious food. I come here with my girlfriend often and weve never had a bad experience. Karaoke night is always a good time and the drinks are fairly cheap and very, very strong. One of my favorite places in RVA.

I m a vegetarian if 30+ years. I usually prefer faux meat and less vegetables, but I just had their Garden Cottage Pie and it was so savory it was great, my wife said you re eating vegetables voluntarily?! as we had dinner. It was filling so I have leftovers too. Anyway, great food, and I hope you keep this dish around.

Awesome

Good food, fun atmosphere. Brunch was good, looking forward to trying dinner!

i used to love this place and would go almost every week to give myself a break from dining hall food, but i sadly don t think i will anymore. the prices have gotten way too high, i had to pay $6 for barely a handful of fries. Their burgers used to be like 11/12 bucks with fries included, but now they are $14 (fries not included) . it s just a bit ridiculous, especially considering it s right at VCU - and as a student i just can t afford it anymore. the food is really good though, as long as you re willing to pay $20+ for a burger and fries.

This trendy establishment was a pleasant surprise with a great selection of food and drinks.

Very interesting things on the menu, large portions. Cauliflower tacos rocked!

Good vegan food the Buffalo cauliflower tacos were so good.

After studying many menus of various restaurants in Richmond that had vegan offerings, Ipanema seemed to offer one of the most diverse menus plus had a nice causal dining option. I m so happy we chose it! We ate the Fried Cauliflower with buffalo sauce and French fries with vegan ranch as appetizers. For our entrees we shared the BBQ tofu steak and the Jackfruit Bulgogi. The fries were nice and crispy, and the cauliflower was great. The tofu dish was excellent and was a large portion. While we loved the taste of the Jackfruit Bulgogi, it was a little spicier than we would have liked . If you like spicy you will be happy with the Bulgogi! The cocktails were delicious, and all the entrees that other patrons ordered looked amazing as well. It really was hard to decide what to order! The only downside (and it wasn t food related) was the inside looks like a dungeon. It s in the basement of a building, so there aren t any windows, so it would have been a bummer to eat inside given it was a sunny warm evening. Fortunately we were able to eat outside on the patio. I definitely recommended Ipanema.

Ipanema is excellent, the food is all vegan and the staff are amazing. On Wednesdays they have trivia at 7pm, highly recommend. They have vegan desserts too!! There is a sign at the back of the restaurant with selections or the staff can let you know.

We went here on vacation from lots of recommendations. We sat outside in thier cute shaded patio. The food truly blew us away! Great portion size, amazing flavors & every dish was so beautiful. The service was perfect. Even tried a craft cocktail and loved it. Ive visited many plant based spots and this was one of the best. We are going back tonight to try more.

The food was excellent! Everything was cooked well and very flavorful. Im not a vegetarian but this place is definitely somewhere Id revisit because of the quality. If youre hesitant because the menu is all-vegetarian, dont be!

Amazing food and presentation! You almost forget its Vegan!

Really nice vegan-friendly place. Had brunch with my family. We tried a lot of food and desserts. Everything was delicious, just know what you like when you order. We got the biscuits and mushroom gravy which was really heavy on the mushrooms. Be sure that you love that taste because its overwhelming. The peanut butter fudge a la mode was good. Soy ice cream was nice since we had lactose intolerant people. We also ordered the breakfast platter, breakfast burrito, and the mushroom sandwich. The burrito was huge. Couldnt finish it. We all left full and mostly happy. Great, friendly staff. Decent prices. Low ceilings, dark lighting, bar setting, outdoor and indoor seating. Cozy, hole-in-the-wall, pub feeling kind of place. Vegetarian options: Vegetarian and vegan options. Dietary restrictions: Menu specifies vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, nuts.

This place is a diamond in rough. First time trying this place and it was excellent. The tofu wings had just amount of flavor and coating. The truffle fries hit the spot. I recommend this restaurant to both Vegans and non vegans. I will definitely be back when we pass through Richmond.

Went there for breakfast with a friend. Great service. Food was very tasty.

Amazing vegan food! The server was super friendly and it wasnt super crowded around 7 for dinner. Would highly recommend truffle fries and anything from the seasonal entrees.

We got an order of truffle fries. They were wonderful. A tiny bit heavy on the garlic but we enjoy them that way. Pictured is the beyond burger. It was OUTSTANDING. One of the best beyond burgers Ive had. The Mac and cheese was very good too. We also got the tofu patty melt and a cesear salad which was also tasty. It was a bit noisy as the area is small and they were doing trivia but it wasnt unpleasant.

Website and sign on the door say they open at 11, but at 11:30 the lights are still off and the stools/chairs are all on the bar/tabletops. I shout into the abyss, hello? and see someone notice me from the kitchen. Hi, are you open? No. Okay... when will you be open? Not sure, todays kinda weird. What! Some signage, updates on social media, or really clarity in any form would be much appreciated.

Forever love this vegn/vegetarian spot

Holy Cows!! Omigoodness, this place is amazing. The food was stunning. It was a gorgeous night and the service was fabulous. I do not have 1 singe negative thing to say except that you guys dont have a DC location!

Came in for my boyfriend and I s anniversary. Had the most amazing vegan gumbo. Was in tears with how good it was. Great cocktails! Try the Liar Liar. Was to die for. Alyssa, our server was so friendly, kind, and excellent. She was alone with a pretty full restaurant and nailed it. Thank you all for making our anniversary dinner special.

Great food for people with dietary restrictions and awesome vegan. The fried cauliflower would have been better hot. Perhaps a little under staffed for lunch, but a great waiter. Vegetarian options: Not sure if anything was not vegan.. great choices! Dietary restrictions: Gluten free is not a problem here!

We were visiting family in Richmond and being vegan were excited to go to an (almost) all vegan restaurant. Food was mostly good, but service was terrible. The server said it would be 20 minutes when we put our order in, but it took well over twice that long. (We timed it.) The server did not stop by during that time and was clearly avoiding us for most of the time. When the food did arrive (no apologies or explanations for it taking so long), a plate of fries was cold, 2 sides were on the wrong plate, and another side was missing. We sent back the fries and said to forget about the missing side, but both were on the bill when it arrived. We got that cleared up, but dont expect to go back on our next Richmond visit.

if i could put 0 stars, i would. my partner and i walked in and they have a service dog. not only were we greeted off the bat rudely by the guy with big gauges and a sleeve on his arm, but he kept pressing we sit outside. we asked to sit inside and explained that it was a service dog and we needed to have him here with us. he rolled his eyes and rudely said, fine. whatever. just follow me. it is illegal to refuse a customer because they have a service dog. i used to be a server, too, and i would absolutely NEVER greet one of my customers with the level of disrespect we received.

Vegetarian options: All food is vegetarian, most food is vegan by default, all food can be made vegan Dietary restrictions: Gluten free and nut free options are clearly marked. Parking: Street Parking Wheelchair accessibility: You have to descend a number of stairs to enter; not really wheelchair accessible.

Haven t eaten here yet and not sure if I will after my experience on the phone with one of the rude employees. I had a question that they didn t know the answer to, and they were audibly annoyed when I asked if they could find someone who could answer my question. Ultimately the question was answered, but I was made to feel like an extreme inconvenience. Very poor customer service. EDIT: I see that someone else just put up a review of a poor experience with the host up front. I am assuming it is the same person based on their attitude.

Good food , amazing vegan cheese cake . Outdoor seating options

Bean burger with ranch dressing, thank me later. This is the most delicious burger Ive had in my life. I was speechless.

Vegetarian options: Entire menu is Vegan. Meals were very tasty. Wait staff were a little inexperienced but super friendly and accomodating.

Food was sooo good. I recommend the cauliflower tacos. I don t recommend the brownie though. It s very dry and flavorless.

Great vegan and vegetarian food variety. Lots of great tea and drink choices as well!

Amazing vegan spot in RVA! I ve come here on multiple occasions for brunch and lunch and had really exceptional food and service. They re so creative with their vegan options and I especially recommend their breakfast burrito. The tofu scramble in that thing changed my life. I m not vegan, and I ve really had my mind blown by this place. They have vegan mac and cheese!! The one dish I would not recommend is the caesar wrap, which on top of not having enough caesar dressing inside, was filled to the brim with carrots and tofu that sadly did not make a good substitute for a classic chicken caesar wrap. Legitimately though, every other thing I ve had here has been stellar and the nicest people work here. The coffee is also wonderful if you re swinging by in the morning! So much good stuff

Vegan yumminess!!! Really friendly staff and mellow vibe. Really nice outdoor space to sit.

Food was good. The bar tender acted like he couldnt be bothered to serve anyone. No one was in the restaurant but a group with a reservation was too much for him to comprehend. I had the BBQ jackfruit sandwich and it was fantastic.

If you have allergies this is your place, Im allergic to everything and they had an amazing fake bacon blt on wheat free bread. On Sundays they only have a limited brunch menu but still inclusive and delicious.

So good! Great vegan food and drinks!

Go, drink, and eat!

Great food, nice atmosphere, friendly service. Will return.

Good vibes, friendly staff, unpretentious, yummy food! Low key and quiet while we were there, good for a romantic Valentine s Day meal the fried cauliflower tacos really scratched the Buffalo chicken itch, the chickpea minestrone soup was spiced beautifully, and the green curry was absolutely divine. Would recommend!!

one of those hidden gem places. Great location , lowkey vibes , small yet spacious when you get inside(not too much seating) Staff if very welcoming & the food is great. Love the drink menu & the coziness of the food. Price is negotiable for vegan options & wait time usually isn t long!

I love it! When you walk in the vibes r good tables outside. Vegan friendly Has alot of vegan options i was surprised!!! I got a black bean burger with mac & cheese( made with cashews). It was delicious

I was served by Olivia and she was very sweet ! It s such a chill place! definitely the ideal date place too! I got a vegan burger and it s a 100/10.

Great experience. Such good vibes and a super friendly staff. I can t wait to go back soon!

This place is very unprofessional. We had a confirmed reservation yesterday and they were closed. We took a look at the email to confirm the date and time snd it was indeed correct. The sign outside said they were open at 11 today so we attempted to give them another chance. It s 1 pm and they re closed. Doesn t seem like a place that is interested in sticking to reservation or their hours posted.

I haven t been in awhile I didn t like the last menu to be honest so I m very happy they have stepped it back up to the old ipanema standards I loved from before- my thing is I like Whole Foods that taste great and they were my go to for awhile went I went vegan 6yrs ago then it was a moment they closed and got rid of all my faves I was mad lol and hadn t been back but a client told me there was some changes so went again and now we got some goodies so yeah check em out we went all taco on em tonight

The food was incredibly delicious, large portions, too. The servers were friendly and helpful. We sat on the patio, which, though small, was very pleasant, separated from pedestrian traffic by a brick wall. Overall

Very nice staff and delicious vegan and vegetarian food !!

Such a great space. Loved everything we ordered. Lovely people.

Felt so treated by this special little place, met the owner Seth and his staff went above and beyond on making our crew of girls celebrating a veggie bride all feel so welcome! Many of our groups werent veggie or vegan but all LOVED the food and service. Amazing atmosphere, amazing people and delicious food. Highly recommend this spot and their lovely patio! Its a must go if you are in Richmond, VA.

We found this cafe on the app BringFido while searching for a pet friendly restaurant. It was raining all day in Richmond and most dog friendly restaurants were unable to accept dogs due to not having the outdoor areas available for the night. Thankfully Ipanema was able to accommodate us with our little puppy. We were traveling from out of state with our dog and did not want to leave him alone in the hotel room, so it was important to find a pet friendly restaurant for us. The service was great, the server was very kind. He came over to check on us multiple times. The cocktails were delicious, the prices were reasonable. We ordered the Caesar salad (vegan version with tofu instead of chicken) and it was great. I am not a big fan of tofu normally but this was cooked to perfection, and seasoned very well. The Cowboy Tacos with behind beef crumbles were scrumptious. The crispy chickpeas looked great, and they were tasty but the seasoning was a little too much for my taste buds. I ended up adding them on my salad bites and it was good. We were undecided on whether to order the fried cauliflower appetizer. After a little back and forth, we didn t order. A few minutes later, we changed our minds and wanted to add it to our order but as it turned out, the server had already put in an order for us to try, on the house. The fried cauliflower was extremely yummy! I am glad we didn t pass on that. Overall, it was a great experience. A hole in the wall gem. If we come back to Virginia, we will definitely go back to Ipanema.

Good place to grab tasty, well-priced vegan food. We had the cowboy tacos and bbq tofu bowl.

One of my Richmond favorites. They are masters of making creative, beautiful vegetarian foods that anyone would love

My vegan girlfriend and I were driving from savannah to New Jersey. I am not vegan at all. There was literally nothing for her to eat doe the 7 hours between the two places except a peach. We called ahead a few hours to see if there was any space and the staff was super nice squeezing us in. We had several items and they were all good. Even as a non-Vegan I enjoyed the food. The brownie was legit if I didn t know it was vegan before eating it I never would have known.

Surprisingly good food for being Vegan mostly. Their desserts are great too.

Great vegetarian/vegan place. BBQ jackfruit was great

Love all the options for vegetarians and vegans. The food was good but nothing really stood out as something I had to have again. Everyone was attentive and kind.

Truly fully vegan restaurant. Absolutely delicious. My newly vegan daughter Absolutely loved it too and shes 11, thats saying a LOT. We ordered a ton off the menu for her to try and enjoy. She took home leftovers!

Read this how I type it, if it doesn t make sense oh well.. that s how I m feeling now lol I went in not knowing what to expect just wanted something different, and DIFFERENT it was. (Good) I tried the Buffalo Jackfruit Sandwich and this blew me away how amazing it was. The texture was like chicken, the flavor was like good soul food. It was just an overall great decision. Did I stop there ?? Nooo I also ordered the Buffalo Cauliflower Taco man these are to die for so get the funeral ready . If you want good food Vegan/Vegetarian or not this the place I recommend. Also the owner is laid back, chill and gives off great ENERGY

Place is really chill. Servers are so nice and accomodating. If youre looking for a quiet spot with good food, this is the place!

Nice environment, good food. My black beans burger with red cabbage was delicious! Thank you

Karaoke why not!

This place is excellent! Great atmosphere, food, and service. We loved the Buffalo cauliflower tacos and the BBQ jackfruit. The risotto appetizer was also amazing.

Food was absolutely incredible! Served in a cozy little bar, they have what is no doubt the most high quality vegan dining experience Ive seen. Do not skip desert, the Brownie is to die for.

The apple pie and the chai tea were delicious! The staff was wonderful, and they were so kind to serve us even though they had just closed the kitchen when we arrived.

My food had hair in it. Although the server was amazing.... The new manager is, to put it mildly, not fit to run a business, most of all a restaurant. Im not exactly sure why he decided to charge me half price for a plate of food that does not meet health code standards. Maybe its because Id already eaten half the sandwich before I found the hair. The more I think about it the madder it makes me. Its disgusting and insulting, and I would encourage the entire Richmond vegan and vegetarian community to avoid this place now :( Im honestly embarrassed for him because its such a bizarre and clueless way to handle a very easily remedied situation.

.Wasnt the best as I thought a Vegan Cafe should be....needs up grades and friendlier staff. No utensils or napkins were given....one visit and no more

Delicious food, friendly staff.

Mid

Sadly its a cute spot, and Im sorry to burst everybody elses bubble... But this food is the very mediocre vegan/vegetarian food that Ive come to expect as being passed off as delicious. if you eat vegan /vegetarian on the regular, you know what I mean. Food was lukewarm, underseasoned and underwhelming. TL;DR- Ips just... Basic. Beyond burger and fries were decent.

This place is amazing! I have been and will continue to be a customer for years. I often recommend it when my friends and I want to eat out. I m so glad that the new owner Is keeping the food the same, it s delicious and that he s keeping Greg, he definitely contributes to the place and is the best! Greg always waves at me when I see him in public, he s so nice!

Loved the atmosphere, service and food!

I have been missing eating a gyro since I stopped eating meat and I googled where to find a meatless gyro in my area and found Ipanema. This was one of my favorite takeout finds. I would give the gyro a 10/10 if I could. The taste, the portion, the look. It was delicious.

Lovely little place, food was amazing with a nice ambience, staff was great!

Yoooo the BLT was amazing here. But the service was even better!!! The waiters and waitresses and cooks all deserve raises :)

Very strange and bad experience. There were three of us. After being seated, it took 30 minutes before someone bothered to take our order. After ordering our food it took another hour and fifteen minutes for the food to be served. Meanwhile we saw people who walked in after us getting served, eating, and leaving. When we asked what is taking so long, they said there was a large pre-order of 8 that came in. This did not make any sense because there were other people walking in, ordering food, getting served, eating and leaving before we even saw our order. Maybe they were short on cooking staff, maybe they were short on serving staff, maybe they just forgot about us, may be they were deliberately ignoring us - just couldnt tell. No eye contact, no explanation of what was going on. We understand what is going on because of COVID and not having enough staff, but that would not explain why it was just us being ignored while others were being merrily served. When we asked for refill on our water, nothing happened. Finally, one of us got up and and brought the water jug to our table and served ourselves. When the bill came there was no apology, nothing taken off for the delay, not even the customer copy that normally accompanies the merchant copy. The food was good when it finally arrived, but the experience ruined our evening.

The food was excellent, but it took us over an hour to receive our food. We dined in but it seemed like all of the online orders were being prepared before ours, and everyone else dining in the restaurant had been served before us too. When we got our meals they were absolutely delicious, but I can t deny how frustrating the lack of timeliness was.

Fantastic atmosphere, great food too. Very chill vibe. Enjoy the shoegazey music, and that I can have a conversation easily here. Would make a good date spot. I had the cowboy tacos, which I would get again and again. So fn good. Pictured is the wellington. Everything they do looks interesting and worth exploring. Not your average beer selection also, I was happy to see several stouts in there. Note the picture of just their rotating drafts (updated weekly I believe). Check them out!

I liked the atmosphere. The bbq jackfruit sandwich and mac and cheese was good and the nachos were good. However, the beetroot wellington and autumn squash curry was very bland. I may come back to try the other dishes.

This is the place to go for vegan food. Always a great time.

Hands down a Richmond must. The owner is amazing, service unbeatable, and the food literally NEVER disappoints. We brought our four small kids for brunch for the first time and not only were they catered to but welcomed despite being kids My husband and I also have gone on plenty of dates here over the last 15 years and the vibe is totally set for the night. We LOVE Ipanema!

Delicious vegan options. I tried all of the new brunch items and everything was great. The huevos racheros is my favorite so far.

Best vegan spot in the city! Food is delicious, and friendly staff.

I highly recommend visiting the Ipanema Cafe in Richmond. I went to brunch and cant wait to try their dinner menu. I ordered the banana pancakes and they were soft and filling. I also got the mango juice and it was delicious. Along with the great food, the staff was very welcoming and attentive. The atmosphere overall was relaxing. I loved their playlist as well. If youre looking for great vegan/vegetarian options, the Ipanema Cafe is your place!

Karaoke nights are the best

Incredible

we ate there 2 springs ago. surprised i didnt review it? i remember the space well, and our conversations with staff. had a really nice time. enjoyed the food. old school vegan ethic. basement, but bright dry and clean. good and varied food.

My girlfriend and I had our first date here. We will be back soon.

Pumpkin Curry and Starfruit BBQ were both great.

Literally the BEST vegan burger!!

Quaint and cute little place that has very pleasant employees. I ordered the jackfruit BBQ and to be honest it left a little to be desired. The mac and cheese was good though as its side. My friends ordered the pumpkin curry and loved it! The balcony seating is nice but the chairs were extremely wobbly I swapped mine out with three different ones and none sat correctly, it was just a minor inconvenience. The benches are preferred though.

Really loved this place and the vibe. We went by to pick up an early dinner and the lovely owner made us some cocktails to drink on the patio while we waited for our order. They were so helpful and informative, it was a memorable experience even though it was brief. We all loved our food and can t wait to visit again next time we are in town, hopefully by then we will feel comfortable dining indoors and can enjoy the environment.