You’ve just finished the last bite of your sandwich, took one final sip from your espresso martini, plucked a lingering fly from your date’s now-polished plate.
You’re thinking, I wish I had something left to remember this meal by... some meaningful way to articulate just how good it was.
Enters: Handwritten postcards, a reviving trend in restaurant keepsakes, according to TASTE. But which Richmond restaurants are leaning into the nostalgia? Turns out, there are quite a few.
Birdie’s, 305 W. Broad St.
We like to imagine that this postcard from Birdie’s was shipped straight to Dolly Parton in Pigeon Forge, as suggested by the partial address. | Photo by Birdie’s
Sophisticated yet playful, this Arts District oyster bar and cafe encourages you to jot down a spontaneous post-meal message and leave it for the server to send out.
Garnett’s Cafe, 2001 Park Ave.
Simple, heartfelt, and the perfect pop of color for your fridge. | Photo by Garnett’s Cafe
Located in the Fan, Garnett’s has been a sandwich staple for 15+ years. For many, it’s a weekly lunch dig, and there lies the charm. It’s the everyday things that stir the most delightful and dear memories.
Havana 59, 16 N. 17th St.
A guest recounts the story of their parents meeting at Havana 59 in the 1990s, noting it as a place for memories both old and new. | Photo by Havana 59
This Shockoe Bottom restaurant has been open since 1994, but the atmosphere harkens back to 1950s Havana, where you can indulge in a fine cigar, pluming hazy notes of a bygone era.
Hotel Greene, 508 E. Franklin St
Ideal for a date night, this eclectic Downtown spot tees you up for dinner, drinks, and 13 holes of mini golf — all immersing you in an imaginative journey through an European-inspired hotel scene.
Take a moment to read the poetic prose and check out the postcard cover for the 2024 Witold Krull contest winner. | Photo by Hotel Greene, postcard design by Leslie Herman
Bonus: Every year, Hotel Greene hosts a literary postcard contest in honor of the fictional hotel resident, Witold Krull. Refresh yourself on the lore, heed the apology-adamant rules, visit the indoor course, and submit your finest postcard scribblings by Wednesday, Sept. 10.
The Lobby Bar at Quirk Hotel, 201 W. Broad St.
This is your movie moment. Head to the Arts District to sit at a hotel bar and sip on an elegant drink. Tuck the postcard into your bag for safekeeping or scrawl an impassioned note to the person you most want to meet you there.
Share your pick
Know of any other Richmond restaurants with custom postcards? Let us know, and we’ll add them to our list.
