Love
is a decision… and so is dining out
The
Tobacco Company Restaurant proudly celebrates over
30 years as Richmond’s landmark dining and entertainment
venue. On the corner of 12th and Cary Street in downtown
Richmond was once an old abandoned tobacco warehouse.
The four-story building was renovated to embody the
spirit of Southern hospitality and charm and is considered
by most to be the cornerstone of the Historic Shockoe
Slip district.
Dining
Room
Our
two dining floors are distinct. The second floor is
elegant and formal with low lighting and enclosed
offices for private dining. The third floor known
as the Garden Floor is filled with live greenery and
flowers for a more casual dining experience.
Our
menu selections are some of the finest contemporary
American cuisine on the East Coast. The creative menu
consists of regional favorites featuring fresh seafood,
pasta and aged Certified Angus Beef including our
signature dish, Slow Roasted Prime Rib of Beef.
1st
Floor Bar
Guests
can enjoy live musical entertainment showcasing national
and regional talent every week in the spacious and
airy atrium or at the first floor bar. We offer draft
and bottle beers including local microbrews, a comprehensive
liquor selection with the most popular products on
the market.
The
Victorian Lounge is a great space to relax
in a cozy and intimate space with its gas fireplace
and antique furnishings. This space can be reserved
for cocktail receptions of up to 50 guests.
The
Tobacco Company Club is Richmond’s
exclusive night spot, featuring a dance floor, DJ
and state of the art sound system. The Club is open
to the public every Thursday through Saturday and
hosts some of the best music, bartenders and promotions
in town. The Club is available for private parties
and events with limited availability.
With
all of these options in one spot, you never even have
to leave the building.
Building
History
The
Shockoe Slip was once the busy headquarters of tobacco
and cotton barons who traded daily in the cobblestoned
port below the falls of the James River. Tragically,
this vital business district was reduced to rubble
during the Civil War. Although rebuilt shortly thereafter,
the area never fully recovered and eventually deteriorated
into a state of neglected disrepair and ruin.
In
1973, Jearald Cable saw the potential of Shockoe Slip
as a major restaurant and retail district. Accordingly,
he secured an option on two, three-story warehouses
and proceeded to design what is now The Tobacco Company
Restaurant. Cable envisioned a restaurant embodying
the Victorian era when tobacco was king and Richmond's
major industry. The interior's focal point was to
be a three-story atrium with an exposed antique elevator
to carry guests from the first floor cocktail lounge
to the two dining floors above.
Antiques
Once
the construction was completed, the search throughout
the country began for unique and unusual furnishings
for the restaurant. The antique brass elevator was
made by Otis Elevator Company for the Con Edison building
in New York. The stairway was salvaged from the old
St. Luke's Hospital in Richmond. Our Indian was carved
by a craftsman in South Carolina. The brass chandelier
came from the Federal Reserve Bank in Cincinnati.
The hostess desk on the first floor was an old ticket
booth purchased at an Atlanta auction.
