Does Lemaire have a children’s menu?
- Walter Bundy
- Lemaire
- Executive Chef
- Richmond, VA
Lemaire offers a children’s menu including such favorites as pasta with marinara, grilled chicken sandwich, grilled cheese, chicken tenders and Chef Bundy’s famous macaroni and cheese. Prices range from $5 to $7 and a variety of kid friendly beverages, including Lemaire’s hand-made raspberry limeade are available. Children will be particularly interested in the story of the alligator that decorates the top of their menu and that can be found in several locations within the restaurant. The Jefferson Hotel was home to alligators that roamed the Palm Court lobby until 1948. One was even known to have regularly journeyed into Lemaire to “visit“ with the ladies that gathered there in the original ladies parlor.
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On May 10Michelle Doucette answered the question:
What is the dress code at Lemaire?
Officially, Lemaire’s dress code is casual. The signature restaurant at Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel advises guests to come as they’re most comfortable. And with Lemaire’s convivial patio and down-home starter snacks (applewood-smoked peanuts, olives with basil), you won’t feel out of place if you’re dressed down. That said, when happy hour hits, the Richmond restaurant fills with well-heeled professionals enjoying Lemaire’s stunning bar area and chef Walter Bundy’s delicious, locally sourced dinner creations. When I dined there at 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday, the average guest in the restaurant’s elegant dining room was dressed in smart business attire. Still, it’s nice to know you may come as you are and be welcomed with the same genuine hospitality for which Lemaire and The Jefferson Hotel are known. -
On October 12Walter Bundy answered the question:
What special holiday menus or events does Lemaire offer?
We love the holidays in Lemaire! We pull out our favorite holiday recipes and find the freshest locally grown ingredients to make the holidays truly special for our guests. The fun begins on Thanksgiving when we serve a traditional four-course Thanksgiving Day dinner. (We partner with TJ’s restaurant within the hotel and donate 5% of all purchases for the day to the Central Virginia Food Bank.) We continue on with holiday-inspired specials on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day and then throw caution to the wind on New Year’s Eve with a fun and festive à la carte menu. Reservations do fill for all of our holiday dining quickly, and several months in advance, so please call early! -
On October 12Gary Burke answered the question:
What is the chef at Lemaire’s food philosophy?
Whenever possible, Chef Bundy sources his products from small, local producers to ensure the highest quality. He has taken that a step further with the creation of Bundy Farms, now in its second season. This urban garden, located across the street from the restaurant, is planted, maintained and harvested by the chefs of Lemaire, and many of the summer menu items, including the handcrafted cocktails, feature ingredients picked fresh that day from Bundy Farms.
The farm-to-table concept is nothing new for Chef Bundy. He grew up gardening with his family, hunting with his father, and summering on the Piankatank River in the Chesapeake Bay pulling crabs by hand. Bundy has remained committed to providing upscale Southern cuisine that showcases the bounty of the region. The menu honors the local influences of Richmond and features local purveyors like Dave and Dee’s Mushrooms, Manakintowne Farms and Rappahannock River Oyster Company. -
On October 12Gary Burke answered the question:
Who is the chef at Lemaire and what is his background?
Chef Walter Bundy is a Richmond native who grew up gardening with his family, hunting with his father, and summering on the Piankatank River in the Chesapeake Bay pulling crabs by hand. He took his experiences with him to college at Hampden Sydney, where he entertained friends and family with his culinary skills preparing locally inspired cuisine.
After graduation, he was exposed to a whole new palette of flavors when a move to Santa Fe, New Mexico, brought him to work at Mark Miller’s Coyote Café. Inspired by the variety of unfamiliar ingredients and flavor profiles, Bundy enrolled in the New England Culinary Institute. A desire to learn about wine subsequently brought him to Napa Valley, where he worked with renowned chef Thomas Keller at the legendary French Laundry.
Chef Bundy has cooked at the James Beard House in New York, presented dinners for renowned chefs, and appeared on Food Network’s “Food Nation“ with Bobby Flay. Named executive chef at Lemaire in May 2001, Bundy has remained committed to providing upscale Southern cuisine that showcases the bounty of Virginia. -
On June 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Lemaire is considered one of the most romantic fine dining restaurants in Richmond, Virginia. While the ambiance is fairly casual, the food is highly rated and among Richmond’s best. Proposals, anniversaries, birthday celebrations and other occasions take place on a nightly basis at this restaurant in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel.
Revamped several years ago to include a more casual and modern feel to the cuisine, the restaurant itself is very much decorated in the Old South style. Composed of a main bar and a series of private and semi-private dining rooms, Lemaire was once the hotel’s original ladies salon. This was where women took tea after being dropped off by their gentlemen, who enjoyed cigars and drinks in the check-in area downstairs — now The Jefferson’s other restaurant, TJs. -
On June 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What wines are offered by the glass at Lemaire?
The menu at Lemaire has a large selection of by-the-glass wines, all of which are under $15. Selections at this restaurant in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel include a Marques de Gelida Cava Brut from Penedes, a Neudorf Lansing Sauvignon Blanc, a Franciscan Napa Valley Chardonnay, a Bender Cabernet Sauvignon from Pfalz and an “Alphabets” Pinot Noir from Oregon. -
On June 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Are there places to sit while we wait for a table at Lemaire?
Yes, Lemaire offers a large bar and lounge area. We’d highly suggest arriving early to this restaurant in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel — they offer happy hour specials including $2 house and $4 craft and import beers, $5 red and $5 white glasses of featured wine and three appetizers for $20 from 4 to 7 p.m. daily. You can also sample three courses for $30 every day from 5 to 6 p.m. Additional featured cocktails are available on a nightly rotating basis. -
On June 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
Are there places to sit while we wait for a table at Lemaire?
Yes, Lemaire offers a large bar and lounge area. We’d highly suggest arriving early to this restaurant in the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel — they offer happy hour specials including $2 house and $4 craft and import beers, $5 red and $5 white glasses of featured wine and three appetizers for $20 from 4 to 7 p.m. daily. You can also sample three courses for $30 every day from 5 to 6 p.m. Additional featured cocktails are available on a nightly rotating basis. -
On June 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
How many tables does Lemaire have?
Lemaire’s tables seat a total of 139, with 16 seats in the bar, 33 in the lounge and 90 in the dining rooms.
The largest dining room, the Valentine Room, overlooks Franklin Street and the main entrance of the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel. With its original wood crown molding and hand-blown glass custom chandeliers, this room is sure to dazzle guests. It’s named after the famous sculptor and Richmond, Virginia native Edward V. Valentine, who was commissioned in 1895 to sculpt a life-size, marble statue of Thomas Jefferson. This statue still stands in the hotel’s Palm Court lobby. The Valentine can accommodate up to 60 guests at round tables.
The adjoining room to the Valentine is the Gibson Room. This room can be accessed from either the lounge or the Valentine. The original “pocket doors,” often found in historic Richmond homes, were preserved and now provide privacy for groups. The Gibson can accommodate up to 18 at one table or 24 at separate round tables. -
On June 21Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are the operating hours of Lemaire?
The operating hours of Lemaire’s dining room are dinner Monday to Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m.; the bar and lounge is open Monday to Sunday from 4 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. On select Saturdays and Sundays when the Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star The Jefferson Hotel has higher occupancy, Lemaire also serves breakfast. -
On June 15, 2012Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
The bar menu offered at Lemaire is the same menu offered in the main restaurant, so you won’t find a smaller menu only served at the bar. We’d highly suggest arriving early for the happy hour specials, including $2 house and $4 craft and import beers, $5 glasses of featured red and white wine and three appetizers for $20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. daily, and three courses for $30 every day from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. So if you’re looking to try the food at Lemaire but in a more casual setting, head to the bar to get these great specials. Additional featured cocktails are available on a nightly rotating basis. Lemaire’s cocktails change seasonally, but standouts include the Garden Martini, (Hendrick’s gin, cucumber water, rosemary syrup), the refreshing Ginger mojito and the Franklin Street Sparkler, which combines pomegranate juice and Moscato d’Asti. Our Forbes Travel Guide editors agree that the bar menu at Lemaire is pretty great.
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On June 15, 2012Forbes Travel Guide Inspector answered the question:
What are some of the specialty cocktails available at Lemaire?
Whether it’s a pre-dinner martini or a late-night whiskey sour, Lemaire’s cocktails change seasonally, but on our last visit, the menu featured a few standouts worth trying. Indulge in the Garden Martini, made with Hendrick’s gin, cucumber water and rosemary syrup, or the refreshing Ginger Mojito, made with Bacardi Silver rum, Canton ginger liqueur, ginger beer and mint from the restaurant’s own garden. Another favorite from the summer menu was the Franklin Street Sparkler, which includes pomegranate juice and Moscato d’Asti. No matter what month you visit Lemaire, there’s no doubt that the specialty cocktails will accurately reflect the season, incorporating the freshest ingredients and garnishes sourced from regions near the Virginia restaurant.
