Boka Tavern - Richmond

The service and eating were excellent. we had the elchburger and the lamb. the waitress brought a special salted caramel dessert and a few sparkling on the house to celebrate the birthday!

Antler Fin is a wonderful addition to the downtown stretch of restaurants. Don't be fooled by the small space; the menu more than carries the day. The main courses all sound great (I had the venison), but the small plates (pig's head and wild boar are standouts) are the real winners. The servers are incredibly friendly, especially the bartender working that night who would come over to the table and detail his concoctions. Two thumbs up!

To be very clear as it may be tough to understand by the ratings I’ve offered, the food quality was good and it’s clear they are passionate about what they’re preparing. Because the owner was so engaging with inquiry about our experience following our meal, I’m going to reserve offering a detailed review until after my 2nd visit.

Second visit for us. The first visit was just prior to the grand opening. The options are adequate and I like the different plate sizes. We and our guests) were dismayed by the overly small portion size of the main entree large plate) especially considering the price point $25). This will be a hinderance in choosing to come back if that isn't somewhat rectified. Otherwise a 5 star experience.

The short version: Give Antler and Fin another month if you're going for food, but check out its happy hour or sit at the bar right now. Antler and Fin is probably going to be huge after it figures everything out. The ambiance is lovely, and it has its own parking spaces. As you go in, the drinks are immediately put into focus, with two chalkboards up front currently focused on happy hour promotions. Definitely take advantage of those. Cocktails came out quickly, and there wasn't anything that was less than perfect. The flavor and the creativity of the food is extremely promising. I saw ingredients on the menu that I haven't seen anywhere else in Richmond yet, and the dishes that were available when I visited were far off from the usual gastropub or pseudosouthern fare you usually find around here. Everything I tried packed a punch and was well cooked. There are definitely some hitches here though, but I'm sure they will be worked through in the next month or so. Service was friendly and very responsive, but I feel like they weren't as attentive as they could have been. We were a five person party, but they gave us only three pieces of bread for one dish we had said we were sharing. It was fixed on request, but its something I feel could have been caught earlier. The portion sizes are also inconsistent, even within the plate size groupings. The three meat dishes my companions ordered were all entree menu sized, but the market fish was only three scallop sized medallions and a pureed sauce. I would have liked it better if the entrees were more comparable in portion or that the size was clearer on the menu. Be ready for it to be a bit pricey in general, and for the menu to be small, as they are very seasonal. Overall, I enjoyed Antler and Fin. I think they just need a little more time for everyone to settle into their jobs.