The Boathouse at City Point

Lindsay Griffin

I highly recommend this place. We had the lobster boil, bread pudding, and creme brulee and everything was so delicious. (We dug into the lobster boil before I realized I didn't take a pic). Jeremy had great recommendations and was an outstanding server! We could tell he is passionate about what he does and this isn't just a "job" to him.

Carolyn Marie

Went to eat for my birthday. We asked to be seated outside. Unfortunately, we battled and at the table the entire time even though the waitress wiped off the table. They offered to seat us inside but it was too cold inside and I wouldn't be able to enjoy my meal. We each got drinks and salad with our meal. The shrimp and grits are really good! My husband got oysters and enjoyed them. We enjoyed our meal and were even visited by a resident ground hog! Eating outside is very enjoyable being just of the water. Other than ants, we had no other bug problems.

Douglas W. Reynolds, Jr.

Embracing the new Ultra Posh in Fine Dining, The Boathouse at City Point is a flash model of Contemporary Cuisine and Expensive Plumbing. Properly enough, it is entirely aimed at Dining for Memorable Occasions for Wealthy Lovers, and even at lunchtime its Electronic Inkblot Menu is impressively rich in variety and healthy options—I believe if one were to consider all available options on the menu, ordering alone might take hours. But of course ordering on the iPhone 20 or equivalent, the order goes to the kitchen at approximately the speed of light. There are few delays from that time on . . . . I have no difficulty recommending The Boathouse at City Point for the most extravagant of your dreams to come true. The Boathouse at City Point is clean, it is beautiful inside and out, the staff is clean, beautiful, attentive and competent, the food is quite well prepared and very beautifully presented, and frankly my only regret was that Sheila was not with me to enjoy the experience THIS time. There is a shortage of staff, and it is desperate enough that jobs and pay ranges are posted in the lobby. On this occasion there was only one waitress for the entire restaurant, and it was absolutely necessary to wait for a table to become available. As the waitress was herself brilliant, experienced and assisted by a speedy and cheerful assistant, an entire busload of commercial diners had been served indoors and on the deck before I arrived, so my wait was not long and the kitchen was still in high gear and peak performance. A “Service Charge” of 20% is a part of every meal, but in my opinion it is not enough to touch the value of the services actually rendered, and happily it is easy to add an additional tip before making your payment on your own smartphone—which of course enables you to complete your payment at near the speed of light! The view of the Appomattox River (at its confluence with the James River) is splendid, whether you prefer to dine inside or al fresco on the spacious deck. I was so impressed with the interior that it was an afterthought even to photograph the exterior of the building—but I can imagine that for dinner all the elements will combine to make an absolute fairyland for your entire dining experience, no matter what wonderful experience from your own past you may be celebrating! My only concern is that it all seems too good to be true, and although I was drinking only unsweetened iced tea and ice water on this occasion, it might all have been a dream after all. Plan it all out as best you can: make a reservation always, make it weeks in advance if possible—everyone at The Boathouse at City Point is so friendly and accommodating I know that they will do all that they can to help you realize your dreams! But help them to plan with you and for you—they will give you their best performance!

Lisa Emblidge

Valentine's Day is a crowd scene at most restaurants and the Boathouse at City Point was no exception. We were seated promptly and the staff was lovely but the food was only okay and not particularly memorable. Since it was a holiday, we probably will visit there again in hopes that on a non-holiday the chef will step up his or her game... the salmon and sea bass deserve better!