Metzger Bar and Butchery

Should You Book Metzger Bar and Butchery?

Getting a table at Metzger Bar and Butchery is easier than you might expect for a Richmond restaurant with this level of word-of-mouth pull. Booking difficulty sits at easy, which makes it a practical first call when you need a reservation for a special occasion without the stress of a three-week waitlist. That accessibility is part of the appeal, but it does not mean the place is an afterthought — this is a deliberate, focused operation at 801 N 23rd St that has built a strong local following in Richmond's Church Hill neighbourhood.

Metzger leans into the bar-and-butchery format, which means the experience tilts toward meat-forward eating and serious drinking in a room that feels considered rather than casual. For a celebration dinner or a business meal where you want something with real character — not a hotel dining room, this is a stronger choice than a generic steakhouse. The bar program gives the evening a natural rhythm, the butchery angle means sourcing is taken seriously, which matters if provenance is a factor in how you evaluate a meal worth paying for.

For groups, the room works better for smaller parties. If you are planning a milestone dinner, an anniversary, a birthday, a work celebration, a table of two to four will get the most from the space. Larger groups should call ahead to confirm what the room can accommodate comfortably, since the bar-and-butchery layout is not engineered for long banquet-style tables. Richmond has options for bigger private dining setups, but Metzger's strength is in the quality of a focused, well-run evening rather than scale.

Compare it to other Richmond options and Metzger holds its own for anyone who wants something with personality. Lemaire Restaurant is the call if you want full white-tablecloth formality, particularly for business meals where that register matters. Metzger sits in a more relaxed but no less serious position. For the full picture of what Richmond's dining scene offers, browse our full Richmond restaurants guide. If you are building a longer visit around the meal, our full Richmond hotels guide and our full Richmond bars guide are worth checking before you lock in plans.

Other Richmond options worth knowing: Baan Lao for Thai, 8 ½ in The Fan for Italian, Berties Butchers & Little Bertie's Cafe if you want to compare butchery-led concepts in the city. For a broader evening, our full Richmond experiences guide and our full Richmond wineries guide round out the picture.