stella's

definitely go!. after a day of visiting battlefields, we were starving and wanted to go out and relax. we knew if we went back to our hotel first, we'd never get back out because we were so tired. so we opted for dinner first. driving up, we loved that it was in a neighborhood in an old building. when we walked in, it was packed, but we were greeted promptly and told that the bar would probably be our quickest option. even though we were in jeans (and everyone else was super dressed up) we were still treated nicely. we ended up at a table, by a stroke of luck and we were treated to not onlygreatfood but we got to watch old greek movies that they projected on the wall. the decor was not the typical blue and white but decidedly upscale with mood lighting and modern tables. we ordered a few meze dishes, like tapas- tatziki, taramosalata, and yia yia's skillet, a combination of garlic, tomatoes, gigantes and other vegetarian items with pita bread. they were fantastic. then we had souvlaki with spinach and cheese in phyllo dough and i had the potatoes, baby endive greens, and horta. the souvlaki and spinach was very tasty. the potatoes were crisp, warm and good. the greens were a new thing for me. the endive was too bitter for me (my bad, not theirs) and the horta was good. the portions were huge. go here if you have time and a huge appetite- we had plenty of left overs!

very nice, cool place with rva locals.greatfood and upper class atmosphere. had the twice baked cauliflower and fried calamari. both were cooked perfectly.greatservice and selection.

great brunch!. i'm not kidding when i say the worst part of brunch was having to narrow down a choice from all thegreatoptions. i wish they had a sampler plate of the meze so i didn't have to pick! anyhow, we had a reservation and i agree with others it seems a little silly to have everyone crowding the front until the whole party is there.. just have the hostess say your server will be by when your group is complete and have water on the tables and let people get situated.

drinks: the bloody mary was good, the traditional mimosas were good, bellini was good but the star of the drinks show was the pomegranate mimosa! so good everyone switched over to that drink because it was so tasty.

apps: we got the spanakopita and the tiropita both very good- it came with taziki on the side that was sooo good!

entrees: greek toast was amazing, i think the vyssino version was the way to go the whipped greek yogurt seemed more like a whipped cream and the sour cherries were amazing but not too tart. we had a couple of people order the skillets they were definitely tasty i thought mine needed a bit more cheese. the star of the show here was the crab benedict the sundried
tomato hollandaise was to die for and was really unique to anything i've had at brunches.

don't forget to share an order of loukoumades to round out your visit!!

overall the food was pretty good (not mind-blowing or insanely delicious), service wasgreat(8:45 pm, weeknight, no reservation), and i'd come here again to try different items. we did the meze (tapas) plates of flaming cheese (kind of gimmicky, literally just some melted cheese but $8 because it's on fire, the phoenician's fried holoumi cheese is better), lamb frites (our favorite, absolutely excellent), spanikopita (again very good, the tzatsiki sauce is indeed heavenly), and the shrimp ouzo (just okay, would not order again). the flaming cheese and spanikopita were a little heavy on the salt, but the spanikopita was still definitely edible (i hate to waste food but we left half of the cheese on the plate...too salty). it was not as loud and crowded as edo's squid (although the food wasn't as incredible either), but probably best for a date or a few friends- not ideal for huge groups. overall 4/5 stars

stella's.greatfood, enjoyed the greek carbernet and the service was excellent. place was packed, kinda noisy but energetic. i wouldn't recommend for a romatic date, but agreatplace to hang out with friends

who needs greek festival when you have stellas!!. i adore stellas! love goes into every dish. their daily specials are all always so fresh. i love the salmon and spinach special at lunch and the artic char at dinner! yummy. the grape leaves are to die for. the spinach pies are so flaky and delicious. the greek salad is incredible. lamb gyros are superb. i have yet to have a dish here that hasn't been pleasing. the side dish at lunch of the lima bean salad is reallygreattoo. and i crave the kale salad - the cheese on it is wonderful. keep up the good work stellas!!greatservice too you all are so nice i feel like i'm going to a friends house for a meal!

everyone in restaurant club really enjoyed stella's. it is a cool place to go that is out of the way, and it's much more relaxed than alot of places in the fan or carytown. it just seemed more homey and welcoming. here's agreatexample: stella's has a long communal table in the middle of the restaurant where they sit random groups together side by side, no space in between, just like at burger bach. at burger bach i found this annoying and pretentious ... at stella's i found it enchanting. if that feeling speaks to you, you should definitely give stella's a try.

as a new giavos spot, i had high expectations. i had a 9:15 reservation on a friday night, arrived around 9:10. i waited at the bar for about 10 minutes enjoying an ice cold stella draft (the only thing on tap) until our table was ready. the atmosphere is nice and fun, yet slightly elegant at the same time. the two tops are a bit close, so don't expect to have a private conversation. our waiter was one of the best and most informative ive ever had. he was extremely friendly and very helpful with deciding what to order. (the hostess was also very friendly, and helped me get to know the neighborhood cat). we ordered calamari - fried. it was very well prepared and flavored, and the dipping sauce was different and good. for our entree we split the top item on the menu, on the page that has the 4 items made personally by stella(?) each day- pastichio 14. it was delicious, rich with creamy cheese and a perfect size. the fat noodles were melt in your mouth tender, and the beef has excellent flavor. the last item on that page, the #5, is gigantic- enough for 3 people to split. grab a few apps and split that for agreatmeal. all of giavos' restaurants havegreatatomspheres... so you can't count on that. what made experiencegreatwas the excellent service and well prepared food. oh, and the neighborhood cat hanging around outside was friendly too!

pretty, refreshing atmosphere in agreatneighborhood that offers exciting tastes. bring your own balsamic if you want it though. 9/10

let's say disappointed. too long a wait for what we got........saganaki was good...spanakopita was kinda tuff.....kalamari would have been good for bait.....wine was good....if you want a real beer don't go there...3 plate's of the famous pasta # 5 left on the table.....rockfish was "just added" ...must have been yesterday's they forgot about!
drinks......$100
dinner ... $300
eightgreatfriends... priceless
even if the meal was far less than expected

great new place for rva. we sat at the end of the communal table, tried a few appetizers (dolmades & octopus), a few different wines, 2 entrees (rock fish special & souvlaki), and a dessert (*omg the chocolate mousse*), and had agreatmeal.

the environment was lively, but not overwhelming. the service was attentive and personable.

stella's goes on my richmond short-list of places to get back to very soon.

beyond all expectations.... we chose to make a visit to the new stellas.....havinggreatmemories of the old version. walked in at 8, and it was severely packed. standing room only. however, we were able to get a couple seats at the end of the bar fairly quickly and stayed there. the interior of this place is awesome - a very cozy and authentic feel. it is loud, but not so much that we could not have a conversation. it is old world europe - but modernized. the menu is extensive and very reasonably priced for such fantastic food. genuine greek food - fresh ingredients and made simple. not pretentious. portions are huge. we split a pork souvlaki, kale salad, and spinach/rice side. every bite was heavenly. i did have to send the pork back for a little more time on the flame - but they handled it immediately and it tasted so good i got over it. they have a sweetened greek yogurt with cherries and pistachios for desert that is indescribable. off the charts amazing. best richmond dining experience of 2011 for us.