The Lab by Alchemy Coffee

On the broad street, nice silent place and good service. A good place to sit relax or work. Options of munchies and snacks are good.

These folks make amazing coffee and really pretty crafted espresso drinks. The baked goods are great too. Space is modern and airy but the giant south facing glass also makes it a bit glary in the winter time so I wear my sunglasses inside sometimes. This place fits in well with the Richmond steampunk vibe, I wish I was cool enough to be considered a regular!

This place is one of my favorite coffee shops in Richmond, VA.

They really live up to the "alchemy" name by brewing coffee with a measured blend of ice or water to the quantity of coffee grounds used to brew it. There are several interesting contraptions in the store that are used to make coffee and the people working there have no problem taking time out to explain to you what they do so you can make an informed purchase.

In addition they rotate out different types of coffee and have good explanations of where they come from and what flavors the coffee invokes, similar to reading wine tasting notes. I have yet to try a coffee here that tastes burned like the ones I get from most chain coffee shops. They have the usual accoutrements there if you need to sweeten or add cream to your drink.

The staff is friendly and the shop is spacious and clean. Parking around the shop is metered but if you are on or near the VCU campus it is walkable.

Wonderful coffee!! Tried the chocolate cookie, it was not that good (rather dry) but would try other things instead. Space is nice and the workers are friendly. Suggestion: Have a "cup discount" for folks that bring in their own cups/tumblers. Also give a discount on refills. Coffee was so good that I went ahead and paid for it.

Fantastic coffee and excellent service. Stopped in on a drive back from North Carolina after missing it on the way down and wasn't disappointed. The coffee reminded me of Square One Coffee in Lancaster, PA (one of the highest compliments I could give). Got an americano which had some bright citrusy notes and a moderate bitterness. Had a bacon and cheese scone which was also quite delicious.

Best coffee I've had since leaving Seattle in 2015. I live in the DC area and I've been dying for DECENT coffee. This is so good it was worth the drive to Richmond. If my first cup at 1pm hadn't been a triple, I'd have had a second. Now I have to find another excuse to drive down.

If you live in Richmond, why aren't you there?

My husband and I are serious coffee lovers from the west coast and we are very serious Portland, Oregon coffee lovers so we decided to try this place after they said they're from Portland and take pride in their coffees.

This had to be one of the absolute worst lattes and mochas we've ever had in 20 years. The drinks were a watery, flavorless mess and I've had better in convenience stores. I would've given this place negative 10 stars if I could. They should be ashamed of themselves.

The boxcar espresso was a small upcharge but well worth it, very smooth and slightly acidic. Chai with almond milk was very good.

The dirty chai was very tasty, but there were so many spices that hadn't been filtered out that I felt like I was chewing my drink. Other than that, it's a lovely little place.

*update....Thanks for the response! LOVE seeing owners/managers getting involved with reviews! Best to your business and as I mentioned, I'd have no issues recommending you guys to anyone!

My husband and I were so excited to try Alchemy that we went out of our way to go there. Alas, when we got there and went to order a decaf cafe au pair, the very nice girl behind the counter said that they don't offer decaf, that they are "purists". We were disappointed because we really wanted to try it, but the girl was so nice and the place looked clean and quaint! Obviously we won't be back because we only drink decaf.......But I'd be fine recommending it to someone who can tolerate caffeine.