Brunch holds a special place in any city’s restaurant scene. As lovely as the food can be (who doesn’t appreciate a mix of lunch and breakfast staples?), brunch is just as defined by two cocktails: bloody Marys and mimosas. You can find both on pretty much any real brunch menu, but there’s only one region in the United States with a dedicated mimosa trail: greater Richmond, Virginia.
Photo: Richmond Region Tourism
The Only Mimosa Trail in the US Proves Nowhere Takes Brunch Cocktails as Seriously as Richmond, Virginia
Officially launched in October 2023, the Richmond Region Mimosa Trail covers 46 spots that serve traditional OJ-and-bubbly mimosas as well as variations on the classic. In addition to Richmond proper, the trail covers participating restaurants in Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent, and Ashland. On Visit Richmond’s dedicated page to the mimosa trail, each can be searched for on a list or via a heat map that makes it easy to make your own path starting anywhere in the area.
After the map was put together and announced, the tourism board noticed that not only is this a stand-out list of dozens of places to get a bubbly breakfast drink, it’s also the only one of its kind they could find in the US. There are plenty of brewery and winery trails from coast to coast (and even a frozen margarita trail), but there’s no sign of another mimosa trail anywhere else in the country.
It’s a map for casual brunch goers and the mimosa obsessed alike.
“What’s different about our mimosas here? Well, they come with a Richmond Region experience,” vice president of marketing at Richmond Region Tourism Tom Loftus said in a press release.
Maybe that experience means going to an historic location like Hanover Tavern, one of the oldest taverns still operating in the US, or taking in a luxurious Champagne brunch at The Jefferson Hotel. Or maybe it’s mimosas and mini-golf at Hotel Greene, or brunch and a show on the weekend at Godfrey’s Drag Brunch.
Fans of the mimosa format of sparkling wine plus juice can find a new favorite at one of the spots putting a twist on the cocktail. Swap the wine for beer with a beermosa at Millie’s Diner, which has served up brunch since 1989. Cooper’s Tavern has full-on mimosa flights, while SB’s Lakeside Love Shack has regularly swapped themes and mimosas to match.
It would take weeks, if not months, to cover the entire Richmond Region Mimosa Trail. Yet any brunch lover can appreciate knowing exactly where to find their next mimosa brunch location that fits the vibe they’re looking for on their travels — and find the place to go the following day for something different. 