Welcome to Groupon, Richmond! For our inaugural deal, $15 gets you $30 worth of tapas, drinks, and more at Avalon Restaurant & Bar, located at 2619 West Main Street. Since this is everyone's first Groupon, allow us to briefly explain how it works.

How Groupon Works

Groupon is a combination of the words group and coupon. Each day, we offer an unbeatable deal on the best of Richmond: restaurants, spas, sporting events, theater, and more. By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, we get discounts you won't find anywhere else. We call it "collective buying power."

If you want to get the deal, just click BUY before the offer ends at midnight. If the minimum number of people (20 for today's deal) sign up by the end of the day, you'll be emailed a gift certificate the next morning. You can print your Groupons or redeem them with our iPhone app. Use them whenever you want until the deal expires—today's expires in six months. If not enough people join, no one gets the deal (and you won't be charged), so invite your friends to make sure you get the discount!

Today's Deal

Hot potato, the earliest dish designed to be passed, is nearly extinct due to the constant ravages of grade-school appetites. For $15, today's Groupon revives shifting sustenance with $30 worth of tapas, drinks, and more at Avalon Restaurant & Bar, located in the Fan District.

Avalon shrinks large, upscale dishes—typically served to giants during Mensa meetings—into smaller, sampler-sized portions ideal for sharing, in addition to providing full-size dinner entrees. Mediterranean dishes dominate the menu, so it's no longer necessary to glide the hover-motorhome across the ocean to sample authentic Israeli couscous ($8), with lemon, pine nuts, and coconut, or merguez sausage paired with granny-smith apples and manchego cheese ($7). The 17-year-old eatery's high-back booths and dimly lit chandeliers accommodate a diverse clientele united in mutual gastrolust. Seafood indulgers can start with a Stella Artois–braised shrimp ($9), served with squash puree and corn on the cob, and voracious vegetarians can dig into the roasted poblano pepper ($8), action-packed with Spanish rice and served with a sherry sauce. Cleanse palates with a glass of sweet or dry wine such as El Primavera's Spanish Rioja ($6.75) or complement the meal with a Guinness ($5).

Must call ahead and make a reservation.

Reviews

Avalon Restaurant & Bar was named one of the 25 Best Restaurants by Richmond magazine and was awarded a Platinum Plate for Best Fine Dining by Best Independent Restaurant Association.

• Grab a booth now, because when word gets out, you’ll have to buy a plane ticket out of Richmond to get garlicky food this good. – Brandon Fox, Richmond

Yelpers give it an average 4.5 stars, and five Citysearchers give it a four-star average. Eight Zagat users provide reviews:

• Yum Yum Yum...everyone was satisfied with their meal Tons of vegetarian options. – Lauren N., Yelp
• Without question, the best in Richmond , probably in Virginia and possibly south of NY!! Kudos to the Chef, as he has a knack for the innovative touch with food and taste matching. – AndrewW540333, Zagat