Hands-down THE BEST place to get glasses! I had previously tried on dozens of frames at Warby Parker, but none of them compared to the selection here. I have a petite round face with a pronounced bridge, so finding the right shape can be hard for me. That was until Cynthia (the owner) helped me find the most gorgeous pair of Dita frames and my eyes have never looked or felt better! Wonderful store and staff. I can’t thank them enough.

Just got my 👓 and yes I Love them. My daughter also got her’s . Cynthia and her Daughter is amazing. The shop is beautiful and the selection of glasses is a must see👓👓👓.Thank you so muchC. Mays

SUPA COOL STORE!!!!! I got a fantastic pair of Vuarnet sunglasses. I had to wait a few days for an appointment w Cynthia, but it was well worth it. I received an hour of undivided attention and with my complicated prescription it was just what I needed. The store is fun, beautiful and soho-esque.

By far the best glasses shopping/buying process I’ve ever been through! Their shop is welcoming and comfortable. Their frames selection is amazing, with a very wide range of prices, styles, and brands. And their assistance through the process is personalized and thoughtful. Cynthia and her daughter River who run the shop were so kind, patient, and helpful through the entire process. Their collective knowledge about the frames they sell, style, and fit is unparalleled. Skip the online and chain frames stores and support this amazing local shop!

Just picked up my sunglasses with brand new lenses. they look brand new AND for a great price! great experience!

I wouldnt consider going any other place. Top quality and great service. Flawless in every aspect.

I highly recommend this gorgeous place. They have a wide variety of glasses to choose from and the interior/vibe is so fun! Cynthia and her daughter were so sweet and helpful, I will be back for my yearly exams!

What a beautiful little shop. This is a family owned and run establishment. Cynthia is so sweet and helpful. A genuinely kind and relatable person running a small business well is hard to find these days and thats exactly what you get here. You feel right at home. Not to mention they practice safety and cleanliness to the utmost regard in these delicate times. Its quite inspiring to see such a thing in todays corporate world. Walk ins arent currently being accepted to keep things safe so you have to make an appointment but its well worth it for the incredible selection of frames and in person treatment you get

Many thanks to Cynthia/Carytown for resolving many issues around my broken frames. Cynthia is both expert in all things optical and committed to customer service! She went WAY out of her way to help me get a broken frame replaced, working with lab and the vendor to deal with several issues - none of them Cynthias fault. She helped me identify new Swissflex frames and ensure a difficult new script was right the first time......I love me Swissflex frames - very light and durable! thanks for turning me on to them.I could have worked with someone much closer, but it is worth time and effort to work with a professional like Cynthia Allen and Carytown Optical.

Cynthia was so helpful and helped me track down a hard to find pair of sunglasses as a gift that she was able to quickly ship out across the country. The customer service here is amazing and I would highly recommend it!

Called them 3 times second time they picked up and didnt say anything but i could hear them doing things and talking in the background, i said hello and they hung up on me the other times i was sent to voice mail, will NOT be going there

The girls at Carytown Optical Shop provide great service and definitely deserve 5 stars. I am extremely satisfied with my prescription eye and sunglasses. They did a great job assisting me with my frame selection, positioning and adjustments. Throughout my years, I have gone to several optical shops but found Carytown Optical to be the best. The staff is chivalrous, clued-up, cool and very friendly. My total experience was terrific and highly recommend them!

I have contacted this store 3 times trying to make an appointment. No one has returned my call yet. I am trying to support a small business in Carytown during the pandemic. Obviously they are not interested in my business. Moving on to the big box store who will help me.

Wonderful experience. I appreciate how they give you their input on what they think looks best. It isnt very easy to see for yourself what you look like when you put on demo glasses. Their opinions were a lot better guide than the way I typically squint at myself in the mirror when I have visited other establishments (I even once picked out ladies glasses back in High School and didnt realize it. It was a little embarrassing).

The best experience I have had when buying glasses. I am not terribly good at fashion choices, so I appreciated the sincere and tasteful suggestions for frames that seemed to fit my face structure the best and made me feel pretty. I felt confident in the glasses I purchased because Cynthia did not encourage me to just look at the higher priced frames, in fact the ones she felt looked best (and I purchased) were in a very comfortable price range for me. Also, Cynthia and the whole shoppe are hip and fun! The lightweight lens felt great after a slight adjustment. I highly recommend Carytown Optical if you love lots of lovely frame choices and/or are fashion challenged like me and need to rely on advice you can trust.

Carytown Optical fitted me with a pair of glasses to use specifically for working on the computer. I was constantly struggling with my bifocals to focus on the computer screen and experienced a sore neck also from tilting my head back. I can’t believe the difference that the new eyeglasses make. I wish I had known about this option sooner. Carytown Optical fitted me with a really cool looking pair that I keep at work only. They were so helpful in explaining the difference this prescription would make. I love their selection. They offer a boutique selection you won’t find in any other optical store in Richmond. The pricing is reasonable and the personalized service was great.

The service at Carytown Optical was outstanding! Cynthias knowledge, advice, and expertise were phenomenal - she spent a lot of time helping me by reviewing the best choice of lenses, advising on frames, and adjusting sunglasses i had purchased elsewhere. I am a first time customer at Carytown Optical, and my decision to go there was based on the stellar reviews i had read - i must say that those reviews were correct. Friendly/unhurried/high quality service - what a great concept! Based on my experience I would say that you cant go wrong by taking your eyewear/optical needs to Carytown Optical.May 26, 2015: I went back today for new sunglasses. Beth assisted me and provided the same friendly and high quality service as I experienced during my 1st visit. Outstanding! Carytown Optical continues to provide 5-star service.

Best place in Richmond for eyewear and eye care. Cynthia and her team make choosing glasses and contacts easy, expedient and fun. Their customer service and professionalism is evident throughout the process and beyond. While out of state for a wedding, I realized that Id left my contacts home. Cynthia was able to contact another business in the area and i was able to get another pair just in time. Simply the best!

LOVE the shoppe! Excellent selection, very patient & helpful staff. Took me what felt like forever to decide on the right frames but Cynthia and Beth were so friendly, helping me narrow down the choices that looked good on me - and why those were the right frames. The shoppe has more variety of cool frames than any store within hundreds of miles, including DC. Amazing!

Carytown Optical in Richmond Virginia is amazing, the coolest, funnest staff ever! Incredibly knowledgeable of both the fashion side and technical side of optical to bring you the best in your new pair of glasses. They have some of the most unique, fun, fashionable eye wear that Richmond has to offer. It is a really relaxing atmosphere, great energy, great spirit. You will absolutely love your next experience at the eye doctor, and getting that fresh new pair of specs if you go here, trust me!

I picked out a spectacular frame made out of vinyl records. It is very solid and the shape is a perfect fit. Thanks to Beth, Pat, and Cynthias recommendation. I highly recommend purchasing your glasses from Carytown Optical if you want to support a great local business and get quality service.

This is a fantastic store! Excellent service, fabulous selection and prices, and extremely knowledgeable staff. Dont buy glasses anywhere else until youve checked out this place...a learning process!

I am very pleased with my Swiss Flex glasses from Carytown Optical. Cynthia showed me several other frames I liked, but the Swiss Flex frame was just too comfortable. I am a building contractor and tend to be hard on my eye glasses, but have been surprised at how durable the Swiss Flex are. For me, these are the best glasses I have worn. Thanks Cynthia

From my first step into Carytown Optical, I knew it wasn’t your everyday eye glass store. It has a small town feel combined with the comforts of home and the classiness of a New York designer store. There is an incredible selection of high quality eyewear at surprisingly affordable prices. I have nothing but praises for the staff that are helpful and very knowledgeable and they provided very personal service. I recommend Carytown Optical to anyone looking for a new eyeglasses or a pair of stylish sunglasses.

The friendliest shop you can go to. Great selection of lenses and the staff will help you find the perfect pair of lenses to suit your style. Loved the whole experience. One of Richmonds true gems. They have a customer for life.

Absolutely the best optical shop in all of Virginia! Amazing frames from all over the world and expert service! A+++

Best customer service experience I have ever had. I learned more about quality products and how newer technology in eyes glasses just isnt typical available through insurance shops. My overall eyesight is GREATLY improved, as well as my comfort and confidence that if anything isnt just right, these guys will make it right. Go here - youre welcome!

I HAVE PURCHASED EYE GLASSES THROUGH CARYTOWN OPTICAL SHOPPE. THE STAFF WERE HOPEFUL. I GOT MY EYES CHECKED UPSTAIRS AND I ORDERED MY GLASSES DOWNSTAIRS. WHAT A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. SHE OFFERS GREAT PRICES FOR FASHIONABLE EYE GLASSES.I REALLY RECOMMEND HER.

Ive been going to Carytown Optical since it first opened. Now living in Florida it is still the only place I go for eye ware. Cynthia, Beth and the rest of the staff are awesome. I was torn up when her shop was destroyed by fire several years ago. Thank you Cynthia for rebuilding. Youre shop is even better than before. And tell Dr. Gates hes awesome too.

Best experience I have ever had selecting frames. They really took the time to help me pick the right pair and werent shy about letting me know when my picks did not work on my face. Youre in excellent hands here.

I just couldn’t think of going anywhere else for all my glasses needs!!

We had an awesome experience picking out prescription Rayban sunglasses for our 93 year old Daddy. What a fun place. Daddy sports his cool shades every day. He insisted on aviator sunglasses like he wore his 25years in the navy. Hes a lot smaller now and none fit but Cynthia special ordered a small small size with long temples. We Colohans greatly appreciate her attention to detail and TLC.

I have been going to Carytown Optical for about 20 years now. This shop is like the type of optical shop you would expect to find in Soho or the Village in NYC. Cynthia is always on top of the hottest new trends. And she has a lot of patience because I seem to love every frame she has. But please check this shop out. She is the only shop I know that actually carries Vinylize. Yes! Glass frames made from vinyl records by a company in Bucharest. I recently purchased a pair of Vinylize frames as well as a pair of Italian frames by Vanni. Hottest shop in Richmond.Lou Ann

Cynthia is awesome, they are very personal, working with you to find the best frames and lenses, dont go anywhere else! truly a great experience!

I love eyeglasses, and this shop has some of the most exquisite and beautiful eyewear in the area. The selection is unique and the brands are top of the line. The LaFont and the Ann et Valentin lines are my favorites in the shop. The optician, Beth, is professional, skilled, and very knowledgeable. It was a joy to work with her. Ive never been more excited about my eyeglasses!

Dont buy a pair of glasses until you check out Carytown Optical. The best eyewear selection. The best team.

Best eyewear-shopping experience ever, with very kind, funny and sincere professionals who will ALWAYS make sure you are happy with your choices. Would not dream of going anywhere else in RVA for my optical needs!

Great quality, great service, the best people.

Amazing establishment! They have an incredible selection frames, as well as various kinds of lenses you can get for said frames. I got the prodesign|denmark frames and not only are they plastic frames, but they also have adjustable rubber nosepads. Highly recommend this place for new glasses, especially ones thatll last for a while.

Love the shop, love the owner, and love the selection. this truly is a great place!

Been coming here for years. Always great service

About a year ago, I went to Cary Town Optical to talk about getting my first pair of contacts. After I was informed of the different options I went up to Dr.Gatess office to get my eye exam. Before contacts I was very squemish when it came to my eyes so I was a difficult patient, but he was very nice, and we finished the exam quickly. Then Dr. Gates pulled out a box of lenses for me, sat me down in his office and informed me on how to use the contacts. He was very helpfull but i just got tired of continuosly poking my eye with no results, so Cynthia from Cary Town Optical helped me. It turns out that before owning the shop, she used to help small children that needed contacts learn how to use them. Miraculously she was able to put my contacts in for me. I was happy with that but they all said that they needed to make sure I could put them in myself so Dr.Gates and his assistent put on my favorite song and eventually I was able to do it all on my own. Everyone was so kind and really seemed to care about me. I will definetly go there again.

I recently picked up my first pair of no line multifocal lenses in November. Cynthia advised me to make the change from my line bifocals. She also updated my look with a really cool lightweight rimless frame by Swissflex. The adaption to the no line lenses took about two weeks but now I am so glad that I was advised and helped to take the leap. The frame is absolutely amazing. Ive never worn anything so comfortable and I love the polarized clip on too. From order to pick up I had them in a week. I can highly recommend Caytown Optical. You wont find anything like Swissflex at a Lenscrafters or Pearle or the like.Carytown Optical is such a relaxing place to go too, another thing I really like.Kent Morse

They repaired 2 pairs of frames not purchased there for free. They are very friendly and very helpful.

Great customer service!!

Beth couldnt have been more helpful!

Great 😉