Charlottesville’s Top Restaurant Recommendations
Get an insider look at the top restaurant recommendations in Charlottesville by the chefs and restaurant staff that live, work, and eat here.
What helps any of us to decide which new (or new to us) restaurant we should try? When toggling between A or B in search listings, how do we ultimately decide to go with the Indian buffet over the Korean BBQ?
Friends.
When any of us is in a pinch, quickly polling a friend for their opinion saves the day. Well, this is just what I did as an idea sparked and I set out to curate an industry insider list of great dining spots to share with Fall Dining Guide readers. Once I began my outreach journey, I realized that there would be no better way to proceed than by asking my foodie friends for their top picks. I polled restaurant staff, owners, and chefs and asked one question: where do you go to eat when you’re not working? What’s the best post-shift hotspot? And ultimately: where do you choose to grab a reservation and experience a day or night of eating bliss when you simply don’t feel like cooking at home?
The resulting list is a winding (and mostly unsurprising) tour of the plethora of incredible restaurants we have in Cville, recommended by locals who know the business better than any of us.
I’ve got friends in Charlottesville places and now you do, too! After living in this town for close to 20 years, suffice it to say that a lot of the people I approached while working on this project are friends I have held close and in high regard since the early days. When we get together in our now even busier lives, we muse on our connections and the evolution of the local food scene that launched many of our relationships. The following restaurant highlights are exciting, valued, and have been given the chef’s kiss seal from the people that I trust most in this business.
You will go to these places, the food will be excellent, and above all my hope is that you’ll discover a new spot, that when prompted in the future by a curious friend, you, too, will jump at the chance to recommend the following places to your inner circle.
Make sure to also visit the restaurants that my friends own and work at (listed in bold) and thank them for this cumulative list. After all, what are friends for?
Restaurants
Ingrid Berger of Ingrid Cuisine is a private chef, small event caterer & cooking teacher serving Charlottesville & Albemarle County. She also happens to be one of the first chefs I had the pleasure of meeting and working with in Charlottesville. She describes her food as “elevated comfort” or “casually elegant”, with a strong lean toward Mediterranean flavors and local ingredients. She also offers “Flow to Feast” private events – a yoga practice followed by a colorful, plant-powered meal. For her favorite spots, she says, “For special occasion dining: Ten. Always delicious, consistent and a fun treat. A hidden gem on the mall.” For tried and true spots, she offers, “I believe in a star for consistency: Moe’s BBQ pulled pork always hits the spot. Really friendly crew at the Ivy Road location. Public Fish & Oyster for their Happy Hour Oysters, Belgian Fries & Aioli, cold beer….need I say more?” She also highlights Botanical Fare for its welcoming atmosphere, stating that she can’t get enough of their Kale Caesar.
Where does the staff go after shift?
Erin Schueller, a longtime staff member at Public Fish & Oyster, votes Smyrna all the way as “amazing,” offering that she feels this restaurant is “definitely a less talked about gem of Cville.”
Ryan Becklund, owner of Botanical Fare on the Downtown Mall and Bar Botanical in Crozet (an amazing rooftop restaurant to catch the very best sunsets) says, as a true Vegan chef would and should, that her “Best Vegan go-tos for are Juice Laundry with great Chili and Smoothies, Guajiros is her favorite breakfast spot, noting that through popular demand they recently added a Vegan bowl to their menu and it’s exactly what she’s looking for for breakfast. She goes on to say that Pearl Island is her favorite for lunch due to its amazing flavors and concept that is super unique to Cville. For dinner she says that Smyrna has been a great spot with its super fresh, fun atmosphere, and perfect cocktails.
Quality is everything.
Tomas Rahal, featured on our cover, offers recommendations that should not be ignored. Since, however, many restaurants close at the same time as his restaurant, Quality Pie, this leaves little open for staff. Still, he will stop by Christian’s Pizza on 5th Street Extended, run across the street to Lampo and Bar Balene, and hurry to get in the door at Smyrna before they close, making sure to hang out with guests, drink some wine and grappa, and enjoy small plates. Finally, if everything else is closed, he’ll shoot over to Holly’s Diner on East Market Street to enjoy the “sentimental semi-dive bar” feel.
Patrick Evans, owner of incredibly popular MarieBette Café and Bakery, alongside his husband Jason Becton, has a slightly different take given the fact that the bakery finishes up around noon or 1 pm each day. He often ends up at Kardinal Hall the most. He says, “It’s right across from the bakery and the burgers are stellar.” “Also popular,” he says, “among the bakers is Guajiros and Bodos.” If he’s doing dinner after the store closes as a team, their number one favorite place is Birdhouse.
Eat where the pros eat.
Mike and Gabi of Vision BBQ (one of the best BBQ joints in the area), have differing opinions, all of which are fabulous spots! Mike likes Bodos, Italian at Dürty Nelly’s Pub, the Carne Asado Burrito at El Carbon, Red Lantern, Guajiros, and Mona Lisa pizza. Gabi throws The Bradbury into the mix for coffee and breakfast, Blue Moon Diner for lunch, and Lazeez for dinner.
There’s a piece to our teeming local food scene that’s undeniable, and a charging force behind why our food industry and businesses have seen so much success: support. Throughout all of the preceding recommendations, it’s vital to note that we’ve got successful professionals leading the way in offering support to the restaurants, bars, and even food trucks that they visit often. Charlottesville food is a strong community of folks who strive for excellence, and the following businesses listed are proof that while a good friend may be hard to find, Charlottesville is a tight knit community of food cheerleaders.
At the end of the day (or shift) what matters is finding a spot that makes you feel good. Comfortable, at home; a place to sit, rest, eat, recharge.
