Diners' Choice: Best Ambience restaurants in Charlottesville

OpenTable

Updated 05 March 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best ambience in Charlottesville? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyses nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favourite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you book, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

The Farmhouse at Veritas

4.9

4.9 (1027)

$50 and over

Farm-to-table

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Please inform us of any dietary restrictions at least 48 hours prior to reservation time.
No children or pets allowed for any reservations

DINNER: Plan to arrive at 6:15 pm for a glass of bubbly and be seated for dinner at 6:30 pm. Dinner is four courses, each one paired with wine. The cost is $120.00 per person prix fixe

Top review

Isabel e Paul

Dined on 1 Mar 2025

As usual, we had a wonderful experience. The service was excellent from the pre-dinner bubbly to the coffee after desert. We enjoyed every course of the menu, which were perfectly paired with great wines.

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Experience

The Farmhouse Wine Paired Dinner

Spoon & Spindle

4.9

4.9 (103)

$31 to $50

Southern

Orange

About the restaurant

Spoon & Spindle is located in historic Orange, Virginia in a nearly 100 year old silk mill. Spearheaded by Chef Zachary Andrews, Spoon & Spindle serves seasonal menus for brunch, lunch, & dinner as well as ever-updating craft cocktails, local wines, and unique beers. Our current menu includes fan favorites like the Cochon de Bon, a French Creole inspired dish. Our current Chef's Specials also include Steak Frites, Étouffée, Crawfish Fried Rice, and much more. Our popular brunch menu includes favorites like the Hangover Hash, Ham Benedict, Breakfast Fried Rice, Chicken & Waffles, and much, much more. Our unique menu, intimate dining room, and uber friendly staff keep our regulars coming back to see what we have on special each day.

Top review

Greg

Dined 3 days ago

Our first time here; we loved the food, atmosphere, and service -- top notch! :-)

Fleurie

4.9

4.9 (1864)

$50 and over

French

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Fleurie has a few Valentine's Day reservations remaining! $135 per person three course prix-fixe menu. Please call 434-971-7800 or email fleuriecville@gmail.com

Serving Dinner Tuesday - Saturday.
Daily Prix-Fixe 3-Course Menu ($109) with optional Wine Pairings ($75+)
Fleurie offers patio and indoor dining by reservation.
Please make sure to select your desired seating area when booking.

Join us at Fleurie Restaurant for a contemporary French fine dining experience, located just off Charlottesville's charming Downtown Mall on 3rd Street. Fleurie's elegant atmosphere, stellar wine list, and innovative menu are sure to produce an unforgettable meal. Fleurie is the perfect place to celebrate special occasions or simply enjoy masterfully prepared dishes and intimate service.

Top review

Denise

Dined 4 days ago

Wonderful experience. The service was great and the food was absolutely delicious. The specials from the chef were innovative with some unexpected combinations.

The Ivy Inn Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (3884)

$50 and over

Contemporary American

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Seasonal Local American Cuisine. We use many local products from local farmers. We are located about a mile west of the University of Virginia campus. Historic old home turned into a restaurant. Three small intimate dining rooms upstairs, one on the ground floor and a large weather protected patio. In the winter the Patio is heated. Family owned since 1995. Special diet needs met upon request.

Top review

Brett

Dined on 4 Mar 2025

Excellent food, excellent service, every time we go!!

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Popular dish

Key Lime Pie

Popular dish

Potato Gnocchi Bolognese

Popular dish

Grilled Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin

Ten

4.9

4.9 (1107)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Ten is a modern Japanese tapas style restaurant, centrally located on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall.

Since 2006, Ten has served a variety of both traditional and original cuisine.

Chef Pei Jen Chang sources ingredients from the finest local, regional, and international sea and farm purveyors, and strives to offer fare that will appeal to the gamut of culinary palates.

Our bar menu boasts an extensive wine list, an assortment of imported and local craft beers, as well as one of the largest collections of sake in Virginia. In addition, we offer a unique selection of libations, such as hand-crafted Asian inspired cocktails, assembled using inventive, authentic ingredients, or a 'Sake Flight', which allows for the subtle, intricate flavors of three selected varietals to be experienced.

The meaning of the Japanese word 'Ten' is 'heaven' or 'celebration', and our highest goal is to create an elevated, adventurous, and intimate dining experie

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined 3 days ago

Beautiful ambiance with amazing food. I’m definitely returning with friends.

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Experience

2025 UVA Graduation Prix Fixe Menu - $75.00

Palladio

4.9

4.9 (558)

$31 to $50

Italian

Gordonsville

About the restaurant

The elegant balance we value in wine, the quality of celebration inherent in its welcome, inspire palate harmonies that are Virginian in resources and Northern Italian in perspective, in country dining of vivacity and refinement. Here the estate of wine is inhabited at its most seamless and complete, sustained behind the scenes by the rarest collaboration of colleagues gifted in cuisine, viticulture, horticulture and service. Luxury on-site accommodations available at our 1804 Inn and Cottages. For additional information, please visit our website www.bbvwine.com.

Top review

Kim

Dined 5 days ago

We loved every dish. The service was impeccable. It is our special place where we always feel welcomed and can enjoy everything.

C&O

4.9

4.9 (879)

$50 and over

American

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Dinner is served in our mezzanine, bistro and upstairs dining rooms, Tuesday through Saturday.
Reservations are for dinner only, please. Bar seats operate on a first come, first serve basis, and cannot be reserved.
We cannot accommodate parties larger than 10. Due to the layout of our restaurant, we are unable to accommodate pets on our patio.

Top review

Steven

Dined 6 days ago

Great food, service & ambiance. Building very cool!

Hamiltons' At First & Main

4.8

4.8 (2369)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Contemporary Fine Dining in Charlottesville, Virginia Located in the heart of Charlottesville’s Downtown district, Hamiltons’ is the perfect spot for a delicious afternoon lunch or a romantic evening dinner. A cheerful, cozy atmosphere and attentive service ensure our guests enjoy an outstanding dining experience, be they Charlottesville natives, out-of-town visitors, or University students and staff. We also feature outdoor patio seating seasonally, providing our guests the opportunity to dine amidst the bustle of the Downtown Mall.

Top review

Louis

Dined 3 days ago

An unforgettable evening at Hamiltons’ At First & Main! From the first sip to the last bite, everything was exceptional—delicious food, perfectly crafted drinks, warm ambience, and outstanding service. The lump crab cake was the best I’ve ever had—pure, sweet crab with a golden crisp crust, tender and meaty inside, with just enough seasoning to enhance its natural flavors. No fillers, just perfection. The Sicilian martini with caper berries was a brilliant surprise—smooth, crisp, and beautifully briny, adding an unexpected depth to a classic cocktail. A bold, sophisticated twist that paired wonderfully with the meal. The GL Malbec was rich and velvety, layered with deep blackberry and plum notes, a hint of vanilla and spice, and silky tannins that made each sip more indulgent than the last. And just when we thought it couldn’t get better, dessert stole the show—a heavenly almond cake drizzled with tangy-sweet pomegranate syrup, served alongside a scoop of locally crafted vanilla ice cream that was silky, fragrant, and perfectly creamy. The service was impeccable—warm, attentive, and seamless. The ambience made for a truly relaxing, intimate evening with my wife. A flawless dining experience—we’ll absolutely be back next time we’re in town!

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Blue Crab and Corn Chowder

Forked on Main

4.8

4.8 (163)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Orange

About the restaurant

Forked on Main is a casual contemporary eatery, located in the historic Sparks building on Main Street in Orange, VA. Walk in the door and you’re instantly faced with the hostess stand and a decision – a fork in the road. Take a right and you enter a light-filled dining room that can seat couples, families or even private parties. Take a left, and you’re ensconced in the lounge, perfect for a casual mid-day coffee, a happy hour drink with co-workers or a night out on Main Street with friends.

Top review

GeriVIP

Dined on 22 Feb 2025

This is a wonderful gem of a restaurant in Orange, VA. The service was top notch, the food was excellent, and the ambience perfect for a night out. Suitable for families , friends, and couples. Our server, Shawn, was attentive and knowledgable, and very friendly throughout the evening. There was also some lovely live guitar music that made the evening that much nicer.

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4.8

4.8 (355)

$31 to $50

Contemporary French / American

Charlottesville

About the restaurant

Café Frank is a vibrant, intimate Franco-Italian restaurant and cocktail bar on Charlottesville's Historic Downtown Pedestrian Mall. We can't wait to serve you!

Top review

MarkVIP

Dined on 24 Feb 2025

Fantastic as usual. New salad with buratta and pears was a special treat. Great food, service and vibes. Place to go in Charlottesville.

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Experience

UVA Graduation 2025

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