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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.9
4.9
2672 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
Public Fish and Oyster serves only the freshest and responsibly sourced seafood. We believe in the complete dining experience and our knowledgeable staff is eager to provide you with the best dining experience Charlottesville has to offer.

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Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in our shared lot adjacent to the restaurant. In addition there is ample street parking and a free city lot a block away in the Ambemarle Hotel lot.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Dylan Allwood

Experiences

  • 2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th

    USD 25.00 per person

    Prepaid

    16 May 2025 - 18 May 2025
    For the weekend of UVA Graduation, Public Fish and Oyster will be offering a three course, prix-fixe menu for $85 per person. To reserve a $25 deposit per person is required which will be applied towards your bill the day of your reservation.
    2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th photo

What 2,672 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster in Charlottesville consistently impresses with "fantastic food" and "excellent service." Known for its fresh, delicious oysters and seafood, it offers a vibrant atmosphere perfect for celebrations. Despite occasional noise, patrons appreciate the attentive staff and delectable menu. It's a "must-visit" for seafood lovers seeking a memorable dining experience.
2,672 Reviews
  1. Lizzie

    Richmond5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We absolutely love Public for both the food and the service. It offers the best seafood in town and the service is both gracious and celebratory. What a fun night!

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  2. Robyn VIP

    Columbus6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The menu description of shellfish pan-roasted sounded great. The dish had potential but the rice was undercooked, the clams were too chewy, and I could not find an oyster anywhere on the plate. A nice piece of key lime pie was marred by a very bitter fruit compote. My husband’s steak was better, but hey, it’s a fish place!

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  3. rusty VIP

    Richmond5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall an outstanding experience. One of the fish entrees was not as good as the rest of the meal, but otherwise an incredible experience

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  4. JeffS

    Washington DC3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food Outstanding service Visiting from out of town Will definitely recommend to family and friends.

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  5. mimi

    Washington DC15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The oysters, mussels, clams and shrimp were delicious! Can’t wait to return again!

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  6. Neal VIP

    Richmond3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always delicious! The oysters are incredible and everything is fresh.

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  7. Laura VIP

    Chicago13 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was very good, especially the mussels and the preparation of the calamari was unique and very tasty. We were disappointed that our favorite dish (scallops) was not on the menu but we did enjoy the crab cake sandwich. Unfortunately, the service (although pleasant) was extremely slow. Our starter did not arrive for 45 minutes after we ordered it. It was also extremely loud (we were seated outside) and it was difficult to have a conversation.

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  8. William

    Richmond2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding experience. Celebrated a birthday with friends, and we were all extremely happy with our food and great service!

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 11 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    First time visit was very positive. Great service and the lobster rolls were great.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    Richmond1 review

    5.0

    Dined on 9 March 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    I love this place, but as someone with hearing loss it’s really hard to join in conversation with members of my party.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.9 stars by 2672 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 47 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Public Fish & Oyster

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Parking is available in our shared lot adjacent to the restaurant. In addition there is ample street parking and a free city lot a block away in the Ambemarle Hotel lot.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Dylan Allwood
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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