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The Ridley, Charlottesville, VA

The Ridley

4.0
4
520 Reviews
$30 and under
Southern

Make a booking

2 people
7:00 pm
Booked 34 times today
  • Good for groups
  • Great for brunch
  • Lively
The Ridley is THE destination for upscale-casual dining and fresh seafood offerings in Charlottesville, Virginia. Located within The Draftsmen boutique hotel, The Ridley combines convenience and accessibility with an unparalleled dining experience. As one of Charlottesville’s Black-owned restaurants, the concept pays homage to Dr. Walter N. Ridley, the first Black student to graduate from The University of Virginia and receive a graduate degree from any major, historically white public university in the South.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Seafood
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:00 am–12:00 am
  • Phone number
    (434) 984-8010
  • Website
    http://www.theridleyva.com/
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Location
    1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822
  • Area
    Charlottesville
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 520 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.0
4 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 3.9Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 3.8Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Charlottesville

    Innovative

  • Charlottesville

    Good for groups

  • Charlottesville

    Hot spot

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Ridley delights with its "amazing food" and "outstanding service," offering a warm atmosphere perfect for celebrations. Shelly and Lucas, standout servers, enhance the dining experience with their attentiveness and charm. Highlights include "delicious eclectic food" and "rich, flavorful" dishes like Skillet Cornbread. Ideal for both casual meals and special occasions.

520 Reviews

  1. qurell

    Richmond

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The restaurant is a attached to a Hotel. I had French toast and bacon; which was good. My husband had the gumbo which he enjoyed and the shrimp and grits that he did not enjoy as much. My only real complaint is that my glass was dirty. I tried to wipe it off but whatever was on the glass was sticky, the silverware was dirty, the black cloth napkin had lint and hair on it. I ended up asking for plastic utensils, paper napkins and a to-go cup.

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  2. Kristy

    Richmond

    23 reviews

    4.0

    23 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was excellent. Food was good. Not great but tasty!

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  3. Kara

    Baltimore

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server, Lucas, was wonderful! Beautiful restaurant.

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  4. Sarah

    Washington DC

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, menu has great variety and food is terrific. Wonderful service from start to finish.

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  5. Evan

    Richmond

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Food was excellent, recommend the cornbread appetizer.

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  6. Jill

    Richmond

    25 reviews

    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food. Restaurant week menu had great options and was a good deal. Pretty noisy even for a night that it was not packed. Food took a while, then dessert came when we were still eating our entrees. Parking was a challenge. It was not clear what was public and what was not.

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  7. Bill

    Richmond

    11 reviews

    3.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Maybe it was the dreary weather but it our latest visit to the Ridley something was off. Service was just fine but the food wasn’t near as good this time as our last visit. We will need to go back again and try to figure it out. Valet parking is inexpensive ($5) to park which is great, the service was really good but something was off.

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  8. Kellye

    Cincinnati

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 8 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food! Excellent service!! Definitely a vibe.

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  9. Andrew

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 2 February 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Restaurant Week menu was very nice. Braised Brussel sprouts (2/4 diners had then) were a little too hot, but fried green tomatoes were fine. Blackened blacked salmon and accompanying farro and carrot was enjoyed by 3 diners; my wife said there was no chicken in the Bourbon Street Pasta. Everyone enjoyed the bread pudding very much, recommended highly by the hostess and our waitress.

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  10. Mark

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 1 February 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food good service nice place - Jessica was a very attentive server and made sure all was good.

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FAQs

The Ridley offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (434) 984-8010.

The Ridley is rated 4 stars by 520 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 34 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for The Ridley

1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Additional information

  • Area
    Charlottesville
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:00 am–12:00 am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Executive Chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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