Charlottesville Restaurants

Food is an important part of Charlottesville’s culture, as is proven by the wide array of restaurant choices. The city offers countless places to grab a quick, inexpensive bite with a friend, from Chaps, a fifties-themed diner, to Revolutionary Soup, a local chain dedicated to providing high-quality soups and sandwiches with only local ingredients. Local paper The C-Ville voted Rev Soup the best Vegetarian menu in town.

Bodo’s Bagels, a Charlottesville institution, has three locations around town. The C-Ville, has voted Bodo’s the Best Sandwich Spot, Best Quick Lunch, Best Meal Under $10, and Runner-Up Best Brunch.

At Wild Wings Café and Boylan Heights, friends can put their feet up and watch the game. Boylan Heights is a self-titled “Gourmet Burger Bar”, but menu choices don’t stop there: Boylan also serves salads, sandwiches, milkshakes, and fries. Patrons fill out an order card, checking off every obscure ingredient one could think to put on a hamburger.

From Japanese to Indian and Latin to Italian, the Charlottesville area has any international cuisine you might desire. Charlottesville’s trendy local sushi bar, Ten, offers its own spin on modern Japanese cuisine in a sleek, modern atmosphere. Flaming Wok serves a varied menu of traditional Japanese, including several teppan-yaki tables where dinner becomes a show as chefs prepare the food before your eyes. Milan’s wide menu offers many choices for Indian cuisine, prepared with fresh ingredients and interesting sauces.

Mono Loco is a Charlottesville staple. Called “nouveau-Latin”, Mono Loco mixes exotic cuisine with Charlottsville’s own local flavor. Mono Loco is dedicated to using local ingredients, and when possible, organic, so that you can feel good about what you eat.

For authentic Italian, Vivace is the only place to go. The inviting atmosphere welcomes you in, as alluring smells hold you to your seat. Vivace, with a diverse wine selection featuring local Virginia-made wines, and wines imported from Italy, was voted Best Italian in Charlottesville by the C-ville Weekly.

At the Mudhouse, locals relax with their laptop or a good book and enjoy coffee and pastries. Super fine espresso, gourmet juice bar, and free wireless internet make the Mudhouse a hotspot for students and locals alike.

Charlottesville isn’t without its share of fine dining, though; many restaurants, including C&O and Fleurie, are dedicated to creating edible masterpieces for your enjoyment. C&O won Charlottesville’s Best Restaurant Wine List and was runner up for Best Restaurant, Best Date Spot, and Best Late Night Menu, by The C-Ville.C&O offers a unique experience: fine dining in the laidback atmosphere of a renovated railroad bunkhouse.

Fleurie was voted the Best French Restaurant in Charlottesville, with its innovative menu of contemporary French cuisine and extensive wine list.

Any of the trendy tapas restaurants which have sprung up around town in recent years make for an ideal spot for a date or a night out with friends. Mas Tapas features “slow, organic, artisinal foods and wines” with a Spanish twist in an “industrial-warehouse cool” atmosphere.

Bang!, Asian fusion Tapas, has an incredible selection of martinis, and was voted the Best Signature Cocktail in town.

In support of environmentally-conscious residents, over a dozen Charlottesville restaurants are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly, including Revolutionary Soup, Ming Dynasty, Twisted Brach Tea Bazaar, and Bluegrass Grill and Bakery.