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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8
4.8
2617 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 35 times today
  • Great for happy hour
  • 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.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–21:00 Dinner Fri, Sat 16:00–21:30 Happy Hour Daily 16:00–18:00
  • Phone number
    (434) 995-5542
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Dylan Allwood
  • Area
    Charlottesville
  • Cross Street
    6th St. NW
  • 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.
  • Public transit
    Bus line and trolly service right outside our door.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,617 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Hot spot

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster is a seafood lover's paradise in Charlottesville, renowned for its "top-notch oysters" and "always great service." The menu is diverse, featuring fresh seafood like lobster rolls and crab cakes, complemented by a "spectacular" atmosphere. Patrons frequently return for the "excellent cocktails" and the energetic vibe, though it can be "a bit loud" inside. Reservations are recommended to enjoy their popular offerings, especially during happy hour.

2,617 Reviews
  1. Nelsie

    VIP

    Washington DC

    15 reviews

    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfection! The vibe. The service. There's food. Excellent

    Is this helpful?

  2. Richard

    Seattle

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great fresh fish and seafood. It does not disappoint! Great service as well.

    Is this helpful?

  3. +Liz

    Montreal

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, excellent service and delicious food! Can’t wait to go back

    Is this helpful?

  4. Diane

    Las Vegas

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 12 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was outstanding and accomodated us for several in our party that had hearing problems. So grateful for the service and the delicious food.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Phil

    Washington DC

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 10 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a great destination for fresh oysters and their lobster roll special!

    Is this helpful?

  6. John

    VIP

    Washington DC

    40 reviews

    5.0

    40 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best happy hour in town! Great oysters, lobster rolls, chowder, and Key Lime pie. Service is fast and knowledgeable. A must stop if you are in the area. Make a reservation in advance.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Andrew

    VIP

    Toronto

    46 reviews

    5.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    This place was the jam. Staff team was truly incredible. The sourcing of the fish seafood and shellfish was top notch! It is definitely worth going for happy hour to snag a $9 cocktail and esp. for the oyster discount dishes. Main menu has some well priced items too. Very noisy and a tad constrained in the main room but quality and consistency make up for it. Excellent!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Amy

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful food - all of it very good and some of it spectacular. Service was excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  9. lisa

    Omaha

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 2 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our evening meal was amazing and our waiter, Alex was phenomenal. We were in town from Nebraska and saw the reviews and had to try it!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Erica

    VIP

    Orlando

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service. The bartenders are great and always welcome you with a smile. Thank you for offering such a great dinning experience.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2617 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 35 times today
Google Map for Public Fish & Oyster

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    6th St. NW
  • Area
    Charlottesville
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–21:00 Dinner Fri, Sat 16:00–21:30 Happy Hour Daily 16:00–18:00
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Contemporary American, Oyster Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • 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.
  • Public transit
    Bus line and trolly service right outside our door.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Dylan Allwood
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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