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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8
4.8
2600 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 26 times today
  • Great for happy hour
  • Lively
  • Neighbourhood gem
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 2,600 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
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster in Charlottesville is a seafood lover's paradise, renowned for its "excellent oysters" and "fantastic service". Diners rave about the "fresh and delicious" seafood, including standout crab cakes and lobster rolls. While the dining area can be "crowded and loud," the vibrant atmosphere and attentive staff make it a must-visit. Enjoy an extensive menu with creative cocktails and a top-notch oyster selection.

2,600 Reviews
  1. Alexa

    Detroit

    29 reviews

    5.0

    29 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is so delicious and the service was amazing! Highly recommend to all.

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  2. Ken

    Richmond

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We showed up (very) early for our reservation and they accommodated us. Their raw oysters were ice cold, briny, fresh, clean and already loosened from their shells…just the way they should be. Perfection.

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  3. Lauren

    Tampa

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful service and food. We were visiting from out of town and really enjoyed the cocktails and food 🙌

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  4. Richard

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The lobster rolls were amazing 🤩!! Look forward to having the Public Oyster experience, and the oysters were awesome.👏

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  5. Ann

    Richmond

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 12 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 2
    Our waiter was outstanding.He had a great sense of humor, he showed pictures of the specials on his phone.

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  6. Chris

    San Antonio

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    What a pleasant surprise. Outstanding shrimp cocktail, delicious oysters and crab cakes to die for! Great service. We’ll be back.

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  7. Neil

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Andre was super friendly and attentive. Our crab legs and salmon were fabulous!

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  8. Sara

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had another outstanding dinner at Public Fish & Oyster. This is my favorite restaurant in Charlottesville. We both had the Halibut fish special, plus brussell sprouts. Service was very good and got a parking spot in the lot next to restaurant. Overall, a very nice night.

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  9. Jennifer

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food at Public Oyster is amazing. From the raw oysters to the happy hour lobster rolls. Wine and bourbon selection is very good. We visit every time we are in Charlottesville.

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  10. LesaP

    Richmond

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 5 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Celebrated our anniversary, hostess, put us at a front table by a window, such a quiet little nook. Lobster bisque was out of this world. Waitress was kind and patient and informative. The oysters were the best I ever had. The batter was excellent! My husband enjoyed the shrimp linguine. we will be back again. Thank you so much for all that you do!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2600 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 26 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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