Public Fish & Oyster

4.9

2665 Reviews

$31 to $50

Seafood

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 41 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Great for happy hour

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
Website
http://www.publicfo.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Dylan Allwood

Location
513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903
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

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia

Experiences

2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th
US$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.

Popular dishes

Minnie Pearls, Gloucester, VAUS$3.30
mild brine, creamy finish
Gowanbraes, Souris River, PEIUS$3.30
medium brine, veggie finish
Les Saint Simones, Shippagan, NBUS$3.30
medium brine, champagne finish
Northern Belles, North Lake, PEIUS$3.30
medium brine, umami finish
Chebooktooks, Bouctouche Bay, NBUS$3.30
medium brine, brothy finish
Moonrises, East Dennis, MAUS$3.30
high brine, full ocean finish
Fiddleheads, Lewis Bay, MAUS$3.30
high brine, salted-butter finish

More Raw Bar

add to your tray of oysters or on their own

Colossal Shrimp CocktailUS$3.50
lemon, cocktail sauce
- eachUS$3.50
- five pieceUS$16.00
Middleneck Clams, Eastern Shore, VAUS$2.75

Seafood Towers

available friday, saturday and sunday only

Neptune's TowerUS$95.00
(2-3 guests) eight oysters on the half shell, four middleneck clams, five cocktail shrimp, smoked trout dip, daily crudo, cluster of snow crab legs, half chilled lobster
Poseidon's TowerUS$165.00
(4-6 guests) sixteen oysters on the half shell, eight middleneck clams, ten cocktail shrimp, smoked trout dip, daily crudo, two clusters of snow crab legs, whole chilled lobster

What 2,665 people are saying

Public Fish & Oyster reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
4.9Service
4.6Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

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.

2,665 Reviews

W
William
Richmond2 reviews
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
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!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City1 review
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
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.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Richmond1 review
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
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?
C
Chris
Richmond17 reviews
5.0
Dined on 3 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I've been looking forward to eating there for a few weeks. The service is personable, the food is outstanding, and the overall experience keeps us coming back time and time again.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
Richmond2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 2 March 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Best meal we've had in awhile with large portions! They accommodated a change to our reservation which was very appreciated. The spacing was a little tight, so it was a little loud, but the service was fantastic and the food was superb. Highly recommend Public Fish & Oyster.
Is this helpful?
T
Tim
Washington DC4 reviews
4.0
Dined on 26 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Our food was great, as was the wait person. We were in the middle row of tables, so had wait staff and patrons walking behind each of us (seated across from one another). And it was fairly tight quarters. So it was a little unnerving. We’ve eaten before on one side tables, so folks are only passing on one side (again close quarters). Seating & close quarters was as expected. Food was fantastic. Place was busy even on a Wednesday evening. Definitely will go again.
Is this helpful?
G
Greg
Chicago2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 25 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was very good. A bit noisy in the main dining area, but they have another area in the back and under the tent. We were under the tent and very comfortable.
Is this helpful?
L
Leslyn
Richmond24 reviews
5.0
Dined on 24 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a GREAT experience. Food. Drinks. Service. All fantastic!
Is this helpful?
T
Tom
Atlanta27 reviews
5.0
Dined on 23 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great food and excellent service. Had the crab cakes and the Mole Frites. Desserts were Key Lime Pie and Chocolate pot de crème. Really good.
Is this helpful?
W
Warwick
Toronto1 review
4.0
Dined on 22 February 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Lobster market price was higher than expected for the food, and the lobster flavor itself was quite bland. Oysters could've been shucked better but were still delicious! The daily crudo if tuna tataki was great and was our favorite of the entire meal.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.9 stars by 2665 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

14 Mar 2025

19:00

Booked 41 times today

Experiences are available.

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

Website
http://www.publicfo.com/
Phone number
(434) 995-5542

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia

Public Fish & Oyster

Make a booking

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia

Experiences

2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th

Popular dishes

Sea Scallops

Key Lime Pie

"Caesar" Salad

Menu

Raw Oysters on the Half Shell

Minnie Pearls, Gloucester, VAUS$3.30

Gowanbraes, Souris River, PEIUS$3.30

Les Saint Simones, Shippagan, NBUS$3.30

Northern Belles, North Lake, PEIUS$3.30

Chebooktooks, Bouctouche Bay, NBUS$3.30

Moonrises, East Dennis, MAUS$3.30

Fiddleheads, Lewis Bay, MAUS$3.30

More Raw Bar

Colossal Shrimp CocktailUS$3.50

Middleneck Clams, Eastern Shore, VAUS$2.75

Seafood Towers

Neptune's TowerUS$95.00

Poseidon's TowerUS$165.00

What 2,665 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Public Fish & Oyster restaurant rated?

Is Public Fish & Oyster currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

A Guide to the Best Date Spots in Virginia