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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.9
4.9
2658 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 50 times today
Experiences are available.
  • 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 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (434) 995-5542
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Dylan Allwood
  • Neighbourhood
    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

Experiences

  • 2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th

    US$25.00 per person

    Prepaid

    May 16, 2025 - May 18, 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.
    2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th photo

What 2,658 people are saying

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
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Hot spot

  • Charlottesville

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster is a standout dining spot in Charlottesville, offering a "fantastic seafood" experience. Guests rave about the "great food and excellent service," particularly enjoying the "amazing selection of oysters" and "delicious" lobster rolls. The vibrant atmosphere and "friendly, knowledgeable staff" make it a must-visit for seafood lovers.

2,658 Reviews
  1. Tom

    VIP

    Atlanta

    27 reviews

    5.0

    27 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    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?

  2. Warwick

    Toronto

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    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?

  3. Meridyth

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    If you're looking for quality seafood (which is hard to find in Charlottesville), this is the place! So fresh and reasonably priced!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Roger

    VIP

    Washington DC

    25 reviews

    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined on February 17, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Fried oysters and salad: outstanding! Po Boy and trout were very good. Our guest felt that the crab cake was a bit heavy on the filling. My wife loved her Old Fashioned! The restaurant was very busy at the end of happy hour and the service was quite efficient and friendly.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Avest

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic food, service and ambiance as always. We have been coming here for the past two years and it hits the mark every time. We always get Raw Oysters, Oysters Rockefeller, and the mussels in the white wine cream sauce. SO GOOD!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Pablo

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was delicious. Great service. Very nice people.

    Is this helpful?

  7. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great meal, service and ambiance

    Is this helpful?

  8. Doug

    VIP

    Richmond

    30 reviews

    2.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Very good oyster selection from Canada, New England, and other locales. The entrees, atmosphere were so-so.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Gerald

    VIP

    Richmond

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was outstanding. Service was great. Food was great.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Daniel

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service received by the bartender was exceptional and provided a high level experience

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.9 stars by 2658 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 50 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Public Fish & Oyster

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    6th St. NW
  • Neighbourhood
    Charlottesville
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Dinner Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:30 pm Happy Hour Daily 4:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • 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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