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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8
4.8
2612 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood
A photo of Public Fish & Oyster restaurant

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8
$31 to $50
Seafood
Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 41 times today
  • Great for happy hour
  • Lively
  • Neighborhood 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 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
  • Neighborhood
    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 2,612 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

    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.

2,612 Reviews
  1. John

    Washington DC

    40 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    40 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    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?

  2. Andrew

    Toronto

    45 reviews

    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    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?

  3. Amy

    New York City

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 2, 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?

  4. lisa

    Omaha

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 2, 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?

  5. Erica

    Orlando

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 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?

  6. Jeff

    Richmond

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Superb experience as always. John waited on our table and he was so hospitable and on point all night. Will continue to go back, and will continue to request being sat in his area. Cheers!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Owen

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    By far my favorite restaurant in town. Service and food is second to none, great cocktails, oysters, fish, if you’re thinking about coming here to eat, just do it.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Robert

    Orlando

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on November 26, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great spot!!!! You should definitely add this to your dining rotation when you visit Charlottesville! They have done a great job there! 

    Is this helpful?

  9. Douglas

    Washington DC

    27 reviews

    3.0

    27 reviews

    Dined on November 26, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    On a Monday evening, it took between 30-45 minutes to deliver the main courses after the appetizers were served . When asked the reason for the delay, the answer from the waitress was “Our kitchen is really small “. Really!?!?!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Kelley

    Richmond

    13 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on November 25, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Can't get the patio right. Either freezing or hot air blowing directly on you.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2612 OpenTable diners.

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

A photo of Public Fish & Oyster restaurant

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8
$31 to $50
Seafood
Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 41 times today
Google Map for Public Fish & Oyster

513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    6th St. NW
  • Neighborhood
    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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