Hamiltons' At First & Main

4.8

2364 Reviews

$30 and under

Contemporary American

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 25, 2025

11:00 PM

Booked 15 times today

Experiences are available.

Good for special occasions
Neighborhood gem
Charming

Contemporary Fine Dining in Charlottesville, Virginia Located in the heart of Charlottesville’s Downtown district, Hamiltons’ is the perfect spot for a delicious afternoon lunch or a romantic evening dinner. A cheerful, cozy atmosphere and attentive service ensure our guests enjoy an outstanding dining experience, be they Charlottesville natives, out-of-town visitors, or University students and staff. We also feature outdoor patio seating seasonally, providing our guests the opportunity to dine amidst the bustle of the Downtown Mall.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary American, American
Hours of operation
Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Wed–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Phone number
(434) 295-6649
Website
http://www.hamiltonsrestaurant.com/home.html
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Hunter Harding

Location
101 West Main Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902
Neighborhood
Charlottesville
Cross street
1st Street
Parking details
None
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Experiences

UVA Graduation 2025
$125.00 per person
Prepaid
May 16, 2025 - May 18, 2025
Come celebrate your graduate with Chef Hunter Harding's five course $125 per person prix fixe menu. The price is exclusive of tax, beverages and gratuity.

Popular dishes

Vegetarian Soup of the Day$6.00
ask your server or give us a phone call to find out the soup du jour
- Cup$6.00
- Bowl$9.00
Blue Crab and Corn Chowder$9.00
with bacon and chives
- Cup$9.00
- Bowl$12.00
Meadows Pride Farm Lamb Meatballs$13.00
in harissa sauce with crumbled feta
Crispy Fried Oysters$14.00
with a sweet cabbage slaw and Tobasco aioli
P.E.I. Mussels$15.00
steamed mussels in a vermouth broth with baguette
Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms$13.00
with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, local chèvre, Parmigiano Reggiano and chili oil

Salads

House Salad Vinaigrette$7.00
with house ginger-soy dressing, cucumbers, and tomatoes
Mixed Greens$10.00
with cornmeal-crusted goat cheese, spiced Virginia pecans, sun-dried tomatoes and ancho chili vinaigrette
- HALF$10.00
- WHOLE$14.00
Fried Calamari$19.00
tossed in an herb dressing with marinated tomatoes and olives, pickled pepperoncinis, and arugula

Entrees

Shrimp and Grits$31.00
shrimp poached in chardonnay and lemon with Woodson's Mill creamy grits, smoked Roma tomato confit, and fresh arugula
Vegetarian "Blue Plate" Special$24.00
ask your server for today's special
Fish of the Day$31.00
Pan seared Rainbow Trout with Creole wild rice, saffron stewed Hakurei turnips, and an ancho aioli
- Market Price$31.00
Pan-Roasted Jumbo Lump Crabcakes$36.00
over herbed basmati rice with sauteed spinach, and remoulade
Wild Mushroom and Herb Ravioli$30.00
with Italian sausage bolognese and shaved parmesan
Polyface Farm Pan Roasted Chicken Breast$32.00
with oyster mushroom cream sauce, crispy kale and sweet cornbread
Grilled Local Dry-Aged Beef Tenderloin$42.00
with New York sharp cheddar and red potato gratin, roasted broccolini, housemade steak sauce and crispy leeks
Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop$32.00
with bacon braised green cabbage, crispy parsnip ribbons, and local apple butter

Desserts

Gearharts Fine Chocolate Flourless Chocolate Torte$9.00
Kahlua Crème Brulée$8.00
Trio of Granitas in a Brandysnap Cup$7.00
Almond Cake$9.00
with pomegranate syrup
Local Vanilla Ice Cream$6.00

What 2,364 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
4.9Service
4.8Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Virginia
Contemporary American
Charlottesville
Best Overall
Charlottesville
Best Food
Charlottesville
Best Service
Charlottesville
Best Ambiance
Charlottesville
Best Value
Charlottesville
Healthy
Charlottesville
Neighborhood gem
Charlottesville
Great for fine wines
Charlottesville
Great for outdoor dining
Charlottesville
Romantic
Charlottesville
Good for special occasions
Charlottesville
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Hamiltons' At First & Main offers a "wonderful dining experience" with "excellent service" and "delicious food." Guests rave about the fried oyster salad, crab cakes, and "outstanding" lobster tortellini. The ambiance is "comfortably upscale," enhanced by live jazz. Repeat visitors appreciate its "consistently great" offerings and friendly staff.

2,364 Reviews

B
Betty
Richmond
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent service. The food was delicious. I will definitely come back.
Is this helpful?
D
David
Berlin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, service and ambience. Fried oyster salad is amazing. Will be back
Is this helpful?
D
Deborah
VIP
Richmond
107 reviews
5.0
107 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful meal as always. The Nasi Goreng is my lunch favorite. The lobster tortellini special was outstanding. The blue crab and corn chowder was packed with crabmeat.
Is this helpful?
B
Brian
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
Great service, extremely knowledgeable staff for special diets. Food was delicious.
Is this helpful?
M
Mackenzie
Richmond
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on February 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was great and the service was amazing! Our server was wonderful, friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend the espresso martini, the corn chowder and the oysters Rockefeller. Would recommend for a special date night, anniversary or celebration
Is this helpful?
R
Rich
Costa Rica
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on February 15, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We dined on Valentine’s Day 2025 .Amazing food/ service/ambiance . Our waiter was extraordinary-taking great care of us. Can’t wait to go back! P.s.-they had live jazz guitarist on hand —how special!!!
Is this helpful?
D
Dewey
Richmond
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This place never fails to offer excellent food and wine with friendly and efficient service. It is one of the very best fine dining restaurants in Charlottesville. The changing menu always seems to feature a good range of classic dishes that are very well prepared.
Is this helpful?
G
Glen
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on February 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We really enjoyed our food & drinks and our waiter was excellent! Very attentive! We will plan to return!
Is this helpful?
J
James
VIP
Richmond
61 reviews
4.0
61 reviews
Dined on February 13, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Consistently good. Service wasn't up to usual standards, but there were only two servers in the restaurant, so they were busy. Service was perfunctory as a result.
Is this helpful?
R
Rachael
Richmond
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on February 9, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Extremely disappointed by our first dining experience. So many issues; including service, food, etc.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Hamiltons' At First & Main offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (434) 295-6649.

Hamiltons' At First & Main is rated 4.8 stars by 2364 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 25, 2025

11:00 PM

Booked 15 times today

Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Hamiltons' At First & Main

101 West Main Street, Charlottesville, VA 22902

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
1st Street
Neighborhood
Charlottesville
Hours of operation
Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Lunch Wed–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 4:00 pm–8:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary American, American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Hunter Harding
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.hamiltonsrestaurant.com/home.html
Phone number
(434) 295-6649

Hamiltons' At First & Main

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

100 Virginia Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

50 Virginia Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day

UVA Graduation 2025

Fried Oyster Salad

Shrimp and Grits

Blue Crab and Corn Chowder

Soup, etc.

Vegetarian Soup of the Day$6.00

Blue Crab and Corn Chowder$9.00

Meadows Pride Farm Lamb Meatballs$13.00

Crispy Fried Oysters$14.00

P.E.I. Mussels$15.00

Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms$13.00

Salads

House Salad Vinaigrette$7.00

Mixed Greens$10.00

Fried Calamari$19.00

Entrees

Shrimp and Grits$31.00

Vegetarian "Blue Plate" Special$24.00

Fish of the Day$31.00

Pan-Roasted Jumbo Lump Crabcakes$36.00

Wild Mushroom and Herb Ravioli$30.00

Polyface Farm Pan Roasted Chicken Breast$32.00

Grilled Local Dry-Aged Beef Tenderloin$42.00

Grilled Bone-in Pork Chop$32.00

Desserts

Gearharts Fine Chocolate Flourless Chocolate Torte$9.00

Kahlua Crème Brulée$8.00

Trio of Granitas in a Brandysnap Cup$7.00

Almond Cake$9.00

Local Vanilla Ice Cream$6.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Hamiltons' At First & Main offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Hamiltons' At First & Main restaurant rated?

Is Hamiltons' At First & Main currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

Featured in

100 Virginia Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

50 Virginia Restaurants to Connect In For Mother's Day