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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.9
4.9
2678 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 61 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood 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.

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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
  • 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

Experiences

  • 2025 UVA Graduation Weekend May 16th-18th

    $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 2,678 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
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    Neighborhood gem

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster consistently impresses with its "fresh and delicious" seafood, particularly the oysters and lobster rolls. The "service is top notch," creating a welcoming atmosphere for both locals and visitors. Despite occasional noise, the "vibrant" ambiance and "great happy hour" offerings make it a must-visit in Charlottesville.
2,678 Reviews
  1. Renee VIP

    Washington DC80 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Sat outside. We prefer inside table but outside was comfortable enough for being a chilly day outside. I’d just prefer to be warm and cozy inside!

    Is this helpful?

  2. LaurieW

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and our server John was fantastic! We definitely be returning!

    Is this helpful?

  3. marsha VIP

    San Francisco23 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    we ordered lobster rolls and while the brioche roll was good, there was no lobster in half of the buns, only lettuce. And after we finished our oyster appetizer, we had a very long wait before the lobster rolls arrived.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    New Orleans1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious, fresh seafood. Service was attentive, atmosphere relaxing and conducive to friendly visit.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Nora VIP

    Richmond33 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We were able to get a reservation and on a Saturday evening, too, even though we made the reservation today. The food was great, as always, at Public Fish and Oyster. The oysters were fresh and delicious and I love their Brussels sprouts. I had more oysters in a tasty oyster po’ boy. My guest had lobster bisque and mussels that he savored. We were very comfortable at an outside table, even though it was a breezy day. We always return to Public Fish and Oyster when we have a craving for great seafood prepared well.

    Is this helpful?

  6. OpenTable Diner

    Chicago2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing! Food was delicious. As were drinks. Service top notch! Highly recommend 🙂👍

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  7. Lizzie

    Richmond5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We absolutely love Public for both the food and the service. It offers the best seafood in town and the service is both gracious and celebratory. What a fun night!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Robyn VIP

    Columbus6 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on March 18, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    The menu description of shellfish pan-roasted sounded great. The dish had potential but the rice was undercooked, the clams were too chewy, and I could not find an oyster anywhere on the plate. A nice piece of key lime pie was marred by a very bitter fruit compote. My husband’s steak was better, but hey, it’s a fish place!

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  9. rusty VIP

    Richmond5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Overall an outstanding experience. One of the fish entrees was not as good as the rest of the meal, but otherwise an incredible experience

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  10. JeffS

    Washington DC3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 14, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food Outstanding service Visiting from out of town Will definitely recommend to family and friends.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.9 stars by 2678 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 PM
Booked 61 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
  • 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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