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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8 (2758)
$31 to $50
Seafood
513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 53 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
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
  • 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

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What 2,758 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

4.8
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

    Neighborhood gem

  • Charlottesville

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Charlottesville

    Lively

  • Charlottesville

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Public Fish & Oyster in Charlottesville is a local gem renowned for its "consistently fresh seafood" and "attentive service." Patrons rave about their "freshest briniest oysters," "outstanding lobster rolls," and "superb wine selection." The atmosphere is "buzzy" yet inviting, with both indoor and outdoor seating options. Perfect for seafood lovers seeking an "amazing" dining experience.
2,758 Reviews
  1. Camille

    Los Angeles1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Freshest briniest oysters and succulent mussels in green curry sauce were amazing. Also, great halibut. Our waiter John Lindsey provided amazing service and great humor. This is a gem of a place!

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  2. Davra

    Virginia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was amazing, service was great, outdoor seating was first for me at PFO and was very nice. More spacious than inside and not as noisy. Highly recommend whatever oysters in the half shell are available, the lobster bisque, the little salad, PFO pan roast, and berry crumble. Shout out to Alex B for his dry send of humor and wit! We enjoyed him as our server. PFO is a local favorite, so always look forward to time there. Thank you for a beautiful and wonderful meal!

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  3. Lucy

    Washington, D.C. Area1 review

    3.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It’s been two years since we last came here. Glad they still have the lobster rolls.

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  4. katy

    Atlanta9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Went to enjoy happy hour then stayed for entrees. Drinks were phenomenal, one of the best lobster rolls I've had. Nice selection of oysters served wonderfully chilled. The boil pot was enough for two and the deserts were divine! Definitely a place to take time and enjoy. We will be back.

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  5. John

    New York City26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Outstanding dinner while staying the night in Charlottesville! I'd mentioned in our reservation request that it was our anniversary, and both John (manager) and Eric (waiter) made the evening memorable, which we appreciated very much! Nice table in the window, and Eric walked us through the menu, answering questions and providing suggestions to make our meal even more delicious. Nicely done, and we'll definitely return when in the area!

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  6. HattieP

    Greensboro / Winston Salem / Highpoint9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I had such a lovely dinner here! I made reservations based all the glowing reviews, and they did not disappoint. All our food was fabulous and our server was absolute perfection! We look forward to visiting again on our next trip!

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  7. Robert

    Unspecified2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great Neal, great service. We look forward to returning

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  8. Tim

    Virginia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outside was great. All aspects of the meal were excellent

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  9. Zenia VIP

    Baltimore / Maryland6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We visited Charlottesville for our anniversary and were so glad we did. We really enjoyed our dinner at Public and my husband said the oysters were fresh and very good. They have a great selection of whiskey and bourbon that we enjoyed as well. The host was kind and accommodating!

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  10. jody

    Virginia1 review

    2.0

    Dined on June 16, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The brussel sprouts were not hot. Too many of the mussels were bad -- either closed, missing or a disgusting mushy blob. Very disappointing.

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FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2758 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Virginia
  4. Charlottesville
  5. Charlottesville

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 53 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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