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Public Fish & Oyster, Charlottesville, VA

Public Fish & Oyster

4.8 (2711)
$31 to $50
Seafood
513 W. Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 43 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for happy hour
  • 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

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 2,711 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
  • 4.9Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Virginia

    Seafood

  • Charlottesville

    Best Overall

  • Charlottesville

    Best Food

  • Charlottesville

    Best Service

  • Charlottesville

    Best Value

  • Charlottesville

    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 is a seafood lover's paradise in Charlottesville, known for its "fantastic oysters" and "outstanding service." The ambiance is lively, with a "buzzy" atmosphere that's perfect for gatherings. Guests rave about the "incredibly prepared food," including exquisite Maine oysters and lobster rolls. A must-visit for fresh, delicious seafood!

2,711 Reviews
  1. Jennifer VIP

    San Francisco6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always the best food and service. It never disappoints!!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Colleen VIP

    San Francisco22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love Public and look forward to many more meals with you!! Amazing food, spectacular wine list and wonderful service always!!!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Michael

    Philadelphia2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic as always. 5 star everything. Food and service always good.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Brian VIP

    San Francisco7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great seafood, great hospitality!! Will definitely be back!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Cindy

    Richmond2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waiter was great and attentive. Food was delicious.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Nora VIP

    Richmond34 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I love that you can pick out where your raw oysters come from. I like to get a few mild brine, a few medium brine, and a couple higher brine to compare them. The oysters are always fresh and delicious. That’s why we always return to Public Fish and Oyster for special occasions or just because we want fresh and expertly prepared seafood.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Randi VIP

    Washington DC10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 30, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food, but noise inside dining room was extremely loud! Had to yell so others in our party could hear us talk.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Alexia

    New York City1 review

    4.0

    Dined on April 29, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was great and the waiters were super nice. The food took awhile to come out though and it was only a Tuesday. Wonder how it’d be on weekends. Will definitely be coming back though!!

    Is this helpful?

  9. Beth

    Richmond6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Had an awesome server- sorry I don’t remember her name😞 She explained the specials to us and was extremely knowledgeable about the food. We sat outside- loved that! The oysters rockefeller were delicious as well as ribeye, linguini, monkfish and PoBoy. Excellent in every category

    Is this helpful?

  10. Colleen VIP

    San Francisco22 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Public is a "must go" place for us when visiting Charlottesville. The food is amazing, super wine list and the vibe is great! We will be back again and again!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Public Fish & Oyster is rated 4.8 stars by 2711 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 43 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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