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The Ridley, Charlottesville, VA

The Ridley

4.1
4.1
537 Reviews
$30 and under
Southern
1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Charming
The Ridley is THE destination for upscale-casual dining and fresh seafood offerings in Charlottesville, Virginia. Located within The Draftsmen boutique hotel, The Ridley combines convenience and accessibility with an unparalleled dining experience. As one of Charlottesville’s Black-owned restaurants, the concept pays homage to Dr. Walter N. Ridley, the first Black student to graduate from The University of Virginia and receive a graduate degree from any major, historically white public university in the South.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Seafood
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:00 am–12:00 am
  • Phone number
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Neighborhood
    Charlottesville
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 537 people are saying

The Ridley 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

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 4.1Food
  • 4.2Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Charlottesville

    Good for groups

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Ridley delights with its "outstanding food" and "excellent service." Diners praise the "great burgers and fries," "delicious salmon and lamb shank," and "fantastic Southern-style Christmas buffet." The warm atmosphere and accommodating staff make every visit memorable. Some dishes need refinement, but overall, it's a "place worth visiting."

537 Reviews
  1. Catherine

    Washington DC2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great experience. Gail was our server and very lovely and attentive. The hostess (I forget her name :-( )was so kind and made our experience personable and checked in on us before leaving. Delicious food and drink, fun atmosphere

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  2. Erica

    Washington DC1 review

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was great—definitely lived up to the reviews! I’m so glad I chose to celebrate my birthday here. And honestly, in my 35+ years, I never thought I’d eat Brussels sprouts… but we tried them here, and they were AMAZING! So glad we did.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Floyd

    Houston12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My first visit to the restaurant. It took a while for a host/hostess to greet me at the entrance, but that was the only drawback. The staff was friendly and attentive. Everything was delicious. Whenever I'm back in Charlottesville, I'll be sure to visit

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Steven

    Richmond16 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Came for burger week. Great burger and fries. Will definitely be back. Great bar/restaurant/atmosphere. Service was excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Robert

    Washington DC23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our food and service were very good: salmon and lamb shank. We were lucky: seated in front of the opened wall to feel the outside. The red wines on the list looked pleasant but not exceptional. However, I enjoyed Unshackled. We definitely would return and maybe try the hamburgers next time as they seemed very popular.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Janet

    Washington DC2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waiter was one of the best ever! He helped make our celebration even more special!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Sandi

    Washington DC5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everyone enjoyed their dishes. I loved chicken and waffles but prefer boneless chicken as it makes it easier to eat. Excellent service and ambience. The deviled eggs were a yummy appetizer as was the Brussels sprouts!

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  8. Cheryl VIP

    San Francisco9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I had chicken and biscuits with a side of grits. Both were 5 star. Delicious grits and the gravy had the right amount of seasoning. Only problem was no latte. If that’s important to you, like it is to me, than it makes a difference. Great service. Lovely breakfast.

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  9. Constance

    Richmond1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food was really good! We had the Ridley burger and fries with beer, all was delicious. Servers were very friendly and provided good service, a little slow getting the bill to us but the manager stepped in and came to our table to fill in for a very busy waiter. We sat outside on a very nice day and enjoyed the street view and people watching. Would highly recommend this restaurant.

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  10. John VIP

    Detroit6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was great. We were served quickly and our server was really friendly. We enjoyed the restaurant a lot. Would definitely return. Thanks!

    1 person found this helpful

FAQs

The Ridley offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (434) 984-8010.

The Ridley is rated 4.1 stars by 537 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 11 times today
Google Map for The Ridley

1106 W Main St, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2822

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Charlottesville
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu, Sun 7:00 am–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 7:00 am–12:00 am
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Southern, Seafood
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Executive chef
    Robert Anglin
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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