The Ivy Inn Restaurant

We had a great time and amazing food! The restaurant was kind enough to print “Happy 50th Birthday” on our menus since we were celebrating my husband’s bday.

Never a disappointment. The Lobster bisque was nothing short of extraordinary. The Beef Tenderloin melted in my mouth. A delightful dining experience...as always. We'll be back for our anniversary next year, if not sooner.

Food and service were awesome!

Food was amazing and our server was very nice, knowledgeable and accommodating. I will return for sure.

Awesome meal, great service. Favorite restaurant in Charlottesville.

Loved it! Food and service were top notch!! We love this place!

We had dinner with a long time college friend. The dinner was delicious. We had the oysters, pork belly, and the mushroom medley for appetizers. The Ivy Inn Green Salad for everyone. For the main course I had the rock fish with a few fried oysters. My husband had the quail, and our friend had the trout. We left room for dessert, sharing coffee ice cream profiteroles. We enjoyed a lovely white California Chardonnay. The service was delightful and attentive. This is one of our favorite places to dine.

First time here for husband’s birthday. Convenient location, easy reservations, and excellent service. (A bit slow, but we were in no hurry, and the food was delicious!)
We will definitely be back

We went here for our wedding anniversary (as we have for a number of other special occasions), and it did not disappoint. The service is amazing and the kitchen, accomplished. We will be back and we recommend strongly!

Table next to us was very loud and that is the only reason I did not give all 5 stars.
Tables very close together. We had the Pheasant and the Trout. Both were delicious !

I merely mentioned that we were celebrating my mom's birthday as part of requesting a table on the main level. They welcomed us with small glasses of champagne to toast the occasion, printed a birthday wish on the menu, and brought a plate of tiny brownies with whipped cream and "Happy Birthday" written in chocolate on the plate!

In addition to these thoughtful touches, dinner was excellent! Hadn't been there since the early '90s, and it has definitely stood the test of time. We'll be returning often.

Ate here about 20 years ago and loved it! It was just as good this time!! Will try to go back soon!!

Spectacular as always. Warm, helpful and prompt service. Creative, on-point dishes. Memorable experience all around. Not to be missed.

Everything was wonderful! And thank you for helping me to celebrate my 65th birthday with such style. The extra app and dessert, the personalized menu were all so special. It was romantic, it was delicious and the restaurant is so charming.

Our server was knowledgeable and attentive, without being intrusive. We never felt rushed. We had quiet, intimate conversation while enjoying an outstanding meal - for what more could one ask?

Since the Old Mill Room is now just the Mill Room and not quite as upscale as it used to be (though the food quality remains excellent) we decided to have our Anniversary Dinner at the Ivy Inn this time (though we have eaten there before). We were promptly seated and given plenty of time to relax and peruse the offerings before being asked what our choices were. We both opted for a starter, with my choice being the Lobster Bisque and my wife's being the Sweet Potato Soup - both were excellent, hearty and hit the spot given that it was a chilly evening outside. For our main courses my wife opted for the Beef Filet while I had the Rag Mountain trout - both were cooked perfectly and the paired accompaniments went well with their respective proteins. We had a wonderful leisurely meal and then chose to partake in desserts with a cappuccino each. My wife opted for the Profiteroles Cream Puffs while I had the Chocolate Croquante Cake and both were wonderful and decadent. Our decision to return to the Ivy Inn was well worth it and I have no doubt that we will return to enjoy a lovely meal sometime in the near future.

This is a restaurant that is worth the drive, wherever you are at in the area. The ambience was elegant and inviting. Wait staff was phenomenal; they provided a full explanation of the ever changing menu. The wine selection was fairly priced and extensive for personal tastes. The food was outstanding. The best meal I’ve had in a very long time. I would highly recommend this restaurant from the experience and the food.

We were visiting Charlottesville for a wedding and wanted a special night out. We chose The Ivy Inn after many positive reviews recommended. Although the food was good, we left feeling a little disappointed. Our server Skylar was nice but extremely quiet and awkward, barely speaking to us! I guess I was looking for more of a "curated," service-driven experience, telling us about specials, the extensive wine and cocktail menus and the historic aspect of the Inn and restaurant - we got nothing. The menus were left on the table almost the entire meal (not sure why they weren't collected?) and the food was just OK for the price. I can appreciate the "vintage" feel of the place, but it's pretty outdated and could use some care and attention. The chairs for the tables felt like cheap IKEA chairs - very uncomfortable... Just kind of a disappointment overall. As we're out-of-towners, if we come back to Charlottesville, this sadly won't make our "must visit" list next time.

Enjoyed the Ivy Mixed Greens, the English Toffee Pudding Cake, and the drink menu (great cosmo!). Flavor of ricotta gnocchi was good but was overpowered by the pulled chicken. Great service. Would definitely eat here again.

Great atmosphere and food. Went for belated Valentine's and they took great care of us. Champagne was chilled and ready for our arrival. Simon provided outstanding service and was very knowledgeable about the menu and a warm personality. My fiancee said it was her favorite part of our trip!

While the Ivy Inn has great potential, the bang is not worth the buck. Arrived to Hostess not being able to find our reservation booked through OpenTable. Were then put in a very quiet, empty and COLD room upstairs. Was very happy that food/menu was locally sourced but I guess I expected more in so far as taste. Our waiter, Simon, did a very good job and of the entire experience, he stood out. Probably wont be going back anytime soon.

Food and service are always amazing! They had really great specials for Valentine's Day weekend.

We dined at The Ivy Inn the night before Valentine's Day. We were very disappointed in the menu. There seemed to be an over abundance of meat dishes. Only two choices of fish, which we weren't crazy about. Ended up getting a salad and a small portion of ravioli. Thought there could have been more vegetarian dishes. The ravioli was the only vegetarian pasta.

My favorite restaurant in Charlottesville. The food is always outstanding, especially the fish and pasta. Highly recommended!

Food and service were outstanding. We were in an upstairs room with another quiet couple, the two of us and a very robust party of 6 that were having a very good time in a not so pleasant volume. Thankfully they had just ordered dessert when we were seated. The other couple however were finishing their appetizer.

The Ivy was excellent. It is very charming. The sweet potato empanadas were delicious. It was my sisters birthday and they made her feel very special.

Our favorite Charlottesville restaurant. It is!
Impeccable service, wonderful food and a great dining experience.

Simply outstanding! Had a wonderful birthday dinner

Very nice Evening. The staff was very attentive and professional. Our dinner was delicious.
Special thank you to Angelo, he stopped by our table to welcome us and made our evening special.
We will return and recommend. Thank you

Malcom, our server, was just fantastic! It was a wonderful evening, we’ll be back for sure!

This is the second time we've celebrated my daughter's birthday at The Ivy Inn. The food is wonderful, the service incredible, and they make a special effort for her birthday. We can't wait for her next birthday :-)

Prompt and cheerful service plus perfectly prepared and served meal, all make for the best dining in central Virginia.

Those on a plant based diet will enjoy the creative dishes prepared here. Whether you order the entrée shown on the menu or the vegetarian plate assembled by the chef, the food is delicious.

Ivy Inn is a classic place that often provides an outstanding dining experience. This visit was fine but a little disappointing in places. The seafood chowder was overly salted to the point that it overwhelmed the more subtle flavors of the other ingredients. The sweet potato soup was served hot in places but cool in other spots, perhaps because of the creme fraiche and sitting too long before reaching the table. The rockfish entree was delicious, and the mushrooms are always tasty. Likewise the creme brulee was delicate and well executed. Servers were pleasant and very attentive. The decor is perhaps a bit dated and tired at this point, but the ambiance is welcoming and reeks of old Virginia. On balance, we had a pleasant dining experience, but the quality of our meal still didn't attain the standard we'd hope to see from a restaurant like this one.

We had not eaten at the Ivy Inn for many years but had recently heard very favorable comments from friends. We were not disappointed. We were celebrating the birthdays of the two husbands in our group, and were greeted with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. For preliminaries I tried a spicy pumpkin soup that was delicious. For the main courses, three of us had the fresh fish (rockfish and trout) and one had the beef tenderloin, which was described as one of the best ever eaten. The fish likewise was grilled perfectly, and the preparation reminded us of our dining experiences on trips to Greece. The rockfish was accompanied by lightly fried oysters, and the trout had a base of nicely seasoned grits. We passed on desert but received a complimentary serving of bite-sized fudge brownies which were delicious. Another member of our party ordered the wine so I cannot comment on the wine selection, but the white burgundy we had was excellent. Given the quality of the food and the size of the portions, the meals were reasonably priced. Our server was professional and friendly, and the pace of service of the food and drinks was just right for a relaxing evening that allowed for good conversation. We'll definitely return, especially for special occasions.

Had a great time,... Food consistently good , service great, always a pleasure to go.

I have only eaten at the Ivy Inn twice and both meals have been memorable. The rockfish was incredible - flavorful and rich. We also got the cauliflower appetizer which will make you actually rave about cauliflower.

Not such a special occasion as just our group having dinner after our quarterly board meeting in Charlottesville. Some of us travel up from Richmond and to make it an enjoyable outing we have been having dinner before we drive back. We have been to the Ivy Inn twice now and have learned to make reservations before we come. The food is outstanding. The noise level is not loud like so many other places and it was very delightful overall. Thank you!

We’ve had my daughter’s birthday dinner at the Ivy Inn two years in a row and it’s a fantastic place for a special occasion. Great service, delicious food and love the ambiance. Highly recommend!

Dining at The Ivy Inn is always a pleasure. The food is inventive, very well prepared and presented, and the portions generous. The wine selection is broad and very reasonably priced. The service is perfect; the atmosphere genial but conversation friendly. One couldn’t ask for a better dining experience.