Appetizers were good. Little or No liquor in specialty cocktails. Entrees were not well presented and were not great and very overpriced. Quality of steak was poor. 2 dishes had sauce that showed signs of beginning to congeal from sitting too long before bringing to our table. Server never asked how anything tasted, and lacked interest in general. Would only order appetizers and straight liquor, if I had to go back.
jake
Another gourmet dinner and pleasant experience. We split the scallops starter, steak Nicoise with sides of beets and mushrooms. All were cooked perfectly with interesting sauces and flavors(like horseradish sauce cream sauce on the beets). Our friends came to C&O for the first time and loved it.
FredD
In Charlottesville one goes to the C&O periodically for a unique experience. We got one. It was warm. The service was excellent. The food was the best I've had there in 40 years--its always good, but this was special, and all 4 in our party said that. My only complaint is the double verification procedure in this review process. I wont do this again.
JamesC
This was a night out with some dear friends. My wife and I had a meal at the C&O several years ago and had it in mind for our night out. Everything...The food, service, and atmosphere was excellent! The food was inspired. The staff and service matched the quality of the food. I look forward to my next experience at the C&O!
Gregg Early
A true landmark. Chef Dean delivers every time. Sturdy C&O classics and new treats on a well-honed menu. Great drinks and a solid wine list. Service is attentive without being
A wonderful place for a special meal. Everything on the menu is delicious and you can't go wrong. The famed Steak Chinoise is excellent. The veal sweetbreads are so good, I think about the toasted bread all the time. It really leaves a food memory!! The ambiance is cozy & intimate. Such a unique little corner of the universe. I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind star of Charlottesville dining for many decades. A star among stars. Thanks for the memories, C&O - you were a favorite of my dear late husband, William.
Our server was one of the best we have ever had. Professional, friendly and dripping with class. What a value he is to C&O!!! The food was as solid and delicious as always. This restaurant is the best in Charlottesville and will continue to serve the Charlottesville community for special events and heart warming culinary experiences. Thanks C&O for making our daughter's birthdays one of the best!! Dean is the best!!!
Carlton Higby
Atmosphere and service were professional and excellent. Cozy and charming throughout with nice levels of music and crowd chatter. The server recommended a different cocktail based on what I was going to eat which was very helpful.The best part was the mushroom side. It was the best bite of food I’ve ever eaten, borderline magical and out of body experience eating it. Rich and texturally interesting with crispiness, smoothness, char, sweetness, and umami. Unreal and will be going back just for that dish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John G.
This place was wonderful. First timer(s). We made reservations weeks ago. We visited this past Saturday @ 5pm right when they opened. Service was impeccable. The appetizer (hand made fettuccine) was excellent. I got the Halibut special. My wife got the Salmon. Both were delicious. Prices are on the high side, but you have to consider where you are. We will definitely visit again.
PaulM
Place is very charming and the service ia outstanding. The bartender is also a great mixologist. Many different main course options and they have a signature steal dish (like a steak diane).
My wife ordered the scallop appetizer and. the salmon. I had to greens salad with a perfect dressing and the steak frites. It was all wonderfully prepared. The desert of a frozen custard was amazing.
John B.
The ambiance was sublime, the wine perfect. The service was attentive and pleasant throughout. This restaurant is a local favorite and for good reason. Here's the thing: You need to like creamy dishes. Sorry, I mean you need to LOVE creamy dishes. The Steak Chinois is soaking in sauce. The duck breast special was delightful, but glazed to within an inch of its, er, life. We like to see the protein shine through on its own, but here every beef, duck, and (I'm assuming from the menu description) lamb is drenched in a tasty if over-applied sauce. This reminds me of Julia Child's American invasion. Of what we thought French food was 30 years ago. Even the Brussel Sprouts did laps through an aioli sauce. Everything seems to ride atop a bed of puree - be it potato or cauliflower or whatever. The meat was cooked perfectly, the dishes were tasty. But the overwhelming presence of a cream note to nearly everything on the menu (from reading, we only tried two)? Again, if you like saucy dishes, this is your Eden. We would love to come back when the sauce to protein/vegetable is more balanced. We are new to the area, and this approach seems to be working for this gem of a location - but goodness this was rich. Oh, almost forgot. Order the fettuccini with mushrooms appetizer and just call that your entree. You won't be sorry.
Ann Gallier Parsons
We visited the C & O Restaurant for the first time in three years. We were headed to a UVA basketball game and wanted to have a really nice meal in Charlottesville before the game. We were seated immediately and greeted by a gracious waitperson who was knowledgeable about the menu and helped us make our selections. We had an excellent bottle of Pinot Noir and selected the rockfish, the mushroom fettuccine and Caesar salad. It was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is cozy, yet rustic and elegant all at the same time. I look forward to visiting again and trying other items on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C+O is the best Restaurant in Charlottesville. The food and drink was great and the service is even better. The Steak Tartare is the best I have had in VA. The Tenderloin was great and was cooked perfectly. My only qualm was the absence of a chocolate cake option for the desert, however the Vanilla Crème Brulee w/ Raspberries did just fine. Our server was attentive. The ambiance was perfect!
Barbara L.
OMG Everything was perfect! Drinks, food, ambience. Have not been there for 30 years when I last lived here. Just moved back to town and was thrilled it was still open. They did not disappoint. So far my favorite restaurant in C'ville!
Appetizers were good. Little or No liquor in specialty cocktails. Entrees were not well presented and were not great and very overpriced. Quality of steak was poor. 2 dishes had sauce that showed signs of beginning to congeal from sitting too long before bringing to our table. Server never asked how anything tasted, and lacked interest in general. Would only order appetizers and straight liquor, if I had to go back.
Another gourmet dinner and pleasant experience. We split the scallops starter, steak Nicoise with sides of beets and mushrooms. All were cooked perfectly with interesting sauces and flavors(like horseradish sauce cream sauce on the beets). Our friends came to C&O for the first time and loved it.
In Charlottesville one goes to the C&O periodically for a unique experience. We got one. It was warm. The service was excellent. The food was the best I've had there in 40 years--its always good, but this was special, and all 4 in our party said that. My only complaint is the double verification procedure in this review process. I wont do this again.
This was a night out with some dear friends. My wife and I had a meal at the C&O several years ago and had it in mind for our night out. Everything...The food, service, and atmosphere was excellent! The food was inspired. The staff and service matched the quality of the food. I look forward to my next experience at the C&O!
A true landmark. Chef Dean delivers every time. Sturdy C&O classics and new treats on a well-honed menu. Great drinks and a solid wine list. Service is attentive without being
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak Chinoise, Beef Carpaccio, Sticky Toffee Pudding, Hamachi Crudo
A wonderful place for a special meal. Everything on the menu is delicious and you can't go wrong. The famed Steak Chinoise is excellent. The veal sweetbreads are so good, I think about the toasted bread all the time. It really leaves a food memory!! The ambiance is cozy & intimate. Such a unique little corner of the universe. I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind star of Charlottesville dining for many decades. A star among stars. Thanks for the memories, C&O - you were a favorite of my dear late husband, William.
Our server was one of the best we have ever had. Professional, friendly and dripping with class. What a value he is to C&O!!! The food was as solid and delicious as always. This restaurant is the best in Charlottesville and will continue to serve the Charlottesville community for special events and heart warming culinary experiences. Thanks C&O for making our daughter's birthdays one of the best!! Dean is the best!!!
Atmosphere and service were professional and excellent. Cozy and charming throughout with nice levels of music and crowd chatter. The server recommended a different cocktail based on what I was going to eat which was very helpful.The best part was the mushroom side. It was the best bite of food I’ve ever eaten, borderline magical and out of body experience eating it. Rich and texturally interesting with crispiness, smoothness, char, sweetness, and umami. Unreal and will be going back just for that dish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place was wonderful. First timer(s). We made reservations weeks ago. We visited this past Saturday @ 5pm right when they opened. Service was impeccable. The appetizer (hand made fettuccine) was excellent. I got the Halibut special. My wife got the Salmon. Both were delicious. Prices are on the high side, but you have to consider where you are. We will definitely visit again.
Place is very charming and the service ia outstanding. The bartender is also a great mixologist. Many different main course options and they have a signature steal dish (like a steak diane).
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife ordered the scallop appetizer and. the salmon. I had to greens salad with a perfect dressing and the steak frites. It was all wonderfully prepared. The desert of a frozen custard was amazing.
The ambiance was sublime, the wine perfect. The service was attentive and pleasant throughout. This restaurant is a local favorite and for good reason. Here's the thing: You need to like creamy dishes. Sorry, I mean you need to LOVE creamy dishes. The Steak Chinois is soaking in sauce. The duck breast special was delightful, but glazed to within an inch of its, er, life. We like to see the protein shine through on its own, but here every beef, duck, and (I'm assuming from the menu description) lamb is drenched in a tasty if over-applied sauce. This reminds me of Julia Child's American invasion. Of what we thought French food was 30 years ago. Even the Brussel Sprouts did laps through an aioli sauce. Everything seems to ride atop a bed of puree - be it potato or cauliflower or whatever. The meat was cooked perfectly, the dishes were tasty. But the overwhelming presence of a cream note to nearly everything on the menu (from reading, we only tried two)? Again, if you like saucy dishes, this is your Eden. We would love to come back when the sauce to protein/vegetable is more balanced. We are new to the area, and this approach seems to be working for this gem of a location - but goodness this was rich. Oh, almost forgot. Order the fettuccini with mushrooms appetizer and just call that your entree. You won't be sorry.
We visited the C & O Restaurant for the first time in three years. We were headed to a UVA basketball game and wanted to have a really nice meal in Charlottesville before the game. We were seated immediately and greeted by a gracious waitperson who was knowledgeable about the menu and helped us make our selections. We had an excellent bottle of Pinot Noir and selected the rockfish, the mushroom fettuccine and Caesar salad. It was absolutely delicious. The atmosphere is cozy, yet rustic and elegant all at the same time. I look forward to visiting again and trying other items on the menu.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
C+O is the best Restaurant in Charlottesville. The food and drink was great and the service is even better. The Steak Tartare is the best I have had in VA. The Tenderloin was great and was cooked perfectly. My only qualm was the absence of a chocolate cake option for the desert, however the Vanilla Crème Brulee w/ Raspberries did just fine. Our server was attentive. The ambiance was perfect!
OMG Everything was perfect! Drinks, food, ambience. Have not been there for 30 years when I last lived here. Just moved back to town and was thrilled it was still open. They did not disappoint. So far my favorite restaurant in C'ville!