It's actually called "The Ridley" now and it's located inside (or at the bottom of) The Draftsman Hotel. The menu was smaller then expected for such a nice restaurant, but that may be from when COVID first started? The food was good, but not Great. I got the Pork Chop, which was good, but it had a some fatty pieces on it that I couldn't eat. It was tender enough that I didn't realize it still had the bone in it at first because I cut right through it. The fingerling potatoes were not as tender as you would have expected, almost like they were taken out of the boiling water a few minutes too soon. The Limoncello Martini was delicious though!
Courtney K.
Bottom Line: Good food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere. My husband and I dined at Renewal while staying at The Draftsman. We had a late dinner there and overall really enjoyed it. We had shrimp and grits, roasted chicken and a fudge brownie with ice cream. All of it was really good. I was also tempted by the deviled eggs and mac and cheese but resisted. Service was friendly and the atmosphere was nice. We were there in early November and they had their large accordion doors open to the their patio. I know the air flow is good for preventing COVID spread but it was a little chilly. We enjoyed the dessert so much that we went back for another the next night but it to go and took it back to our hotel room.
besca001
Renewal Bar & Kitchen within the Draftsman Hotel in Charlottesville, VA is a great hotel dining option. Upon arrival, everyone was more than attentive, friendly, and provided great feedback about possible options. I was able to dine indoors, and felt extremely safe in this location. The burger was highly recommended and glad that I did order it. Burger and fries were delicious and most importantly, everyone was more than attentive throughout my meal. It is definitely a good option, if you are staying at the Draftsman or passing near the area. I will definitely come back in the near future.
girlseeksworld
We were staying in the hotel and needed to a fast meal. My brother had the salmon and he said it was honestly the best fish he's ever eaten. Highly recommend!!
StephenN37
We stayed at the Draftsman Autograph collection. I had breakfast (2 mornings) and supper (one evening). Staff were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast sandwich is awesome - very flavorful and a very nice portion. I had that twice and would have had it a third time if my flight out was not so early in the morning. The hamburger (basic) was perfectly cooked and very filling - didn't need breakfast until I got to the connecting flight airport. Overall, very good experience with the food and staff.
Brian Zambotti
great place. great beer choices!
Jamie Woodward
Delicious, wonderful ambiance, and great service!
Jamie W.
Y'all! This place is AMAZING! I actually was drawn to it from the pictures on here and not only was I not disappointed, I was blown away!!! I've lived in Dallas, TX for 20 years and I grew up in NJ near NYC. I consider myself a foodie, especially when it comes to brunch. Our table had the Brussels w/ a side of eggs and bacon, the French toast, the renewal breakfast, and the pork belly and grits plus some delicious brunch cocktails. We don't have pics of the French toast and renewal breakfast because those two eaters were too excited and devoured the deliciousness before they remembered pics. Everyone agreed these are some of the best brussel sprouts we've ever had. Our waiter, Jack, and the manager and owner, Rich, worked with us on high-maintenance requests and everyone cleaned their plates. If I lived locally, I'd be coming back for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't decide next time I'm in town if I'll be coming for dinner or brunch, who knows? Maybe we'll come for both, it's really that good!
Mollie
Had dinner reservations for my husbands birthday as we were staying at The Draftsman for the weekend. We had early reservations - 6 pm to take advantage of the happy hour - and we were only the second table with guests in the whole restaurant. The host was nice and seated us immediately. Our server did not mention any specials - regular or with regard to happy hour - and she simply did not keep our water glasses filled. I watched her chat with a coworker and drink from her mug before pouring the glass of Prosecco that I ordered. Although I have never had shrimp & grits with fried shrimp, it was good. Husband had the Crunchy Gentleman and a Caesar salad, it was okay. Chose the cinnamon beignets for dessert - a waste. They are not beignets but rather fried dough balls tossed in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with a sauce. Overall the ambiance was the best part of Renewal. There are plenty of other delicious eateries to visit in Charlottesville!
The C.
Good food, good staff (sat at the bar) -- friendly but not in your face; knowledgeable. Good beer selection, good cocktails, good food. Comfortable bar stools. What more can you want? Will return!
I don't know if it was because of the concert in town, but despite the fact that I had a reservation for 2 at 5:45, we were there 2 hours and were not served our food for at least an hour. The food was good, but a little too salty.
Lauren
The food was solid, but not sure it was worth the disorganized, sloppy service. They were seriously a mess. No one knew who was doing what despite having around 8 to 10 employees on the floor and maybe 6 tables of guests.
Rachel V.
The food was good but cold. The service was extremely slow. The manager served us well and was very accommodating though he informed us the bartender does not come in until 11am that day. It was a Sunday and we made reservations online and was given a choice of bar or dining room. There were only two of us. Thank goodness we ordered our food before the bartender got there. He did not acknowledge us once, since the manger left and began to help other tables. They were clearly more than short staffers I was not able to get a second cup of coffee or was my boyfriend able to order a second drink even though I asked three times very nicely. Another couple came and sat next to us, the lady ordered a bellini and after receiving it five minutes later. It was just a glass of champagne. The lady reread the drink on the menu looking completely perplexed and was told by the bartender,"No, that's our Bellini!" She responded, "The menu says peach purée in it." Bartender,"Oh, we are out, so that's our bellini today." She forfeited the argument for a water. Many minutes later, still no coffee service, no drinks and anxiously awaiting the check to get coffee at another place, close by. Great location and atmosphere, the food was good though cold. Service extremely lacking! Pictured is the bananas foster french toast, also ordered not pictured the avocado toast with eggs (pieces of the shell found on top of the egg,after removing still good).
Food had to much salt and sauce. Steak was good but my side was greens with French fries on top and had to much olive oil on it. There was gravy type of sauce that was good ut I didnt need a full plate of it.
Michael Chen
I ordered the pork chop entree which was delicious and surprised me with a spicy kick I didn't expect from an American restaurant. I also had the Alec Eiffel cocktail which was a vodka and grapefruit juice cocktail. The grapefruit note was very forward and brought excellent flavor to the drink.
It's actually called "The Ridley" now and it's located inside (or at the bottom of) The Draftsman Hotel. The menu was smaller then expected for such a nice restaurant, but that may be from when COVID first started? The food was good, but not Great. I got the Pork Chop, which was good, but it had a some fatty pieces on it that I couldn't eat. It was tender enough that I didn't realize it still had the bone in it at first because I cut right through it. The fingerling potatoes were not as tender as you would have expected, almost like they were taken out of the boiling water a few minutes too soon. The Limoncello Martini was delicious though!
Bottom Line: Good food, friendly staff, nice atmosphere. My husband and I dined at Renewal while staying at The Draftsman. We had a late dinner there and overall really enjoyed it. We had shrimp and grits, roasted chicken and a fudge brownie with ice cream. All of it was really good. I was also tempted by the deviled eggs and mac and cheese but resisted. Service was friendly and the atmosphere was nice. We were there in early November and they had their large accordion doors open to the their patio. I know the air flow is good for preventing COVID spread but it was a little chilly. We enjoyed the dessert so much that we went back for another the next night but it to go and took it back to our hotel room.
Renewal Bar & Kitchen within the Draftsman Hotel in Charlottesville, VA is a great hotel dining option. Upon arrival, everyone was more than attentive, friendly, and provided great feedback about possible options. I was able to dine indoors, and felt extremely safe in this location. The burger was highly recommended and glad that I did order it. Burger and fries were delicious and most importantly, everyone was more than attentive throughout my meal. It is definitely a good option, if you are staying at the Draftsman or passing near the area. I will definitely come back in the near future.
We were staying in the hotel and needed to a fast meal. My brother had the salmon and he said it was honestly the best fish he's ever eaten. Highly recommend!!
We stayed at the Draftsman Autograph collection. I had breakfast (2 mornings) and supper (one evening). Staff were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast sandwich is awesome - very flavorful and a very nice portion. I had that twice and would have had it a third time if my flight out was not so early in the morning. The hamburger (basic) was perfectly cooked and very filling - didn't need breakfast until I got to the connecting flight airport. Overall, very good experience with the food and staff.
great place. great beer choices!
Delicious, wonderful ambiance, and great service!
Y'all! This place is AMAZING! I actually was drawn to it from the pictures on here and not only was I not disappointed, I was blown away!!! I've lived in Dallas, TX for 20 years and I grew up in NJ near NYC. I consider myself a foodie, especially when it comes to brunch. Our table had the Brussels w/ a side of eggs and bacon, the French toast, the renewal breakfast, and the pork belly and grits plus some delicious brunch cocktails. We don't have pics of the French toast and renewal breakfast because those two eaters were too excited and devoured the deliciousness before they remembered pics. Everyone agreed these are some of the best brussel sprouts we've ever had. Our waiter, Jack, and the manager and owner, Rich, worked with us on high-maintenance requests and everyone cleaned their plates. If I lived locally, I'd be coming back for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't decide next time I'm in town if I'll be coming for dinner or brunch, who knows? Maybe we'll come for both, it's really that good!
Had dinner reservations for my husbands birthday as we were staying at The Draftsman for the weekend. We had early reservations - 6 pm to take advantage of the happy hour - and we were only the second table with guests in the whole restaurant. The host was nice and seated us immediately. Our server did not mention any specials - regular or with regard to happy hour - and she simply did not keep our water glasses filled. I watched her chat with a coworker and drink from her mug before pouring the glass of Prosecco that I ordered. Although I have never had shrimp & grits with fried shrimp, it was good. Husband had the Crunchy Gentleman and a Caesar salad, it was okay. Chose the cinnamon beignets for dessert - a waste. They are not beignets but rather fried dough balls tossed in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with a sauce. Overall the ambiance was the best part of Renewal. There are plenty of other delicious eateries to visit in Charlottesville!
Good food, good staff (sat at the bar) -- friendly but not in your face; knowledgeable. Good beer selection, good cocktails, good food. Comfortable bar stools. What more can you want? Will return!
Restaurantji Recommends
I don't know if it was because of the concert in town, but despite the fact that I had a reservation for 2 at 5:45, we were there 2 hours and were not served our food for at least an hour. The food was good, but a little too salty.
The food was solid, but not sure it was worth the disorganized, sloppy service. They were seriously a mess. No one knew who was doing what despite having around 8 to 10 employees on the floor and maybe 6 tables of guests.
The food was good but cold. The service was extremely slow. The manager served us well and was very accommodating though he informed us the bartender does not come in until 11am that day. It was a Sunday and we made reservations online and was given a choice of bar or dining room. There were only two of us. Thank goodness we ordered our food before the bartender got there. He did not acknowledge us once, since the manger left and began to help other tables. They were clearly more than short staffers I was not able to get a second cup of coffee or was my boyfriend able to order a second drink even though I asked three times very nicely. Another couple came and sat next to us, the lady ordered a bellini and after receiving it five minutes later. It was just a glass of champagne. The lady reread the drink on the menu looking completely perplexed and was told by the bartender,"No, that's our Bellini!" She responded, "The menu says peach purée in it." Bartender,"Oh, we are out, so that's our bellini today." She forfeited the argument for a water. Many minutes later, still no coffee service, no drinks and anxiously awaiting the check to get coffee at another place, close by. Great location and atmosphere, the food was good though cold. Service extremely lacking! Pictured is the bananas foster french toast, also ordered not pictured the avocado toast with eggs (pieces of the shell found on top of the egg,after removing still good).
Food had to much salt and sauce. Steak was good but my side was greens with French fries on top and had to much olive oil on it. There was gravy type of sauce that was good ut I didnt need a full plate of it.
I ordered the pork chop entree which was delicious and surprised me with a spicy kick I didn't expect from an American restaurant. I also had the Alec Eiffel cocktail which was a vodka and grapefruit juice cocktail. The grapefruit note was very forward and brought excellent flavor to the drink.